She smirked faintly, a ghost of her old self. “Some habits die hard. And I’m sore. Obviously. You don’t have to narrate it like a damn rodeo announcer.”
I grinned despite myself. “Announcer? Nah. Just worried I might have to patch you up again if you collapse mid-road.”
Her eyes flicked to mine, sharp and calculating, before darting back to the window. “You’d fix me, huh?”
“Hell yeah,” I said, though I didn’t move closer. “Though you’d probably tell me to leave.”
She laughed softly, quiet enough to make me want to lean across the console and kiss that sound out of her. “I’d probably do more than tell you. But you’d do it anyway.”
That pull between us, the one I’d thought I’d buried, twisted hard in my gut. The road stretched long ahead, and the air inside the cab felt charged, the kind of static that made your skinprickle. I cleared my throat, forcing my eyes back to the road. It was safer that way.
“Do you ever think about,” she began hesitantly, “everything we left unsaid?”
Her voice was soft, barely there, but it hit me like a fist.
“All the time,” I admitted quietly. My hands clenched the wheel tighter. “More than I’d like.”
She exhaled softly, leaning back, the blanket slipping slightly. Her ribs caught the seatbelt, and I winced for her. “You make it sound tragic,” she muttered, turning her gaze back toward the endless hills.
“It is,” I said, the truth flowing easier than I expected. “And it’s mine. All mine. Even after three years, even after everything.”
Her gaze flicked to mine again, longing and defiance tangled in her eyes. “You always did have a flair for the dramatic.”
“Dramatic? Me? Never.” I smirked, though my chest tightened with everything we weren’t saying.
The miles ticked by, punctuated by quiet sighs from Kristin, small shifts in her seat, and the occasional scrape of the trailer hitch over rough asphalt. I tried to make conversation, anything to keep the tension from snapping.
“Remember that time you tried to teach Lady to jump that little fence at the Diamond’s old arena?” I asked. “And she nearly took off with you?”
She rolled her eyes, a playful grimace crossing her face despite the soreness. “Don’t remind me. I nearly ended up in the hospital before your charming self-decided to show up and save me.”
“Saved you? You were screaming bloody murder, not subtle at all, but yeah, I guess I did.”
Her hand brushed mine briefly as she reached for the blanket again. The touch was barely there, but I felt it. That small contactignited something I hadn’t wanted to feel until we were home. My pulse kicked, hard, and I shifted slightly, careful not to let it show.
“You’re awfully quiet,” she said suddenly, eyes flicking to mine. “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing,” I said, voice low. “Just making sure you survive this trip without passing out on me.”
She narrowed her eyes. “That’s comforting.”
“Maybe,” I said, tone low, the corner of my mouth lifting. “Depends on your definition.”
She laughed softly, almost against herself, the sound fragile and warm. “You’re crazy.”
“Maybe. But you still like me,” I said, letting the words hang heavier than I intended.
Her lips parted as if to respond, then she looked away, biting the inside of her cheek. I could feel the tension coil tighter between us, the mixture of her soreness, the leftover adrenaline from the rodeo, the pull between us, and the quiet intimacy of hours spent together in a confined space.
“You think you’re in charge, huh?” she whispered, almost teasing, but her voice trembled.
“Depends on the day,” I said. “Today, I might be.”
She shifted closer under the blanket, letting her knee brush mine. My hand twitched, nearly reaching for hers, but I stopped. Not yet. Not until we got to Montana.
The sun dipped low, painting the sky with orange and violet hues, the light spilling across her face. Her skin looked soft again, not the pale, frightened version I’d carried out of that trailer. The truck’s headlights illuminated the endless road, the trailer swaying slightly behind us. Silence settled again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was thick with promise.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said softly after a long pause.
