Chapter 19
nineteen
If Briar had known kissing Tarr would rock the earth off its axis, she would have done it on his birthday five days ago. Or maybe sooner. Maybe the very evening she’d met him, when she’d accused him of stealing Wiggins instead of figuring out how to get his lips on hers.
He kissed like the champion he was, and Briar went along for every moment of it.
She let her mind go blissfully blank and allowed every cell in her body to experience and feel the warmth of his hands in her hair and along the side of her face, to enjoy the softness of his beard against her skin, and the way he absolutely couldn’t seem to get enough of her.
She definitely breathed him in through her nose and swallowed his very essence.
She had no idea how long they stood there kissing in his RV, but when he pulled away, everything inside her told her it had not been long enough.
Tarr’s shoulders rose as he breathed in, trying to catch his breath. “See,” he whispered. “It’s simply incredible, right?”
Briar wanted to agree, but she didn’t have time before his lips claimed hers again, and the best ride of her life started over.
Another weekend arrived, and with it, Mother Nature sent hail, followed quickly by snow, with the forecast calling for more of the same in the next few days leading up to Christmas.
Bobbie Jo decided to move the goats out of the Goatel and into the arena ahead of her trip to Oklahoma to see her parents.
She and Tucker were flying to Tulsa, where they’d spend a week before returning to ring in the New Year here on the farm.
Tucker had signed two more rodeo stars—another barrel racer and a bull rider like Tarr.
They’d both be coming to the farm and facilities in January.
Briar had already looked them up, and she couldn’t complain that there would be more rodeo personalities here.
This was what Tucker and Tarr did, and she’d begged God to let her stay on this farm.
She also wasn’t going to complain about moving the goats into the arena, though it would definitely be a big mess they’d have to clean up later.
It would make feeding them easier and warmer, and Briar could admit she was looking forward to only doing the holiday schedule around the farm for the next couple of weeks.
Tarr wouldn’t train, and he and Ashton would focus on keeping the roads cleared and the rodeo animals fed, while Briar took care of Bobbie Jo’s goats and tended to any veterinary needs of the animals living here.
Though Wiggins was no herding dog, the goats didn’t seem to know that, and they followed one another in a steady stream from the front gate of the Goatel to the back door of the arena.
It was simply because Bobbie Jo had gone that way, and Tucker, Tarr, and Ashton had made a human fence on one side while Briar and Wiggins manned the other.
When every last goat had been moved indoors, all of the humans went inside too, with Ashton securing the door behind them.
Briar helped Bobbie Jo feed the goats while the men peeled off and went into the stables. They’d moved some horses from their main stable to what they normally used for their rodeo stars, freeing up space in the barn for the goats.
Once they had been cared for, Briar started her rounds, dictating notes on each animal as she visited them.
Near the end of her daily assessment, she found Rosie in the walking circles, with both of her horses going round and round and a restless energy pouring off her.
“How are they doing?” she asked as she joined Rosie at the fence.
“Great,” Rosie said brightly, and she seemed so down-to-earth for being the new barrel racing champion of the world.
“Can I sit with you?” Briar asked.
“Absolutely.”
She didn’t need to move down on the fence, as there was plenty of room for Briar to climb up next to her, which she did.
“You were really great in Las Vegas,” Briar said.
Rosie’s entire persona puffed up at the compliment. “Thanks. My daddy says I should just own the success, and I try to, but it really was lucky that Leanna didn’t have a good ride.”
“Yeah…something about her horse?” Briar asked.
“Yeah, she couldn’t ride her normal horse,” Rosie said. “He had tripped or something. Daddy says half of the rodeo is luck anyway, and not to feel like I didn’t win, because I did.”
“You sure did,” Briar said. “And who cares if it was luck anyway? Maybe next time the bad luck will be on your side.”
“That’s right.” Rosie beamed over at her. “So you’ve been living in Colorado all this time?”
“Mm hm,” Briar said, some of her defenses automatically flying up. She took a breath and tried to tamp them down, telling herself you don’t want to have to apologize to Rosie again, and the young woman genuinely admires you.
“Are you going home for Christmas?” Briar asked, smiling at the younger blonde who reminded her so much of herself.
When she blinked, she saw herself sitting on the fence in Rosie’s place.
She’d worn cowgirl jeans like that before, and a plaid shirt and cowgirl boots and a hat everywhere she went.
Rosie wasn’t one for makeup when she wasn’t riding, but Briar had seen plenty of it in the finals.
“Yep, I’m going home on Tuesday,” Rosie said. “I’ll come back in the New Year, and I guess Tuck’s gonna have a couple more people here, so the mansion will be pretty full.”
“Oh, are you all going to be staying with him?” Briar asked.
“I know I am,” Rosie said. “And I know Stretch is too. I think he’s coming back early next week—even before Tucker and Bobbie Jo.”
“I have a schedule somewhere,” Briar said, but she didn’t have to concern herself with the comings and goings of the rodeo stars on the farm, so she didn’t. “Do you know the other barrel rider that he signed?”
“Yeah,” Rosie said, her voice perfectly neutral. “Jessa Lilly. She’s a third year, and she’s pretty good.”
“Do you get along with her?”
Rosie frowned out at her horse. “As well as I get along with anyone.”
Briar nudged her with her shoulder. “Hey, you get along great with people.”
Rosie looked up at her, pure vulnerability streaming from her. “Do I? My daddy says I’m almost as salty as the ocean, and I don’t know how to hold my tongue.”
Briar laughed, because she’d certainly been called prickly and thorny her whole life. “I’m sure you don’t say anything that’s not true.”
“I try not to,” Rosie said.
“And it’s not like you’re mean on purpose,” Briar added, her eyebrows going up.
“You’re just calling it how it is. And yes, sometimes you’ll have to learn when not to say things, but for the most part, Rosie, your qualities are good.
They make you a good rider, and good with animals, and you do just fine with people too. ”
“Thanks,” Rosie said with a sigh.
“I mean, I’m the one who acted like a complete fool the first time we met. Remember?”
Rosie grinned at her. “It was fine…and honestly, it made me feel better about myself.”
They giggled together, and then a timer went off on Rosie’s phone. “That’s it for these guys today.” She hopped down from the fence and looked up at Briar. “I know this is really stupid, but can I get a picture with you?”
Briar climbed down in a much more careful manner than Rosie had, because while she possessed some athleticism, she had been injured quite severely in the past. “It depends,” she said, trying to keep the snap out of her voice.
“I know you’re a big rodeo star and all that, and you probably have to post on social media, but…
well, I don’t want my picture or name to be on social media. ”
“I didn’t think you would,” Rosie said. “This would just be for me, because I really did love watching you ride. I’ll just send it to my daddy and my momma.” She wore that young hope that Briar prayed the rodeo wouldn’t beat out of her.
“And I’ll tell them that they absolutely can’t post it on social media or anywhere else.”
Briar nodded and stepped next to the girl. “That’s fine, then.”
She posed with her, bringing out her stunt rider smile—the one she’d used when she’d done interviews and posed for headshots.
“My cousins are going to flip out,” Rosie said, grinning at her phone. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell them all that they can’t post. Our daddies are kind of famous, so we get it.”
“Yeah, country music stars right?”
“And the rodeo celebs,” Rosie said. “My daddy and Uncle Blaze.”
“And Harry Young too, right?” Briar asked. “Isn’t he your cousin?”
“Yeah, he sure is,” Rosie said. She finished sending off the picture and looked up at Briar.
She nodded down to her phone. “Would you send that to me too, please? I mean, you’re the celebrity between the two of us, and I’d like to have it to show my friends that I know the barrel racing champion of the world.”
Rosie’s face turned red, and she shook her head. “I don’t feel like a celebrity.”
“Well, stick around the rodeo a little longer,” Briar said. “And you will.”
With that, she ducked through the rungs in the fence. “I’ll get Snowdrop and meet you back at the stables.”
“Wait,” Rosie said. “I don’t have your number.”
Briar turned back to her and recited it, her heart glowing with happiness in the same way that Rosie’s face took on a new light.
“All right, I’m sending it,” Rosie said, and Briar’s phone vibrated in her back pocket.
She helped Rosie put her horses away, and then she continued down the line, checking every animal and making notes until she got to Gemini. It had been a week since his accident, and Briar stepped into the stall with him to check his hoof.
“How you doing, buddy?” she asked.
Gemini was definitely one of the more vocal horses, and he actually snuffled at her as if to say, Oh, I’m still alive, in his best horsey-Eeyore-voice.
“I’ve got to look at your foot,” she said, and she positioned a farrier stool so Gemini could rest his knee joint on it while she gripped his hoof between her thighs.
“It’s looking good,” she said, noting that the bandage she’d put on yesterday contained no blood spots today. “I don’t even think you need a bandage anymore, bud.”
The tiny cut had healed up nicely and seemed to have a pretty healthy scab on it. Gemini hadn’t given her too much trouble when she re-bandaged it, and he hadn’t had any pain pills since the morning after the wind had blown the door into the barn.
They’d finally fixed that only last night, as it had caused more structural damage than Tarr and Ashton could do themselves.
They’d hired a foundation specialist to come out, and he jacked up the barn and held it in place while they removed the compromised wood and replaced it.
The barn door had to be rebuilt and replaced with all new hinges, and it now bore a much beefier lock than it had before.
Briar finished up her rounds and went into her office to transcribe her dictation. She’d only taken one step inside when she realized someone already sat at her desk.
The scent of Tarr’s cologne hit her nose next, and she blinked at him—sitting there with his feet up on her desk and his hands clasped behind his head.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Waiting for you,” he drawled, that sexy smile on his face. “I saw you talking to Rosie.”
“Yeah,” she said. “And Gemini is looking great.”
“Great.” Tarr got to his feet and reached for her hand. He pulled her further into the office and used the toe of his boot to nudge the door closed.
She grinned up at him as she twined her fingers behind his neck. “What are you really doing in here, cowboy?”
“I told you,” he said. “I was waiting for you.”
“I’ve got work to do,” she said.
“Hmm. It can wait.” He lowered his head to kiss her, and Briar certainly wasn’t going to complain about that. He’d come over to her cabin every night that week, and when she’d said she could come to the RV, he claimed her couch was more comfortable.
He kissed her for several blissful moments, and then he pulled away. “Briar, honey?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve been trying to guess at what would make Christmas amazing for you, and I finally admitted to myself that I’m not good at guessing. I just need you to tell me: how can I make Christmas amazing for you this year?”
Briar kept her eyes closed and tucked herself against Tarr’s chest. “We’re going out to Mike and Gertie’s farm, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, but honey, that’s just a meal. I’m talking gifts, tree decorating, and Christmas Eve dinner. Do you want to go out? Do you want me to make something? Can I get you new boots, a vacuum, one of those espresso machines?”
Briar straightened and looked at him, joy dancing through her senses. “My momma used to tell my daddy that if he got her something that plugged in, he’d failed.” She grinned at him. “But I do need a new vacuum, and I have been telling you about how much I would like an espresso machine….”
Tarr grinned at her. “And the boots you’re wearing have a hole in the bottom, honey.”
“They do not,” she said. “It’s actually in the top where my pinky toe pokes through.”
He grinned at her and hugged her closer. “So all of the above?”
“Honestly, Tarr, it doesn’t matter. I haven’t gotten gifts from anyone at Christmastime in five years.”
“I’m real sorry about that,” he said. “I think I’m just feeling a lot of pressure, because you made my birthday so awesome.”
“How about this?” Briar ran one hand down the side of his face, simply because she liked touching him.
“I’ve got a Christmas tree we can set up in the cabin, and you don’t have one in your RV.
So let’s do Christmas Eve at my house, and I’ll cook, and you can bring all the gifts, stockings, cards, music, whatever you want. ”
“Okay,” he said. “I think that sounds great.”
Briar did too, and she stretched up to kiss him real quick before she settled back onto flat feet. “Come on. We better get over to the mansion to say goodbye to Tuck and Bobbie Jo before they leave for Oklahoma.”
He groaned and prevented her from stepping out of his arms. “Do we have to? Can’t we just stay here and kiss a little longer?”
“No,” she said with a giggle. “Now, come on.”