He swallows hard.
My anxiety hits a high. "Wyatt?"
"Let's go to the lake, sugar. We'll talk there," he says.
The worst feeling I've ever had comes over me. Silently, I nod.
Wyatt makes a loud clicking noise, and the horses move forward.
We don't speak as we ride through the thick trees. The sun peeks through in several spots and then shines brightly when we exit the foliage and approach the lake.
We dismount from our horses, and Wyatt ties them to a nearby tree. Then he grabs my hand, kisses it, and steers me toward the log on the shore.
We sit, and my stomach churns as I ask, "What's going on?"
He takes a moment to gather his thoughts, digging his toe into the sand.
"Wyatt?"
He finally meets my gaze. "I really messed up this time."
I just stare at him.
He adds, "I'm sorry."
I put my hands on his face. "It's okay. We'll find you another agent."
He closes his eyes for a moment, then releases a long breath. "It's not that easy, Willow."
"Then explain it."
He stares at the water, grinding his molars, then picks up my hand, rubbing his thumb over it. He declares, "Jax said he's moving me to the Tennessee team."
My pulse shoots up so fast that I get dizzy. "What? He can't do that!"
Sounding despondent, he says, "If I don't go, I have no spot on any team."
"Then we'll find you one!" I insist.
Wyatt takes off his hat and puts it on the log next to him. He pats his thigh. "Come here."
I rise and move to his lap.
He strokes my hair.
"Don't worry. We'll find you another team."
"It doesn't exactly work like that, Willow," he claims.
"Why not? This is Texas," I remind him.
He tugs me closer to him. "I can go to Tennessee and still compete. If I find another team, I'll start at the bottom."
My anxiety eases a bit. I knew there had to be another option. I reassure him, "You'll move quickly up to where you are now. You're too good!"
He grunts. "I lost the other day."
"It's okay. You can't win every rodeo. You'll win the next one," I insist.
