CHAPTER4
HESTIA
In the week that followed, one thing was crystal fucking clear.
Abstinence was not an option.
There was no point sugar-coating it to anyone, least of all myself – Jesse and I had quickly become fuck buddies. Friends with benefits. A situationship, if you will.
No other thoughts, barely any eye contact, certainly no talking that implied any kind of further involvement. Purely physical. I’d suggested it right as we’d finished up against the truck at the line dance and he’d agreed, his slow smile on our formal handshake almost prompting a repeat performance on the spot.
Christ, that man was delicious.
Not that we’d had a chance to repeat anything since, given how busy everyone was in the lead up to the rodeo this weekend. I’d dived into helping Lottie with the guests, learning the basics of how to take care of the horses with Bailey and using any free time to sketch out new tattoo designs. My favourite spot was at the lake by Lottie’s new cabin, the sheltered position often turning the still water to glass, reflecting the burning sky in the late afternoon. Increasingly my designs were drawing more on the natural world. My morbid delight at finding an animal skull among the trees made me think of Dee’s store, knowing she’d likely understand my excitement.
But now, on the way to the rodeo with Lottie in Cole’s truck, a very unfamiliar feeling was dawning.
‘Stop it. You look fucking gorgeous, Hes. Trust me.’
I pulled down the sunshade, using the inset mirror to check myself again. Lighter make-up, except for the ruby-red lips – those I refused to give up. Lottie had curled my matching hair into soft, voluminous barrel waves under the straw cowboy hat, but it was the pale blue denim minidress that really made me pause. My black cowboy boots added an element of comfort, but it was so . . . country.
‘I don’t think I’ve had bare legs in public since secondary school,’ I murmured. ‘Remind me why I agreed to this?’
Lottie giggled, squeezing my arm.
‘Because you love me and are humouring my over-the-top excitement at having you here? And because it’s too hot to wear black today, and frankly, I was just really fucking curious to see you in any other colour.’
‘Blasphemy,’ I grumbled. ‘It’s never too hot for black.’ But as I glanced over and saw her bright blue eyes dancing with amusement, I rolled my own and offered her a small smile. ‘Only for you, cowgirl.’
We approached the rodeo, following the queuing traffic for the car park, the muffled sound of the loudspeaker blaring outside and a sea of cowboy hats as people walked in.
‘What about certain cowboys?’ Lottie said, her voice light. ‘I hear Jesse had a lot of, um . . .feelingsabout your outfit at the line dance, and that was only, what? Fifty per cent country?’
I bit my lip to hide my smile as we parked up, just one of hundreds of pick-up trucks, seemingly part of the Wyoming uniform.
‘Look. It’s just a bit of fun, like I said before. There’s nothing else to read into. For a guy, he’s . . . not bad. I’ll admit it – nice ass, arms to die for, face like a movie star . . .’ I stopped as her smile turned into a grin.
‘Great sense of humour, kind, thoughtful . . .’ she continued as we got out, waiting for me as I rounded the front of the truck.
‘Whatever,’ I replied. ‘It doesn’t mean anything else, okay? What happened between you and Cole is pretty rare, Lots. It just doesn’t happen like that for most people, certainly not me.’
She hooked her arm through mine as we got to the entrance, showed the tickets on her phone to the attendant, and we were through. A vast dirt-floor arena stretched out in front of us, surrounded by stands with banked seating, some covered and others open to the fierce sun. The full impact of the noise – the sounds of the gathering crowd, the occasional sounds of horses and –shit, was that a bull over there?
Lottie laughed at my expression.
‘I forget that you haven’t seen any of this before,’ she added, walking us over to the covered stand where our seats were located. ‘It’s so. . . American, isn’t it?’
I just nodded, my eyes drawn to the event already starting. A calf was released out of a gate at one end of the arena, followed by a couple of cowboys moving at warp speed, circling ropes above their heads as they chased it.
‘Listen,’ Lottie added as we reached our seats finally, attracting a fair amount of looks from the surrounding spectators. It was likely because they didn’t know us – Lottie had said her arrival had caused a wild amount of interest in town. ‘I guess I’m just letting myself feel delusional about having you here and enjoying the cowboys as much as I have.’ She smiled as I did, unable to do anything else in the face of her genuine joy. ‘I’m just aware that very soon you’re going to head home and . . . honestly, it’s going to feel like I’m missing a fucking limb.’
I gripped her hand, feeling a sudden prickle of emotion behind my eyes.
‘Me too,’ I whispered.
‘Ugh, don’t,’ she said suddenly, looking up and blinking. ‘None of that. You’re here and we’re making the most of it. Now – Jesse’s up in a sec, then Bailey. This is a big day for them both, there’s a fair amount of prize money up for grabs, I think.’
As we watched and waited, a shadow fell across us. We both looked up into the smiling face of a cowboy, tipping his hat.
