I’ve been to the rodeo to watch Hunter a handful of times and I’ve been on the Grosvenor Ranch with them just as many. Immersing myself into this Southern culture came easily to me when I arrived from New York. I had been craving a simpler life, and the people here have an easy way about them, like they’ve got it all figured out. Hard work is something you enjoy, not dread, and your family is your life. Being with the Black family now, Olivia sitting beside me, smiling ear to ear as she plays with Beau’s twins and chats easily with Maeve, settles something within me.
“Want the rest?” Olivia turns her pretty face up to me. Her hair is tied at the nape in a blue scarf, which is a stark contrast to her shining copper waves, and she’s wearing a tattered straw cowboy hat. Her shorts are denim cutoffs and she wears a billowy white eyelet tank top in the summer heat. The kicker is the pair of light blue cowboy boots that show off her tan and the curves of her legs. The whole package has had me half hardthe entire afternoon. With Olivia, there’s no trying. Everything is just fucking effortless. As simple and perfect as a warm summer’s day—breeze on my skin, sun on my face without a place to be kinda perfect.
I take a wing from her plate, and can’t help but grin as I swipe barbeque sauce off her cheek with my thumb and she blushes a hot pink. Fuck, she’s cute.
“Like a little gremlin.” I chuckle as she shrugs.
“Mama’s gotta eat.” It’s a simple sentence, but my cock pulses at her words nonetheless.
“All right, folks, we’ve got a treat for you here now. We all know you’re here to see the Wild Boot! Hunterrrrr Black!”
Hunter’s always a crowd favorite, so the cheering explodes as two buckle bunnies clap for him and jump up and down at the fences. Hunter flashes his playboy smile at the crowd, rope between his teeth and looped in his hand as he waves. Maeve cheers with little Sadie on her lap and Beau shakes his head with a grin.
“Fuckin’ rock star.”
“Let’s go, boy!” I call out, cupping my mouth as the excitement builds and the gates fly open to let Hunter do his thing. He’s roped that calf with lightning speed and is off his horse in no time to flip the calf like it weighs nothing, looping his rope with precision through its front legs then its back, throwing his hands in the air when he’s done. I look at Olivia, whose jaw is almost touching the floor.
The crowd explodes as “Kick the Dust Up” by Luke Bryan starts playing.
“Christ almighty, that’s a record.” Beau chuckles as Maeve cheers, “Yeah, baby!”
Hunter’s mom is clapping her hands as little Sadie mirrors her.
“It’s the mustache,” the announcer roars into the mic. “Makes that boy faster, I’m sure of it. Which means all I gottado is work on my ‘stache. That there is your favorite and mine, the Wild Boot coming in at ten even!”
Our table goes crazy as Hunter gives the crowd a wave before turning to wink at the buckle bunnies. I already know he’ll probably be taking them both with him at the end of the day. He lives the celebrity life, but he’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.
Beau stands as Hunter rides back behind the gates and dismounts, giving some love to his horse.
“Good man.” Beau claps Hunter on the shoulder when he comes to stand by our table. “That’s a time to beat.”
“Yeah, we had some luck.” His brother grins back at him as he pulls Maeve in for a hug.
Once Hunter is done embracing his family, I hold my hand out to him. “Thanks for having us.”
“Thanks for coming, man.” He turns to Olivia and leans down. “And congratulations, darlin’.”
Olivia beams in response, a hint of surprise on her face. “Thank you, good job out there!”
“Anytime you two wanna come to something, you just holler.”
“Hunter …”
He turns over his shoulder at his name to eye up the blonde striving for his attention at the gate.
“Duty calls.” He kisses Sadie on the head and ruffles Piper’s hair.
“Be good,” Maeve pipes up.
“’Course, Mama.”
“You told him I was pregnant?” Olivia whispers to me as Maeve and Beau attempt to wrangle the girls from straying too far in the busy area.
I reach down and squeeze her hand. “Fucking right I did.”
“Why?” she queries.
“Because I really like the guy.” I shrug. “And I didn’t wannahave to break his fingers if he decided he might be worthy of touching you.”
