Page 33 of All in with the Maverick Montana

“It’s on like turbo heat mode or something.”

“If your clothes are fitting a little more snugly, maybe it’s all these visits with Josh and a distinct lack of rodeo training.”

That was fair, Amy supposed. She was used to a more rigorous training schedule when she was on the rodeo circuit. She’d grown complacent with her simple life since coming to Tenacity: helping out at the store and being with Josh. But it had also been such a nice change of pace, part of Amy wondered if some snug jeans were a worthwhile exchange. Maybe it could always be like this.

Maybe Josh was supposed to be something more permanent in her life.

That thought was quickly overwhelmed by another thought. Was she rushing into these feelings too quickly?

“What are you thinking?” Faith asked. “You’ve gone all quiet and that’s never a good sign.”

“I don’t know. I think there’s still a small part of me that feels like this is too good to be true.” As wonderful as all this felt, she knew she should slow down. Hold off. Pull back.

Tru rose to the forefront of her mind. When she was away from Josh, it was easier to remember how wretched Tru had made her feel. The problem was, it wasn’t like that at first. In the beginning, Tru was a total gentleman. He’d said he liked to keep his private life out of the spotlight, and Amy had been dazzled by the lengths he was willing to go to protect her from the media. He’d seemed every bit as kind and honest as his movie persona as he’d wined and dined her!

She cringed now, reliving the memory of him saying she was like no one he’d ever met. She’d fallen hard, sucked right into his trap. In all those weeks, he never once pressured her for sex, but it had gotten to the point that she was dying to sleep with him. He kept saying she was “worth waiting for,” and Lord, had that just made her swoon harder. Around Christmas, he’d jetted her off to St. Barts, a little island paradise where they could finally be together away from the prying eyes of the media. Amy truly thought she’d found something wonderful with Tru. Only after New Year’s, Tru had to fly off to Europe to film, and though he still kept in touch, as the weeks went on, communication eventually dropped off entirely. It was like a knife to the chest, and only now was Amy starting to realize the full extent of the wound Tru left behind. She’d trusted him, and not only had he basically dumped her after sleeping with her, he’d done it by marrying another woman. She was a damn fool, and that’s what worried her about her own judgment when it came to Josh.

He couldn’t possibly be this wonderful. Something had to be amiss.

It was true, he helped ease the sting Tru McCoy left behind. But what if he left his own wound? Amy didn’t think she could handle that again. Not this soon. What if it turned out he didn’t feel the same? Could she trust these feelings? Could she trust Josh?

“What if it all goes wrong?” she said.

“What if it doesn’t?”

Amy flopped on her back, toppling laundry piles. “Does life really work like that?”

“I mean, it did for Elizabeth and Jake, and Tori and Bobby. Not to mention Brynn and Garret, Audrey and Jack, Corinne and Mike,” she said, listing off their sisters and cousins.

“Okay, okay.”

“It also seems to be working out for me and Caleb,” Faith said thoughtfully. “So I’d say so. Besides, I really do think you should give Josh a chance. Don’t talk yourself out of something that could be so good.”

“Sometimes I worry that we’re different—maybe too different?” she said, trying in vain to keep the concern from her voice. Josh lived in his small corner of the world, and Amy had ventured out to explore all of it. More than that, what she really worried about now was that she didn’t exactly know who she was away from a rodeo arena. What if Josh didn’t like the person she’d become? What if he wasn’t interested in her if she wasn’t this glamorous Hawkins Sister anymore? Though that seemed like a silly concern. He’d liked her before she told him who she was. Right?

“Your differences are probably what’s drawn you together,” Faith said, derailing Amy’s worries. “Josh needs a little adventure in his life and maybe you want someone grounded.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

“Gosh! Feels like I’ve been waiting my whole life for you to say that.”

Amy snorted, but despite her concerns, one thing was clear. She was going to keep seeing Josh. Maybe he’d only end up hurting her in the end, but Amy was speeding along this barrel run, too far gone to stop it now.

Chapter Eight

“She really likes you,” Josh said, failing to hide his smile as Amy rubbed Bitsy down with the stiff-bristled brush. They’d gone for a ride earlier this morning as the sun was coming up. Josh had been surprised at how eager Amy was to get out of bed early enough to watch the sunrise. When he’d picked her up this morning, greeted by a beaming smile, his heart had landed right in his stomach, kicking up butterflies. There seemed to be more and more of them swooping around his gut every time he saw her. “You didn’t even have to ply her with sugar cubes to brush her.”

“Of course she likes me. We’ve been over this.” Amy ran her hand along Bitsy’s silky coat. “What’s not to like? I’m an excellent rider. And a fantastic conversationalist.”

“Rider, yes. Conversationalist…” Josh started to tease.

“Watch yourself, Josh Aventura.”

Amy looked at him over her shoulder, a few strands of her dark hair coming loose from her ponytail. Josh wanted to reach over and brush them aside. Her eyes were bright, the corner of her mouth turning up playfully. Gosh, she was pretty when she smiled. She was pretty all the time, but something about her lit up around the horses. It was like she didn’t have a care in the world.

It was no wonder Bitsy liked her. Bit was a stubborn, picky horse, and usually the last one Josh would let someone ride, but Amy had taken to her almost instantly, and Bitsy hadn’t so much as huffed in displeasure.

Josh wanted to believe that Bitsy was a good judge of character, and as he looked at the chocolate-brown mare, her dark eyes clear and glassy, he wanted to believe that she was telling him that Amy was one of the good ones. One he should hang on to. One he could trust not to stomp on his heart.