Lincoln nodded, and the chute burst open. A little piebald calf ran toward the other side of the arena. The moment the calf was far enough ahead, Boots gave chase. Dust filled the air as Lincoln threw a perfect loop around the calf’s head, quickly wrapping the rope around his saddle horn and jumping down.
“Go, go, go!” I called out above the noise. My hand came down on the fencing with each word. It felt like the entire audience was holding their breaths as Lincoln flew off his horse and ran toward the calf.
He reached for the animal, flipping it on its side before grabbing its two hind legs and one from the front and tying them together with a short, looped rope he held in his mouth. Boots backed up, eliminating the slack in the rope tied to his saddle.
Lincoln’s hands shot up, and the buzzer sounded. His time is displayed on the large clock hanging over the chutes. 7.45 seconds. It was a damn good time, one that absolutely smoked the other contestants. He blew a kiss at Josie as he mounted Boots. They stepped forward, loosening the slack and waiting the required six seconds to see if the little calf squirmed free.
As he walked back toward the arena entrance, he stopped by where Josie and I stood. She climbed to the top of the fence,grabbed his hat, and placed it on her head. “That sight never gets old,” he said, kissing her quickly.
“Want it back?” she asked.
He shook his head no. “Naw. It looks better on you.”
I laid my forehead against the fence and groaned. “You two really are the worst.”
Lincoln reached over and patted the top of my head. “Don’t be jealous, little sister,” he said as I knocked his hand away. “One day, someone will claw into that pit you call a heart?—”
Josie smacked his arm. “Lincoln Carter!”
I cracked a smile. “I mean, he isn’t wrong. It’s pretty scary in here,” I said, tapping my chest.
That was one of the things I liked best about Lincoln. He wasn’t afraid to say what was on his mind, and he was sarcastic as shit. Honestly, how well he fit in with us was a little scary. Lincoln and the Hayes family were a match made in cowboy heaven.
“I’ll see you in a minute,” he said, pulling away and heading back.
“Poor guy,” I whispered, watching him clap Bishop on the back. “He doesn’t even realize he lost.”
“It’s okay. I’ll make him feel like a winner tonight,” she said, laughing when I made a vomiting noise.
“Boundaries, Josie! Boundaries.” The music queued up again, and Josie hopped down. The crowd went wild as the familiar beat of The Stroke blared through the speakers.
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.I was going to kill him.
Memories from four months ago came flooding back, and I remembered the heat in his gaze as he watched me dance on my stool to this very song. How he’d whispered the filthiest things in my ear and got me to drop my guard for what was supposed to be one night of the most mind-blowing sex either of us had had.
And then I remembered the pain and embarrassment ofwaking up the following day to find him sitting in a chair in the corner of his room, watching me sleep like he was afraid he’d committed a crime.
Well, fuck that. I narrowed my eyes, barely able to make out Bishop from inside the darkened alley between the chutes. There was a slight smile on his lips beneath the brim of his hat. Titan pranced in place, large nostrils flaring as his rider leaned forward and whispered something into his ear while running a large hand along the gelding’s neck.
Bishop had always cleaned up infuriatingly well. Gone was the dirty t-shirt and jeans he wore daily. In their stead was a rust-colored button-down I’d never seen him wear. His pants were starched, fitting too nicely to his muscled thighs. It was unfair how quickly I’d toss my anger out the window during a moment of weakness. Damn, I’d love to run my tongue along the lines of his tattoo peeking out beneath the fabric.
And then there was that slutty fucking gold chain around his neck. Who knew it would be so hot?
As Bishop rose to full height in his saddle, our gazes collided. I shifted on my feet, finally acknowledging the blooming ache between my legs that’d begun when I’d seen him earlier.
I fought the urge to look away as his eyes scanned the length of my body. I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of my embarrassment. Whatever effect he had on me needed to stop. It was getting out of hand. His attention lingered, wrapping me in an invisible embrace that made me uncomfortable.
“Hey beautiful,” someone whispered. Two arms landed on the fencing, caging me in. I recognized the voice, scented the beer on his breath as I dropped my gaze from Bishop.
“Carson,” I said, trying to inch closer to the fence. Josie watched me from the corner of her eye, but I shook my head. That dick wasn’t worth the scene I knew she’d cause if I asked.
He stepped forward, letting the arm between my sister andme drop away. “You haven’t returned any of my calls,” he said, lifting the corners of his mouth. Once upon a time, I’d thought the blond-haired, blue-eyed cowboy was adorable. He had dimples for days and was talented with words, but all of that went down the drain pretty quickly when I realized half the town also shared my sentiment.
“You’ve been calling?” I asked, turning to face him. “I haven’t gotten any.”
“Really? Let me see your phone. Maybe something isn’t working right?—”
“Oh, no. See, that’s intentional, Carson. I haven’t gotten any of your calls because I blocked your phone number.” Josie stifled her laughter next to me. “It looks like things are working just fine.”
