Chapter 19
Eighteen
Wyatt
She opened the door wearing a tank and yoga pants, her hair in a braid that hung over her shoulder, looking just as sexy as she had the past couple of nights.
I wanted to greet her by pulling her into me, but as always, she leaned on the door frame, folded her arms, and raised a single eyebrow. I raised the six-pack and plastic bag.
“I was told the next episode we meet Belle.” I smiled, tilting my head.
“We do,” Quinn replied. “Any guesses on who’s her Beast?
” She stepped to the side, letting me cross the threshold.
She shut and locked the door behind me, meeting me in the living room where she already had glasses ready for us.
I had brought wine two nights and beer on the others.
This girl was prepared…and expecting me.
“Have we met him?” I set everything down on the coffee table, smiling at the wine glasses sitting there.
“We have.” She nodded, reaching for the plastic bag. “What are you feeding me tonight?” She let out a gasp. “Sushi!” Her waist snapped back up, her eyes wide as she looked at me.
I pinched my brow. “Is that a yes? Or a no to the sushi? Because I can order June’s.”
“I love sushi.”
“Is there any food you don’t love?” I asked, twisting open a Corona. Quinn met my gaze, her brow raised in question. “You know, just in case I bring the wrong thing, and you are forced to eat whatever food you have here.”
She breathed out a laugh, grabbed a beer and a container of sushi, and plopped on her couch, one leg tucked under her body. “I’m not fond of Thai or Indian food. The spices and tastes are just off to me, and if you ever give me a mushroom, I will hurl it at your face.”
“No mushrooms. Got it. But sushi is fine.”
She used the chopsticks to pick up a roll, waving it in the air before stuffing it in her mouth, doing a small little dance on the couch as she chewed. I watched with a smile, taking control of the remote to cue up the episode.
“Oh, you’ll never guess what happened today at the dress shop.” Quinn grabbed my attention right as I clicked on Once Upon a Time, Snow White’s face filling the screen.
“What happened?” I glanced at her quickly before hitting play.
“Abi asked me to be in her wedding.”
“Cash asked me that today, too,” I admitted.
He began the conversation with, “Just know you’re second choice, but you mean a lot to Abi…
and well, you’ve grown on me.” I laughed and said I only tolerated him, but that I’d be proud to stand by him and my cousin.
Lachlan was going to be his best man, and I his only groomsman.
When I asked about Rhett, seeing as in the years since Sylas had passed, Cash and Rhett were closer, Cash replied with he’d rather it be me up there…
then quickly added that someone had to watch the baby.
I was still finding it hard to grasp that a year ago, I was still holding a grudge against the man.
“I thought you two hated each other?” Quinn asked, basically reading my mind.
“We had a rough patch there, but Abi basically forced us together.”
“Abi has a way of doing that, doesn’t she?” Quinn picked up another roll. “Apparently she's the reason Kyla and Rhett are married."
I barked a laughed, "Yeah, she is."
“You two have the same eyes, did you know that?”
I raised a brow. “Well, yeah. She’s my twin.”
“Who’s older?”
“Me. Only by a few minutes.”
“Who got better grades in school?”
“Abi. Hands down.”
“Who’s more reliable?”
“I think that depends on who’s relying on us.” I locked onto her gaze.
“Do you guys have that twin telepathy?”
I shrugged my shoulder. “Maybe? I guess? I tend to feed off her emotions when we’re in the same room—one look at her and I know what’s going through her head, even when she’s putting on a smile for everyone. And we always seem to text each other at the same time.”
“Who’s the better rider?”
“Me.”
She raised a brow and twisted her lips.
“What?”
“I’ve seen you on a horse a total of one time, maybe twice.”
“I taught Stetson how to ride.”
“You can’t be the better rider.” Her voice drew out, disbelief flooding the air between us.
“You haven’t seen me really ride.” I leaned forward a tiny bit, giving her a small wink. “You owe me a rain check, remember?”
She hummed. “Well, Abi did mention horses at the wedding, so maybe then.”
“The wedding's in June. Hopefully before then.” I raised my eyebrows and turned back to the television. The screen had already dimmed from lack of movement.
“June? Reno’s in June. I signed up for that one, and a few others that month. It’s gonna be a busy summer.” She wiggled her hips into the cushion, settling into her seat more.
“It’s before Reno, that’s for sure, and let me take a look at your schedule. I’ll make sure nothing overlaps.”
Her lips tilted to a soft smile, her eyes catching mine for a second before darting back down to her food.
“You wouldn’t mind checking over this next adventure, would you? I can do this journey on my own, but having you look it over would put my mind at ease.”
I took in a sharp breath. “Sure, I can. After we meet Belle?” I pointed at the screen.
Quinn let out a laugh. “Sure, after the episode.” She flopped her head on the back of the couch cushion, her gaze still trained on me.
I had to hide the fact that I skipped over the small tidbit that she said she could do the next adventure on her own.
I was hoping it would become a thing—us every weekend going from rodeo to rodeo.
Even if she wanted me there just for company, I’d lean back on the trailer and let her do everything, and I’d be content just watching her.
I knew she could do it, I just wanted to watch her.
I looked at her longer than I should have, taking in her pink cheeks, her emerald eyes, and different tints of brown in her hair, weaving through the braid.
I noticed the small freckles on her cheeks that I hadn’t seen before and the way her lips curved into a soft cupid’s bow.
There was nothing fake about the woman in front of me, and I had a feeling that no matter how many times I looked at her, I’d never catch all the details.
I let a breath out through my nostrils and turned back to the television, finally pressing play on the episode. We sat in silence for a few moments, watching Belle’s story unfold. I even muttered “I should have known” when I saw who her Beast was, earning me a “it was kinda obvious” from Quinn.
Once the episode was over and the credits rolled, Quinn shifted, unfolding her legs and pulling them close to her chest. “Are you—” She stopped, inhaling a deep breath. “Are you going to be Cash’s best man?”
I shook my head. “No. That’s Lachlan. Just a groomsman.”
“Kyla’s her matron of honor?”
I nodded. “I’m assuming so.” I looked over at her, seeing the dots connect in her mind, connecting in mine, too.
Cash told me they weren’t going to have a big wedding, but Abi wanted to keep to some traditions. She’d walk down the aisle after the wedding party. Meaning—
“Looks like I get to walk you down the aisle, Compton.”
“What the fuck did you get into?” I groaned as I scraped the brush through Rusty’s coat.
Spring was officially in full swing at Hartwell Hills, and mud was everywhere.
My normally chestnut colored horse was now a dark, deep brown, and his coat was hard and crusted.
I scraped at the dry mud, his tail whipping back to hit me.
“Don’t.” I looked at my horse, tempted to tug his mane.
He huffed and shook his head.
“I swear the fields are nothing but mud,” Abi called from the other stall, her voice carrying through the air between us. “Marshmallow is as black as Onyx.”
“Oh joy,” I grumbled, pulling a dry patch from Rusty, which earned me another loud whine. “Can’t wait to get to that stall.”
“Stetson will do his own damn horse. We have others to tend to. And I swear, these horses aren’t going back into the field until after it dries.”
“Abi,” I dropped the brush to my side and walked to the barrier, draping my arms to get a good look at her. “It’s spring on the ranch…it’s going to be wet for months.”
She was squatting next to the horse’s hind legs, putting just as much pressure on the comb as I was. She let out a long groan and stood. “How long do you think it will take the two of us to de-mud and bathe all of these horses?”
I inhaled, looking at my sister. The Nova Luna Stables housed thirty horses, and currently, we were at full capacity. The horses stayed for a few weeks to a few months; others had become permanent residents.
“If we both take fifteen…” I let out a puff of air through my lips. “We’ll be done by fall.”
Slumping her shoulders, she lifted her chin to the ceiling. “You’ll never get any announcing jobs if I keep you here brushing horses.”
I huffed a laugh, pushing myself back into Rusty’s stall. “Hawkins told me he saw my name in Reno, but they’re cutting it close.”
“Reno?” Abi parroted. “That would be a cool one to get your comeback. I’d come to that one.”
“Quinn’s on the board.”
Abi’s head popped over the wall separating the two stalls. “Really?”
“Yeah, I was looking at her schedule last night. She’s booked herself up until the Fourth of July.”
It was Abi’s turn to rest her arms on the wall, the brush dangling between her fingers as she looked at me. “And are you going to travel with her?”
I raised a brow and looked at my twin. “Worried I won’t be around to help here?” I joked.
Abi shook her head. “You know I’d rather you do what you love than working here, but I am curious now.
” She dragged her voice a little as she spoke the last few words.
Knowing her, she’s been wanting to talk about this.
When it came to talking to me, it wasn’t like Abi to hold anything back, so my interest was definitely piqued.
“Curious about…” I stopped brushing Rusty and walked to the wall, coming up to her side.
“What’s happening between you two?” she asked, and before I could say anything in response, she kept going. “Last I knew, Quinn hated you—”
“She doesn’t hate me…anymore,” I emphasized anymore, knowing full well that months ago she wanted nothing to do with me.
But the feeling of sitting next to her on her hotel bed, and in her car, on her couch watching that stupid show—her arms around me after a win—all of those moments were too strong to say she still hated me.
I was growing on her—even she would admit that.
“Okay, she’s not overly fond of you, but having you there helped, I can tell.
” She met my gaze. “That first weekend, she would text Cash and complain, but we hardly heard from her this time around. We heard from you more about making sure we followed, so…I’m just curious as to what is going on inside your head.
” Raising her arm, she used the end of the brush handle to tap on my forehead.
“This is Quinn we're talking about, and last year…”
“She shot me down.”
“Multiple times.” She deadpanned. “And called you childish, and didn’t she say you were more starch than man?”
“I haven’t starched my Wranglers in months.”
“She was…” She swayed her head and shrugged her shoulders. “Wondering about you the other day. It just made me wonder what your intentions are with her.”
“You know, same as always. Flirt, tease, chase, eventually get her to see how amazing I am.” I flashed her a grin, which faded the moment I looked at my sister.
Abi dropped her arms and let her groan echo through the stable.
“I’m being serious, Wyatt. I just want to know what your plans are when it comes to her.
Quinn is becoming a friend; I like having her around.
Quinn is—” She paused, taking a breath. “She’s funny, she’s smart, she doesn’t take anyone’s shit.
I’ve never seen a girl that young as determined as her. I don’t want you to—”
“What?” I snapped before she could even finish the sentence. “Screw it up for her?”
Abi pursed her lips together.
“Alright, Abi.” I tossed the brush to the ground.
“I get it. I’m a fuck up. The playboy. I have made some pretty stupid mistakes when it comes to women, but I can assure you, I have absolutely no intention of screwing things up for Quinn.
Do I still have feelings for her?” Fuck yes, more than I did before.
“Eh…a little, but right now, I’m happy just being her friend.
She makes me smile. She makes me laugh. And she’s been putting up with my shit.
If she wants me to go with her, I will jump at the chance to see her shine again, but she told me she wants to go alone.
So, she’ll go alone. I respect that of her.
You said yourself she’s determined, and I see it.
I guarantee you, I won’t screw anything up for her.
Her goal is to get to the NFR. One of my mine is to help her get there. ”
“Wyatt,” she sighed, “I didn’t mean—”
“I know what you meant,” I interrupted her. “But Abi…I just need you to trust that I won’t mess things up for her. I didn’t last weekend. I flirted, sure, but she’s hard not to flirt with.”
“You’re losing that bet, aren’t you?”
“Oh, terribly.” I nodded vigorously, placing my hands on my hips. “But proudly so.”
Abi held my gaze for a long time. “You have more than ‘a little’ feelings for her, don’t you?”
I met her gaze once more, the brim of my ball cap shadowing my eyes. “Yeah. I’m fucking falling for her. And you’re making me walk down the aisle with her.”
Abi smiled. “That wasn’t intentional.” She pointed at me.
I clenched my teeth and shook my head. “You just like playing matchmaker.”
“No, I wouldn’t call it that. But…I am on your side. I’ll always be on your side. I want to see you happy, and if Quinn makes you happy…” She trailed off, raising one shoulder to her ear.
“She makes me very happy,” I said, almost a whisper.
Abi smiled at me. “I’m rooting for you. So, don’t screw it up so I can keep rooting for you.”
I was tempted to give her a salute. Instead, I turned my back and waved a hand in the air. Don’t screw it up so I can keep rooting for you. Trust me, sis—I won’t. I’m falling way too fast and way too hard.