Chapter 6
JUNE
“Iheard Kai has a piercing somewhere very interesting,” Hazel says, standing there with her pink sunglasses propped up on her head.
I nearly inhale my hot cider wrong. We’re at the Honeyspur Meadow Spring Fair near our Take A Photo With A Rodeo Star booth, waiting for the guys to turn up while the event is in full swing.
“Oh my God, where?”
I scan the nearby crowd out of reflex, then snap my attention back to her.
Hazel’s grin turns wicked. “Down there.” She flicks two fingers vaguely down her body.
“Apparently there’s a whole Reddit thread dedicated to speculation about what these rodeo boys are packing under those Wranglers. And Kai allegedly has some… hardware.”
“You’re telling me there are people online discussing his…”
“Penis jewelry. Yes.” She takes a sip of her drink, unbothered in a way that should be illegal. “There are diagrams.”
“There are not!”
She’s nodding, smirking. “Very detailed ones.” Her mouth twitches like she’s trying not to laugh. “Someone did research.”
“Oh, damn.”
Hazel leans in closer to me. “I can show you.”
I gasp, because my body reacts before my brain catches up. “We shouldn’t.”
Hazel is already giggling, fishing her phone out like she’s been waiting for this exact moment. “You say that, but your face says you absolutely want to.”
“Haze—”
“Shh. Educational purposes.”
She taps a few times, then tilts the screen toward me. I lean in despite myself, and the two of us press shoulder to shoulder like we’re sharing state secrets. The image that pops up is not a photo. It’s worse.
It’s a drawn sketch.
A very committed, very enthusiastic sketch—hips, thighs, the line of Wranglers pulled low like the artist has a personal vendetta against modesty. And right there, rendered with horrifying confidence, is a Jacob’s ladder.
I stare. Hazel stares. The world narrows to the screen and my own shocked breathing.
“Oh my…”
Hazel makes a tiny strangled sound that might be laughter or reverence. “Look at the size of it,” she whispers, like we’re in a museum.
I don’t even have words. My brain just stays static and scandalized. “That’s… that’s a lot.”
“And huge,” Hazel agrees, utterly delighted. “Who has the time to draw shading on hips like this? This is art.”
From somewhere close, a shout cuts through the air, like they’re calling out a name.
Hazel and I freeze, then she suddenly yanks the phone down so fast it nearly slips, and I choke back a laugh while my heart does a full sprint.
We both glance up, wide-eyed, trying to look innocent.
Casual. Normal. Two respectable women at the fairgrounds with absolutely nothing filthy happening on a screen.
Only… it’s no one. Just a ride operator hollering at a kid to step back, the noise already fading into the general chaos.
Hazel looks at me. I stare at her. And we both lose it with breathless giggles that make us bend over the table like we’re fourteen again, wiping tears from our eyes while the fair carries on around us.
When I finally catch my breath, I shove her arm with the heel of my hand. “Delete it from your brain.”
Hazel snorts, tucking her phone away like it’s contraband. “Too late. It’s branded in there. Permanently.” She tips her chin toward the fair around us, all lights and noise and people wrapped in scarves, chasing warmth and deep-fried sweet treats.
The Honeyspur Meadow Spring Fair is a carnival of food and spinning rides, country music from the live band, and carnival games.
“I see them,” Hazel sing-songs, not even pretending to be subtle, and I follow her gaze to see Kai, Carter, and two local rodeo guys heading this way through the crowds.
“Oh God, June, Kai is even hotter in person than he looked in those photos. And Carter…” She fans herself. “I might actually die.”
“You’re being dramatic.”
“I’m being accurate.” She flips her long blonde-and-pink hair over one shoulder—the pink bottom half catching the fairy lights like cotton candy.
“The whole town has been buzzing about the three main rodeo stars from the circuit. You know they were here, like, three years ago? I barely remember seeing them. I was too busy with that disastrous boyfriend phase, but apparently they caused quite a stir. Broke hearts left and right.”
“Shocking. I don’t even recall, but I was dating that asshole Tanner.”
“And now they’re back, and every single woman between eighteen and eighty is on high alert.
” She pulls out her phone again, scrolling through something, her bold pink nails clicking against the screen.
“The online chatter is intense. I’ve seen at least six TikToks about strategy for getting their attention tonight.
One girl made a whole video about what perfume to wear to attract an Alpha. ”
“That’s concerning.”
“That’s competition, babe.” She grins. “Good thing you’ve already got a head start.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t.” She pockets her phone and gives me a knowing look. “You definitely didn’t spend ten minutes this morning telling me about how one of them caught you when you tripped and held you against his very muscular chest.”
“That was an accident.”
“Yeah, where you buried your face in his pecs and inhaled like he was a fine wine.”
I open my mouth to argue, then close it. She’s not wrong.
A gust of wind sends a shiver down my spine, and I wrap my coat tighter around myself, grateful for the heat lamp positioned near our booth.
“Speaking of things going wrong,” I say, desperate to change the subject, “my shower is completely broken. Lost all pressure this morning and the water was ice cold. I thought I was going to freeze to death just trying to wash my hair.”
Hazel winces. “Yikes. Probably the water heater. You should call someone.”
“With the rodeo in town? Everyone’s booked solid.”
“I know someone who owes me a favor. I’ll text you his details.” She glances up. “Oh, hey.” Hazel snaps her fingers, her chunky gold rings catching the light. “You never finished telling me about the chaperone thing. Pete actually wants you to babysit the rodeo stars?”
I groan. “Apparently. Something about showing good faith to the circuit after the whole arrest situation.”
“So you did him one favor, and now you’re the designated babysitter?”
“That’s basically it.”
“And the favor was bailing out the hot grumpy one at two in the morning?”
“Seth. Yes.”
“And then his pack showed up at the photo shoot, and they were all immediately obsessed with you?”
“That’s an exaggeration.”
“Is it, though?” She raises an eyebrow. “Because the way you described it, two of them were looking at you like you were their last meal.”
Before I can respond, the group of cowboys finally reaches our booth.
Kai is wearing a black button-up shirt open at the collar, sleeves rolled to his elbows, that full sleeve of tribal tattoos on display.
His dark hair is pulled up in its usual messy knot, loose strands framing a face that belongs on a magazine cover.
The eyebrow piercing catches my attention as he tilts his head, and his grin is pure, undiluted trouble.
Carter is in a red-and-black checkered flannel that strains across his shoulders in ways that should require a permit. His blond hair is windblown and golden under the fairy lights, that short beard framing a jaw I want to trace with my fingers. And green eyes that find mine immediately.
No Seth.
I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed. Probably both. The other two locals are lingering nearby in jeans, cowboy boots, and shirts.
“Evening, ladies.” Kai’s voice is like warm honey. “Heard this was the place to be.”
“You heard right.” Hazel steps forward, confidence radiating off her like heat. “I’m Hazel. I’ll be helping June run things tonight.”
“Kai.” He takes her hand, but his eyes slide to me. “And this is Carter, Don, and Connor.”
I wave to the guys, yet having Kai and Carter watching me burns me up. It’s annoying how easily these two can make me lose my composure. I’ve spent years building walls, perfecting my poker face, and they’re dismantling it with nothing but grins and compliments.
Hazel is watching this silent exchange with undisguised glee. “Oh, I like them,” she announces. “June, I approve.”
“I didn’t ask for approval.”
“You’re getting it anyway.” She claps her hands together. “All right, boys. We need to do some test runs before the crowd shows up. Get the positioning right, figure out the lighting.”
“Test runs?” I narrow my eyes at her, as we hadn’t discussed this.
“I’ve never worked with these particular subjects.” She gestures at the guys. “Different energy. We need to calibrate.”
“That’s not a thing,” I say.
She grabs my arm and starts pulling me toward the photo area. “June, Kai, Carter, let’s see what we’re working with.”
The photo area has several backdrop options, a green screen for digital backgrounds, a rustic wooden fence with hay bales, a starry night sky, and a classic Western sunset. Hazel selects the green screen.
“Simple for practice,” she says, positioning herself behind the camera. “June, you’re in the middle. Boys, make her look good.”
“That won’t be hard,” Kai murmurs, stepping up to my left.
“She already looks incredible,” Carter adds, appearing on my right.
Suddenly I’m very aware of how close they are. How their body heat cuts through the cold air. How their scents are curling around me like they’re trying to pull me closer.
“Remember,” Hazel continues, adjusting her settings, “you want to look approachable but also… cowboy-ish. Make the fans feel special.”
“Cowboy-ish,” Kai repeats, amused. “Technical term?”
“It is now.” She points at Don and Connor. “You two, pay attention. Take notes on how to make a woman feel like she’s the only person in the room.” Hazel turns back to us. “All right. Show me something.”