Chapter 6
CHAPTER
SIX
Destry.
The scent of slow-smoked barbecue and fresh-cut hay filled the air as I stepped onto the fairgrounds, the opening night celebration in full swing. The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in deep orange and pink.
The Millers Pointe Rodeo always kicked off with a barbecue, a chance for the town to come together before the competitions started. Live music played from the small stage, couples swayed near the makeshift dance floor, and tables were packed with cowboys, ranchers, and locals, all eager for the next two weeks of rodeo action.
As soon as I walked in, people noticed.
I wasn’t cocky enough to think it was just about me, but I’d been riding bulls long enough to know I had a reputation around here. Some folks respected me, some envied me, and more than a few wanted something from me.
I took my time moving through the crowd, nodding hellos, shaking hands, exchanging a few quick words with the other riders. A rep from Cavender’s cut me off and extended a hand. I had plenty of sponsors but never discounted the possibility for another.
"Big shot Callahan, lookin’ real comfortable out here," he teased.
"Just another rodeo, brother."
He chuckled. "Uh-huh. Sure. I just hope you can bring us a win.“
"Always," I said, tipping my hat before moving the fuck on. I didn’t need to get caught up with him reminding me how much money Cavender spent on a sponsorship.
After a few more steps, I found myself caught in conversation with Quinn Jaxon. She had just recently taken over for her father with Jaxon Boots who was one of the big-name sponsors looking to put her money behind the right riders and she’d had her eye on me for a while.
"I’ll be watching your qualifying round tomorrow," she said, her smile practiced but genuine. "Callahan, you make eight seconds look effortless."
"Wouldn’t be much of a show if it looked hard, now would it?"
She laughed, nodding to agree. "You’re good for the sport, Destry. You know how to handle yourself in and out of the arena, and that’s exactly what sponsors look for."
I nodded, keeping my posture relaxed. "I appreciate that. Lookin’ forward to getting that win."
"I’m sure you will and you’ll be wearing our name."
I chuckled because I respected her hustle. “Whatever the offer is, yes.”
“That easy?” She arched her brow.
“Pretty much. I’m not going to turn down money and you took the time.” I tipped my head, trying to focus on business but my attention was already shifting.
To her.
Savvy stood across the open space, leaning against a table, laughing at something Maya said. Her smile was bright as hell which annoyed me a little because she refused to give me that same fucking smile.
She was wearing jeans that fit just right, a white tank top under an unbuttoned denim shirt, giving me a perfect view of the soft curve of her collarbone and the dip of her waist. Her cocoa-brown skin caught the glow of the string lights overhead, and her hair was in two neat French braids with her hat tilted low over her eyes.
She looked so fucking good, and from the way one of the rodeo hands was standing a little too close, I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
I was on my way to her, moving through the tables, past the tents, keeping my strides easy and unhurried. I watched as she tilted her head back, laughing again, loving how good it sounded.
The guy next to her leaned in slightly, too damn close, and I felt my fingers curl into my palm.
I stepped right between them without hesitating and tipped my hat as I did.
"You’re too damn close to her," I said, keeping my voice smooth but firm. Then I turned to Savvy, extending my hand. "Come talk to me, lil Rebel."
She frowned, not moving.
I arched a brow, silently reminding her of the secret I was holding.
Her jaw tightened and she groaned. "You’re an ass."
I grinned. "I’ve been told."
She knocked my hand away, but came with me, and that was all that fucking mattered.
I led her through the crowd, not saying a word, just letting her get that shit off her chest. I could feel the heat rolling off her. That damn irritation was clear in how stiff her shoulders were, but she followed. That alone was a win.
When we got far enough away from prying eyes, I finally turned to face her.
"Something on your mind, Rebel?"
Her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. "You always drag women away from conversations and threaten men who want their attention or am I just special?"
I grinned. Yeah I’d threatened ol’ boy, couldn’t really lie about that, so I left that alone. "You’re real fucking special, Rebel."
She huffed. "Why would you care that I was talking to someone else?"
"What makes you think I care?"
" You’re too damn close to her ..." She repeated my words and locked her arms over her chest.
"I just thought we had a deal. You owe me a drink. Figured I’d come collect before you tried to sneak off and to make sure you weren’t making deals with anyone else?"
Her eyes flickered, just for a second, but I caught it. A mix of annoyance and attraction. She damn sure didn’t want me to see that shit.
She squared her shoulders. "I was going to keep my word."
"Good," I murmured, letting my eyes drop just long enough to make her shift from the attention. "Wouldn’t want you running from me, Rebel."
She scoffed. "The only thing I’d run from is your ego but it’s so damn big that it would be impossible."
I chuckled. No matter how attracted she was, she damn sure didn’t fuck with me.
"Run to me not from me?" I moved closer and gripped her waist. I half expected her to pull away but she didn’t. Instead, she tilted her chin up. "Yeah, hard pass."
I took a step closer until my body touched hers, watching the way her breath caught, the way her fingers twitched like she was fighting the urge to touch me.
"Funny," I said, keeping my voice low. "You seem really bothered by me for someone who doesn’t want to be close to me."
She sighed clearly trying to rein herself in. "I don’t get bothered. I get annoyed."
"Same thing."
"No, it’s not."
"Well, either way, I got your attention."
She shook her head. "God, you’re exhausting."
"You’re sexy as fuck."
That did it. Her jaw locked, and for a second, I thought she was gonna storm off. But then, she did something that made my dick so damn hard I wasn’t sure I would get out of here without someone else noticing.
"Fine," she said. "Let’s get this drink over with so I can go back to ignoring you."
I smiled big as hell. "I knew you fucked with me."
She rolled her eyes, but I saw the way her lips twitched just barely like she was fighting a smile.
She swung her head, searching for the bar, but I stopped her.
"Not here."
Savvy frowned, looking up at me confused. "What do you mean, not here?"
I let my gaze drift over the crowd; there were too many people and too many eyes. Half of them were already watching us, whispering shit about me giving a woman my time and speculating. The last thing I wanted was an audience while I had her to myself.
"We’re going to have that drink but it’ll be after this. At Forty Acres."
Her body stiffened. "Not happening."
"Why the fuck not?"
She folded her arms and her expression screamed hell the fuck no. "Our deal was a drink not a date. Going to Forty Acres sounds more like a date. We can have a drink here."
I shook my head slowly, watching the way her lips pressed together like she already knew where this was going.
"Too many people. I want you all to myself."
Her breath hitched, barely noticeable, but I caught it.
"Forty Acres, Rebel." I kept my tone smooth. "You can ride with me."
"That’s not fair."
I grinned. "Never said it would be."
She groaned, tipping her head back like she was asking the sky for patience. "I’ll drive myself."
I chuckled, watching her fight the inevitable.
"That’s cool as long as you show."
She groaned, muttered something under her breath, then turned on her heel and stormed off. I watched Savvy disappear into the crowd, enjoying the curve of her ass, still grinning to myself. I wanted to follow her but I had another stop to make.
With the rodeo officially kicking off tomorrow, things were about to get hectic, which meant if I wanted to check in with my people, now was the time.
I made my way through the crowd toward a long table set up near the stage. The centerpiece was a leather saddle with the Callahan name engraved on the side, a clear reminder of just how much my family had invested in this rodeo.
Our cattle business had deep roots in Millers Pointe and my parents had been one of the sponsors of this event for years. Even though I’d built my own reputation, I wasn’t blind to the fact that my last name carried weight and that was fine. They had their legacy. I had mine.
I spotted my mother, Sonja Callahan, first, standing near the table chatting with a couple of ranch owners. The second she saw me, her face lit up, and she was at my side before I could get a word out.
"Destry Callahan," she said, shaking her head, "took you long enough to come say hello."
My mother’s voice broke through the other voices and before I could say a word she cupped my face in both hands.
I chuckled, leaning down slightly so she could press a kiss to my cheek. "What’s up, beautiful?"
She smiled, smoothing a hand over the front of my shirt. "You look good, baby. Have you eaten? You need to make sure you’re eating."
"I’m eatin’, Ma.” I shook my head.
"Mmhmm." She didn’t look convinced, but before she could go full interrogation mode, my father stepped up beside her, offering a firm handshake.
"Son."
I gripped his hand, nodding. "What’s good, Pops?"
Joseph Callahan was every bit the rancher he had always been, tall and strong despite the gray creeping into his beard. Where my mother was warm and nurturing, my father was steady, reserved, a man who didn’t waste words but had more wisdom than most.
"You ready for tomorrow?"
"Always."
He nodded. "Good. Ride smart, son."
My mother swatted his arm. "Don’t you go putting that kind of pressure on him right now. Let him enjoy the night."
I chuckled. "I got it under control, Ma."
She huffed. "You always say that, then go and scare me half to death in the arena."
"That’s not intentional, I promise."
She narrowed her eyes with a look that said she wasn’t amused, but before she could lecture me about bull riding and broken bones, a few of the other guests approached. Investors, ranch owners, people who knew my family well enough to want a few minutes of my time.
I went through the motions, shaking hands, making small talk, thanking them for their support. I played the role well when needed. Polite, charming, the golden boy of Miller’s Pointe, but all the while, my mind was elsewhere already thinking about tonight and my lil Rebel.
The way she looked in that damn tank top under that jean shirt. I shook the last hand, made my final rounds, then excused myself, tipping my hat to my parents. "I’ll catch y’all before the night’s over."
My mother kissed my cheek again. "Be good, baby."
If I get my way, I have no plans on being good tonight…
I just grinned and started moving through the crowd, already scanning for the two men I needed to talk to.
Beauden Phox and Wilde Reeves.
The two best men in Millers Pointe when it came to horses. Beauden had the finest stock in the region, known for breeding animals that could run circles around the competition. Wilde was the only person I trusted outside of myself to train a horse for me and that wasn’t something I said lightly. If I was getting a horse I wasn’t planning on breaking in myself, Wilde was the man to do it.
I spotted them near the stage, their wives Yelena and Shore chatting close by but as soon as I approached, their wives greeted me with smiles, exchanged a few pleasantries, and walked off, saying they’d let us men talk.
I nodded toward Beauden. "I need a horse. One that can compete with barrels."
Beauden arched a brow. "For what? You planning on switching careers? Trading in bulls for barrels?"
"Not quite."
Wilde crossed his arms, studying me. "Then what do you need a barrel horse for?"
"It’s for someone else."
Beauden rubbed his jaw. "Well, I got one, but she isn’t cheap."
"How much?"
He named the price and I felt that shit in my chest. "Damn, that’s high."
He shrugged. "That’s what it costs when you want the best." Then he grinned. "But hell, you can afford it."
"Maybe, but that doesn’t mean I want to pay that much. You don’t want to offer a friend discount."
Beauden chuckled, clearly amused. "I’m not in the business of giving away my horses, Callahan. Not even to friends."
"Figured it was worth a shot." I grinned.
We shook on it anyway, sealing the deal. Wilde nudged his hat up, looking at me with a smug ass grin. "So, what’s this for?"
Before I could answer, my gaze involuntarily drifted across the barbecue landing right on Savvy.
She was still with Maya and the other rodeo workers. Her body was relaxed, her head tipped slightly with her hat pulled low. But even from across the space, she stood out. She was fucking beautiful.
Beauden and Wilde followed my gaze and they both laughed.
"Damn," Beauden said, shaking his head. "Somebody finally caught you."
"That’s interesting," Wilde added, smirking.
I didn’t deny it, just smiled, adjusting my hat like I hadn’t been caught.
Wilde shook his head then got serious. "You want me workin’ with her? Getting her comfortable with the horse?"
I nodded. "Yeah. She’s got the talent, but she needs the right people behind her. I want her set up right."
"Consider it done."
"Appreciate that.”
Beauden grinned. "Hell, if you’re spending that much money and calling in Wilde, she must be worth it."
I nodded. "Wouldn’t be doin’ it otherwise."
I tipped my hat and walked away, already thinking about the next part of my night. I had a date with a pretty little thing at Forty Acres and if she didn’t show, I would go looking for her.