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“Listen to him, son. Say goodbye to this place because you’re never seeing it again,” my father taunted, a cold finality in his tone.
We walked back out into the rain, loaded our horses and my meager belongings into my truck, and drove away. I was leaving behind the only home I’d ever known, the only place that had ever felt like mine. A place that should’ve been mine.
***
I entered the rodeo barn that would be home for the next week, tired after the long drive.
A blonde blur came barreling towards me.
Kinsley.
She launched herself into my arms, her laughter ringing in my ears as I caught her and breathed in her hair’s sweet scent. My hands slid to her waist, pulling her flush against me as my mouth sought hers with a desperate urgency.
The moment our mouths met, the world fell away. Her lips were soft and pliant beneath mine, parting with a sigh that sent a shiver down my spine. I drank her in like a man starved, my tongue delving deep and tasting her sweetness. Her fingers tangled in my hair, tugging me closer, and I groaned into the kiss, the heat of her body seeping into my soul.
I needed her now more than ever.
I lost myself in the slide of her lips, the brush of her tongue, and the way she molded herself to me like we were two halves of a whole. In that stolen slice of time, there was only her.
But even as I savoured her presence, the ghosts of my father’s betrayal and losing our farm haunted me like a cold shadow that not even Kinsley’s light could fully chase away.
It all came rushing back: the tiredness, my bones aching with a weariness that went beyond the physical, and the strain of mustering a smile—even for her—felt like an impossible task.
Kinsley pulled back, oblivious, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “Wyatt, I’ve got the most amazing news! I’ve been talking to my dad, and he’s willing to sponsor us both to go down to the States and hit the big circuits. Can you imagine? We could really make a name for ourselves!”
I paused, trying to process what she’d just told me.
Sponsorships. Her dad’s money. Another reminder of everything I didn’t have, everything I could never give her.
“I can’t, Kins.” My voice cracked under the weight of my emotions. “I can’t take your dad’s money. Especially not now, after everything that—”
Her brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about, Wyatt? What happened?”
I shook my head. “I’ve lost the farm, Kinsley. My dad sold it to pay off his debts. I’ve got nothing left.”
Shock and concern filled her eyes. “Oh, Wyatt, I’m so sorry. I had no idea. But this sponsorship could be a fresh start for us. A chance to build something new together.”
I stepped back, my walls slamming up and shutting her out. “Don’t you get it? I’ve lost everything, Kinsley. The farm, my family’s legacy, and my goddamn self-respect. Now you want me to, what? Be your kept man? Ride on your daddy’s coattails?”
Hurt flashed across her face, but I couldn’t stop the words from pouring out, my pain and pride blinding me to what she was offering.
“I won’t have it, Kinsley. If I’m going to make something of myself, I need to do it on my own. I won’t be your charity case.”
“That’s not what this is,” Kinsley argued, her face reddening. “I’m trying to help you, to support you. We could be together and build our careers together. Why can’t you see that?”
“I don’t need your help,” I said. “I can do this on my own. I don’t want to be known as the guy who only got a sponsorship because he was dating Cal Jackson’s daughter.”
“God, Wyatt, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“Yeah, it is Kinsley,” I challenged, my voice rising. “I don’t understand why you can’t fucking see that.”
“And I don’t understand why you have to be so fucking stubborn all the time!”
“No, you clearly don’t understand.”
“Fine.” Her voice went cold. “If that’s how you feel, then we’re done. I’ve really had enough of this. I’m done trying to help you, Wyatt. I’m done with all of this.” She turned and walked away, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
I let her go, watching the best thing in my life slip through my fingers.
