by Cindi Madsen
Royce didn’t bother pointing out that he was already so far ahead that it didn’t matter. He swung back to throw, and as his arm came forward, Sadie pinched his butt. The throw went wild, not even in the pit, and her laughter bordered on maniacal.
“You cheater!”
Instead of responding to the accusation, she said, “I’m starving, and there are hamburgers over there. And since my ethics were a little blurry there at the end, I’ll buy.”
“Pretty sure food is provided.”
She innocently batted her eyes at him, told Deacon that he was awesome, and then walked over to the table with the food. Royce headed to the truck to see if Cory was back—he’d texted a bit ago to say he was gonna check out a few more horses.
While Royce was next to the trailer, he peeked in on Duke. He does look like a good roping horse, and with his long legs, he can eat up that space fast. Chevy was always his go-to, but she was getting older, and he might want to get another colt out of her in a few years.
Balancing a stack of hamburgers in one hand, Sadie lowered the three pops she had under her other arm into the back of the truck. She set one off to the side—for Cory, he assumed—and then extended a hamburger to Royce as he neared. “Mustard only, though I still think it’s suspect to not like ketchup.”
She sat on the open tailgate, her legs swinging through the air within seconds—she never could sit still.
Royce bumped her over with his hip and settled next to her. “Tomatoes are disgusting, no matter what else you add to them.”
“They’re good for the prostate—people are always talking about it on the news.”
“My prostate’s just fine, thanks.”
Her gaze dipped down, focused right on the zipper to his pants. Her legs stopped swinging and she sank her teeth into her bottom lip.
Liquid hot lust swirled through him, and he gripped the edge of the tailgate with his free hand, working to calm it down—they were in public, after all. “Eyes are up here, darlin’.”
Pink spread across her cheeks, but she shrugged and laughed it off. Too bad he couldn’t do the same thing, especially when she leaned her head on his shoulder—the girl had serious boundary issues. Not that he bothered putting more space between them.
They finished their food and cracked open the cold Cokes to wash it down.
“This makes me think of all the rodeos we went to,” Sadie said. “Chevy in the trailer, picking up food whenever we could.” She turned her face up, and the sun highlighted the freckles on the bridge of her nose—he was glad she’d stopped covering them with so much makeup. “Whenever I used to get to missing home real bad, I’d go to YouTube and watch rodeo clips. It was like comfort and torture, all at the same time.”
Her voice caught, and he reached over and threaded his fingers through hers. She squeezed his hand as if she were afraid it’d float away—or maybe that she would—if she didn’t hang onto it. “I don’t want to ruin this…awesomeness we’ve got going on today, but I don’t want to repeat past mistakes, either.” She let out a long exhale. “The truth is, I have no idea how long I’ll be in Hope Springs.”
“I figured as much. It’s not really like you to give up on somethin’ you’ve set your mind to.” Knowing it and having her tell him were two different things, but it was a good reminder that this was all temporary. Now he was the one squeezing her hand like it’d disappear any moment.
“My manager told me he’d call if he got any interest, and in theory he’s still looking for opportunities for me to perform, but I’m not holding my breath. That’s why I’ll need to head back eventually—my odds go way up when I’m constantly performing where the right person might hear me. I just needed some time off, and I’m not sure how long it’ll take until I feel ready and have enough money saved to return to Nashville.”
Tucking a leg under her, she turned to face him. “I’ll admit I took the job on the ranch because I was desperate, but like I told you before, I love it there, and I’ll try to give you as much notice as I can.”
“I understand.”
She nodded, dropping her chin for a moment before slowly looking back up at him. “You know, now that I’ve seen what you’ve done with the ranch and the camp…well, it was already hard enough not to compare every other guy to you. I always did, and they always came up short.” She ran her hand down the side of his face. “You’re one of a kind, Royce Dixon.”
He nearly groaned at the brush of her fingertips across his lips. “There’s no one quite like you, either.”
She tilted her head, one corner of her mouth turning up. “That explains why we were so awesome together.” She brushed her fingers across his bottom lip again, grinning when he gently nipped at them. “I might not be staying in Hope Springs forever, but I think it’s a damn shame to not have some fun while we can.”
“Is that right?” He’d been thinking the same thing, but if she was going to keep trying to convince him, he wasn’t going to stop her.
She leaned closer, her breasts pushing against his arm, her warm breath on his neck. “We could go out under the stars, just like old times…”
He tried to swallow.
Her hand moved over his heart, which was now steadily picking up speed, and then she curled his shirt into her fist and gave a light tug. “Come on, cowboy, don’t say it hasn’t crossed your mind.”
He kept trying to come up with words to say, but his brain and mouth were having a disconnect. So he crashed his mouth down over hers. She made a little gasp noise, and he took advantage, deepening the kiss, taking her stolen breath in and letting himself get lost in the feel of her soft lips, the familiar taste of her tongue.
He was half tempted to take her right here in the back of the truck, despite all the people nearby—the horse trailer mostly hid them, after all.
There was a small whispering in the back of his mind that they were gonna make a mess of things, but with her draping her legs across his lap and her nails running over his back, he couldn’t help thinking that— Well, actually it was more like he couldn’t actually think at all.
…
As they headed back to Hope Springs, Duke and a sorrel quarter horse named Flint that Cory had bought in the trailer behind them, the radio played in the background, and Royce’s hand remained firmly wrapped around Sadie’s thigh. She leaned her head on his shoulder, soaking in how amazing it felt for him to not fight her anymore.
Grandma did say I could get anything I set my mind on. She probably hadn’t meant seducing her ex, but the entire afternoon, all Sadie could think about was how much she wanted him, and she’d be lying if she said it wasn’t empowering.
They hadn’t made a big announcement to Cory or anything, but the second he’d seen them sitting in the back of the truck, talking with their faces close together, he’d raised an eyebrow that said he knew.
The nearer they got to the ranch, the hotter the desire pumping through her body became. After weeks of longing, her anticipation was a living, breathing thing, taking over every inch of her body.
They’d sneaked off together countless times in high school, but it’d been so long, and she was definitely out of practice. Crap, does my underwear even match?
Royce tapped his fingers to the beat, each hit causing her pulse to scatter in a dozen different directions. As he turned in to the ranch, though, his fingers stilled and he swore under his breath.
Sadie straightened and peered out the windshield. “What’s wrong?”
Royce pointed his chin toward the girls’ cabin. The porch light was weak, but now she could make out Caroline standing with her hands on her hips. Eli and Addison stood across from her. “That doesn’t look good.”
The truck lurched to a stop, and Royce was out the door in seconds, long strides eating up the space between the truck and the kids.
“I’m gonna get the horses situated,” Cory said.
Sadie climbed down from the truck, the pins-and-needles sensation in her butt and thighs slowing h
er steps. By the time she got close enough to hear, Royce’s voice was raised—firm yet deadly calm—kind of like a great white shark swimming by. No need to attack when all those teeth were on display.
“…know the rules! You’ll both be missing the rodeo.”
“What? No!” The words were out of her mouth, so loud in the air, and the opposite of calm, before she could stop them.
Royce whipped his head toward her, jaw clenched, and she froze. Now he was a shark sensing blood in the water. “Sadie, go help Cory with the horses while I take care of this.”
She stepped forward, placing her hand on his arm. “But—”
“Now.”
Normally she’d scowl and tell him not to boss her around, but she could tell she’d crossed a line, and honestly, she was terrified he’d go back to pushing her away if she fought him on this. So she cast Addison and Eli a last look—her heart ached when she saw the sorrow on their faces. Even Addison, whom she’d never thought she’d be defending. Then she turned and headed toward the stalls.
As she was walking away, she heard Eli saying it was his idea, so to just punish him. Her feet revolted at taking her farther, but she forced them to go anyway.
She and Cory were just finished getting the new horses hay when Royce came in. His super-serious and super-grouchy expression was still in place.
“Need me to stay in the cabin?” Cory asked.
Royce took off his hat, stuck it on a post, and sighed. The band had left a slight indentation, and his hair was adorably crumpled, though she knew better than to say so. “No, I’ll do it—you go on home and rest up so one of us can be awake tomorrow. My mom’s watching both doors right now so that I can shower and grab some bedding, and then she’ll stay with the girls tonight.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow bright and early, then.” Cory clapped Royce on the back. “Best of luck.”
As soon as Cory was gone, Royce turned to Sadie. She flinched, already knowing she was about to get into trouble. “You can’t undermine me like that in front of them.”
“I’m sorry,” Sadie said. “But they’re just a couple of kids with crushes on each other, and they were both so excited about the rodeo.” Eli had even sketched pictures with a rodeo theme, asking her if he’d gotten them right. “Seems too harsh to take that away from them.”
Royce took a step toward her, and she crossed her arms in front of herself as she brought up her shoulders.
“Jeez, you think I’m gonna attack you or something?”
“I’ve never seen you look so scary before.”
He put his hands on her hips, and her muscles slowly relaxed. “When it comes to the rules, I have to be harsh. Do you know how hard it’d be to get credibility back if those kids got their hands on drugs or had sex? Or even tripped and hurt themselves this late at night while they were unsupervised? Mom and I have to constantly do paperwork and reports and fight to keep all the checks and balances taken care of.”
“I get it, I do, but…think of us back in high school. We were always sneaking out late, going for walks, looking at the stars…”
“Getting naked in the back of my truck.” He ran his gaze down her and heat pooled low in her stomach. “I am thinking about that. And that’s the problem. I know all too well what happens when two teens wander off alone.”
“What can happen. We dated for a long time before we had sex. And I know not everyone waits, but—”
Royce kissed her softly, a gentle, way-too-short press of his lips, gone before she could fully catch hold. “You’re clearly too soft for this side of things. I love that you care so much, but I’m doing it because I care, too, and it means I’m spending at least tonight in the cabin with the guys to make sure no one sneaks out again. In other words, it’s gonna be a long night, and I’m already exhausted.”
Sadie stuck out her lips in a pout as all her plans for tonight flew out the window.
Royce ran a knuckle down her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, and then we’ll figure out when you and I can sneak away.”
Gripping a handful of his shirt, she yanked him to her. She kissed him with all the built-up frustration inside her and drew it out, gently biting his lower lip. He groaned, and she moved her lips to his ear. “The longer you make me wait, the harder I’m gonna make you work for it.”
Chapter Eleven
Sadie’s shoulder was starting to burn from throwing the lasso over and over again. She was bad enough at roping when the object didn’t move. Royce was going to use Thor for the Fourth of July rodeo but said the horse needed more practice and he was too busy to do it. He claimed it was more about the horse getting used to charging after the calf—without breaking the barrier, of course, or a ten-second penalty would be added—and knowing when to pull back, not so much her throws landing true.
Which was good, because she was zero for ten. A few of the teens had lined up, which only amplified her frustration every time she failed to catch anything but dirt. Addison and Eli were missing—apparently they’d had to wake up at six a.m. to start mucking stalls.
Taking in a deep breath, Sadie gripped her rope and nodded at Mark. He pulled the lever to let the calf out of the chute. As soon as it reached the end of the tether, Sadie kicked her heels into Thor’s side, swinging the rope through the air. She leaned forward, aimed for the head, and released.
The lasso hit the hindquarters of the calf before falling to the ground. Sadie dismounted, anyway, to at least go through the motions of tying up the imaginary cow.
“Your timing’s way off.”
She turned to see Royce coming over the fence.
“Thank you, Captain Obvious. Now let me be Queen I Told You So and remind you that I clearly stated I was no good at this. You’re the one who insisted it didn’t matter if I missed.”
“Well, I didn’t think you’d miss every time. I don’t want Thor thinking that’s the goal.” Royce flashed her a teasing smile, and she smacked his arm. “You’re not pulling back right, either. If the calf’s actually caught, Thor needs to keep the tension in the rope. He knows better, but you’ve got to yank back and remind him sometimes.”
“Why don’t you take over, then, and I’ll do whatever you’re doing?”
“I’m babysitting Addison and Eli and making sure they don’t talk to each other. I think we’ve already established you’re not built for that job.”
“You’ve got them shoveling crap all day, and they can’t even talk to each other? That’s, like, beyond mean.”
Royce pressed his mouth into a tight line, his expression saying, This is exactly what I’m talking about. He took the rope from her and put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her over to Thor. “Come on. I’ll show you. We’ve got to get him out of the gate faster, too.”
“Are you ever going to let them talk again?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at him. “They only have a little more than two weeks left, and they like each other. They’re good for each other.”
“I know you have a soft spot for Eli, but—”
“You have one for Addison, too, so I don’t understand why you won’t at least consider the fact that this is a different-from-the-norm situation and give them a break.”
Royce threw his head back and sighed. “I explained last night, Sadie. Soft spots don’t change anything.” He tugged Thor’s reins. “Now, focus on the roping. No cowpoke of mine is going to get away with not knowing how to lasso a calf.”
Sadie crossed her arms. “I’m just your cowpoke now? Am I not allowed to have an opinion?”
“Not at this moment, no.” He pushed her toward Thor again, and even though she’d climbed on all by herself plenty of times before, Royce apparently thought she needed a boost, via a hand on her butt. Then he swung himself behind her, the leather of the saddle creaking under them, and it was hard to hold on to her irritation at him. Especially when his heat was seeping into her, his thighs against hers.
Royce handed her the rope, the loop already set. Inste
ad of letting go, his fingers curled around hers. “Tell the truth. Are you missing on purpose since you’re pro-calf?”
Sadie bit back a smile. “I wish I could use that excuse. It’s starting to make me angry that I can’t at least get one, actually. And I’m even more impressed that you make it look so easy.”
He pressed a kiss to the spot just under her ear, the sensation of his lips so unexpected that goose bumps broke out over her entire body. “Thanks, darlin’.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and covered her hand holding the rope with his. “Now, just feel it.”
“I’m feeling things, all right.”
Royce’s fingers twitched, tightening their grip. He cleared his throat and then nudged the horse into place. When Mark tripped the lever to open the chute, a reddish-brown calf shot out, full speed.
The world sped up and slowed down, a blur of sensations going through her at once. She felt Royce’s body, firm behind hers, his hand guiding the rotation of her wrist. Thor darted forward, the way he never had when only she was on, the rapid beat of his hooves drowning out all other sounds.
“Let,” Royce whispered in her ear, “go.”
The rope soared through the air, and for a moment, Sadie thought it was going to land in front of the calf, but it caught the head—a bit crookedly—then slid down. Thor automatically pulled back, yanking the rope tight, and Royce practically shoved her off the horse.
“Hurry!” he yelled, putting the other cord of rope in her hands.
She rushed over and tried to flip the cow to the ground. But it didn’t want to flip and it was mooing like crazy, so she just looked to Royce as he came over.
“You gotta throw your body into it.” He flipped the calf with ease, and she watched the muscles in his body work as he held it in place. “Now bind the feet.”
Sadie glanced from the noisy cow to Royce’s face.
“You’re not going to do it, are you?”
She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.