Chapter Twenty-Six
Jovie
The whole gang is headed into town for the Wildhaven Summer Concert Series since we’re all off the clock for once.
At least mostly.
A ranch never really sleeps.
There are always horses to feed, fences to repair, cattle to check on, and a hundred other things that need attention.
Tonight though, we’re all free to be normal twentysomethings on a warm Wyoming summer evening.
I end up squeezed into Cabe’s truck with Harleigh, Porter, and Royce.
Royce claimed the front passenger seat before anyone else could get there, leaving the three of us spread across the back seat. Porter grumbled but somehow folded his long legs in behind Cabe.
“You’re rich,” Royce says, looking back at Porter. “Buy your own truck.”
Porter looks offended. “I have a truck.”
“Then why are you in Cabe’s?”
“Because Harleigh told me to be.”
Harleigh grins. “I want him to be able to drink tonight.”
Royce snorts. “You always do what you’re told?”
“You’ve obviously never been in love,” Harleigh says. “He makes me happy now, and I make him very happy later.”
Royce groans. “Gross.”
Harleigh beams at his misery. “You’re just jealous.”
We roll onto the highway with the windows down, warm air whipping through the cab.
The Tetons glow gold in the distance.
It feels like one of those perfect summer nights people write songs about.
Harleigh leans forward in her seat. “Did anybody ask Axle if he wanted to come?”
Royce shakes his head. “I tried, but he disappeared after we finished tagging the new herd.”
“Did you call him?”
“Yep. Straight to voicemail.”
Harleigh narrows her eyes. “He probably had enough brother time today. So, he’s ignoring you.”
Cabe chuckles. “Probably.”
She reaches for her back pocket, then freezes. “Shit.”
“What?” Porter asks.
“My phone.” She pats her pockets. “It’s sitting on the kitchen island.” She twists around toward me. “Can I borrow your phone?”
“Sure.”
I pull it from my purse and hand it to her.
Harleigh taps at the screen. “You don’t have Axle in your Contacts.”
“Um, no, I guess not. I’ve never had a reason to call him,” I say.
“What’s his number?”
She taps away while Royce calls out Axle’s number.
“There, saved.”
Harleigh clicks to connect and places the call on speaker.
The line rings.
Once. Twice. Three times. Then voicemail.
Royce laughs. “Ha, not just me.”
Harleigh waits for the beep. Then says dramatically, “I see you’re screening all your calls tonight.”
Everyone chuckles.
“What are you doing? One of the rodeo school’s female staff members?”
My stomach immediately knots.
Harleigh continues before I can process why, “Anyway, this is your favorite cousin calling from Jovie’s phone to tell you we’re headed downtown to listen to Wildhaven Junction and wanted you to come.
” She points at the phone as if he can see her.
“So, get off of her and get yourself to the park. Love you. Bye.”
She hangs up and hands the phone back.
The conversation moves on.
Royce starts talking about catching one of the saddle bronc riders in the stables with one of the barrel racers this week and how he didn’t know what to do. Drag him out by his ear or give him a condom and a high five.
Harleigh snorts and says being the responsible adult is weird sometimes.
Everyone is entertained.
Meanwhile, I’m staring out the window.
One of the rodeo school’s female staff members?
The thought shouldn’t bother me. Axle can spend time with whoever he wants.
He’s single. He’s grown. He’s absolutely none of my business.
But the thought of him curled up on a cabin floor with someone bothers me more than I’d like to admit.
The thought of someone else making him laugh.
Someone else stealing those quiet nighttime hours.
Someone else sitting beside him while he watches documentaries and drinks beer.
Someone else being gently tucked in before he sneaks off.
Who are you kidding, Jovie?
If he’s with another woman, they aren’t on the floor. They’re in her bed or his.
A strange ache settles beneath my ribs.
I look out the window and pretend it isn’t there.
The park is packed.
The entire town seems to have shown up.
Children race through the grass. Food trucks line the street. People carry lawn chairs and coolers and blankets. String lights twinkle around the square.
Music drifts through the warm evening air. Wildhaven Junction is already on stage when we arrive.
Cabe finds a parking space next to Bryce, and he and Micah grab the cooler from the truck bed while Royce carries our blankets.
We find a spot near the center of the crowd and spread out.
“This is perfect,” Harleigh declares.
The band launches into another song, and the crowd erupts.
And honestly? They’re incredible. Within minutes, people are dancing everywhere. Kids. Parents. Grandparents. Everyone.
Charli is the first one in our group to stand. She kicks off her sandals. “Come on!”
Harleigh jumps up, and a second later, they’re both grabbing my hands and pulling me to my feet. The next thing I know, we’re barefoot in the grass, laughing and dancing beneath the stars.
The music pulses through the park. The crowd claps and sings along. The air smells like barbecue and funnel cakes and summer.
I spin with Harleigh and glance toward our blanket. The guys are exactly where we left them. Sitting in camp chairs. Drinking beer. Laughing at our shenanigans.
I catch Cabe’s eye, and he tips his bottle toward us.
Bryce shakes hands with a man who approaches the blanket, then with another, and then another. Apparently, being a world-famous bull rider means dealing with fan interactions everywhere, even in his own town. The poor guy never really gets a night off.
Hours slip by, and songs blur together.
The sunset fades, and stars begin to emerge overhead. Illuminating the park like tiny lanterns in the sky.
By the time we finally collapse back onto the blanket, we’re sweaty and breathless.
“I forgot how much I love this,” Harleigh says.
“Same.”
Charli steals a drink from Bryce’s cup.
Eventually, Porter stands. “I’m getting food. Anyone want anything?”
“Corn dogs,” Royce and Micah say at once.
“I promised Jovie funnel cake,” Harleigh adds.
“Yes, funnel cake with chocolate sauce!” Charli chimes.
Bryce rises too. “I’ll help.”
The two of them head toward the food vendors, and the rest of us settle back to enjoy the music.
Micah and Royce get distracted by a couple of barely legal girls in bikini tops and cutoff jean shorts.
Harleigh butts in and starts coaching them.
Cabe shifts from his chair and slides down to sit beside me on the blanket. Close enough that our shoulders touch. I rest my head lightly against him. The gesture feels familiar. Comfortable. Easy.
Being with Cabe has always been easy.
He smiles and wraps an arm around my shoulders. For a while, we simply watch the stage.
Then he says quietly, “I’m glad we got to do this tonight.”
He nods toward the crowd.
I glance up and smile. “Me too.”
“I thought we’d spend a lot more time together this summer.”
Disappointment flickers through me. Because he’s right. We both expected that.
“I know.”
“But between the academy and ranch work …” he says.
“And Boone and Earl buying every beast in Wyoming?”
He laughs. “Yeah, that too.”
I smile. “It’s okay.”
“You sure?” he asks.
“Of course. I’ve been busy, too, with online class work, internship hours at the clinic, working with the students in the gym after hours—everything.”
His expression softens.
“I’m still glad you came home though.”
The words settle warmly in my chest.
“So am I.”
And I mean it.
This summer hasn’t turned out anything like I expected. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Cabe squeezes my shoulder. “I’ll try to make more time before you leave.”
I shake my head. “Don’t worry about it. There will be other summers.”
Then he smiles. “Yeah?”
“There will.”
Something unreadable passes through his eyes.
“I don’t know. It just feels like everything is changing so fast. I just don’t want to lose us, you know?”
I bump his shoulder with mine. “No matter what changes or where our lives lead us, you won’t lose me. You’re stuck with me forever, Cabe Trust.”
His smile widens. “Promise?”
“Pinkie promise.”
Bryce and Porter return with arms full of greasy goodness just as the concert starts winding down.
The lead singer of Wildhaven Junction steps up to the microphone. “Wildhaven!”
The crowd cheers.
“We’ve had one hell of a night!”
The cheers get louder.
“I know some of you guys have kiddos to get home, but if anybody wants to keep this party going, we’ll be heading over to The Soused Cow after this song.”
Several people start gathering their things.
Harleigh sits straight up. “Oh, we’re absolutely going to the Cow.”
Porter groans. “I have to be at the hotel early tomorrow.”
Her eyes go to him. “That’s fine. Cabe can drop us by there on the way back to the ranch, and we’ll stay in your office.”
“In his office?” I say.
“Yeah, he has a suite attached,” she says.
She points at him. “I’ll do that thing you like.”
Porter’s eyes darken. “Fine.”
Charli laughs. “You walked right into that.”
Bryce checks his watch. “We should probably head home.”
Harleigh gasps. “Nope,” she says, then looks at her sister. “Isn’t there a thing you do that he likes?”
“Oh, he likes all the things she does, but he’s got an early flight.”
“Boooo. You’re turning into boring old people, like Caison and Matty and Waylon and Shelby.”
“They aren’t boring. They have AJ and Ruby now,” Charli says.
Bryce stands and extends his hand. Charli takes it, and he lifts her to her feet.
“Ignore her.”
“I am.”
She leans over and whispers in his ear, “I’ll do that one thing in the truck on the way home.”
Harleigh gasps. “You’re supposed to save that for next time.”
“Good night, Harleigh,” Charli says as Bryce practically drags her toward the parking lot. “See you tomorrow.”
Harleigh continues to heckle them.
Charli flips her off over her shoulder.
“Love you too!”
A few minutes later, the rest of us gather our things and toss them into the bed of Cabe’s truck. Then we pile inside.
The Soused Cow sits just outside of town—a classic Wyoming honky-tonk with neon signs, live music, cold beer, and questionable decisions. It’s the perfect place to end a summer night.
As Cabe pulls onto the highway, I glance out the window toward the dark countryside rolling past.
My phone sits in my lap. No missed calls. No response from Axle.
For some reason, disappointment settles in my chest.
I stare at the screen for another second before locking it again. Maybe he never heard the voicemail. Maybe he simply didn’t want to come. Or maybe he does have company.
Still, as the lights of The Soused Cow appear in the distance, one thought refuses to leave me.
I wish he were here.