"Sorry about the mess," I called after her even as I crawled to the couch and all but rolled onto it. "Wow. She always rocks my world."
"Pretty sure I do too," J.D. said as he flopped back again.
"Yeah. It's why we work."
"Mhm," he agreed. "See, this is why Jake ain't a problem. Tanner, he can't compete with this."
"It's different," I said. "He's new, and that's always exciting. We're comfortable and safe."
"Sounds boring," he pointed out.
"Different sort of comfortable and safe. This is the kind you trust to be there, not the sort that could turn crazy any moment."
"Yeah, I like this kind better," J.D. said, tugging my arm in a hint to come closer so we could cuddle.
"No, Cody goes there," I told him.
"Where?" she asked, returning a little faster than I'd expected.
"Between us," I told her, watching as she walked across the suite, completely naked and without any shame.
That was the comfortable I was trying to explain to them. The sort that let me see these moments. The kind that made me realize she would always come back to us - and so would we. Maybe this wasn't how most people did things, but we weren't most people.
That was what made all of this work.
Chapter 78
I wokeup Sunday morning alone. Oddly, I still had a smile on my face. All the shit that was going down in the PBR couldn't make me forget the feel of Cody pulling me closer, her mouth on mine, or sliding inside her body. Twenty-four hours - give or take - was a long time to still be riding that high, but I was.
I also had shit to do before I checked in, so I couldn't laze around, daydreaming about her.
So I got my ass up, got dressed, and headed to the arena. First, I tossed my gear down in the spot I'd been using lately. The one I hoped would end up beside hers. Then I headed for the sound booth. Ty had made it clear last night that we were definitely doing this, so I wanted to make sure we did it big.
"Hey, Clay?" I asked when I reached the top.
He was there, alone, with his headphones on. He also didn't hear me, so I made my way over, shifting into his peripheral vision so I wouldn't scare the shit out of him.
He still jumped back. "Shit! Jake, you just about gave me a heart attack!"
I had to smother a laugh. "Where's Mr. Merrill?"
"Dad's getting the veterinarian's check of the bulls," he assured me. "Won't be back for awhile. Why?"
"We're riding - and bailing," I told him.
That had his complete attention. "Why?"
"Because J.D. Adkins is bi. Tanner, too. Cody's got herself in the middle of that, and Dad has the judges screwing them over to encourage them to quit."
"Nothing new," Clay pointed out.
"And the other riders realized it."
His mouth slid open. "Shit, and they're supportive?"
I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess assuming we're all just bigoted assholes doesn't make it true, huh?"
"Evidently not," he said. "And in my defense, I don't thinkallof you are idiots. Just most. Then again, that has more to do with climbing on a one-ton animal forfun."
