By the time Cason’s lesson ended, it was nearly nine.
“Alight, bud. I think we should call it a night,” Charlie called from my side. “You still got school tomorrow.”
Cason had just slid out of the saddle when a car with blinding headlights tore up the dirt road toward the barn.
“Who the fuck is that this late at night?” Bad grumbled, his brow furrowing.
I glanced at Cash. “One of yours?”
He clutched a hand to his chest, mock horror coating his features. “You act like I have so many.”
“You do,” Maverick, Charlie and I managed to all say at once.Nice.
“Y’all are assholes.” Cash feigned indignation.
Maverick nudged him with his shoulder as the two walked their horses out of the arena. “Takes one to know one.”
Cash’s bray of laughter was enough to make Black Betty snort and toss her head. But his laughter died as quickly as it started, his usually light, warm gaze, turning dark and cold. I followed his stare, confusion gnawing at me, to fix on the person stepping out of the car.
Maverick stood ramrod straight, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes. My heart stopped beating all together for a long moment, my lungs seizing.
I didn’t need an introduction.
This was Ashleigh.
I don’t know what exactly I was expecting, but my vision of the infamous Ashleigh wasn’t this. She was tall—very tall—with long, willowy arms and legs. Her hair was as black as a starless sky, and stick straight as it brushed against her hips. She was pale, a stark contrast to her dark, grunge-inspired outfit. I’d never expected Maverick with anyone but a cowgirl.
“Well, if it isn’t Smashleigh… I see you crawled back out of hell.” Cash recovered the quickest of everyone as he sauntered toward her. A mean, malicious spark flickered in his gaze, revealing an angry, hateful side of him I honestly hadn’t expected. Didn’t even think he was capable of.
But he’d told me enough about Ashleigh to let me know he hated her with every fiber of his being. And as fun-loving and easy going as he was, this was the same guy who’d gotten in a fight as a kid for some idiot making fun of Maverick. A darker side to Cash lurked just beneath the surface. I wondered just how dark it was. Wondered if even he knew how dark it was.
Ashleigh’s hooded gaze scanned each and every one of us, disdain written plainly in the sneer on her lips as she settled on Charlie and I. “Looks like you’ve been busy, Cash. Not one, but two buckle bunnies, and both pregnant. Your parents must be so proud of you.”
Her sickly-sweet voice caught me by surprise. I’d expect it to be sensual and raspy from the look of her. But even the surprise didn’t do much to dim the blast of anger that bristled to life in mychest. Who the fuck did she think she was calling a buckle bunny? I earned my buckles, and not on my knees—the dumb bitch.
Though Charlie didn’t say anything, I knew she felt the same. The stiffness in her shoulders, the silent fury blazing in her storm cloud gaze said it all.
I sucked in a breath to reply, but Cash beat me to it. “Actually, neither one of them are mine. In fact—” His lips pulled up into a sadistic smirk as he nodded at me. “Maverick’s the buckle bunny in this case. He’s hers.”
I fought back a smile. Cash might be a dumbass about ninety-nine percent of the time, but right now, I was so proud of him I could kiss him. Okay, maybe not that far. But still.
Ashleigh’s gaze was sharper than a knife as it snapped between me and Maverick, but some of her bravado faltered, her voice wobbling as she asked, “Is that true?”
I settled my gaze on Maverick, my breath hitching in my throat as I waited for him to reply. What if he said no? What if her coming back here changed things and he decided he wanted her instead? I wasn’t typically so self-conscious, but damn, between these stupid hormones and the fact that despite how absolutely awful I could tell Ashleigh was… Well, he’d been in love with her for a very,verylong time. What if her coming back was enough to change everything?
I knew the answer before he even replied. It shone brightly in his eyes—complete and utter certainty. And most of all…love. He didn’t even look at her as he held my gaze and nodded.
My heart danced against my ribcage. Tears—of relief or happiness, I didn’t really know at this point—brewed in my eyes like a fluke summer storm. Good God, he just couldn’t get any more perfect, could he?
I wish I would’ve had my phone out to catch her reaction, her gasp of sheer disbelief and barely restrained fury. Well, if she’d looked at me with disdain before, her fierce gaze held nothing but white-hot hatred now.
I bit back a smug smile as Ashleigh’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, trying and failing to come up with a response. She finally settled on growling, her fists curling at her sides as she turned to Maverick. “Can we talk?”
Bad and Goodie took that as a chance to excuse themselves, both of them heading to Goodie’s truck. Cash made no attempt to leave, his attention fixed on Ashleigh, watching her with the same level of intensity as he did when he was in the box readying for a ride. He was watching, waiting for her to make a move.
I strode to his side and nudged him gently, glancing over at Charlie and Cason as I said, “Come on, let’s go untack the horses.”
Cash resisted only a moment longer before a malicious sneer pulled on his lips. “I’d say it was nice talkin’ to ya, but it wasn’t so…bye.”
