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A slew of texts started coming through on his phone, including one from Jake, who was fighting with his brother. His mom sent one saying she left a container of soup in his refrigerator, and then another asking when he’d be home.
The last texts were from Paige, one that she’d sent after he broke his phone. There was one from today asking if he was still in town.
He answered and asked where she and Mark were. Ben wouldn’t mind hanging out with him today. Maybe they’d go pheasant hunting.
“How is she?” Paige asked as soon as Ben sat down in the booth with them at the diner.
“Mad as hell at you,” he teased, and smiled. He watched her face go from panicked to irritated.
“I’m not gonna let you two hang out together anymore,” she said, glaring at Mark.
“How did I get involved in this?” he asked. Truth was, Ben had never seen a guy who was more of an innocent bystander than Mark. He and Paige had been married for thirty years, so Mark had to be used to it.
“When are you going back?”
“Thinkin’ Monday morning.”
“Things must be goin’ well, then.”
“If it’s none of her business, you gotta say so. Until you do, she’s gonna keep probing for more information,” Mark said without raising his head.
Ben looked at her, “Paige, it’s none of your business.”
“You should be thanking me.”
“Thank you, Paige,” he smirked.
“Can I join you?” asked Renie.
“Of course,” said Paige, motioning for Ben to scoot over.
Renie sat down, put her arm on the back of the booth, and turned to face him. “So. You’re still here.”
“Renie,” Ben said with a killer smile, “it’s none of your business.” Mark high-fived him.
Liv rode Micah around and around in the warm-up arena, trying to keep her thoughts on the barrels and off of Ben. She pulled a slot further down tonight, so she wouldn’t be first out of the chute. That was good and bad.
One of the bareback bronc riders had stopped by the barn today to introduce himself, and Liv noticed him riding the warm-up arena, trying to stay close to her.
“Hey cowgirl, you chasin’ the cans again tonight?”
She grinned over her shoulder. “You know it, cowboy”
“Whoo-wee, you’re pretty.”
There was something about Ben being in the stands tonight that let Liv flirt a little. This time she enjoyed being safe, because it meant something else entirely. She was safe to flirt, a little, because at the end of the night, she knew which cowboy she’d be going home with.
Thoughts of Ben whirled around in her head, until she saw Jolene glaring at her from the fence. If Jolene had her way, Ben would be on the next bus out of town. She’d made that clear this morning when Liv showed up a half hour late.
“You think we agree to train just anybody, Miss Olivia?”
Well, she was paying them, but no, that wouldn’t be enough to get them to do it.
“No, ma’am, I don’t, and I’m very sorry I was late.”
“If you aren’t gonna take this seriously, there’s no point in my even bein’ here. I should get in the truck and head home. I got a family, too.”
“Please don’t leave, Jolene. I won’t be late again. Ever.”
