I can’t believe I missed the opportunity to hear my name on his lips. Stupid fucking earbuds. And stupid me for continuing to behave like I’ve never spoken to a man before.
“Sorry. Did you need me to do something for you?” I hate the way that sounds.
“No.” His smile widens. “There’s nothing I need that I can’t handle myself. I’m over here to see you.”
I’m pretty sure my brain has just shorted out. He’s smiling down at me with those damn dimples. And the short beard I’d like to feel—nope. I will not let my mind go there. It’s obvious he’s here for a reason. The quicker he gets to it, the faster I can get back to trying to forget about him.
“To see me for what, if you don’t need anything?”
“Oh, I need something, alright. I just don’t needhelpwith anything.”
Despite my best efforts, I laugh. We shared a kiss last night, but I never thought I’d be standing here flirting with Tate Garrison. I lean my shovel against the wall and cross my arms.
“Semantics. What do you need, sir?”
He takes in a sharp breath before swallowing hard.Good to know.No. It is notgood to know; what the hell is wrong with me? My face must betray my thoughts, because I look up to find him staring at me, his gaze dark.
“You didn’t give me your number,” he says as he passes his phone over with the contacts pulled up.
“I didn’t know you wanted it.”
His gaze darkens further as he once again swallows hard. “I thought I made myself pretty clear about wanting to see you again. Do I need to refresh your memory?”
My brows shoot up and I look around to make sure no one is near us. His question was vague, but it spoke straight to my core. I can practically feel his mouth on mine as last night replays in my mind.
“You don’t want me to kiss you?” His voice is a low gravel, sending goosebumps over my body.
“Not when everyone can see us. I haven’t worked here very long, and I don’t want people to think I came to work here so I could pick up a cowboy or something.”
He places his hand on the wall above my head and steps closer. “Who cares what people think? You going to watch me ride tonight?”
I pass his phone back to him. “If I’m not too busy.”
Chapter 7
Tate
Assoonasweline up to be introduced, I catch myself looking for Joy. And as my eyes scan the arena, taking extra time to linger around the gate that I found her leaning against yesterday, I can’t help but notice she isn’t there. I scan her spot by the gate one more time as I walk out. She is working. I know she’s working. Yet here I am pining away like I’m not a thirty-eight-year-old man with more important things to worry about.
My hand isn’t great, but it isn’t broken and feels a hell of a lot better than it did yesterday. I flex and relax it, shaking it a few times for good measure. The swelling is way down, so I’m sure by the time I get out there, I won’t be thinking about the pain; only about holding on for those eight long seconds.
“Looking for somebody?”
Looking up, I immediately make eye contact with Hayden Scott. He’s been around the ranch for years in various roles, but the last few years he’s been a bronc rider alongside me. The competition is friendly, and I consider him a friend. Of course, he catches me very obviously looking for the woman who’s been on my mind since last night.
“Nope. Just seeing how packed the arena is.”
He doesn’t even pretend to believe me, giving a dramatic eye roll and extremely obnoxious snort. I can’t blame him. I wouldn’t believe me either. I’m not sure what my problem is. I spent a few hours with the woman, and already I’m searching for her like she’s someone important to me. I’ve had relationships. I know how things work. That’s why I’m single. It takes much more than a few hours with someone to know if they’re right or not. Hell, sometimes it takes more than a few years before you even get to know someone. I learned that the hard way from people I thought I could trust as close friends, only to find out I didn’t know them as well as I thought I did. There’s no excuse for me to be over here obsessing over a woman I met one time. Technically it was three times if I include both backing into her car and hunting her down like a stalker in the barn.
“It doesn’t matter how crowded the stands are, it’ll just be more people watching me kick your ass out there,” Hayden teases.
I roll my eyes. I’m not cocky, but even if he does manage to get a better score, I highly doubt my ass will be kicked. Falling into step beside him, we walk out of the arena to find out our riding order. It’s the start of a new season, so the order is as random as the horse we draw. I chance one final look toward the gate in hopes of laying eyes on Joy. But she isn’t there.
I’m riding fourth. So far, Hayden is the only one who’s managed to hold on for eight seconds. He did alright, but his horse didn’t get the highest points. Mine, on the other hand, is a rough one. If I can manage to stay on, which I’m sure I will, I should have no problem beating Hayden’s score.
I make my way into the chute, where my horse is already less than thrilled as he waits. Gingerly, I ease myself onto his back, holding on tight as he bucks and moves beneath me. As many times as I’ve done this, the nerves never quite go away. Several measured breaths are enough to put me into the right headspace. Focusing on my horse, I do what I can to match his energy. We want them to buck and do what they can to throw us off, but the style points come from making certain movements in time with the horse. Moving with them instead of against them.
My hand aches as I hold on tightly to the rigging. Next time Grayson stomps all over my last nerve, I need to remember to use my non-dominant hand to crack his jaw. My gloved hand holds on tight as I nod my head, signaling that I’m ready. With a loud clank, the chute opens, and my horse comes barreling out, bucking and spinning. I grip tighter, even as I encourage the horse to try harder to get me off his back. My left arm remains up, and he tosses me around like I weigh nothing. With my thigh muscles burning, I work hard to stay in the saddle. Each buck of the horse sends me airborne before my body crashes back down onto the muscular animal. As soon as the buzzer sounds, the pickup men are beside me, helping me off the bronc and to safety.
