“Alright, I’ll keep you informed,” I say annoyingly. “Love you, bye!” I add quickly before hanging up.
Caine smiles at me as I stand. “Your brother loves you,” he says, his head tilted as he regards me. He looks so serious.
I can’t help but smile because it’s true, and I feel so lucky that my relationship with Jack is finally healing.
“I’m heading to bed, sweetheart. I wake up early. But you have my number, so if you need me, call me. Make yourself at home,” Caine says as he walks out of the kitchen.
My phone indicates twelve o’clock. I feel exhausted. So, like Caine, I make my way to my room and get ready for bed.
Chapter Fifteen
Caine
“Jason, come on!” I yell for the fifth time this morning.
The guy doesn’t last more than two seconds on Temper. His grip is off, his balance is nowhere to be seen, and I swear to God, I think he’s still drunk from last night.
“I’m trying, Caine!” he yells from his ass on the ground.
“How much did you drink last night?” I ask the twenty-one-year-old. “You want to get trampled out there? Cause that’s the direction you’re going in. Get your ass over here!” I yell as Max gets Temper under control and in her stall, so she doesn’t run over the dumbass who issupposed to be my star bronc rider this year.
After Jason stands and brushes the mud from his jeans, he walks over to me. The stale smell of whiskey is even stronger than the smell of manure and wet horse. And I glower at him.
“You’re done for the day,” I tell him.
“Caine!”
“No! You smell like a fucking dumpster at a bar. Did you even make it to bed last night? And sleep?” I ask him, my finger pointing in his face.
My three other riders snicker behind him, and I step to the side and look at them.
“You said you’d all do better. But here we are! We have only a few months until the season starts again, and you’re acting like amateurs looking for a death wish,” I yell. “Is that what you want? Or something worse? Broken to the point where you know all the shit around you, but can’t ride again?”
At that, all of them stop laughing.
“Sorry, Caine,” Jason says, frowning as he shuffles his boots to his water bottle.
“Weston, you’re up.” And fuck if I’m not over this day already.
I barely slept. I know that’s not their fault, but the lack of sleep and the reason for it is putting me in a foul mood.
I don’t know what to do about the curvy little brunette in my house. For the first time in a long while, I want something more. I justdon’t know what it is. I also don’t know what can happen with a girl who is twenty-three, although I find I forget all about her age.
When I picked her up the other day and we were driving to my house, it didn’t matter at all. And it didn’t seem to occur to me while we were eating dinner in my kitchen.
It’s been a week now, and I’m still not used to her being in my home. And I don’t want her to leave. Truth be told, I still haven’t had the time to get her car towed to the garage. And to be honest, I’m in no rush to do so.
Having her in the room right next to mine… that’s what’s painful. I’m not used to having to curb my desires.
But she finally asked about her car last night, so I have to tow it to the garage tomorrow morning.
I couldn’t sleep last night… again, and getting up was the only thing I could think to do so I wouldn’t sneak into her room and stare at her like a creep. The woman is stunning, and I don’t think she knows just how beautiful she is.
Without a shadow of a doubt, I know she feels something too. What exactly, obviously I don’t know, but I know she’s attracted to me. But fuck if I know what to do about it. I feel like I’m out of my depth. I don’t know how to date anymore.
And it doesn’t help that everyone came in today hungover, as though they work adesk job and don’t have to have full use of all their faculties. I wish I were kidding around just to scare them, but I’m not. And they know well enough that this sport isn’t a joke.
I watch as Weston hops onto Docile in the chute and gets into position. I make sure my horses rest. I don’t allow them to get overused during training, and we take good care of them during competitions.
