“Well, Bea mentioned wantin’ to go since she’s been feelin’ a little better this week. And she keeps sayin’ she needs a rodeo pretzel.” A soft smile played at Tag’s mouth when he talked about her, probably because he was obsessed but also Bea saying shewantedto eat was a reason to smile.
Hollie said, “Thanks for the invite. We’d love to come.”
“Great.” Tag screwed the cap off his water bottle. “Maybe we should all go and make it a night. It’s been nothin’ but stress recently. Might be fun to bust everyone off the ranch for a while.”
Her eyes slid to me again. “I love that idea.”
My brain conjured up ideas faster than I could blink. Sitting with Hollie in the stands. Buying her some funnel cake. Watching fireworks. Dancing with her again.
“Alright then.” Tag said, “I have to leave here around nine in the mornin’ but if you guys came at five-ish, you wouldn’t miss the important stuff.”
THIRTY-TWO
Hollie
Iwould be a lot more educated about rodeo if Jesse’s thigh hadn’t been pressing against mine the entire time he explained it. He carefully walked me through all the aspects of the scoring and the draw and whatnot, because I asked him too, but all I could focus on was the way his shoulder kept bumping me as he pointed to various parts of the arena. Or the way he leaned closer to my ear when the intermittent music blared over the speakers. Or the way he shared his water with me after I accidentally kicked mine over. Or the way he kept an eye on our children, who clung to the exterior arena fence, trying to get as close a look as possible. Or the way he smiled at me, so easy every time.
And we definitely seemed closer together than we were when the rodeo started. Had he scooted closer? Or had I? Part of me felt guilty for not talking to Bea, who sat on the other side of me, but pulling my attention away from Jesse was like padding upstream on the Niagara River. He was so enthusiastic and so…educated on all this stuff. And a man possessing any kind ofexpertisewas just plain hot.
I could listen to him talk all night, even if I never internalized a word.
I tried hard not to beam at him with stars in my eyes, but I doubted I could keep my admiration off my face. He truly captivated me. Which was outrageous. Because, just last week, I claimed I only wanted him as my friend.
But, gracious, nothing about the way our legs pressed together—from our thighs to our heels—felt like friendship. Sparks erupted in my belly every time he moved, shifted, or looked at me. The urge to slip my hand into his lap and entwine our fingers grew stronger by the minute.
I shook my head against the wild thoughts, trying to keep my desire between the lines, but the battle was hopeless. I wanted him. And more than that, I wanted to be wanted. And the way he kept looking at me, with that gentle smile and warm light in his green eyes, had me fully convinced he wanted me back. That alone infused the scarred parts of my heart with hope. Maybe I could be free of all the lies Garrett left me with. Maybe I could be brave enough to try again.
But what would trying again even look like with a man who lived in Texas?
The qualifier was completely packed. This particular rodeo was a popular one in the area and Harlan went extra early to secure seats near the arena. For two and a half hours, we watched and cheered for Meadowbrook horses while Tag, across the arena from us, loaded them in and out of chutes and kept an eye on the way they were treated by the cowboys.
Bea, gripping a Sprite in one hand and slowly munching a big, soft pretzel in the other, still looked pale but her eyes shone beneath the rim of her hat as she beamed across the arena at her husband. She’d been indoors for so long—this was the shot in the arm she needed.
To no one’s surprise, Meadowbrook horses brought in big scores. Windy Foot, American Pie, JoJo, and Tom Sawyer made us especially proud. Jesse cheered. So did Bea and Harlan. And the girls followed Cade’s cues—jumping up and down when he did. When the sun was finally falling in the sky, Jesse pointed to the daysheet and leanedtoward my ear. “I leave when it’s time for the bulls.” According to the sheet, bull riding started in fifteen minutes.
I glanced over at him. “I wondered about that. What do you do if you’re the contractor at the rodeo?”
He shrugged. “Just take a walk.”
“Want company?” The words flew from my mouth before I could stop them.
Jesse glanced at the kids. “I always have company.”
Meaning Cade.
I lifted a shoulder. “Maybe the girls and I could come along.”
“You don’t think they’ll want to watch?”
I grimaced. “Yeah, they will.”
“You guys should enjoy this. I’ll be fine.”
The next fifteen minutes inched by as I agonized through mental gymnastics, trying to figure out how to enjoy the rest of the night without him beside me. Finally, when Tag joined our group on the bleachers, Jesse climbed down the bleachers to stand beside Cade. At this distance, I could see his lips moving but not hear his voice. He thumbed over his shoulder toward the exit. Cade looked at his dad then the girls then back at his dad. He shook his head.
Jesse raised his brows. His mouth moved in an unmistakeableyou sure?
Cade nodded.
