“Okay, fine. Just shut up.” She slaps her hand into mine. “You’re embarrassing.”
I hear a snort from across the table. Knox, no doubt. He’s the brother I never had and knows me well. He knows I’ve been obsessed with Jessie since the moment I saw her. He tells me—too often—it’ll never happen, but I don’t appreciate his negativity and choose to ignore him.
I lead Jessie to the floor, spin her into me and start two-stepping. I waited for a medium-tempo song, enough that we could swing dance but also have a conversation. I’m still in my cowboy hat, starched jeans, and long sleeve navy blue riding shirt—the picture of a cowboy. But the moment her hand settles on my shoulder, a jolt of heat sears straight through the fabric like it’s not even there.
She moves with me like we’ve done this a thousand times, every step seamless. Her body molds to mine in a way that feels dangerously right. Like she was designed to fit into my arms.
“Did you see me point at you before I got off my bull?” I ask her.
“I’m not going to act like I know everything about bull riding, but I saw you showing off, then about get yourself in a wreck.”
“Psh . . . no. I knew those bull fighters would step in. My timing was impeccable.”
“Spell ‘impeccable.’”
I spin her out, swinging her behind my back before stepping around and pulling her back into me. “Listen, Hawkins. I’m a bull rider, not an English teacher.”
She raises a brow at me.
“As I was saying, I pointed up at you. I think you might be my good luck charm.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls, don’t you, stud?” she counters cheekily.
Then, the song ends. Before I know it, she winks and saunters back to our table. She’s toying with me . . . and it’s fuckingkillingme. I might have officially met my match. Butdamn, she looks good strutting away.
“So?” Kacey tilts her head, assessing Jessie as we approach.
“I stand by my statement,” is her only reply.
“What statement?” I ask.
“You’re a fuckboy,” Jessie quips, looking me dead in the eyes before grabbing her beer, taking a long pull.
I prop my elbow on the table and lean toward her. “Forget what kind of man you think I am. What kind of man do you need me to be?”
She snorts a laugh, but there’s a spark in her eye. “Wow. Smooth. Does that line ever work for you?”
“I don’t know, you tell me.”
She swallows the last of her beer. “Maybe if you would’ve won tonight. Second isn’t a good look.” With that, she turns and walks away.
But my ego isn’t easily bruised. Before she’s out of earshot, I call out, “Mmm, keep talking like that and I might fall in love with you.” Bringing my fist to my mouth, I bite down on my index finger as I watch her glance over her shoulder and give me a smirk.
“There is something fundamentally wrong with you,” Knox says next to me.
“Mind your business, old man. I know what I’m doing.” I don’t take my eyes off Jessie as she works her way through the crowd to the bar.
“He has no idea what he’s doing,” Kacey whispers to Knox.
And she might be right.
Chapter 2
Jessie
Cottonwood Valley Hospital
April
