“You can feel it, can’t you?” Jason asked as they started for a gate.
“Feel what?” she asked, absently observing a group of children running up and down the steps of the stands in a game of tag and two women watching them like they were ready to intervene if trouble arose.
“The excitement and energy. I think it lingers in the air and grows with each performance.” Jason gave her a shy smile, as though he hadn’t shared that thought with anyone.
“I can feel it, Jason. It’s … palpable, and it makes me want to be part of it.”
His smile widened, and he pushed open a gate for her to walk through. “Today, you will be. I’m so glad you’re here, Lainey. Where are you sitting?”
She showed him the ticket she’d printed off that morning on her small portable printer. He looked into the stands that were marked with the letters of each section.
“I have a better idea,” he said, then took out his phone and sent a text. It took only a few seconds before there was a reply, and he grinned as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. He placed a hand on her back again. Lainey might have protested if she hadn’t enjoyed the feel of his fingers splayed across the middle of her back. It had been a long, long time since a man had placed a hand on her in a similar possessive gesture.
“What’s your idea?” Lainey asked as they neared the bull pen where she’d run into Jason earlier. People were now streaming through the gates, and the noise level rapidly increased.
“Celia would love it if you’d sit with her and our friends. If you have questions about anything, she can answer them. I think you’ll enjoy meeting her, Lainey. What do you say?”
“Are you sure I’m not taking anyone’s seat?” she asked, hesitant to barge into the middle of a group of established friends.
“You aren’t. There’s generally an extra seat or two, and since it’s Thursday, the stands won’t be packed like they are on the weekend.”
“Okay.”
The look on Jason’s face held uncertainty. “Okay, you’ll sit with them? Or to something else?”
“I’ll sit with your friend Celia,” Lainey said, trying not to feel nervous about meeting people Jason clearly liked. She knew he was trying to be helpful and make her feel at ease. She got the idea he wanted her to have the best possible experience today.
“Have you had lunch?” Jason asked as they neared the vendors selling everything from hamburgers and steak sandwiches to teriyaki bowls.
“No. I thought I’d wait to see what they had here.” Lainey looked around and took a deep breath. The air carried the delicious aroma of roasting meat, the sugary breath of cotton candy, and a blend of leather and raw masculinity. She attributed that last tantalizing blend of fragrances entirely to Jason as he stood beside her.
He was tall, strong, physically fit, and ridiculously attractive for a man who was a grandfather three times over.
As she studied him, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would it be like to be loved by him. To be held in those muscled arms and treated with tenderness and care.
Lainey subtly pinched the fleshy part on the inside of her hand between the thumb and index finger to bring herself back to reality. She was not interested in romance, and Jason was merely being kind. That’s all there was to it.
The vibe she got from him was of someone who cared about people and genuinely wanted to help.
Which was why she’d sit where he suggested. She’d be among strangers no matter where she chose to watch the rodeo, so she might as well be among people he knew.
“See anything you like?” Jason asked, smiling down at her.
If you only knew.The cowboy would probably take off at a dead run if he could read her mind and realize he was what most interested her today.
The thought of watching him hightail it away from her, spurs jangling and chaps slapping around his legs, made her have to fight to hold back a giggle. Before she allowed her humor to get the best of her, she shifted her attention to a booth selling barbecue sandwiches. Lainey had eaten barbecue from some of the best places in the south, but Jason struck her as a guy who likely enjoyed meat served with a side of potatoes. Not that he appeared to be someone who ate a regular diet of junk food. She envisioned him working out every day to stay in shape.
After she’d met Jason a few weeks ago, she’d done some research about pickup men. The beatings their bodies took in their job of helping cowboys get off bucking livestock, then herding the horses and bulls out of the arena after each ride, was serious business. It seemed dangerous to her, but Jason and his son seemed to enjoy their jobs, at least from what she’d seen.
“How about barbecue?” Lainey asked, pointing to the booth.
“Perfect. I had the brisket sandwich yesterday, and it was really good.” Jason moved into line with her.
When it was their turn to order, Lainey chose a pulled pork sandwich and a bottle of water, while Jason selected another brisket sandwich and a bottle of water.
Lainey started to pull out her wallet, but Jason tapped his credit card on the electronic reader before she had a chance to pay.
“You didn’t need to buy my lunch,” she said in protest.
