Page 85 of Make it a Double

“You’re the worst,” I teased. “Can’t you do anything without thinking about your next lay?”

Lukas placed his hand over his heart. “Sawyer, I am a multifaceted man. I’m offended you think so little of me.”

“Am I wrong?” I deadpanned.

“Nah. You’re pretty spot on, but hey… At least women know what they’re in for when I take’em for a ride.”

Thankfully, Duke pulled up beside us in his new truck before Lukas could say anything else, cutting the engine and hopping out. He greeted both men with a firm handshake as Liv helped the girls climb down.

“Mom, are we gonna see the barrel racers?” Charlie asked. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a better look at the arena to no avail. “I wanna tell Auntie Lennox about them.”

Liv placed her hand on top of her daughter’s head. “Yes, sunshine. Don’t worry. You’ll see plenty of that tonight.”

“Can we take videos? I think she misses them.”

“Whatever you want,” she said, laughing. Charlie and Harper cheered as Liv leaned in to give me a hug. Then she turned to Beckett, doing the same. “You ready for your first rodeo?”

He stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “I guess that’s what we’ll find out tonight.”

“I think you’ll enjoy yourself. If anything, consider it a must-have small-town experience.”

As Duke stole Liv’s attention for a moment, Beckett and I glanced at one another, breaking out in giggles as we mouthed bucket list? at the same time. We really should write all of these down at some point. It’d be kind of funny to see how many he knocked out in one night.

When Liv turned back to us, she gestured her head toward the arena. “Y’all ready?”

Beckett placed his hand on my back, steadying me. “Lead the way.”

We fell into step as a group, save for Charlie and Harper, who each grabbed one of Lukas’ hands and skipped ahead. For as much shit as we all gave him, he loved those girls something fierce. There wasn’t a single thing he wouldn’t do for them.

“So, Olivia,” Beckett started. “Did you grow up in this life?”

“God, no,” she laughed. “I have just enough knowledge about horses to know that, as much as I love looking at them, I damn sure don’t want to ride them. I’ll leave that business to Grady’s side of the family.”

“Won’t have a choice if the girls have their way,” Duke cut in. “They’ve been saving every dollar they’ve earned in hopes we’ll finally break and buy them a pair.”

“A pair?” she asked, whipping her head toward her husband. “Why can’t they just share a horse?”

Duke grabbed her hand, pressing a kiss there. “They said it’d need a friend. Who am I to argue?”

I’d known Duke for a long time before I ever started working for him. He was married to Harper’s mom before Olivia ever came into the picture. I could honestly say I’d never seen the man happier. Knowing them and seeing the love they shared was enough to make me believe in soulmates.

“You’re such a pushover when it comes to those girls,” I laughed. It was true. Just like Lukas, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for Charlie and Harper. I was surprised they didn’t have a menagerie of animals by now.

When Duke looked at me, I could see how happy he was with that distinction. It didn’t bother him in the slightest. “You’re damn right I am. Just wait until your little guy is running around, asking for shit he has no business having. You’ll be just as gone as I am.”

I took the opportunity to glance at Beckett. “Is that really going to be us?”

His lips curled into a soft smile that said more than his words ever could. “I’m already gone.”

SAWYER

I was dead on my feet by the time the last bull was ridden and the stands began to empty. It’d been ages since I’d gone to a rodeo. It wasn’t really my scene, but there was something distinctly nostalgic about it. Grams took me many times when I was a child, obsessed with the idea of flying free on the back of a horse. It was only after I realized how much money and training went into the sport that I decided it probably wasn’t for me.

Beckett and I walked hand in hand back to our car. We planned on getting a late-night dinner with Liv, Duke, and the girls, but they were held back talking to some up-and-coming bullrider in need of a sponsorship. He was already on the pro circuit and making a name for himself. I hoped it worked out for both their sakes. Especially with the bars’ expansion.

You could never have too much publicity.

“Do you still want to grab something at Lucy’s?” Beckett asked. He opened my door and helped me inside.