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The emcee announces Owen’s time, and the crowd goes wild. The fastest time so far.

“Will the cow be okay?” Blair asks, looking horrified.

Hank leans over to look at her. “I promise the steers are just fine.”

She breathes a sigh of relief.

Two more ropers take their turn before they officially announce Owen as the winner. He strides out to the center of the arena, shaking his ass to the music and waving to the crowd.

Tripp squeals with laughter, pointing at Owen. “Uncle Linc, you should dance like that!”

“Not a chance in hell,” Lincoln grumbles.

Poppy shoots him a glare. “Language.”

Barrels are next, and Tripp switches to my lap. He’s warm and cuddly and he smells like cotton candy. I give him a squeeze, soaking up this time with the Galloways.

Feeling eyes on me, I glance up to find Lincoln watching me with his nephew. His eyes are sad again, and he looks away quickly.

Wayne is up first, so I don’t have time to overthink Lincoln’s expression and subdued mood.

Wayne moves his horse insanely fast around all three barrels, the stallion kicking up dirt behind them with every step. I grimace when Wayne goes round the last turn, thinking they’re going to fall over, but they don’t.

I whistle as Wayne finishes, genuinely impressed with the speed and control needed for this sport.

Tripp yawns loudly and snuggles against me. Poppy looks at him with soft eyes. “Now that Wayne’s done, I’m taking this guy home for bed.”

“No,” he whines. “I wanna stay until the whole rodeo is done.”

She laughs. “Sorry, Bud.”

“Why don’t I take him home and put him to bed?” Lincoln offers. “You stay and have fun. I’m exhausted, anyway.”

Poppy’s eyebrows scrunch, and she looks at me, then back at her brother. “Linc—” she starts.

Lincoln stands, cutting her off. “Really, I’m wiped.” He turns to me. “Sorry to skip out early…can I pick you up for breakfast in the morning to make up for it?”

I search his face, desperately trying to justify in my mind why he’s acting the way he is.

“Yeah, I’ll see you in the morning,” I say. “Get some rest.”

His eyes meet mine, then he leans down and gives me a soft kiss on the cheek. But I’m left sitting in the arena, feeling like someone has reached inside me and yanked my heart right out of my chest.

CHAPTER 33

Lincoln

I pick Hattie up just after sunrise, and despite the early hour, she practically bounces out to my pickup.

She’s beautiful in the early morning light—but she’s beautiful any time of day. I slide across the seat to open the passenger door for her and the way she smiles as she sits beside me takes my breath away.

I’ll miss those smiles, those eyes that sparkle like Honey Badger Creek when the sun hits it just right. Hell, I’ll miss every damn thing about her. Even her ridiculous trench coat—which Poppy informed me costs more than my pickup.

It feels like there’s a rock lodged deep in my stomach when Hattie snuggles against my side. I soak up every touch, every happy moment before I ruin it. Before I make her hate me.

With her by my side, her scent permeating the cab of my old pickup, my mind buzzes. Am I doing the right thing? Why is this the right thing again?

Right now, ending this seems like the worst idea I’ve ever had…and it probably is. But it’s better to end things now before we get in too deep, before we can’t come back from this. Before I dash all Hank’s hopes for his daughter to come back here often.