“I heard my name. Hope you’re not tellin’ Mags the dirt on me before I can do the same to you, old man?” he jests.
Red plays innocent, making me smile. "Would I do that?"
“You’d sooner throw me under the bus than admit to your reckless rodeo past, my friend.”
“I’m thinkin’ you’re both as bad as each other,” I add. “How’d you two meet anyway?”
Red chuckles, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he recalls the memory. "Oh, that's a story, alright. Back in the day, Justice here was known for his wild antics and fearlessness in the ring. One time, he rode a bull blindfolded just for kicks. Everyone thought he was crazy, but he stayed on for the whole eight seconds before I pulled him off and dragged him to safety.
Justice grins. "Those were the days. What Red doesn’t tell people is that he was the one who dared me to do it in the first place!" Both of them laugh loudly at that. "We were always gettin' into some kind of trouble together. In the ringandon the town, we were always causin’ trouble.”
There’s a nostalgic twinkle in Red’s eye. "Those were some wild times. Never would've made it through half of 'em without this crazy cowboy by my side." He claps Justice on the back, the bond between them clear.
“How about you, Mags? I don’t remember you from bein’ on the circuit with us,” Justice asks.
“Nope. I’m a hometown girl from Spring Haven. If I went to an event, it was with Anna.”
“Ah. Wait… maybe Idoremember you. Short skirt, red boots. Hair out tohere.” He holds his hands high above his head.“Definitely not a face or a pair of legs any red-blooded man there would’ve forgotten in a hurry.”
Red laughs and bumps me with his hip. “Sounds about right. Those damn boots were like a flag to all the bull riders. Had to beat them off you with a stick until you flashed your weddin’ ring around.”
Justice’s brows jump high. “You’re married?”
"That would've been husband number two. But no, we're not together anymore.” I explain.
“Ah, gotcha.” We pass a sign for the bear enclosure. “OK, well I better get back to theactualtourists and show them a good time. You two goin’ to stick around for the rest of the tour?”
We both nod without even looking at one another. “Can’t get rid of us that easily, Jus. Mags here should experience feedin’ a moose at least once in her life.”
Justice’s bushy brows jump high. “You’ve never fed amoose?
I shake my head. “Not really a fan of wild animals even though I’m a born and bred Alaskan. Unless you mean the wild animals that come through my diner.”
Red snickers. “You talkin’ ‘boutactualanimals or just the old timers at the bar?”
I giggle and lean in, resting my cheek against his arm and wondering why there’s a strange thrumming under my skin. “Well, that Ronnieisa bit wild.”
Ronnie, the town’s historical romance-reading, bar-propping old coal miner, is a hive of knowledge from the ‘good ol’ days’and is really interesting to talk to if you take the time to sit down and listen.
“Sounds like your hometown is as interestin' as this one," Justice replies before turning to me. "Follow me, Mags. Let's get you a moose to feed and you can show Red how it's done."
Red just grins down at me, seemingly non-plussed that I’m still holding on to his arm. “That OK with you, old man?”
He narrows his eyes. “I’m younger than you, remember?”
“By a few months. That doesn’t count,” I shoot back.
“Mmm hmm,” he says, smirking. “Let Justice take you, he always did like tryin’ to steal the pretty girls away from cowboys.”
“Aww, you think I’m pretty, Red?” I say, batting my lashes for effect.
His gaze darkens as he shakes his head, the humor now gone and some unreadable emotion in its place. "You know you're a looker, Mags. Always have been and always will be, whether you're in a short skirt and those damn red boots or jeans and a sweater like today. Now stop fishin' for compliments and give Justice his thrill for the day by lettin' him show off to you. Yeah?"
“You’ll keep, Red,” Justice muses.
Red lifts his eyes to his friend. “Look after my girl, Jus.”
“Always,” is the big man’s reply.
