Topper scratches his stubble. “Yeah, I’m in the same boat.”
“So, Hotshot, what are you going to do when Allie pulls up stakes?”
Topper gets quiet and the corners of his mouth fall. I know my friend, my brother, and I can tell that he’s just as torn up.
“Neither of us thought we’d be falling in love this summer, did we?” I say, patting him on the back.
“Nope, but hey, we’ve still got a week. Hopefully, we’ll figure something out by then, and if we don’t, Iwillchain Allie to my bed.”
“You boys better figure something out,” Rusty says. “Not sure I can do with you both being lovestruck at the same time. We’ve still got a ranch to run.”
Topper and I both exchange looks and then smile.
“For now, cheer up, sons, and enjoy the cookout tonight. Going to be lots of food, dancing, and fun. Wish my dancing partner was here, but that’s the breaks, I guess.”
I glance at my stepdad and smile as I’m reminded that he’s lovestruck too. Three grown men, all undone by women who’ve turned our worlds upside down.
“You know what?” I say, standing and clapping my hands. “We’ve got one week to figure this out. Tonight, we celebrate what we have instead of worrying about what we might lose.”
If I only have seven days left with Roxanne, I’m going to make every single one count.
boot scootin’
DUKE
My kitchen isfull of friends and beer, and for the first time in a long damn time, my chest doesn’t feel like it’s got a cinder block sitting on it. Rusty’s propped against the island, telling some story about the first barn dance Topper ever attended. It’s a fantastic story that involves bedazzled suspenders and an unfortunate misunderstanding with a rodeo queen.
Allie’s already crying from laughing, and Leo’s begging Topper to pull out those suspenders for tonight. Georgia’s sitting in a bar chair with her head buried in her hands because she said she remembers that night vividly.
I’m standing there, beer in hand, pretending to listen, but I’m not hearing a damn word because my thoughts keep shifting to the woman getting ready in my bathroom upstairs. While Roxanne is taking longer than usual, Allie said it was because she was going to put on something special they picked up from Fern & Fable.
“We should be gettin’ on,” Rusty says, checking his watch.
“Yeah,” I say, trying not to glance toward the stairs again like a lovesick idiot. “I’m gonna go make sure she doesn’t need help.”
Topper shoots me a stern look from across the kitchen. “We don’t need you two causin’ a ruckus upstairs, now. I’m hungry.”
I punch him in the shoulder on my way out of the kitchen. “Shut your damn mouth.”
I step into the hallway and see movement at the top of the stairs. When I catch a glimpse of her it’s like she’s moving in slow motion and suddenly every part of me feels warm.
She’s in a white dress with a fitted bodice that hits above the knee. Thin straps hug her sun-kissed shoulders. What sends me over the edge is her long blond hair is framing her face under a wide-brimmed cowgirl hat, and oh mercy, she’s wearing sparkling cowgirl boots from Fern & Fable. All I can do is stand there with my mouth open.
“You’re looking at me like I just grew wings,” she says, pausing on the second to last step.
I rub the back of my neck. “You, uh, definitely grew something.”
Her eyes flick to my crotch and she smirks. “Smooth.”
“I think you forgot something upstairs … in my bed. Let me help you look for it.”
“Later,” she says, stepping down. “I’m actually looking forward to dancing tonight.”
I arch my eyebrows. “You know how to line dance, Trouble?”
“You’ll see,” she says with a wink.
“I guess so.” I try to play it cool as I loop her hand through my arm and walk us back into the kitchen. Everyone compliments Roxanne, and we all chat on the way to the barn as if this is how our life just is. Roxanne by my side, Topper’s arm around Allie, Georgia and Rusty laughing from Leo telling more tales of their time working for Uncharted TV.
