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She held up a hand. “Wait just a minute. First of all, I told you my dad sprang this on me thirty minutes before you got there.”
“Thirtyminutes? You couldn’t have sent me a message?Calledme?”
“I did.” She hadn’t had time to tell him this when he’d arrived, but now was as good a time as ever.
His mouth snapped shut.
“Yeah. I called the shop.”
“The shop.” Disbelief laced his words. “You called the shop when you could have called my cell phone.”
“I got your voicemail when I tried your phone. I figured you were busy and I called the shop, but you didn’t pick up there, either. I wanted to make sure you were okay with it, but since you didn’t answer, I figured it was too late.”
He shook his head. His dry chuckle didn’t do much to put her at ease. “Fine. You have an excuse about dinner, but what do you have to say for yourself about what was said? Your dad made a fool of me. Everyone ganged up on me. You could have said something to put a stop to that.”
“What do you want me to say? I told you that I didn’t approve of the rodeo.”
He threw his hands into the air. “Right. I forgot that you managed to neglect to tell me that little tidbit of information over the last several weeks of spending time together. I find it highly coincidental that you didn’t have this opinion until after we started dating.”
She scowled, turning her attention back to the trail. “If you had paid attention, you wouldn’t be saying that.”
“Oh? Please tell me when you alluded to the fact that you didn’t like the rodeo. I’m all ears.”
“I told you that you shouldn’t participate in the rodeo to impress a girl.”
“Yeah. I remember that. In fact, I recall it like it was yesterday. You told me that if I need to get bucked off a horse to impress a girl, then she’s not the right one for me.”
“See?”
He snorted. “Do you seriously not hear it? You told me that the girl wasn’t right. Not the action.”
“They’re the same thing,” She muttered in exasperation. “Putting yourself in danger isn’t worth it. Not for Dahlia and especially not for a bucket list. You should be willing to walk away from stuff like that for a person. Be brave enough to say no.” Her voice was strained and her heart pounded erratically. Just thinking about him doing something dangerous like that terrified her.
Adam didn’t respond. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him sitting stiffly. She wasn’t about to believe that she’d gotten through to him. Adam was just as stubborn as she was, if not more so. He’d proven that in his determination to learn to ride.
She gnawed on the inside of her cheek and gripped the reins harder. “I lost my mother, Adam. I know what it’s like to not be able to see someone I love for the rest of my life.” This time she gazed at him, tears stinging her eyes. “I don’t want to lose you, too.”
The hard lines in his face softened, as did his eyes.
“I love you,” she whispered.
There. It was out. She’d held these cards close to her chest for the last few weeks, unable to bring herself to admit her feelings to him or anyone else for that matter. She’d considered telling him a handful of times, but when she’d been tempted, her fear got the better of her.
Faye’s lashes fluttered and she brushed at her eyes, attempting to conceal the fact that she was crying. Her emotions were too high. She was too close to the situation. This was the only hand she had left to play. “Please tell me you won’t do it. Keep riding. Keep learning how to handle a horse. But don’t throw away what we have because you have a fleeting interest in something.”
“It’s not a fleeting interest, Faye. At first it was to impress Dahlia. But after I got on that horse… I don’t know. Something changed. I can’t explain it. It’s like the rodeo is calling to me.”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.” Faye hated the sharp way her voice spit out that statement. She grimaced and forced herself to take a deep breath. “What if I said I wanted to drive a car in a race like in those movies where they drift.”
He snorted, but when he glanced at her, his expression sobered. “You couldn’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Faye, that’s completely different. First of all, you’d be handling a piece of equipment. Those cars are at least seventeen-hundred pounds.”
“And bulls weigh approximately the same. Not only that, but they’ll charge you. A car isn’t going to chase me down once I fail at what I’m trying to do.” Her argument didn’t hold water and she knew it. But it was the only thing that Adam might relate to.
“Maybe not, but a car going fast enough will wrap around a tree and trap you inside. At least the rider can run from the animal.”
