Chapter 15 #3
I lower my camera and step forward, plastering on a friendly smile. “Morning!”
Both men turn. Seth’s father recognizes me immediately, his eyes flicking from my face to my camera to the pass around my neck.
“Miss Calloway.” He nods. “Photography and chaperoning. That’s quite the workload.”
“Keeping those boys in line is definitely a full-time job,” I agree with a laugh.
He almost smiles. “Ain’t that the truth.”
Holden’s nostrils flare as he studies me, something dismissive in his expression that immediately gets my back up. “June. Shouldn’t you be focused on your… duties?”
“Just taking photos. But I couldn’t help overhearing—” I gesture vaguely between them. “You’re worried about attendance numbers?”
“That’s not really your concern,” Holden says sharply.
“It’s just odd.” I keep my voice light, casual. “I booked out every rental property in town for this week. Every single one. Plus the B&Bs and the motel on Route 7. If the town is full of visitors, why wouldn’t they be coming to the rodeo?”
Seth’s father’s eyes narrow, fixing on Holden. “She’s got a point. If the town’s booked solid, where’s my money going?”
Holden’s jaw tightens. “There are a lot of factors at play here. Ticket sales, concessions, merchandise—it’s complicated. June, you should focus on the chaperoning job and leave the finances to the professionals.”
He puts a hand on Seth’s father’s arm and steers him away, already launching into some explanation I can’t quite hear. I watch them go, something uneasy settling in my stomach.
That was weird, but I walk in the opposite direction and continue taking photos.
By the time the arena starts filling up, I’ve taken hundreds of images. My memory card is going to be stuffed, but Belle will have plenty to choose from for the town’s promotional materials.
I spot a familiar head of reddish hair in the crowd and wave frantically.
“Sophia!” She was meant to come meet me today so we can watch the event together, especially since her Alphas are participating.
She turns, green eyes lighting up when she sees me, and we meet in a crushing hug that probably looks ridiculous, but I don’t care. She’s wearing light-blue jeans, a silk blouse, and sandals.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere! Cash said he saw you with the Benton crew earlier, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I need details immediately.’ ”
“First of all, hello to you too.” I laugh, looping my arm through hers as we head toward our seats. “Second, how are you? How are the guys?”
“Amazing. Perfect. Exhausting.” She rolls her eyes dramatically. “Cash has been insufferable about some new horse he bought, Walker won’t stop reorganizing the ranch office, and Ridge is on a sourdough kick, which means I’ve gained five pounds in bread alone.”
“Sounds rough.”
“The hardest life.” She grins, and there’s so much happiness underneath her sarcasm that it makes my heart swell.
Sophia found her fated mates last year when she inherited Wild Hearts Ranch, and watching her fall for them was like watching a romantic movie in real time—complete with miscommunication, dramatic gestures, and a happy ending.
We settle into our front-row seats, and she immediately twists to face me.
“Okay. Spill. What’s going on with you and the rodeo trio? I’ve been hearing some gossip on the town vine.”
Heat floods my face.
“Babe, everyone’s already talking about spotting you kissing two of them out in the parking lot this morning.” She’s grinning ear to ear. “So? What’s happening?”
I open my mouth to deflect, then stop. This is Sophia. My friend. The one person who might actually understand what I’m going through.
“Actually,” I say slowly, “I do have news.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Oh?”
“But you first. You look like you’re about to explode, needing to tell me something.”
She bites her lip, practically vibrating with excitement, her hand settling on her stomach. “Okay, okay. So, this has been in the works for a while, and it shouldn’t be a surprise really, but—”
“Oh my God.” I gasp, my gaze dropping to her stomach and back up. “Sophia. Are you—”
She’s nodding before I can finish, tears springing to her eyes even as she laughs. “I’m pregnant.”
I shriek, loud enough that people turn to look, and I don’t care even a little bit because I’m pulling her into a hug so tight she squeaks.
“That’s amazing!” I release her just enough to look at her face, both of us grinning like idiots. “Oh my God, Sophia. I’m so happy for you. For all of you!”
“Cash and Walker and Ridge have been talking about babies forever,” she says, wiping at her eyes. “And I always thought I wasn’t ready, you know? But then something just… clicked. Like I could suddenly see all of us together, a little one running around the ranch, and it felt right.”
“You’re going to be such a good mom.”
“You think?” She laughs, a little wobbly. “I’m terrified.”
“The best parents always are.” I squeeze her hands. “Do you know what you’re having?”
She shakes her head. “We want it to be a surprise. But I know it’s only one right now, which means the guys are already placing bets on who it looks like most so they know which one ‘got me pregnant.’ ” She makes air quotes.
“And then the other two need to ‘do their part’ too, so we’re apparently having at least three kids. ”
“Oh my God.”
“I know.” Her hand drifts to her still-flat stomach, something soft in her expression. “I had no idea I’d want this so much. But yeah. So much yes.”
I hug her again, holding on tight. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in forever. And I’m going to spoil that baby rotten. You know that, right? Auntie June is going to be insufferable.”
“I’m counting on it.”
When we finally separate, I glance around the arena.
It’s filling up, but not as much as I expected.
There are gaps in the seating, some small sections that look sparse.
Was Holden right about the attendance issues, or is the first day slow, as it includes a lot of parades?
If the rodeo isn’t profitable, Seth’s father might pull the circuit from Honeyspur Meadow entirely.
So many local businesses depend on the annual influx of visitors…
“Okay, your turn.” Sophia elbows me. “What’s your news? And why do you keep touching your neck?”
I drop my hand guiltily. I hadn’t even realized I was doing it.
“So.” I take a deep breath. “You know I’m chaperoning the Wildfire Star guys. Seth, Carter, and Kai.”
“The insanely hot ones plastered all over the entrance banners, yes.”
“Well.” Another breath. “They’re… we’re… scent matches. All three of them. And please don’t judge me, but I’ve been hiding the fact that I’m an Omega for years. It’s a long story, as I know I told you I was a Beta.”
Sophia’s eyes go wide. “June. I would never judge you, no matter what, and you don’t owe me anything, as long as you’re safe and happy.”
I grin. “You’re amazing.”
She nods and I laugh. “That’s huge news about the scent matches, by the way!” She grabs my arm. “That’s… that’s fate, babe. That’s the universe screaming at you.”
“The universe needs to lower its voice.” I slump in my seat. “And that’s not even the biggest part.”
“What could be bigger than that?”
“Last night, Carter marked me, bonding us forever.” I cover my face with my hands. “He even wrote me this poem, and I was feeling all these things, and he asked about my heat, and one thing led to another and I literally asked him to bite me, Sophia. I begged him to.”
“Holy shit.”
“I know.”
“So you’re mated. Like, permanently bonded mated.”
“Yep.”
“To one of the hottest men I’ve ever seen.”
“Appears so.”
“And you’re upset about this because…?”
I drop my hands to my lap and stare at her. “Because they leave town soon! The circuit moves on, and they go with it. What am I supposed to do? Leave everything behind and follow them?”
Sophia says, gently, “Didn’t you tell me something similar once?”
“What do you mean?”
“When I was panicking about Cash, Walker, and Ridge. When I kept making excuses about why it couldn’t work, why I should go back to Chicago.
” She tilts her head. “You told me to stop being scared. That they obviously adored me. That sometimes you have to take a leap and trust that someone will catch you.”
I groan. “I hate it when my own advice gets used against me.”
“Tough.” She grins. “The point is, maybe it’s time to take your own advice. Why are you holding back?”
The grand-entry music starts, cutting off my response. Riders begin pouring into the arena on horseback, flags waving, the crowd cheering. I spot Seth first, leading the pack on a gorgeous bay horse, then Kai on a chestnut mare, then Carter bringing up the rear on a black stallion.
Seth’s father stands in the center of the arena with a microphone, welcoming everyone to the Wildfire Star Rodeo. He explains the five-day event, the various competitions—bull riding, saddle bronc, bareback, roping events—and the process of elimination leading to the final showdown.
“Big congratulations to our defending champions,” he announces. “Seth Benton in bareback riding, Carter Storm in saddle bronc, and Kai Kahele riding the bulls!”
The crowd roars. I lift my camera, snapping photos as the riders circle the arena. Seth catches my eye and tips his hat in my direction. Carter blows me a kiss that’s probably visible from space. Kai winks, slow and deliberate.
I’m blushing so hard my face might catch fire.
Sophia laughs beside me. “Yeah, they’re definitely not into you at all.”
“Shut up.”
“Just calling it like I see it.” She bumps her shoulder against mine. “So? What’s the answer? Why are you holding back?”
The riders exit, preparing for the first events. I watch them go, my three cowboys, my fated mates, disappearing behind the scenes.
Why am I holding back?
Because I’m scared, and I’ve been hurt before. Last time I trusted someone completely, it nearly destroyed me, not to mention my trust in others. And loving people means giving them the power to leave, and everyone always leaves eventually, just like my parents did.
Sophia is watching me, waiting.
“I don’t know,” I finally admit. “I’m just… scared.”
“I get it.” She takes my hand, squeezes. “But sometimes the scary thing is the right thing. Trust me on that one.”
I look back at the arena, at the massive banners featuring the men who’ve turned my entire life upside down.
Maybe she’s right.
Maybe it’s time to stop running and start falling.