Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
I fist my hands together in my lap. Well, damn. I thought today was the first time he’d talked to her since the breakup. I had no idea he was still calling her. I lean forward to see around Reilly. “Is he calling you, princess?”
She looks pissed, and I’m not sure if it’s because I insist on calling her by the nickname I gave her when she was twenty years old or if it’s because she’s so independent and doesn’t think she needs anyone to defend her. She’s always been self-sufficient, but this is something I’d love to take care of for her. Hell, I need to get my frustrations out anyway, might as well do it while using Jessy’s face as a punching bag.
“Is he bothering you?” I ask her again.
She rolls her eyes at me. “It’s fine. I can handle it.”
I don’t take my eyes off her. I’ve always been able to read Lila, but it seems lately there’s shit going on with her that I don’t know about. She turns her head to the arena, but I keep my eyes trained on her. Her father is sitting between us, and his head is on a swivel as he looks at me, back at her and then back at me again. I know I need to keep my shit together before he figures out how I feel about his daughter, but this isn’t a game to me. I’m not going to forget it. “Lila.”
She looks at me with her lips pursed. “What?”
I smile and tilt my head. “Is he still calling you?”
“Yes, but—”
I nod my head. “That’s all I need to know. I’ll take care of it.”
She turns toward me. “Just forget about it. It’s not a big deal. Plus, you need to be focusing right now. Your ride is coming up.”
I sit back in my seat. She’s right. I do need to be focusing on my next ride, but there’s no way I’m going to forget about this. I’m going to pay a little visit to Jessy and settle this once and for all. The gall of the man to think he can first cheat on Lila and then have the balls to call her and try to hook up after it. That’s insane, even for Jessy.
“What are your plans for after retirement?”
Lila has her feet up on the seat in front of her and her elbows resting on her knees. I know what she’s doing. She’s always been a peacekeeper, and she’s trying to change the subject. “I’ll be at the ranch in Whiskey Valley. My herd is coming in two weeks, so I have until then to patch my fence.”
Reilly cuts in. “You need some help? I can spare Rusty and Eli.”
Rusty and Eli are ranch hands that have worked for Reilly for years. They’re good workers, but I know Reilly needs their help at his own ranch. “I’ll call you if something comes up, but I’m good. Two weeks should give me plenty of time to get everything ready.”
The whole time I’m talking I can feel Lila’s gaze on me, and I look at her. She smiles almost wistfully at me. “Are you going to miss this?” she asks with a nod toward the center of the arena. There’s cheering around us, and I watch the man that just went eight seconds on the back of a bull. He’s new to the circuit, and the happiness on his face is a feeling I remember, but it’s not the happiness I want anymore. I mean, yeah, don’t get me wrong, I want to win, but it doesn’t make me happy like it used to. There’s only one thing that would make me happy right now, and she’s sitting next to her dad, waiting for my answer.
I shake my head. Truth is, I’m looking forward to settling down in one spot. Plus, I’ll be in Whiskey Valley, and even though she’s a temptation I can never have, I’d still like to see her some more. “Not even a little bit,” I tell her honestly.
Reilly points up to the jumbotron. There’s still a few riders before me, but he elbows me in the shoulder. “You should probably go get ready, don’t you think?”
I nod, even though I don’t want to leave. I know I need to stretch and loosen up a bit. The older I get, the more I realize my body doesn’t bounce back like it used to. I stand up and put my hands in my pockets. “It means a lot that you’d both came today.”
Reilly takes his hat off and holds it in his lap. “We wouldn’t miss it, son.”
“Good luck, Ace. You got this,” Lila chimes in.
I smile at her and turn and walk away before I do something stupid like kiss her or something.