“I don’twantto,” she said. “But I also don’t want to operate strictly under Vince’s terms. It’s suffocating. He won’t budge an inch on anything he doesn’t agree on.”
The announcer riled up the crowd with the final round of the greased-pig contest, this time for adults. She caught sight of Carl on the sideline with his electronic notepad. Would he get all her assignments now? Unlike everyone else, she wasn’t so sure Vince would offer her job back. The man was too proud to do it anytime soon.
“You could work at another paper, if you’re willing to move.”
“This is home.”
“I know it is. And selfishly, I don’t want you to leave.” Erin dunked a nacho in thick cheese sauce. “You have all the leverage, Abbs. Remember that when he asks you to come back.”
“Maybe.”
Cliff excused himself, taking a demanding Izzy with him in search of Skittles, leaving Abbie all alone with her best friend.
“Now on to therealquestion,” Erin said.
“What?”
Near the chutes, one of the staff members lined up four people, each with a connection to the person their respective chute was being dedicated to. Erin’s eyes followed her gaze. “You and Logan. What’s the deal?”
“I don’t know—”
“Knock it off, Abbs. You two are all but wrapped around each other. All starry eyed, too.”
She felt her cheeks heat. “We kissed.” There, it was out in the open.
“You what?”
“It just happened, earlier today. I don’t know if it even means anything.” But oh, it sure seemed like it did. They’d shared many kisses over the years, but this one was different. This one gave her hope, and that terrified her more than anything.
“He’s leaving in a few days, Abbs.”
That dreaded detail couldn’t be escaped, no matter how hard she wanted to ignore it. Logan would leave, no matter how much she might beg him to stay. He had a whole other life in Albany. Other rodeo events to compete in. What if he left this time and never came back? “I know.”
“Have you guystalkedabout it?”
She twisted her Styrofoam cup in her hands, desperately trying to avoid Erin’s severely inquisitive gaze. “Not yet.”
“If you two are going to give it a real shot, I’m all for it. Truly, I am.” Erin wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “But if he breaks your heart, I’ll make sure he never dares to step foot in Starlight again.”
“Thanks, Erin.”
The grip around her shoulders loosened as a muttered string of words quietly slipped from Erin’s disbelieving lips. “Why is my daughter wearing ahelmet?”
“Guessing Izzy didn’t go to find Skittles.” She tried to hide her smile at her brother’s subterfuge. She’d ridden a sheep as a little girl, too, back in the days that the rodeo still came to Starlight. She’d scraped an elbow, but otherwise competed unscathed.
“I’m going to kill him.” Though she expected her friend to fly out of her seat and intercept her daughter before the chute dedication was finished, Erin stayed put. Her fingers clenched the edges of the bleacher.
“Erin, it’s a fluffy sheep, running around a pen blanketed in soft dirt.”
“Whose side are you on?” But Erin let out a relenting sigh as she watched her daughter and her husband huddle together, probably discussing strategy. “Suppose if I don’t let her do this, she’ll just talk about it nonstop until I find another rodeo to take her to.”
Abbie’s eyes danced between Izzy in the adorable little purple helmet as she listened to her dad’s advice and Logan by the chutes as the announcer went one by one with the dedications. Someday, Logan’s name would be on one of those chutes, too, she suspected.
“You warned him about this, didn’t you?” Erin asked, nodding toward Logan.
“Had to.”
“You still care, that’s why.”
