2. Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Tate
M y truck door slams when I close it with way more force than is necessary. I’m not sure why I keep allowing Grayson to get to me with the same shit over and over. And to the point I backed into a woman’s car. Still fuming after slamming the door of my truck, I do the same with my front door to see if that might help. It doesn’t.
I barely have time to shower and get changed before heading back to Boulder Ranch. It’s opening night, so we don’t have to ride, but we’re pickup men for the amateur roughstock events. And, somehow, that’s my fault too. Grayson’s attitude problem is getting really fucking old. I shake my hand to relieve the ache. Thankfully it isn’t broken. I knew better than to hit him. Even though I’m not riding tonight, I need to be able to hold the reins, and maybe even toss a rope.
“I don’t know why you’re always trying to be Dad. He didn’t like you either.”
Grayson’s words echo in my mind. They hurt, but I probably deserved them after possibly breaking his jaw. I squeeze my eyes closed to combat the sting. Fuck. He’s been my responsibility for the past fifteen years and, whether he resents it or not, I’m the only family he’s got. And he’s all I have.
My mind drifts back to the woman in the parking lot as I step into the shower and rush to get clean. She was pissed. But fucking gorgeous even though she definitely wanted to kill me. I shouldn’t have hit her car, but she didn’t have to get so worked up when there was barely even a scratch. The way she stormed out of her car, curls wild and eyes blazing, you would have thought I aimed for her.
A few minutes later, I’m walking back out the door, my hair still damp and bag in hand. Opening night has always been my favorite, and it’s taking everything in me not to let Grayson ruin it. Clenching and unclenching my fist, I fight against the bandage. I’m still pissed that he pushed me that far. Dr. Robinson suggested I take tonight off, but that would be ridiculous. I’ve made the eight on the back of a bull in worse shape than this.
As I pull into the gravel parking area and reach for my bag, I wish I’d listened to that doctor. Lining up and getting introduced is one thing. Having to be pickup with Grayson when all I want to do is punch him again seems like a recipe for failure.
The weight of my bag on my shoulder and the chaps across my arm remind me that this is it. All I need to do is avoid that asshole as much as possible and I’ll be able to enjoy the rest of the night. The event is a big one, and we only have to work together for part of it. I round the corner feeling slightly better about everything. But of course, the first person I lay eyes on is Grayson. Fucking perfect.