Page 71 of Stay Wild Darlin’

“Don’t forget the diapers and the⁠—”

“Extra formula,” she finished for me with a small smile.

I gave her a single nod, then grabbed my gear bag from the corner. I crouched next to Cora and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She giggled and reached for my face like she didn’t want me to go.

“Be good for Poppy,” I murmured, brushing her curls back.

I walked out into the morning light, and when I got on the road, I realized I hadn’t looked out there for Brooke to come back in a while.

29

Poppy

Cora bounced in my lap, clapping her tiny hands against her thighs as the arena lights dimmed, then flared back to life. She was dressed in the new little bull-riding onesie I picked up that afternoon on our way into Dallas—black with a cartoon bull flying through the air and “Ride ’Em, Daddy” written across the chest. Paired with soft gray leggings and her oversized headphones, she looked both ridiculous and adorable.

When we realized Dalton had gotten us first-row seats, I nearly cried. Cora squealed. She didn’t even know what was happening, but she could feel it—the excitement, the energy, the fact that her dad was part of something big and loud.

Fable sat on one side of me, snapping photos of Cora with her phone. I barely heard her laugh before another figure came into view.

Harleigh.

“Hey.” I smiled as she leaned down and pressed a kiss to Cora’s cheek. “Long time, no see.”

Harleigh gave a soft smile back. “I went to Florida for a bit for my dad.”

That was all she offered, and maybe that was all she wanted to say. Still, when she moved to sit next to me, I reached out and grabbed her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I missed ya,” I said honestly.

She smiled, a little tighter this time, and I hoped I hadn’t said something wrong, but she didn’t pull away.

“Are you and Cora settled into the hotel?”

I nodded, adjusting Cora’s headphones as she kicked her feet. “Yeah. She loves the bed. I don’t think she’s ever had this much room to roll around.”

“Lucky girl.” Harleigh grinned, brushing a stray curl off Cora’s forehead. “She’s gonna lose it when she sees him ride.”

I smiled, but my stomach flipped.

Yeah.

Me too.

The energy in the arena hit like a wave the second the announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers. Lights flashed across the dirt ring in rapid pulses—blue, red, white—spinning around like we were at a rock concert instead of a bull-riding event.

Cora squealed so loudly that it cut through the noise. Her tiny hands shot up, wiggling in the air as she bounced in my arms, her big protective headphones doing little to dull her excitement.

The announcer drew out the introduction of each rider, letting the suspense build, calling out stats, home states, nicknames. The whole arena thundered with applause after each name, the crowd stomping and clapping along to the beat.

“Dalton.”

I shot to my feet, Cora in my arms, shouting so loud I surprised even myself. Cora clapped along, her little legs kicking out in time with the roar of the crowd. Fable was on her feet too, whistling, and Harleigh gave a sharp cheer as she stood beside us.

I didn’t even realize I was grinning like a lunatic until the lights swung toward the chute, and there he was.

Helmet on. Vest buckled. One hand gripping the rope, the other braced against the gate.

For the first time, I saw him for what he was.