“Hey, Sug. You didn’t tell me if you wanted anything, but I thought I’d bring over a sample for you three. Banana sticky toffee pudding with three forks.” He sets the dessert on the table between us, then places a mug in front of me. “Your favourite, Mr. Handsome.”
Diamond’s gaze catches mine again, and I murmur a thank you.
“Oh, I see how it is.” Hunter laughs and reaches for a fork to try the pudding. “Fine. If neither of you wants to share what’s going on with you two, I’ll shut the fuck up.”
“For now,” Alec says with a laugh.
Diamond’s hand touches my shoulder. Not firmly. Just enough for me to know he was there before he blows a kiss to Hunter and walks on to another table. It’s not until Hunter’s elbow is in my ribs that I realize I’ve been staring and not listening to a word of the conversation.
“Work time, Rhett. Stop eye-fucking the guy.”
Alec pushes the plate of pudding my way at the same time he rips the fork from Hunter’s hand. “Taste this before it’s gone and ignore him. Life is too short not to enjoy the sights.”
“Hint taken,” Hunter moans. “So…it’s the week of the ropers starting tomorrow. Alec will be there every day to help and teach. Levi can too, but he doesn’t have the experience the students want. I’ll be in during the afternoon. We finally got a therapist for Warren in the mornings, so I’ll be doing that while Gabe goes to the office.”
Hunter swallows, and I exchange a glance with Alec.
“His issues have, ah, they brought back a lot of my own problems. I’m okay, though. It’s just…I hate watching himstruggle when it’s so unnecessary. This parent thing is fucking hard.”
“You’re doing the best thing for him, Hunter. It’ll get easier. In the meantime, you have competent friends and staff to help. We’ve got this.” Alec reaches over to squeeze Hunter’s knee. “You’ve been through worse. You’ll get through this, too.”
“Right. You’re right. Okay, let’s map out the week and make a plan.” He takes his tiny notepad from his back pocket, and I bite back my laugh. Still too stubborn to make notes on his phone.
For the next half hour, the three of us discuss how to fill in the gaps for Hunter and ways to make that up to the participants. Alec is pretty good at talking Hunter down when he panics and pointing out the flexibility of the student’s schedule right now. He actually contributes more than I do.
But it’s a solid plan to get things rolling smoothly, and with any luck, I’ll still be able to make it in time to the out-of-town rodeo next weekend, which Hunter insists needs to happen because he never wanted me to give up rodeo just to work for him.
As annoying as he can be with his meddling, he’s been a good friend, and before we leave for the facility, I pull him aside to tell him that.
“Listen, Hunter, I know you said we’re adults and can do what we want, but I know you care about Diamond. I just wanted to tell you that I don’t know what we have, but I like it. He’s safe with me, and it’s nothing serious.”
“You don’t need to explain yourself, Rhett. I know I’m a demanding ass, and I get involved with stuff I shouldn’t. Diamond is…I guess special to me, so I feel overprotective. I know he hates that, but I can’t help it.” He huffs a breath. “I’ll try to stay out of it. As you said, you’re adults, and it’s none of my business.”
“For what it’s worth…knowing a friend has your back means a lot.”
“And I know you have mine, so let’s just be on with things, yeah? Tell me to fuck off next time, and I’ll shut up.”
Laughing, I clap him on the back as we walk. “Somehow, I doubt that. But I’ll try.”
Before we leave, I notice the flowers in a vase on the counter just as Diamond exits from the kitchen with a tray of something yummy in his hands.
His blue-eyed gaze meets mine, and he winks before bending to refill the pastry display.
And I think I leave The Thirsty Cow walking on air.
fifteen
Diamond
It’s almost 9 P.M. before I make it over to the rodeo facility.
Darkness has fallen, and most of the ropers have left for the day, but Rhett said he and Alec would be there for a while yet. My Jeep beeps with the lock button, and the door of the building door swings open as I approach.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you here!” I shout as I pick up my pace and run to my best friend.
Levi hugs me tight with a laugh. “Well, I am a team roper. I was helping some. Hunter had to leave, and it seemed like the right thing to do. I know I don’t have his skill, but some of the ropers here are just teenagers.”
“You’re a champion to me.”
