Chapter 3
COLT
Helping Trig at this rodeo only solidified my opinion that he had balls of steel. No way in hell could I climb on the back of a one ton bull and try to hang on. He was wired differently or something. But, the fucker won time and again. Loved it. The sport, the lifestyle, the travel. All of it.
He dealt with bulls, I had to deal with bullets. Being county sheriff wasn’t that safe of a job either. I had to wonder how our Ma didn’t have gray hair.
The adrenaline in the chute area was high and I was having a good time meeting up with my oldest brother in Cheyenne for the weekend. He’d competed. We’d had a few beers. Gone to a few bars. Had fun.
Then I saw her. Sensed her. The woman in the stands who was eyeing me.
Eye fucking me. She was fucking gorgeous with dark hair parted in the middle that fell simply to her chin, round face, full lips.
I could only see some of her body, but what I could glimpse in the crowd, I liked. Her dark eyes pierced into me.
Held.
Like there was some kind of magnet or pull between us.
My dick went hard in my jeans and I had to adjust myself behind the gates.
I didn’t pick up random women. It wasn’t my thing.
My last serious relationship ended up being a joke when I found out Lexi had lied to me about being divorced.
Turned out, after three months of dating, that they’d been “on a break” and she’d decided to go back to him.
There were so many layers of fucked up in that situation that I’d sworn off dating.
I was too old for one night stands. My hand worked well enough, although my dick didn’t agree.
The buckle bunnies around the rodeo were out in droves, looking to score with the likes of Trig.
Since I was his brother, they turned their needy gazes on me, too.
No fucking way. I’d learned my lesson about casual. Buckles bunnies were as fake as could be. I wanted real. I wanted what Ma and Pops had.
This woman? There was nothing random about her. Like Pops said, one look at Ma and he was done for. The story had been told often enough. They were at a mutual friend’s wedding and bam. They married not long after. And were pregnant with Trig right after that.
One look and done.
I didn’t know who this woman was. Or her name. If she was married. If she even spoke English.
It was stupid for a guy who’d seen so much bad in the world, that I should be careful. Especially after Lexi. But my dick and my heart knew she was mine, that I was in danger if I didn’t have her. So I gave her a wink and crooked my finger for her to come to me.
I wasn’t gonna force a woman, so if she wasn’t interested, she’d look away.
Ignore my summons. I’d shrug and meet up with Trig and have a few more beers.
Maybe some darts. Or maybe I’d climb into the stands and toss her over my shoulder and take her back to my hotel room like the inner caveman I was feeling.
Except she stood. Went down the concrete steps. I lost her for a minute when she went beneath the stands and–
There she fucking was. I hopped off the fence and went to her.
Cupped her face.
Kissed her.