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Rosie
Only when someone acts like I’m at their beck and call.
Holden
Four nights a week is hardly at my beck and call.
Your father is at the ride tonight.
Debating whether or not to ask him if he knows where you’ve been sleeping lately.
My smile fades. Dolly turns around at the perfect moment.
“You want the same mango one?” she asks.
I nod, clicking the button to darken the phone screen. If Holden tells my father that I’ve been sleeping in his bed, my family life will blow up in my face. I have no earthly idea what my father would do, but it wouldn’t be good. I’m not cut off, that I know of, but having sex with Holden Redford would definitely be the end of my inheritance. I don’t know if he would ever speak to me again. Our relationship is beyond complicated, but the idea of it ending forever makes my throat feel like it’s swelling up.
Dolly turns back around with the drinks, handing me mine.
“Thanks,” I mumble.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” she asks, concern pinching her eyebrows together. She grabs my forearm.
I attempt a smile, but she sees straight through it.
Holden and I will never happen. The reality of it just hit me straight between the eyes when his text about telling my father about our arrangement came through. I’d almost thought he was flirting with me before then. I’d almost thought maybe tonight he’d actually look at me like a woman and not the daughter of the man who had pushed for his trial and conviction.
I’d almost thought maybe he’d get over the fact that I’d dated Duke, but it’s all too much. The family rivalry, the fact that he ended my uncle’s life … all of it is way too much for us to overcome.
Telling Dolly about my stupid crush is on the tip of my tongue. A single tear slips out of the corner of my eye. I open my mouth to speak, but a scream tears through the crowd.
We both turn to face the stage, where it came from. A man is on the stage, and he has Monroe Blue on the ground. The scream must’ve come from her. Dolly and I start to run toward the crowd, but we’ll never make it through. She’s fighting back, but it looks like he’s refusing to let her go.
I look around the edge for where her security should be.
Can no one get to her?
Suddenly, another man from the crowd, wearing a cowboy hat, hops over the fence and jumps onto the stage. He reaches the man, jerks his collar back, and punches him hard in the face. It makes the man lose his grip on Monroe. The cowboy tackles him fully to the ground, straddling the guy and landing blow after blow in his face.
Monroe crawls away, her shirt clearly torn.
“Holy shit, that’s Cash!” Dolly screams, running for the stage.
20
HOLDEN
The way Mayor Dixon observes the rides reminds me of a king looking out over his slaves. Haughty and debating how he can squeeze more money out of them.
“What’s that fucker doing here, you think?” Sterling latches his helmet on, preparing for his ride.
I shake my head. “Ignore him. Focus on the ride. You’re up in two.”
The cowboys who run The Riders are similar to us—ranchers who don’t care for big government involvement. Redford Ranch supplies the bulls for the event, which we are paid well for. There’s nothing illegal about that part of the operation because we report the income. The betting is illegal. If they can’t tax our money, they don’t want it changing hands.
Sterling walks over to the chute, where he’ll get on the bull. Everything we make riding is ours to keep, but who knows if any money will go out for these rides? The Riders are getting more cautious every night. They might wait weeks to pay out after this one, if any bets are even made.
I look down at my phone screen, gritting my teeth when I see that Rosie hasn’t replied to my text.
