Ellie scoffed softly. “You could say that.”
“Come on, Ace. Don’t be shy,” I said, nudging her gently. “This girl can break any horse. She’s got one back home she’s planning to start working with once we get back.”
“A real stern one, huh?”
Ellie nodded. “Boone and my dad just brought her home. I’ll get through to her. I know I will. It’s the first thing on my to-do list.”
“Did you know Logan wanted to compete back in the day?” my dad chimed in.
“Oh?” Ellie turned to look at me, a spark of interest in her eyes.
“I mentioned that once. In middle school,” I muttered, brushing it off.
It had been a fleeting moment of trying to feel more connected to them. A kid’s hope. But I never really had the drive to travel or compete.
“I like the life I built on the ranch. It’s enough for me,” I added.
“My family practically treats him as their own,” Ellie said, stepping beside me and bumping her hip against mine with a grin.
My parents exchanged a glance—something soft and understanding passed between them—before they both looked back at us.
It never bothered them that I found a second family in the Cassidys. It might’ve looked strange from the outside, but for us, it worked. They were my parents, and I loved them, but they weren’t the ones who raised me day-to-day.
“You two look awfully cute together,” my mom said, shooting me another wink.
“Jen, come on now,” my dad said with a chuckle.
We did look good together, but hearing it pointed out by my mom made something stir deep inside me.
“You can’t tell me I’m wrong, Jett. Call it a mother’s instinct.”
“Or maybe it’s the fact that we’re matching,” Ellie teased, tipping her hat toward them.
“That too,” Mom agreed with a grin.
We talked for a little while longer about meeting up after the rodeo and about our drive back to Faircloud. Then Ellie and I made our way down the tunnel toward the arena, my arm draped over her shoulders, ready to watch my mom.
Just before we stepped out into the stands, Ellie stopped in her tracks. She turned, grabbed my face in both hands, and before I could ask what she was doing, she pulled me down and kissed me. Long. Intentional. Certain.
The sound in the arena grew quieter because all I could do was focus on her. If one kiss had me feeling this way…
When she pulled back, I blinked, breathless. “What was that for?” I asked with a laugh, falling back into stride with her.
“You talk to your mom about me,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Of course I do,” I said, leaning closer as we walked. “All the time.”
“I don’t think I want this trip to end,” Ellie said softly.
And truthfully, I felt the same way.
We sat on the bench reserved for us—prime seats with a sweeping view of the entire arena. From here, you could see it all: every run, every ride, every flicker of adrenaline under the arena lights. But all I saw was her.
I reached over and placed my hand on her upper thigh, a gesture both casual and deeply intentional. She didn’t hesitate—her hand found mine in return, her thumb tracing lazy circles over my skin.
For the rest of the show, we kept finding each other. In bumps of the shoulder, brushes of fingers, whispered laughs that drew us closer together with every act. What was happening didn’t feel like only friendship anymore, not really. Not after the kisses. Not after the sunset. Not after the way she looked at me like I was more than her brother’s best friend, more than the kid she grew up with.
We were feeling this thing unfold between us—acknowledging the attraction we’d both carried, quiet and unspoken, for far too long.
