Sorry to leave ya'll hanging! But I do like me a good cliffhanger! ;) I won't do them very often, but this will not be the last one. SorryNotSorry. Here's what happened with Jack's final ride.


November 8th, 2009 – Built Ford Tough Series World Finals – Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas

Hannibal's Wrath launched out of the chute, twisting hard to the right. Unable to shake Jack, he quickly changed course and turned so hard to the left that the bull almost went down. Catching air to put the best NBA player to shame, Hannibal tried everything he could to get his rider off his back.

The stadium seemed to go black, as if all the lights had been turned off; only a light remained on Jack and Hannibal's Wrath. He could hear nothing but the bull and his own breathing as each movement of the duo appeared to move in slow motion: pounding hooves, the clang of his spurs, the squeak of his leather glove against the handle, the snorts from the beast with each jarring contact to the dirt, and the sound of his own beating heart inside his chest.

Charlotte grabbed Elizabeth's arm, "Where's his helmet?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "I don't know."

"Oh, my gosh, he looks just like his father out there with his hat on," Charlotte stated.

Jack watched the bull's head and shoulders, anticipating his next move. Hannibal's front hooves hit the dirt with such power that Jack could feel it in his teeth. Leaping higher than any bull Jack had ever been on, Hannibal's Wrath came straight down onto his front hooves, his back feet kicking straight out above him, his body completely vertical; yet Jack leaned back and held on.

Everyone watching knew they were witnessing greatness as Jack and the bull moved together like the intricacies of a tango; the brush strokes of a Monet; a perfect melody from Bach.

Elizabeth and her family were all on their feet. She watched her husband, her hands covering her mouth, her heart pounding in her ears, as he appeared to be conquering a beast that had haunted him and his family for many years. Grace and William, also on their feet, gripped onto one another as they watched with mixed emotions of awe and horror.

Slowly, one by one, the audience rose to their feet as the seconds ticked by.

The announcer, who normally never stops talking in order to keep the audience engaged at all times, had even grown silent for a moment, as history was being made in the center of the Thomas & Mack Center this evening.

Jack had completely taken control of Hannibal's Wrath as the massive bull continued with his mission to throw him. Just as the buzzer blew, Jack felt an overwhelming sensation of the presence of his father. Instead of freeing his hand and bailing off, Jack continued riding, giving his father that final ride he never finished.

The entire stadium was on their feet as they watched: cheering, screaming, and applauding this man who was riding for another purpose.

"Ladies and gentlemen, like Tuff Hedeman did for the late, great Lane Frost, Jack Thornton seems to be riding for his father."

Lee and the rest of the men lining the chutes, could be heard shouting and hollering, cheering on a rider that had taken down his demon.

The stadium that was already filled with roars, shook and echoed as the overwhelming feeling of excitement grew and washed through everyone.

Elizabeth and her entire family, all with tears flowing down their faces now, yelled and cheered for Jack as he continued another eight seconds for his dad. Tom had his arms wrapped around Sam, watching his brother as if he was channeling their father.

A second buzzer sounded, the one his dad never heard, and Jack released his hand, bailed off the bull, and landed on his feet. He turned to watch the bull buck his way out of the arena, never turning back toward Jack, accepting his defeat.

Dropping to his knees, Jack pulled his hat off and covered his face, his own tears began as he prayed to his Heavenly Father with a grateful heart. As he returned to his feet to search out Elizabeth's face, another familiar face caught Jack's eye, one he never thought he'd see again.

A smile grew across his face as Jack looked into the eyes of his father, standing at the edge of the arena, smiling back, his face filled with pride. Jack quickly glanced up to Elizabeth, then back to where he'd seen his dad, but he was gone.

Looking back to Elizabeth through blurry eyes, Jack threw his hat into the air as hard as he could, pumping his arms toward the sky.

The arena floor filled with the men that had lined the platform behind the chutes, led by Lee who wrapped his arms around Jack's waist, picked him up and hugged him as everyone encircled him, slapping his back and congratulating him. Guilherme, among the men who flooded the floor, shook Jack's hand and told him it had been the best ride he had ever seen.

Charlotte threw her arms around Frank, relief flooding her over the safety of her son. Rosie and Elizabeth clutched onto one another as pride filled Elizabeth, watching her husband being celebrated by almost twenty thousand people. Grace and William lowered themselves into their chairs, still holding each other's hands, watching their daughter get lost in the moment of admiration over their new son-in-law.

Other than the time spent with Elizabeth, Jack had never smiled so much and so big since before his father passed. Lee grabbed Jack by the front of his vest and shook him slightly.

"Brother, you are the new World Champion," Lee said, in the middle of over thirty men still celebrating in the middle of the arena.

Jack's smile grew just little more as he grabbed Lee's shoulders. "I couldn't have done it without you by my side, Brother."

Jack pulled Lee in and the two hugged each other once more.

As the roaring cheers settled, along with the dust, the announcer began again. "Ladies and gentlemen, being scored on only his first eight seconds, Jack's scored a 96. But if you ask me, the next eight seconds should have scored 100."

The stadium erupted once more, everyone showing their agreement with the announcer.

The arena was cleared as everything was prepared for the closing ceremonies. Elizabeth and Rosie ran through the concession area, making their way to the steps that would lead them down to where their men were waiting.

As soon as Jack spotted Elizabeth running toward him, he left the group that he had been speaking to, and ran to her, picked her up and hugged her. Setting her back on the ground, Jack took her face in his hands and kissed her. Each one could taste the saltiness of the others tears that had found their way to their lips.

Jack pulled back and brushed his hands along the sides of her head, pushing her hair back. His eyes settling on hers, with a hoarse voice, he said, "I did it." His smile grew larger than she had ever seen.

"You sure did. I'm so proud of you, Jack."

A man with a microphone approached Jack and tapped him on the shoulder. "Do you have time for an interview, Jack"

"Sure, Andy." Jack kissed Elizabeth, "I'll be right back."

Elizabeth watched as the cameraman pointed the camera toward Jack and Andy. Jack was as comfortable in front of the camera as he was talking to his own family. Elizabeth listened as he answered question after question. Hearing her name mentioned, Elizabeth straightened, seeing Jack holding his hand out in her direction. She stepped up beside him as he slid his arm behind her.

"This is my wife, Elizabeth."

"Very nice to meet the woman that has finally stolen this man's heart. Congratulations on your marriage."

"Thank you," Elizabeth replied.

"What did you think about Jack's ride tonight?"

Elizabeth looked up to Jack, smiling, then back to Andy. "I am very proud of him. He rode for himself and he rode for his father. It was very emotional for me and his family "

"I can just imagine. I think that was an emotional moment for everyone in the building. So, Jack, what's next? It was announced that tonight was your last ride, what are your plans moving forward?"

Jack looked down at Elizabeth smiling, "Well, first, we'll be going on our honeymoon."

"Oh, really? And where will you be going?"

Jack looked back to Andy, "It's a surprise for Beth, so I can't say."

"Oh, wow, okay. We're seeing a side to Jack Thornton that we've never seen before," Andy laughed. "What's next with your life if you won't be riding bulls any longer?"

"Lee Coulter and I plan on trying our hand in team roping."

"Did I hear my name?" Lee shouted, bounding up to Jack and laying his arm across his shoulders and shaking him.

"And here we have the infamous Lee Coulter, folks."

Andy asked a few more questions regarding their future in team roping before wrapping up the interview and moving on to Guilherme and the other men.

"Jack, you're a natural in front of the camera," Elizabeth said after Lee walked off to find Rosemary.

"I've been through a lot of interviews. I used to go on with my dad when they'd interview him." Jack grabbed Elizabeth's arms and turned her to face him, the quick action startled Elizabeth. "I have to tell you something that happened," he said, his eyes lighting with excitement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for our brave bull fighters that risk their lives every night to keep our cowboys safe."

The stadium began to fill with roars once more as the closing ceremonies began.

"Shoot, I'll have to tell you about it later," Jack said, taking Elizabeth's hand and walking toward the entry gate, joining Lee and Rosemary.

"A big shoutout to our judges, gatemen, ringmen, handlers, and everyone else that helped put on this event." After a brief pause, allowing the audience to show their appreciation for everyone. "Now, let's get this party started!"

The pyrotechnics started again with sparks and flames shooting up toward the ceiling, We Are The Champions by Queen played in the background.

"Now, for our top five from the week. These guys are all in the money!"

Jack, Elizabeth, Lee and Rosie all stood just outside the gate, waiting to hear the results.

"Do you think you made it?" Rosie asked Lee.

"I'm not sure. I know I'm close, but there were a couple guys that scored similar to me, too."

"In fifth place, earning a check for $22,000, Lee Coulter!"

Rosemary screamed and jumped up and down, hugging Lee.

"Congratulations, Brother," Jack said, smacking him on the back.

Lee jogged out into the arena, accepting the oversized check, and posing for several photos. Stepping off to the side, he waited as they announced fourth and third places, each receiving an oversized check with growing amounts.

As Guilherme was announced as the second-place winner, he stepped out to the center of the arena and held his $200,000 check for several photos before joining the other three men.

Jack took a hold of Elizabeth's hand and began walking through the gate into the arena.

"What are you doing?"

"Join me," Jack answered, still smiling.

The couple walked out into arena as a spotlight, the only light on in the huge venue, lit them up as the crowd cheered.

"Our new Built Ford Tough PBR Wooorld Champion, Jaaack Thooornton!" The announcer yelled, dragging out the syllables of Jack's name.

Jack held the check over his head, a huge smile across his face. Elizabeth watched from a few feet away, an equally large smile on her lips as she enjoyed seeing Jack filled with so much excitement. The oversized check, with the amount of $1,000,000 scrolled across the line, had Jack's name handwritten on the top line in a large black marker.

Now holding his Champion buckle in his hand, Jack gripped the check under his arm and held his hand out to Elizabeth who quickly slid into his embrace. Holding the check for him now, Elizabeth kissed him as flashes from nearby cameras went off. Her face filled with pride and happiness for her husband, she smiled at the cameras as they continued to take photos.

Elizabeth took the buckle that was housed in a shadow box, looking at it wide eyed, "Holy cow, Jack."

Jack, looking over her shoulder, smiled, "I know. Amazing, isn't it?"

"This thing has over thirty diamonds in it. And rubies."

"Yeah, it's a $20,000 buckle."

Elizabeth stared at it for a short moment longer before returning her attention to the festivities around them. Multi-colored paper confetti had been falling from the sky as other competitors had flooded the floor, congratulating all the guys in the top five. Lee and Rosie were smiling and laughing, soaking in all the attention with his fifth-place win. Guilherme's family had surrounded him, celebrating along with him.

Elizabeth watched as someone whispered something in Jack's ear, his expression changing to one of concern.

"What's wrong, Jack," she asked after the man had left.

"He was giving me an update on Dustin." Jack motioned for Lee to come over and once he was there, he shared the news with him, Elizabeth and Rosie. "I just got an update on Dustin. He's in an induced coma, he's got swelling on the brain, he's got a cracked sternum, three broken ribs and a broken leg."

Rosemary and Elizabeth both covered their mouths as they listened.

"Do they know if...if he'll make it?" Lee asked.

"He's already had one surgery but will need a much more extensive one after he's more stable. That's all he knew for now. He can't have visitors yet but I'd like to go over there in the morning and check on him."

"Absolutely. I'm going with you," Lee stated.

Elizabeth moved her arm behind Jack's back and held him tight, thanking God for keeping him safe; Rosemary appeared to be doing the same with Lee.

…..

Once the celebrations had ended, the dust and confetti settled with the roars of the crowd, the music had been turned off, and the only sounds left were the conversations that floated down from the members of the audience that were still making their way out of the seats, Jack and Lee walked out into the arena. Elizabeth and Rosemary stayed back, watching them from the other side of the gates.

Standing in the middle of the fully lit arena, the fanfare over, both men turned, looking up into the mostly empty stands.

Placing his hand on Lee's shoulder, Jack looked at him with a forced half grin. "Well, Brother, this is it."

Lee grabbed Jack's shoulder and pulled him in for a hug as the two smacked each other on the backs, each trying to hold back tears that threatened to spill.

"What a way to go out," Lee said, his signature smile covering his face.

Jack laughed, "Yes, the perfect way."

Jack dropped his arm across Lee's shoulders and the two began walking back to the women, glancing back at the empty arena one last time.

…..

November 8th, 2009 – Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas

The family sat around the dining room table, a few conversations going on simultaneously as the group waited for Jack and Lee to shower and get ready for the afternoon and evening's activities.

William, Frank and Tom were talking about the day's events that had already transpired; Grace and Charlotte discussed future visits and possible holiday plans; Rosemary, Sam and Elizabeth had been discussing honeymoon destinations and trying to guess what Jack might have planned.

Just as each conversation reached a pause all at once, Rosemary could be heard over everyone ask, "Was that Polly that I saw talking to you the other day? Surely she didn't have the nerve to approach you again."

Jack had just stepped up next to Elizabeth when he'd heard Rosie's question. Glaring at her and shaking his head, he placed his hands on Elizabeth's shoulders.

Grace, hearing this and seeing Jack's reaction, asked, "Who's Polly?"

Elizabeth drew in a deep breath and blew it out, giving Rosie a look of 'thanks a lot.' She looked up at Jack, who, with a smile, nodded his head and whispered, "you should tell them."

Elizabeth looked around the table at everyone who had known the story, then settled her gaze on her parents of whom she had not been able to tell yet.

"A little over two months ago at the rodeo in Nashville, I was attacked by four men."

"Oh, my, Beth," Grace exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand.

William, anger flashing in his eyes, looked between Jack and Elizabeth, "What happened?"

"I was walking back to the trailers when the guys approached me. They were drunk and tried to...tried to..."

Jack squeezed her shoulders and finished for her. "The men tried to rape her, but Lee and I stopped them."

Just then, Lee stepped off the elevator, having used Jack's key card to access the suite. "What did we do?" Lee asked, before noticing everyone's faces.

"Where were you two that these men were able to attack her to begin with?" William asked, his voice low and stern.

Jack, understanding William's frustration and concern, answered with a calm, level voice. "Lee and I were checking the lineup for the next day and Rosemary had gone with her. But she had to take care of her horse for the night and was going to meet Beth at the trailer."

William closed his eyes and drew in a long, deep breath through his nose, then slowly let it out. "How could you let her go alone?"

"Daddy," Elizabeth said, a little harsher than she'd planned, "I don't blame any of them for what happened and neither should you. They had no idea. The only reason it did happen is because of a jealous girl that sent them in my direction, otherwise I would have been fine."

"A jealous girl? Jealous of what exactly?" William asked, looking between his daughter and Jack.

"She was upset at me for having a fiance," Jack simply stated.

"And why would she be jealous of that?"

"Dad, seriously. The men were dealt with, arrested and are in prison. I'm fine. I am over this so can we please stop talking about it?"

William's expression softened slightly as his eyes settled on his daughter's. "I'm sorry, Beth. Of course."

Having been watching everyone else's expressions as William and her daughter talked, Grace finally spoke up. "Did all of you already know about this?" She asked, her gaze moving from face to face.

Everyone nodded as Elizabeth answered, "Yes, Mom. Lee and Rosemary were there so of course they knew. Everyone else saw the results from the attack so we had to tell them."

Sadness was replacing anger in both her parents' eyes. "What results?" Grace asked in a quiet voice.

"One of them had hit me across the face and left a bruise."

William leaned back in his seat, crossed his arms and looked out the window, attempting to curb his anger once more.

Jack moved over slightly, trying to catch his eyes, "Sir, I assure you that they were dealt with." Jack nodded his head, "They were dealt with," he said in a low, deep tone that seemed was part of some guy code that William would understand.

His eyes locked on Jack's and William nodded his head in understanding.

"Do your sisters know?" Grace asked.

"Julie does. I told her about it when she was here during the time before the wedding."

Grace nodded, hurt in her eyes now. "So, you couldn't trust me enough to tell me about it?"

"Mom, it wasn't anything like that. I wanted our wedding to be a happy time. I didn't want to talk about it anymore. But while Julie was here, the officer that had been on the case had called me to let me know that two of them had gotten sentenced to five years. Julie was there when I got the call and that's the only reason I told her about it. It was over and I was healed."

The conversations slowly started back up, trying to lighten the mood before leaving for their celebratory dinner. Jack walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water for Elizabeth, and when he turned around, William was standing in front of him with his hand out. Jack put his hand in William's and shook it.

"Thank you for taking care of her."

"Of, course, Sir. It will never be any other way."

"I assume when you say 'they were dealt with' that you might have had a little something to do with it."

Jack nodded. "Lee and myself."

"Did they get what they had coming for them?"

"Yes, sir. All of that and then some." Jack lowered his gaze, "If it wasn't for Lee, I would be the one in prison."

William, still gripping Jack's hand in a slow handshake, stepped closer and placed his free hand on Jack's shoulder. "Son, I would have done the exact same thing."

Jack looked back up to William, an understanding of the significance of "protecting your own" between them.