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"Huh?" Isaac asked.
Ty just pulled in a hard breath. "She said they'd come after her. She fuckingtoldme and I didn't listen. I thought I was chasing them off, but I just made it worse. I fucked up, guys. I'm sorry." His tongue flicked out again, a clear sign of nerves, but then he looked at me. "Just let me know if I can help?"
"Pretty sure she doesn't want your help after seeing you at the bar," I admitted.
He nodded again, but like he was accepting that. "So she's with J.D. right now?"
"All week," I assured him.
"Good," Ty said just as his waitress returned.
"Sir?" she asked. "I can move you over there if you'd prefer?"
"Nah," he said. "Just catching up with some friends. I'll sit over there in a second."
"Yes, sir," the girl said. "Just lemme know when you wanna order."
"Will do." Then Ty scrubbed at his face. "Tanner, what happened? I mean, how bad is it? She gonna be able to ride?"
Cody and Ty had broken up last Sunday. He'd pulled quite a few dumb-ass moments since then. Considering it was only Wednesday, I was pretty sure he'd been trying to set a record for cramming his head further up his ass than anyone else ever had before, but this sounded honest. The look on his face was hiding nothing.
I knew she was pissed at him. I also knew she still cared. He'd been her idol for a long time. Now, maybe Ty didn't realize what that meant, but I did. Looking up to someone, meeting them, and then having them blow it all up? That wasn't easy. I had a feeling Cody was still trying to sort out which pieces of Ty were the real ones, which were what she'd wanted him to be, and which were what he could be if he tried.
And this? The man standing before me, asking how to help her? I didn't honestly know how to take it.
"You trying to get back with her?" I asked.
Ty laughed once, but it sounded dry. "Pretty sure that ain't happening, but yeah, kinda."
"How's that work in your head?" I asked.
He just pushed out a hard breath. "Fuck, Tanner. I don't have a damned clue. I just realized I fucked up real bad. Thought that maybe I could show her it wasn't her fault, you know? And yeah, I want her back, but more than that, I want to make sure she ain't thinking about going home."
"She's not," I assured him. "Ty, she's pissed. She's ready to take on the world right now."
"She also got some sponsors," Jorge said.
I pointed at him, thankful for the reminder. "Yep. Under Armour and Mike's Hard Lemonade. Well, all their drinks."
"Nice!" Ty said, looking impressed.
I nodded. "And Under Armour is all-in. Not sure what they're paying yet, but it'll be in Cody's favor. She got her official PBR photos taken too. Good ones, Ty. Tough ones."
"'Bout damn time," he said.
"Cameraman wanted her to look seductive," I added.
I watched as Ty's jaw clenched. The muscle at the side of his pretty and very strong jaw bounced. "Fuckers. Don't they know she's a real rider?"
"They do now," I promised him. "Cody didn't do that shit. She glared. She looks strong, Ty, and when you see those pictures? You look at her hands. The knuckles are busted up because she put her fists into Austin and Derek a few times. That girl held her own against them, as well as she could."
"And she's not strong enough to take them down!" Ty snapped, his voice coming out just a little too loud. But when he spoke again, it was better, like he was struggling to keep his tone polite for public. "This won't be the only shit they pull."
"Nope," I agreed.
"Well, dumped or not, I won't ignore it."
I nodded, making it clear I understood. "That might help you more than anything else."
