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Bradford let out a roar of laughter. The last time we went fishing, I’d pulled out my phone to record him reeling in a giant catch and the entire time, all you could see was either the water, part of Bradford’s head, or my coat.
“If I actually want to remember the moment, I might get Georgiana or Morgan to do the filming. You really wouldn’t mind if I asked her during your outing? She wouldn’t see that coming at all.”
“Dude, do it!”
I could hear the excitement in his voice when he said, “I’m going to.” Another pause, then, “Shit! I’m going to ask her to marry me! I gotta go!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I’m gonna throw up!”
The line went dead, and I pulled my cell back to see that he’d hung up. Laughing, I turned and headed back toward Ranger and my mom. I stopped abruptly when I saw my mother on Ranger’s back, letting him walk around the enclosure at his own pace.
I let out a soft laugh and shook my head as I resumed walking. Ranger met me halfway, giving me a vocal greeting. I smiled at the horse. “You’re lucky your good taste in women overrides your bad taste in baseball.”
Chapter Twenty
MORGAN
Folding my arms over my chest, I refused to budge while my brother and Ryan both glared at me.
“Morgan—”
I held up my hand to stop Ryan. “I’m already going to be with you, my brothers, Georgiana, Bradford, Savannah, and Hunter’s little…friend.”
We all glanced over to see the blonde hanging all over my brother, several yards away. I shook my head and muttered, “Buckle bunny if I ever saw one.”
“Buckle what?” Savannah asked with a confused expression.
Bradford grinned. “That was my reaction the first time I heard it. That’s what they call women who follow the cowboys around at rodeos.”
“Why buckle bunnies?” Savannah asked.
Georgiana answered that one. “They tend to go for the guys who win.”
“Ohhh,” said Savannah, nodding her head and looking back over at Hunter and his…friend.
“Is it weird that her name is Bonnie? Do you think they call her Buckle Bunny Bonnie?” Georgiana asked with a giggle.
Ryan sighed in frustration. “Morgan, I still don’t think it would hurt to have Rodney come with us.”
“He’s right, Morgan. You won’t even know he’s there.” This came from Blayze.
I huffed in disagreement. None of my friends or siblings could relate to my frustration. They didn’t have to deal with a shadow every minute of the day.
“Not to join the ranks of overpowering men, but I agree with them. It doesn’t hurt to have him tag along,” Bradford said with a soft smile.
Rolling my eyes, I threw my hands up. “I just don’t think it’s necessary. And I feel bad. He’s the only one without a date!”
Rodney laughed but quickly covered the sound with a cough. “It’s really okay, Ms. Shaw.”
After it was settled that Rodney would, in fact, be coming along, we all piled into our vehicles and headed toward the Bitterroot National Forest, where they had OHV trails for four-wheelers.
Once there, Hunter had to explain to Bonnie nearly a dozen times how to drive an ATV. She finally asked if she could ride on his.
“Why don’t you guys use ours, and we’ll take the single ones,” Georgiana finally suggested. “It’s against the law to ride double on a single four-wheeler.”
Bonnie jumped and clapped her hand. “Thank you so much, Ginger!”
She frowned. “It’s Georgiana.”
Bonnie flashed a fake smile. “I was close.”
Georgiana shot her a dirty look, then turned to Blayze, who gave her a look that said, “Let it go.”
After finally getting Buckle Bunny Bonnie on a four-wheeler, we were off on the trails, with Rodney driving not too close but not too far behind, either.
Not even thirty minutes into the ride, Hunter pulled over. I stopped as well, since I was behind him. “What’s wrong?”
He sighed. “Bonnie needs to use the restroom…now.”
I looked at her and snarled my lip as she crossed her legs and bounced. “I have to pee so bad!” she said. “But I am not walking into those woods by myself.”
Hunter made what sounded like a growl and pointed into the trees. “I can see you. Just go right there.”
Bonnie looked insulted. “Right off the trail, so everyone and their mother can see me? I don’t think so.”
Ryan came driving up beside me. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“Bonnie has to pee, and she’s afraid to go alone,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
Ryan glanced from me to Rodney.
Rodney nodded. “I’m pretty sure he isn’t here, or we’d know if he was following us.”
“Who?” Bonnie asked.
I took off my helmet and shot my younger brother a look that said he was going to owe me big time.
“Come on, Buckle—um, Bonnie, let’s go.”
Walking into the woods far enough for her to pee, I pointed to a spot. “Watch out for poison ivy.”
