Page 16 of Stay Wild Darlin’

With a deep breath, I put the Jeep in drive. Lindley was waiting. My fresh start was coming.

9

Dalton

“I’m sorry about tomorrow, Dalt,” Beau said, taking a sip of his beer as we all huddled around the bonfire behind my house.

The flames flickered against the dark Texas sky, casting long shadows over the dry grass.

“It’s all good,” I muttered, poking at the fire with a stick.

“If you need help next time, just let me know,” Gatlin chimed in, running a hand through his dark hair.

He was a bull rider, too, but he worked on the rodeo circuit, constantly traveling for months at a time. He was around less than I was, but whenever the three of us were home at the same time, we made sure to get together. Usually, that meant a night out at The Dive, but tonight, the boys had brought the bar to me.

“Appreciate it,” I said, though it wouldn’t help me this time.

I had no one to watch Cora this weekend. Beau had coaching, Gatlin was heading to Arizona for a rodeo, and the girls were traveling with Kline and Maribel to Idaho for the circuit.

“You could ask around,” Beau suggested. “Bet someone in town would babysit for you.”

I shook my head. I knew the town well enough to trust that someone would offer, but I hated owing people. More than that, I didn’t trust just anyone with Cora. She didn’t do well with strangers—not that I blamed her.

If I were a bettin’ man, I’d say it had a lot to do with the fact that her mother had dropped her off on my doorstep a few months ago and never looked back.

“You could hire a nanny,” Beau suggested.

I shook my head. “Cora’s weird about strangers.”

Fable had been on my ass about hiring a nanny for weeks, but I wasn’t ready to hand my baby off to someone I didn’t know, no matter how desperate I was. I’d have to take the weekend off.

It was gonna suck. My ranking would drop—probably from second to third—but there wasn’t much I could do about it. In the circuit, every ride counted. Points were awarded based on performance, with higher scores for tougher bulls and longer rides. Consistency was key, and missing an event meant losing ground to the other guys. If I sat this one out, I’d have to make up for it later, ride bigger bulls, take bigger risks.

My priorities had shifted, and I had a five-month-old who needed me more than a damn scoreboard did, even if the million-dollar bonus at the end of the season would help me raise her.

“Well, I have a solution for that.” Fable’s voice cut through the quiet night.

Beau stood, a slow grin spreading across his face as he walked over to greet his wife. The firelight cast a warm glow on her honey-blonde hair, the waves catching in the soft breeze.

Harleigh followed behind her, her sharp blue eyes scanning the group before landing on me. She was striking—always had been. Jet-black hair that fell in waves down her back, high cheekbones, full lips, and an attitude that could cut sharper than a bull whip. She was hot, and she knew it, but she carried herself like she didn’t give a damn about anyone noticing.

Gatlin shifted uncomfortably in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced toward the fire, pretending he hadn’t stiffened at the sight of her. I filed that away for later.

“Hey, Dalton,” Harleigh said as I stood with the baby monitor in hand and made my way to the shed behind the house to grab a couple of extra folding chairs.

“May as well grab one more,” Fable added casually.

Harleigh snorted. “He’s going to hate you.”

That stopped me in my tracks. I turned, narrowing my eyes at the two of them.

“What the hell are you two up to?” I asked, my grip tightening around the monitor.

Fable smiled, all too pleased with herself. “You’ll see.”

I shook my head, grabbed three chairs, and headed back toward the bonfire, glancing down at the monitor. Cora was still asleep, bundled up tight in the portable playpen inside the house. By the time I made it back, the girls took the extra chairs from me and everyone settled in around the fire, the conversation picking back up like it had never paused.

I looked up at the sound of gravel crunching in front of my house.