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“It’s why you love me so much, isn’t it, Guinevere?”

Bullet envied his parents’ relationship. It was as if they were still dating, even though they’d been married for over thirty years, a rarity in the music industry.

It hurt to roll over, but he needed to charge his phone and see how many messages his soon-to-be-ex-wife left him. It was early; maybe there wouldn’t be any yet this morning.

Oh, Jesus, it was worse than he thought. There were ten calls from his mother-in-law. What the hell? The woman was becoming a pain in his ass.

He checked his texts without listening to her voice messages, and saw there were at least twice as many of those. He rubbed his eyes and tried to focus enough to read, but his head was pounding like a damn jackhammer. How much had he had to drink last night?

He didn’t read through all of them; it wasn’t necessary. The last one she’d sent was the only one that mattered.

Callie in ICU at Mount Mercy GET HERE.

“Hey, Daddy. I’m calling to let you know I landed safely and I’m checked into the hotel. You can call back if you want, or we can talk tomorrow.”

Her father insisted Tristan call when she traveled, especially when it was on behalf of their family business. It didn’t matter that she was turning twenty-seven in less than a month. She was still his little girl, he’d tell her, and it was his duty to make sure she was safe.

Duty was an oft-used word in her father’s vocabulary, as were honesty, integrity, faith, and family. They built their business on those words.

Tristan’s father and grandfather started Lost Cowboy Company two years ago, wanting to offer American-made apparel that was inspired by the ideals the nation was built on. Their ads, social media posts, the clothing they offered, even how it was made, represented a strong adherence to the principles her family lived by.

Tomorrow morning she was meeting with the guys from Flying R Rough Stock. They’d spoken a few times since their first meeting at the National Finals Rodeo last December. They were close to finalizing a deal in which Lost Cowboy would team up with them to sponsor competitors on the rodeo circuit.

Billy Patterson, a former Saddle Bronc National Champion, was one of the primary partners in the rough stock contracting business. His involvement gave Flying R a foot in the door to every rodeo circuit in existence. It would take Tristan months to lay the groundwork she would be handed by teaming up with them.

Jace Rice had also been at most of their initial meetings. She liked Jace as much as she liked Billy. They were the kind of men that embodied the principles of the Lost Cowboy brand.

Their other partners, Ben Rice and his brothers, Matt and Will, were Jace’s cousins. Ben attended a couple of their meetings, but she didn’t know him as well as she knew Billy and Jace. Ben was the lead singer of the band CB Rice, but had his own stake in the rodeo industry through his wife, who’d placed fourth at NFR a few years previously.

The meeting tomorrow was at their headquarters, the Flying R Ranch in Crested Butte, Colorado. Tonight she was staying in Gunnison, near the airport. When she said she’d rent a car, Ben’s wife, Liv, insisted either she or one of the guys would come get her and bring her to the ranch.

“You should stay with us,” Liv told her. “We have more room than we know what to do with. It would be silly for you to stay anywhere else.”

Tristan spent enough time traveling and staying in hotels that she accepted the invitation without hesitation. If they were able to nail down the details of the partnership on this trip, she’d be spending a lot more time with the Flying R team. She might as well get to know the people she’d be working with.

Bullet listened to the messages from his mother-in-law, but it was hard to get anything more out of them other than Callie was in the hospital, and he needed to get there right away.

It took him less than five minutes to throw his gear in a bag and get on the road. It was an hour’s drive to get to the hospital, which wasn’t far from where Callie’s parents lived.

But right now, all he could think about was where his son was. Callie’s mother didn’t mention Grey in her messages. He called his grandmother, the woman who raised him and his sister while their parents were on the road, with the band. She didn’t live far from Callie’s parents. Maybe she’d know.

“Hey, Gram—”

“Oh, Bullet, I’m so glad you called. Callie’s parents have been tryin’ to get in touch with you. Something awful’s happened—”

“I know. I’m on my way to the hospital right now.”

“Oh, thank goodness, Callie—”

“I’m sorry to keep interruptin’ you, but do you know if they have Grey with them?”

“They didn’t tell you? Grey is here, with me.”

“Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. It’s Callie who’s in rough shape. You better get to the hospital quick, Bullet.”

“I’ll come by once I’ve seen her. Tell Grey his daddy loves him.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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