He looks surprised. Like maybe this is the start of something neither of us expected.
Denton leans back on the rock, letting out a slow breath. “You know, I always thought this kind of quiet was boring. But here? It feels like the only place I can really hear myself think.”
I smile, tracing circles in the water with my fingertips. “It’s easy to forget how loud the world gets. Out here, it’s just the land and the animals. I love being here after the hustle and bustle of rodeo season. There’s nothing like being home after being on the road. I’m sure you know that.”
“Kind of,” he says, his voice unsteady. “I don’t really have a home the way you do. I’ve got an apartment in Nashville I share with my band, but it’s just a place to crash between shows. It’s not the same as your home. I wish I had what you have.”
His words land heavy. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. He isn’t smiling now; he’s staring at the water like it’s holding something he can’t say out loud.
I wonder how it would feel to never really belong anywhere. To always be packing up, leaving, chasing another crowd. I feel a twinge of pain in my chest for him—for the boy behind the microphone, the one who maybe just wants a place to call his own—somewhere that isn’t temporary.
“Home’s not just a place,” I say quietly. “It’s people. It’s roots. It’s knowing you can come back.”
He gives me a small, almost grateful smile.
“I guess that’s what I’m still looking for.”
He turns to me, eyes serious. “Sorrel, I know I’m just passing through your world, and you’ve got your own battles. But I want you to know—what I feel for you. I want more than the spotlight and the noise—the feelings I have for you are so much more real than all of it.”
I swallow, the knot in my chest tightening.
“Denton…I want to believe that. I really do. But what about the tour, your dreams? I can’t let you give up on it all to chase me around this ranch and the rodeo circuit. I’m tied to this life, to this land. Rodeo, the ranch….it’s all I know. What if you get bored here and grow to resent me for not chasing your dreams? And what happens when you’re gone and I’m left behind.”
He reaches out, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. “I’m scared too. But maybe we don’t have to figure it all out right now. Maybe we just take it one day at a time. You teach me this world of yours, and I’ll show you a side of life you might grow to enjoy.”
I look into his eyes and feel something shift inside of me—hope, maybe, or the fragile start of trust.
“Okay,” I whisper. “One day at a time.”
“Yeah?” He smiles and leans in close.
I breathe in the scent of him—warm and comforting. My breath hitches, my heart pounds. I freeze up in a way that catches me off guard. Just as his lips hover near mine, I can’t help myself—I splash water into his face and jump into the cool creek.
A look of surprise flashes over his face as he wipes away the water. “Oh, you’re gettin’ it now!” He laughs, shaking his head before plunging in after me.
The cold water shocks me awake, but the sound of his laugh makes me smile—happy, carefree, and full of hope. We both surface, water dripping from our hair, the sun warm on our skin. The sound of the creek rushing and our quiet laughter entangling with it surrounds us.
He grins, water sliding off his face. “You’re impossible, Sorrel Saxxon.”
I smile back. “Maybe I just don’t want you to get too comfortable—gotta keep you on your toes.”
He gives me a knowing look, then settles back against a smooth rock, letting the water carry him gently. I ease in beside him, the coolness soothing the heat that has been building between us all day and the heat that is now between my thighs.
We almost kissed.
Fuck, why did I chicken out and splash him? He’s right. I am impossible.
The walls I’ve built since he got here are starting to crumble and I’m beginning to welcome it with open arms. Hell, we almost died. Life is too short, and it’s time I finally admit to myself I’m falling for him.
And in that quiet moment, surrounded by the beauty of the land and the rush of the water, I lean over and kiss him. His lips are warm and soft, gentle yet demanding in a way that makes my heart race. Time seems to slow, the world narrowing down to just us. Even the soft sound of the waterfall behind us has faded away. His lips on mine are the only thing I can comprehend.
When we finally pull apart, I catch my breath, eyes locked with his—both panting and fervent with need. We’re interrupted when a few rain drops sprinkle on our faces. We look up, more drops begin to fall, until the sky opens up in a sudden summer downpour. The warm sun vanishes behind thick gray clouds, and the steady roar of the waterfall is soon drowned out by the patter of rain on leaves and leather.
I hope that isn’t a bad omen.
I start laughing as I look up at the sky and Denton looks at me like I’m crazy.
“We better get moving,” he says with a grin, putting my hand in his and pulling me up.
