Page 50 of Sunrise & Serenity

I ignore the irritated look the woman shoots me, more pleased than I have any right to be when Holden’s broad palm splays over my back again, guiding me away.

He tilts his face down, murmuring, “Didn’t think you had it in you.”

“What?”

“Asking for help.”

I scoff, though it comes out a little breathlessly. “I asked you to teach me to ride, didn’t I?”

His low chuckle sends a shiver through me.

“I guess you did.”

“And you know I didn’t mean it, anyway,” I say. “I was just trying to get you away from…” I gesture vaguely behind me.

“The buckle bunny?”

I turn to stare at him. “The what?”

“Buckle bunny. Women who follow the rodeo circuit. Like to spend time with riders. Chase buckles.”

I roll my eyes. “Spend time? Really? How old are you?”

A faint smile plays across his mouth. “Just trying to keep it clean.”

I purse my lips. “You know you could just say thank you, right?”

His gaze lingers on my face, some of the humor fading from his expression. “Thank you, Sage.”

My whole body tingles in response to the way he’s looking at me. God, how did he go from irritating me to affecting me like this so quickly? Maybe it would’ve been better if we’d kept antagonizing each other rather than sliding into a truce so soon. Because it suddenly feels as if we might be sliding right past a truce into something else.

Or at least, I am.

Either way, after Graham, I should know better than to mix business with pleasure. God knows, I don’t want to fall into a pattern. Not to mention, my current employers, however many there are, probably wouldn’t be pleased if I found myself distracted from my work.

We collect Taryn and her new bridle, then return to the shed. This time, most people are gathered around the metal fences instead of in the stands. With his height, Holden easily spots Chance and Sterling and leads us toward them.

The auctioneer is already on stage, leaning down and talking to some other men.

Taryn nudges me with her shoulder. “They’re about to start.”

She’s right. The auctioneer straightens, claps his hands, and launches into a rapid-fire introduction.

A man enters the ring, leading a dark brown horse with a half-white face, which I think I recognize from the demonstration.

The auctioneer’s voice changes, his words coming even quicker, laced with numbers and phrases I don’t understand. Hands and paddles rise, and even the slightest nods seem to count as bids.

None of the McBrides make a move, so I assume this isn’t one of the horses Chance is interested in. Within moments, the gavel comes down, and the horse is led out.

As the next horse enters, there’s a stir in the crowd. People shift aside to make room for three more cowboys and a pretty red-haired woman.

“Uh-oh, here we go,” Taryn murmurs.

I edge a little closer to her. “Who’s that?”

“The Ashlands. Gage, Levi, Colt, and Tessa.” She points them out and grins at me. “You’re about to see some fireworks. They’ll be after the same stock we’re looking at.”

The tallest of the brothers—Gage, I think—leans against the rail with the easy confidence of someone who expects to win. Now and then, his attention drifts from the ring to the bidders, a hint of a smile playing around his mouth as though he’s as interested in his competition as he is in the horse.