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“I don’t think we have a choice,” Chance grunts, taking my hand once again and facing the suite.
I straighten as I face the room, pulling every ounce of fake confidence I’ve learned over my years in the courtroom. Taking my first step into the room, I act like I own it. It’s a trick I learned long ago after I first passed the bar. If I enter the courtroom as if I’ve already won the case, I have the upper hand. I’m applying the same theory to the sponsor’s suite at the rodeo.
Walking through the crowd, we say hello and nod at the other investors. People I recognize from the previous events fill the room, sending watchful glances as they follow us through the crowd. Chance stops us behind a row of seats overlooking the arena.
I watch as I see the cowboys preparing and the horses in the chutes. I don’t know all the terminology or order of a rodeo, but Chance filled me in on a little of the basics on the way here.
“Drink?” he asks, giving my hand a squeeze.
I nod with a smile as he leans down and gives me a quick kiss before making his way to the bar.
“Still ‘together,’ huh?” Laughlin says, making air quotes.
The sound of his voice makes me cringe. I don’t know how I ever tolerated the whine in his voice.
“What are you doing here?” I let my gaze fall to the crowd below, seeing the families laughing and enjoying themselves as the bronc riding event gets ready to start.
“Willis and Taylor are sponsors. Didn’t you know that?”
I can feel the heat of him at my side. My skin starts to crawl knowing that he’s that close to me.
I turn, taking a step back and meeting his eyes, barely registering the blonde on his arm. Recognition flickers to my brain, remembering her face as the woman from the night at the Whiskey Dam. “What do you want, Laughlin?”
“I’m just curious. Where’s your boyfriend?”
“Fiancé, actually. And we aren’t joined at the hip, unlike most people.” I make a point to let my eyes trail to the blonde at his side.
“Fiancé. Right,” he says disbelievingly as he throws his arm over the woman’s shoulder. “And don’t be jealous, babe.”
“Don’t call me ‘babe’ and I’m anything but jealous of anything you have.” My eyes trail over the room, searching for Chance and the promised drink.
“Whatever you say,” Laughlin says with a chuckle.
“Problem here, Dakota?” Wyatt asks, appearing at my side. He eyes Laughlin up, moving protectively to my side. “Chadwick.”
“Winters,” he replies. “No problem. Just saying hi to an old friend.”
“Bullshit,” I say under my breath.
“I suggest you move along, Chadwick. The event is about to start. I’m sure your friend here wouldn’t want to miss that.”
“Come on, babe. We should go find better company, anyway.” Laughlin shoots Wyatt a final look before towing the blonde away from us.
“I had no idea he’d be here,” I say, turning back toward the crowd below.
“Doesn’t matter.” Once satisfied Laughlin is far enough away, he continues. “Have you seen Chance?”
“He went to go get drinks. He couldn’t have gone far. It’s not a big room,” I chuckle.
Wyatt is quiet for a moment before muttering, “ah shit,” under his breath.
I turn to follow his line of vision, stunned at what I’m seeing.
He’s speaking with a tall brunette, and one that looks so familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it. He can speak with women, that’s not the issue. What gives me pause is the way she places her hand on his arm and laughs with him, as if she knows him—intimately.
It surely must be a mistake. There’s no way Chance would kiss me one minute and then let another woman have her hands all over him the next. Not after his confession of his feelings for me and the night we spent together.
“Who’s that?”
