The buzzer went off, and I reached down and got my hand out. Diablo kicked once more, throwing me clear up, causing me to do what I was guessing was an impressive flip in the air. I landed damn near on my feet with a stumble; luckily, it hadn’t been on my bad side.
The crowd went wild, and I looked to see where the bull was. He was angry and going after Pitt—until he saw me. He came right for me. I ran to the side and jumped up to get out of his way. When they finally got him through the gate, I launched my helmet up and had three bullfighters rushing toward me.
I turned to find Lincoln. Jumping the fence, I made my way over to her. People slapped me on the back, and I smiled as I passed them.
She stood and made her way to me. Wrapping her in my arms, I buried my face in her neck . . . and then heard my score.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Brock Shaw and Diablo have a score of ninety-three! With his combined scores and only one rider left, no one is going to be able to beat that score. That means Brock Shaw is a three-time PBR World Champion!”
“Oh my God! Brock, you did it!” Lincoln shouted.
“Holy shit!” I carefully lifted Lincoln and hugged her. Putting her down, I cupped her face and kissed her. “I love you.”
She laughed as she wiped her tears away. “I love you too. So very much.”
Reaching down, I kissed Blayze. “I love you, buddy.” Then, I quickly went back to the arena and hustled out so the last bull rider who was left could go.
When I saw Kim and her camera, she smiled. “How do you feel?”
I shook my head. “I’m not sure. Ask me again when this is all over.”
She laughed and looked into the camera to talk. I was pulled away from Kim by Ty, Dirk, and a few other bull riders as they all congratulated me.
Holy freaking shit. I just won my third PBR World Finals.
Ty smiled. “I knew you could do it. I knew it!” he shouted in my ear. “Lucky three!”
Everything was a whirlwind as they got ready to present me with the trophy. Lincoln and the rest of my family were down near the chutes. The moment I saw her, I rushed over. I was being told we needed to go out into the arena, but I didn’t give two shits. I needed to hug her again. Tell her how much I loved her . . . and give her a warning.
She threw herself into my arms. Cameras were all around us as she cried into my neck.
“I love you, baby,” I said as I held her tighter. Then, I moved my mouth to her ear. “That was my last ride. I’m retiring.”
She pulled back, a look of confusion on her face. “What?”
“Brock, we need you out there now.”
I winked at her, then followed Kim.
The camera light went on, and Kim started. “Brock Shaw, you are the PBR World Finals Champion, with this being your third time winning. How are you feeling?”
With a chuckle, I replied, “Pretty darn good. It was a rematch I’d been waiting for, and this was the best place for it to happen. I’m glad he was the bull I got to go out on.”
“By ‘going out on,’ what do you mean, exactly?”
Looking at Kim, I smiled. “That was my last ride. I’m retiring from professional bull riding.”
I could hear the gasps from the crowd. I looked past Kim to see Lincoln standing there. She and my mother both looked as white as ghosts.
“Why retire now, Brock? You’re at the top of your field.”
I stared at Lincoln, not taking my eyes off her. “Bull riding has always been my number one dream. Then I met someone who changed everything. I’ll always love this sport, but I married the love of my life a few months ago, and I really want to be there as we grow our family.”
Kim smiled. “Does that mean you’ll share if it’s a boy or girl?”
My head tossed back with a laugh, and I shook it. Damn if the woman didn’t try. I winked at her. “That’s it for now.”
The rest of the evening was a blur. I did more interviews and private autograph sessions. Met with sponsors and talked to others about future opportunities. It was insanity. When we finally made it back to the hotel, Blayze was asleep, and Ty took him to his room.
As soon as the door to our hotel room shut, Lincoln gave me that look. “How long have you had this planned?”
I started to strip out of my clothes. “Winning? Hell, since the beginning of the season.”
Her hands flew up to her hips, and she wrinkled her nose. It was the cutest damn thing ever. “No, Brock Shaw. Retiring. Why didn’t you tell anyone?”