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Every instinct in my body is screaming to get to her side and stake a claim I have absolutely no right to make. That didn't exactly work out the last time, and we've only just reached a fragile ceasefire. Probably best not to march over there puffing my chest out like she’s mine.

Because she isn't mine.

That thought kicks my rational brain into gear, and I abruptly change course, deciding to head for the bar and grab a beer before announcing my arrival. Some woman passing by catches my eye and smiles. I give her an absent grin out of habit, barely registering her before my attention drifts right back to Addie. Just the thought of Ryder over there checking out her ass makes me want to do a few things that are wildly out of character for me.

I've never been the type to brawl in a bar. Not that I haven't been in my fair share, but they're usually started by one of my buddies, and I just happen to be the one helping to finish it. I'm the guy who'd rather defuse a situation with a joke than throw the first punch. But something about the way Ryder looks at her makes me feel like someone I don't recognize.

I find an empty stool at the bar and order a beer. The bartender—a brunette who'd normally be exactly my type—slides the bottle across the counter with a wink. Usually, I'd take that as a green light. I’d spend the rest of the night turning on the charm and figuring out the best way to get her into my bed by the end of her shift. Tonight, I don’t even care.

It's not like I've never seen guys drooling over Addie, so I'm not sure why it's getting under my skin now. She's been old enough to hang around the bars with us for a couple of years, and I haven't exactly been blind to the way men in Ashford Ridge look at her. Maybe it's because Eli was always there. He'd shut that shit down before it ever got very far, and I’ve never had to think twice about it. Now that we're out here on the road together, I guess it falls on me to keep an eye out.

Then again... whenever some piece-of-shit cowboy started sniffing around Addie back home, that was usually about the time I'd find a buckle bunny to keep me occupied.

I sigh and turn back toward their table. That's when Shae spots me.

"Ahh! Chacey Poo! You found us!"

She lets out a squeal of delight. She's definitely had a few drinks, though with Shae it can be hard to tell sometimes. That girl wakes up with the energy most people need three cups of coffee to achieve.

I push away from the bar and make my way over. Shae hops off her stool and throws her arms around me in a hug. Over Shae's shoulder, I catch Addie watching us. The second our eyes meet, she drops her gaze to her drink. By the time Shae pulls away, Addie has already schooled her expression back into one I recognize.

Annoyance.

I decide ignoring her is my safest option. Mostly because one more look at the amount of cleavage that shirt is showing is going to make things awkward in my jeans.

"Ryder. Good to see you again, man," I extend my hand to shake his, offering the most convincing smile I can manage.

Addie rolls her eyes beside me while taking another sip of her beer.

We all fall into comfortable conversation after that. Wyatt finds us about twenty minutes later, still riding the high of placing well in the bull riding event. Turns out, Wyatt's the guy Ryder's been traveling the circuit with—small world.

He's really not that bad of a guy, but I still don't like the way he looks at Addie. Then again, I can't exactly fault him. He's just doing what every other guy in the vicinity has been doing all night, myself included, apparently.

Suddenly, "Let's Go Girls" blasts through the speakers. Addie and Shae let out matching squeals of delight before jumping to their feet and making a beeline for the dance floor, leaving me, Wyatt, Ryder, and a few other circuit guys back at the table.

Wyatt turns to me. "So, Addie's the girl you're traveling with this season? The one you're 'showing the ropes to?’" He punctuates the last four words with exaggerated air quotes, wearing a grin that says he doesn't believe that story for a second.

I watch her for a minute on the dance floor; she’s completely at ease. Dancing like she doesn't have the weight of the standings hanging on her shoulders. She throws her head back, laughing with Shae, moving without a care in the world, and for a minute I'm just happy to see her so carefree. Then I remember every guy at this table is waiting on my answer, trying to decide whether Addie's someone they shoot their shot with.

I sigh. Against my better judgment, I decide it's not fair of me to stake any kind of claim to her. She isn't mine. Even if the thought of her rolling around in another cowboy's bunk makes me borderline homicidal. "Nah, it's not like that. She's my buddy's sister. Just here to keep assholes like you at bay." I nudge his side with my elbow and wink. "We're just friends."

Would Addie say the same about me? Most days she's annoyed with me. On a good day, she tolerates me. It hits me then that I don't even know if she'd call me a friend, let alone whether she feels anything close to the mess twisting around in my own chest whenever she's too close.

I excuse myself to the bathroom a few minutes later, mostly just to get a second away from the table, and my own head.

My phone's got a text waiting when I check it in the hallway. It’s Cole, forwarding details for this coming week. The bastard is just assuming I’m going to say yes. Sounds like him. I stare at his text for too long, trying to find a reason to talk myself out of it—one last-ditch effort to magically dream up another solution to my problems.

There isn't one.

Me: I'm in.

I hit send, putting the phone away before I can watch the message go through. It's done. I've made my decision; now I just have to see it through until I get what I need for my Nana.

As the night wears on, we find ourselves upstairs, beers in hand, gathered around one of the pool tables. Addie's basically ignored me all night, even though we've hardly been more than a few feet apart. By midnight, it's just me, Ryder, Shae, and Addie left from our little group, and I stopped drinking long ago. We've made our way through a few games when Shae suddenly gasps.

"I love this song! Addie, dance with me!"

"I'm all danced out, girl. Sorry." Addie laughs, leaning against her pool cue.