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“Well, I’d better hit the road, then. Don’t want to be late. Let your sister know I grabbed something on the way.” He reaches to remove his coat off a hook by the door and turns to me. “Nice to meet you, Case.”
And with the slapping of a screen door, he’s gone.
The fuck? That’s it?
Jesse closes the heavier door before sitting at the table and looking at me.
“So, was… Is that—” I cut off, feeling disrespectful.
“Winnie gets annoyed when we leave the door open. Lets the heat out.”
I close my mouth, clenching my jaw. That’s not what I meant, but okay. That, too.
“Right,” I mutter, forcing myself to remain impassive. “Kerry yells at me for that all the time, too.”
Garrett snickers, pulling up a chair and offering me a seat. “I like Miss Kerry.”
I sit down. “She likes you, too, Braids. You’ll have to come back soon for more muffins. I can’t eat them all by myself. I’ll never fit on the bull at this rate.”
“What happened at work?” Jesse cuts in.
“What do you mean?”
His eyes narrow. “Why isn’t Winnie here? What’d you do?”
My breath leaves in a gust. “Oh, well…”
“Jesse!” Garrett practically hisses his name, clearly horrified.
His glare doesn’t budge. “Winnie texted me she needed some time and would be home soon. She knew she’d be too late to catch Dad. She never does that.”
I purse my lips and nod. “It’s okay, Garrett. He’s right. She did leave work upset, and it was my fault. Though, in my defense, my intentions were good.” I shift in my seat. “I was trying to help.”
I choose my words carefully, trying to give Winnie privacy but also realizing I’m in way over my head here.
“Have you ever seen Winnie race?” I start with a question.
Jesse shakes his head, but Garrett says, “A few times. She’s like the wind.”
I nod. “Exactly like the wind. She’s excellent. More than. And there’s this horse at our stables—”
“Queen Mab,” Garrett offers.
“Yes. Mab. See, Mab hates everyone, and I mean everyone, but not your sister. They’re like this power couple on the ranch. It’s like they can read each other’s minds or something. And Winnie’s been training Mab to barrel race. Not for herself but for a future owner. And in doing so, she’s unlocked Mab’s potential. Camilla, our stable manager, has timed them on multiple occasions, and let’s just say your sister and Mab could easily sweep every competition in barrel racing, local or otherwise. No one’s heard of them yet, but I promise she could be the best there is.”
“You’re talking rodeos?”
“I’m talkingthe rodeo.”
Jesse looks thoughtful and settles back in his chair. “What happened? This all sounds like good stuff. Why would she be mad about any of that?”
“Right? Except,” I hesitate, because this is where I want to be careful. “Rodeo can be very expensive.”
Jesse and Garrett are silent.
“So,” I exhale. “I talked to my dad and asked him to come and watch her race, just once, and see her potential. See if maybe he would want to sponsor her—like have the ranch sponsor her. That’s a common thing in professional sports competitions, you know? Sponsorships.”
The siblings brighten.
