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“How are you handling this?” I asked Rhett.
“Who says I am?” he replied.
Then, splash! Maisey fell into the water and came up sputtering. Rhett helped steady her, which only made her turn a deep shade of red.
“Yes!” Kinsley cheered, her hands threading into my hair and digging blissfully into my scalp.
Okay, we were done.
I dumped her into the water. “I’m out of here,” I declared, swimming away from the victorious chaos.
Chapter 18
My Sister - Reba McEntire
Kinsley
Leaving the creek, Abby and I walked back to my trailer, the moon lighting our way.
After the chill of the water, the breeze was warm on my skin. I was feeling good. I’d finally gotten a bit of the old Wyatt back, the one who could smile, laugh, and have fun with me. I wanted more of that, so much more.
I’d hated saying goodnight and walking away from him. I’d really wanted to invite him back to my trailer, but I was stuck spending the night with my sister.
Abby and I had always been different, but lately, it was like we were worlds apart.
When we were young, we had been inseparable, our lives revolving around the ranch and our horses. Those early days were filled with so much joy and simplicity. I remembered us as little girls, giggling as we brushed our horse’s manes, dreaming of the day we’d compete together. Dad had set up a barrel racing pattern for us in the sand ring. Abby and I had been buzzing with excitement, taking turns weaving our horses through the barrels.
I remembered the thrill of that first run, the wind whipping through my hair as my little quarter horse ran his heart out for me. Abby had been right behind me, whooping and hollering, her face flushed with pure exhilaration.
“We’re going to be the best barrel racers ever, Kins!” Abby had exclaimed, her smile stretching from ear to ear.
In that moment, I had believed her. But it hadn’t lasted.
Things had changed. The innocent dreams of our childhood had faded, replaced by diverging interests and priorities. While I’d become more consumed by the sport, living the rodeo life, Abby had drifted away. She’d called it a ridiculous sport and wanted no part of it.
The sting of her words had cut deep, and no amount of pleading on my part would change her mind. Abby had turned her back on our shared passion, leaving me to navigate the rodeo world alone, and I had no idea why.
From that point on, a chasm had grown between us, widening with each passing year. The bond we had once cherished frayed until it was barely recognizable, replaced by awkward silences and unspoken resentments.
“Did you have fun tonight?” I asked Abby.
She only shrugged.
I rolled my eyes. Once inside, I tried to shake off the awkwardness, tossing my damp clothes into a corner. “You know, Grady was pretty interested in you,” I ventured as I wrapped a towel around myself.
“Not everyone enjoys the constant attention of your cowboy friends,” she snapped, her voice tight with annoyance as she flopped down onto a chair at the kitchenette table.
The towel half-secured, I paused, taken aback by her sharpness. “Hey, I was just messing around. Besides, it wouldn’t kill you to have a little fun now and then.” My words, meant to be light, were full of judgement I hadn’t intended.
Abby stood up, the chair screeching against the floor. “My idea of fun isn’t the same as yours, Kinsley. Not everyone needs to be the centre of attention all the time,” she retorted, her eyes blazing with a mixture of defiance and something else. Was it hurt?
“Abby, I didn’t mean it like that. I just thought—"
“What? Because a bull rider shows a little interest, I should be flattered? That I should be more like you?” Her voice broke a little on the last word.
The hurt in her voice made me pause, my defences crumbling. “No, Abby, that’s not what I’m saying. I just thought you might like someone noticing you. You know, someone as … outgoing as Grady.”
“Oh, right, because no one ever notices me. Not when Kinsley Jackson is around.”
