CHAPTER TEN
hayden
When we arrived at the rodeo grounds, Colter, Reid, Mikey, and Jake were already there. Keenan texted, letting me know he was about twenty minutes out.
The group of us would be camping out at the rodeo grounds for the weekend. Jake normally bunked with me in my trailer, but with Sierra coming with us, he tagged along with Colter and Reid. Ellison stayed home this time, even though she was normally on the road with us a lot.
“All right, who wants a beer?” Jake pulled out a set of lawn chairs, setting them up next to Colter’s pickup.
Colter raised his hand, and Jake tossed him a can before giving Mikey one, too.
“Reid? Hayden?” He held up a beer in each hand.
“Ah, why the hell not? Just one, though.” Reid put his hands up so he was ready to catch the beer.
I shook my head. “I’m good, thanks.”
“Does your lady want one? Maybe the dog wants a drink, too.” Jake tipped his head toward Sierra and Pancho.
She appeared to be looking for something in the cab ofthe pickup. Pancho was gnawing on a chew toy at her feet, behaving for once.
“She’s not my lady, and you can ask her yourself when she gets over here.”
Jake shrugged, cracking his can before plopping into a lawn chair. “So, are we allowed to ask questions about her yet?”
“Ooh, I have some questions!” Mikey raised his hand and started waving it around.
“Fine.” I rolled my eyes. “You each getonequestion.”
Reid scrubbed his face, scrunching his nose. “I don’t think I want to participate in this.”
“Wait, does that mean I can steal his question and have two?” Jake asked, leaning forward in his seat.
I shook my head. “No.”
Mikey groaned. “You’re no fun, Haydie.”
“I don’t have to answer any of your questions, so you should just be happy I’m letting you ask.”
Jake spread his legs as he leaned back into his chair. “Fair enough. Okay, what’s the story between you two?”
Loaded question.
Blowing a raspberry, I leaned against Colter’s truck. “We met in high school. She moved to Goldfinch at the beginning of our freshman year, and we became really close. It was her, me, and Keenan pretty much all through high school. I convinced her to join high school rodeo. She rode one of our horses, so she was always at my house practicing. Then I went to college, she left, and we just fell out of touch, I guess.” I was leaving outa lot, but Jake should have been more specific with his question if he wanted all the details.
Mikey tapped his fingers against his lips. “So, did you guys date or what?”
I shook my head.
“But I thought she was your ex?” he asked.
Making a buzzer noise, I put my hands in an X gesture. “You already asked your question.”
His eyes lit up. “Oh, so you didn’t date, but you did?—”
The jingle of Pancho’s bell cut him off.
“What are you guys talking about?” Sierra’s eyes narrowed as she approached us. “Pancho, down.”
