He gives me a once-over and smiles softly. “I’ve had worse. You?”
“I’ve seen worse,” I say, lips twitching. “But thanks for not punching him back.”
He shrugs.
I’m still not over the way he took that punch. There’s a slight red mark on his jaw and something in me wants to reach out and run my fingers along it. I tuck my hand into my pocket, resisting the urge.
“He wasn’t worth spilling my beer. It ain’t right not having anything to drink while getting to know a pretty cowgirl.”
I can’t believe he still wants to get to know me. What the hell is this guy thinking?
Shell shocked for a moment, I finally respond. “You still want that?”
Denton tips his hat, eyes gleaming. “Darlin’, after all that? I think I’ve earned it.”
And damn if he isn’t right. He definitely earned it.
5
SORREL
An awkward beat of silence passes between us when we're now standing in front of a large bus. It’s one of those big fancy ones that bands travel in and probably has a bunch of bunkbeds they all sleep in. There’s no way in hell I’m going in there alone with him. If this guy thinks I’m going to crawl into his fucking bunk with him, he’s about to find out just how wrong he is. I start to open my mouth and tell him exactly that, when he walks around to a small ladder on the side of the bus and pulls it down.
Gesturing up the ladder, he asks, “You comin’?”
A heat of embarrassment spreads across my chest, glad I didn’t say anything. Putting my beer on my warm chest, I tuck my hair behind my ear. “I guess so,” I say.
He takes my beer from my hand while I climb up first. I scoot over to the edge of the roof and sit, dangling my legs over the roof of the bus. I’m not scared of heights, but it sure is a long way down. He takes his place next to me, handing me back my beer. We sit there side by side, sipping our drinks and staring at the stars.
The sky is beautiful tonight, speckled with stars that look so big from up here, you can almost touch them. Every once in a while, I see a satellite flying through space, making its way across the world. As I watch another one float by, the nervousness I’ve been feeling around him all night finally begins to dissipate.
Denton eventually breaks the silence, and I appreciate him giving me time to process what just went down with Huck. I brace myself for the questions, thinking he’s going to ask me what I ask myself—how could you be dumb enough to get involved with someone like Huck Kenzington. But that’s not what comes out of his mouth.
He takes his cowboy hat off, sitting it down next to him. “So, I saw your run today, and you were amazing. That chestnut gelding you rode looked so damn powerful. The way he dug in around those barrels was smooth as hell.”
He watched my run? That’s right, he had made a comment to Huck about his ride too, so he must have watched the entire performance today. That must mean he already knew who I was then, before we even met tonight. And the fact that he noticed me on a plain chestnut gelding stands out to me. There’re tons of gorgeous barrel racers with flashy horses that are way more memorable. I mean, I did probably win the average, but that won’t be announced until after the last run tomorrow.
“Thank you,” I say, raising an eyebrow. “I’m honestly surprised you watched the barrel racing. Most cowboys act like we’re a bunch of princesses?—”
“Always complaining about the ground?” he cuts in with a grin.
I laugh. “Exactly.”
“Nah, I enjoy watching it.” He puts his beer bottle between his legs and leans back on his hands. “My sister used to do 4-H, ran a few jackpots when we were kids. Nothing like what you pulled off, though. You make it look easy.”
That catches me off guard, but in a good way. There’s something different about him. Genuine. He isn’t trying to impress me, and for once, I’m not just being sized up in tight jeans.
“Well, you were amazing tonight too. You’ve got an incredible voice, not that you don’t already know that.”
Denton gives me a toothy smile. “Ah, thanks. Truth is, I was a little nervous. This was one of my biggest shows so far.”
I tilt my head, surprised. “Really? Because you looked like a total pro up there. If you’re nervous now, I can’t imagine what you’ll be like when you’re playing stadiums.”
He chuckles, glancing down for a second before meeting my eyes again. “Yeah…that’s the plan.”
So… he’s humble, handsome, and talented? Seriously, what the hell is he doing talking to me? But he is. And he isn’t rushing it or putting on a show. He’s just easy to talk to and a totally normal person like the rest of us. Maybe the fame just hasn’t gone to his head yet.
Even in rodeo, it happens. People make it to the NFR, brand deals, you name it and then they think they’re some big shot too good for everyone else. Fame has a way of changing people.
