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Anytime a thought like that came into her head, she thought about all the girls who dreamed of living the rodeo life she had, owning a horse of the caliber of Goldie, and being able to chase her dreams for years.
She wanted to tell those girls that those dreams were worthless. Sure, it was a nice five minutes of fame, and it was a nice thing to look back on, but it hadn’t prepared her for anything else that she had to do in her life. And if she could go back, she would happily exchange the time she’d spent on the rodeo for something that truly mattered. Although, part of her wondered what that really was.
Chapter 6
Ryan couldn’t believeit. Dakota was back in town. She was the one who was starting up a souvenir shop. It had been on the tip of his tongue to tell her that he had just bought Goldie, but he hardly thought that would be information she would welcome. Or maybe she already knew.
He hadn’t expected seeing her again would evoke so many emotions in him.
But the last time he’d seen her...was the best and worst night of his life. Of course there would be emotion involved in that.
Nine years ago...
Ryan looked at the scoreboard, knowing Dakota hadn’t even made it to the finals. There would be no barrel racing world championship for her this year.
He tried to fight back disappointment, because it would have been amazing if they’d both won a championship the same year.
Sure, they were competitors, but not against each other. He didn’t want to think that’s why they got along so well. He would root for her, even if she were competing against him, which she wasn’t. But...he almost thought that she would do the same.
He wanted the championship, he wanted it so bad he could taste it, and she... She just seemed to be doing it for fun. Sure, she was serious about training and about practicing and about winning, but she didn’t crave it the way he did.
Regardless, he found himself joining in the celebration and knew Dakota was truly happy for him. She glowed, more beautiful than he’d ever seen her. Of course, she was garnering attention from all of the guys in the group, some of whom he didn’t even know. They were hanging out with people they didn’t typically hang out with, and he found himself doing things he typically didn’t, like ordering a beer, and then another, and dancing with his best friend.
She was soft and supple under his hands, muscular and slender, but with curves in all the right places. She smiled up at him with a glow in her eyes and something akin to hero worship. It made him feel like he could conquer the world.
When the music slowed, and her arms tightened around his neck and his around her waist and she laid her cheek against his and whispered in his ear that of all the men in the room, she thought he was the best, it did something to his already puffed-up pride, and it wasn’t long after that that he suggested that they leave, and she eagerly nodded.
He led her down the sidewalk to the bedroom that he rented from the father of one of his friends who owned a riding stable and tack shop at the edge of town.
He’d been happy there for the couple months that he spent, and somehow having Dakota holding onto him and walking behind him made the place feel a little less cramped and more like a castle. Or maybe that was the alcohol.
Regardless, he woke up the next morning alone but very aware of what happened.
Aware and ashamed. He couldn’t believe what he had done. His entire family would be disappointed in him, not to mention he couldn’t look his best friend in the eye ever again. After all, that wasn’t the kind of man he was. And maybe it had mostly been the alcohol, but he realized that for a while his feelings for Dakota had been deepening into something else. But she knew he didn’t want a wife or family. Especially not now when the opportunity for a second championship was so close.
He would just allow her to lead the way on how they were going to handle it. She was the woman, and he’d follow her lead. That seemed like the best thing. And when she hadn’t texted, hadn’t called, hadn’t contacted him at all, and his friend’s dad who owned the riding stable offered him a position in the off-season teaching clients how to ride from beginner to advanced, he eagerly accepted, because he knew Dakota would be heading back to stay with her gram in Iowa.
