He guides Shadow in a slow circle around the corral, and Belle starts shooting. Carter moves differently than Kai, less flashy, more controlled, but there’s a quiet confidence to him that’s equally captivating. He doesn’t need to show off. He knows exactly what he’s capable of.
“Looking good out there!” Kai calls from where he’s now positioned along the fence. “Try not to put everyone to sleep!”
“Sleep is what happens when they watch you!” Carter fires back.
“That’s called being hypnotized by my beauty!”
“You mean bored to tears!”
More laughter. More banter. It’s easy to get lost in their charm.
Carter finishes his shots, poses for a few stills, and then guides Shadow toward the fence. As he dismounts, his gazecatches mine, green and warm, lingering just a moment longer than necessary.
Don’t,I tell myself.Don’t read into it. Don’t be pathetic.
The shoot continues. More cowboys cycle through—local riders, younger guys who are clearly new to this, a few grizzled veterans who know exactly how to work the camera. Belle directs, I watch and learn, and the morning slides by in a blur of horses and clicking shutters and masculine energy.
A commotion near the gate interrupts my thoughts. Murmurs ripple through the crowd, and a smattering of applause breaks out.
Belle lowers her camera, glancing over. “Ah. The last one. Always someone who runs late.”
I turn.
And my heart stops.
He’s walking toward the corral with that same unhurried confidence I remember from last night—long strides, shoulders back, like he owns every inch of ground he covers. He’s wearing a cowboy hat today, pulled low over his face, casting shadows across his features. Dark button-up shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows. Worn jeans, scuffed boots, a belt buckle catching the light.
Seth.
He enters the corral, and the crew parts around him automatically—respect or fear, I can’t tell which. His horse is already waiting, a beautiful bay with a white blaze, and he approaches it without hesitation.
My pulse is racing, palms are sweating. Every cell in my body is suddenly, intensely aware of his presence, tuned to him like a radio picking up a frequency.
“Sorry for the delay, ladies,” he says, his voice carrying across the space, not even glancing our way. Low and rough, just like I remember. “Got held up.”
He mounts the bay in one smooth motion, settling into the saddle with easy authority. Belle raises her camera.
And then he’s moving.
Where Kai was wild and Carter was controlled, Seth is something else entirely. Raw. Powerful. He rides like he’s channeling anger, maybe, or frustration, every movement sharp and deliberate. The bay responds beautifully, and together they move through a series of maneuvers that make my breath catch.
A dead sprint across the corral, hooves thundering against the packed earth. A sharp turn that sends dust flying. A sliding stop so precise it looks choreographed.
He’s incredible. There’s no other word for it.
“Damn,” Belle murmurs beside me. “He’s intense today.”
I don’t respond. Can’t do anything except watch him.
He brings the bay to a stop near the center of the corral, chest heaving slightly. The bruise on his jaw is visible even from here, purple and furious, a souvenir from last night that he’s making no effort to hide.
Belle finishes her shots and lowers her camera, looking satisfied. “All right, that’s a wrap on action! June, you’re up for headshots.”
I nod, grateful for something concrete to focus on.
“Gentlemen!” I call out, moving toward the crates Belle indicated earlier. “Let’s get this done so you can all get back to your terribly important rodeo and cowboy lives. Who’s first?”
Kai’s hand shoots up immediately. “Me! Do me first, doll!”
