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“She got a new horse,” I said.
“Oh, yeah?” Grady asked.
“Mr. Lucky Gambler.” The weight of those words settled like a stone in my stomach.
“Oh, shit,” they chorused.
Silence fell over us then, broken only by the crackling fire. They understood what that girl meant to me—they’d had front row seats to the show—even if I kept denying it.
“You know,” Grady started as we all sat around the campfire. “I think we’re all going to see a lot more action with the ladies this year without Kinsley Jackson around.”
I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at him. “How do you figure that?” I was curious about where he was going with this.
“I’m glad you asked, Wyatt.” Grady pointed his finger at me as if he was about to reveal one of the world’s great mysteries. “I mean, Kinsley’s great and all, but let’s be honest—she’s intimidating as hell.”
There was no denying that. Kinsley had a way about her, like a force of nature, and yet she was every bit as graceful as a wild rose. Her eyes, strikingly blue, reminded me of the endless Alberta skies and could shift from fierce determination to playful mischief in a heartbeat. And that focus of hers was razor-sharp, whether she was racing barrels or fixing a broken fence. But it was her smile that captivated me, warm and bright enough to chase away the shadows. From the moment I first saw it, I was a goner.
Grady continued, oblivious to my trip down memory lane. “So, when she’s on your arm and you’re hanging out with us, it’s like she scares all the other girls away. Now, when the four of us walk into a bar, the ladies will flock to us. Let me tell you.” Grady leaned back in his chair, nodding his head like he’d made the most profound revelation.
The absurdity of his statement had us all bursting into laughter.
“You’ll see,” he said. “I’m right.”
“I’ve had no trouble in that department,” Rhett said.
Grady leaned in, scrutinizing Rhett with a puzzled frown. “That’s what I don’t get about you. You barely say a word all night, but despite that, you leave with someone’s number.”
“You ever think that the talking is your problem?” Rhett asked him.
Finn and I covered our mouths, trying hard not to laugh.
“No,” Grady deadpanned.
We all lost the battle against laughter. Leave it to Grady to lighten the mood.
A couple of hours by the campfire with the guys was exactly what I needed to clear my head. I hit the sack feeling a lot better, deciding to focus solely on my rides the next day.
Drifter was stiff coming out of his stall the next morning, so I got him tacked up early and took him for a jog in the warm-up area to loosen his muscles. It took a bit, but soon enough, he was moving smoothly under me.
“How’s he doing?” Finn rode up on his grey gelding, Ghost.
“He’s good.”
Ghost fell into step beside us. They were a well-matched team.
We pushed the horses up into a faster gait and circled the arena wide. As Finn and I loped around the perimeter, I couldn’t help the excitement building in my chest. The rodeo grounds were coming to life around us: the sound of hooves against the dirt, the distant lowing of cattle, and the chatter of cowboys and cowgirls getting in some extra practice. The sun was just peeking over the horizon.
Finn pulled up beside me, his face serious. “Is your head in the game, Wyatt?” His blue eyes searched mine. “We need this win.”
I met his gaze steadily. “I’m here, Finn. I’m focused.”
We both knew how important this rodeo was. A win here meant the difference between money in our pockets or leaving empty-handed. I couldn’t blame him for being worried. We used to be a solid team, regularly in the money, but then I met Kinsley and our luck changed. I had let her distract me in the past, and I had let Finn down. He’d eventually made peace with me dating her because he knew how much I loved her, but he had reason to think my mind was elsewhere when she was around.
“Good.” He lingered in the quiet for a heartbeat longer than usual. “I think this is my last year on the circuit.”
Surprise jolted through me, and I pivoted to face him, searching his expression for an explanation. “What do you mean?” I pressed.
He gave a casual shrug. “My folks, they’re not up for the barn work much longer, and they’re considering selling the place. Can’t let that happen.”
