Chapter 20
Kacey
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
I audibly groan and lean back in my saddle. It definitely won’t be questions like those.
“It was a lucky loop; we’d beat them nine out of ten times,” Carson says next to me scratching the days-old scruff on his face.
“I didn’t need to beat him nine times. I needed to beat him this time. We may have had a small bet,” I admit. I’m sure the look on my face isn’t very sportsmanlike. I hate losing, and with the bet, this was the last one I wanted to lose.
Carson’s eyebrows raise. “Care to share what that was?”
“It’s not a big deal. I just have to answer three questions honestly.”
His look of surprise turns to concern. “I’ve seen you two together . . . you sure you know what you’re doing there?”
“Nope, not at all.” I say honestly, right as Dad and Knox ride back up to us.
“Well Bug, looks like the old man and a bull rider just showed you two how it’s done.” He lets out a gruff chuckle, clearly proud of himself.
“Not to toot my own horn but, toot toot!” Knox says, with a smile on his face as he makes a fist pumping action like he’s an actual train conductor.
I roll my eyes, fighting my own grin. Bull riders and the one thing they never lack: confidence. That, or they’re just plain cocky.
“That was the luckiest loop I’ve ever seen.”
“Nah, sweetheart, I’m just that good.”
We watch the rest of the roping before heading back to the trailer to tie the horses up. We ended up third and fourth overall, so at least Knox can’t brag about winning the whole thing.
After we get the horses unsaddled, and tack put away, we make our way back to the arena to watch Chet calf rope. Carson splits off to see if he needs help at the roping chute. Right before Dad, Knox, and I reach the grandstands, a man and three little boys approach us.
“Are you Knox Ward, the bull rider?” one of the little boys asks. None of them can be older than ten. All three are wearing long-sleeved pearl snap shirts, with jeans, boots and spurs. It’s adorable.
Knox puts his hands on his knees to bend down and look him in the eye. “Yeah, little man. That’s me.”
“Can we get an autograph and a picture?” another boy asks, holding up a permanent marker and grinning ear to ear, one front tooth missing.
“You bet.” Knox chats with them, answering their questions, asking what their names are while he signs their t-shirts and one of their straw cowboy hats. “Are you boys going to be bull riders?” he asks them.
“Yes sir, I’m going to be a world champ.”
“No way, I am.”
“Nuh-uh, I’ll beat both of you.”
The three start squabbling and Knox chuckles.
“Hey boys, you’re not in competition with each other, you’re in competition with the bull and that eight-second clock.
Stay focused on how you’re going to get that bull rode.
Don’t worry about trying to beat anyone, because you won’t win anything if you don’t ride your bulls. ”
The three boys look up at him, nodding their heads and replying with “Yes sir.” Then he gets on one knee and the dad takes a picture of them.
“Thank you for doing that. You just made their day.” The dad shakes Knox’s hand.
“No problem,” Knox says, smiling at the little cowboys.
He’s good with kids. Of course he’s good with kids. I know he has a nephew, but that doesn’t mean he’s good with kids or even likes them. But clearly he does. He isn’t faking interest in his conversation or trying to sign autographs quickly and leave.
“How do we get as good as you, Mr. Ward?” the one with the missing tooth asks.
“You practice every day, even when you don’t want to, and you make it your number one priority. Hard work always trumps talent that doesn’t work hard.”
The boy looks up at the dad. “Can we practice when we get home?”
“Of course, son.” He turns to Knox. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Knox. Good luck this season—we’ll be watching.”
“Thank you. Good luck, boys. Keep practicing. I look forward to seeing you on TV one day.”
I’m getting butterflies watching him. I blame hormones; I must be ovulating. It’s definitely not the fact that the sexiest man alive is currently ruffling the hair on the little blonde’s head. Or that I can’t get that kiss out of my head.
We haven’t kissed again, and I haven’t said anything about it, or us.
I’ve been trying to sort through my thoughts, but I just don’t see a future for us.
He’s leaving for rodeos soon, and he doesn’t even live here.
He has a whole other life in Oklahoma to go back home to.
I can tell he’s waiting for me to say or do something, being patient with me.
And I almost asked him what his thoughts were on it all the other day, but I chickened out.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent enough time with him to learn what type of man he is. He’s patient, kind, and selfless, always thinking of others before himself. It’s rare to find a man who possesses just one of those qualities, let alone all of them.
And it’s getting harder to pretend there is nothing between us.
I know he feels it, too, the undeniable spark—of course, I’m attracted and drawn to him in ways I can’t ignore. That kiss proved that. But it’s become more than that for me, and it scares me. The more I’ve gotten to know him, the more I could see myself truly falling for him.
I just don’t know if he’ll catch me.
Just thinking about him leaving makes my stomach churn.
He’s become a constant in my life over the last six weeks and as hard as I’ve tried to keep him at arm’s length, we’ve grown closer than I expected.
The other night, I texted him about a funny scene in a book I was reading because it made me think of him.
I’ve been finding myself thinking about him a lot lately.
“You get that a lot, superstar?” I ask once we’re out of earshot.
In a rare turn of events, it’s his cheeks that turn pink, not mine. “Oh, I wouldn’t say a lot, but it’s not uncommon either.”
So that’s a yes—he gets it a lot.
Dad heads off to chat with some old friends while Knox and I find Jessie in the grandstands. We haven’t been sitting for two minutes when another little boy comes up asking for Knox’s autograph and a photo. He’s just as genuine as before, asking him questions and smiling for a photo.
After the boy leaves, Jessie pipes up. “Hey, Mr. Hotshot, Kacey has something she wants you to sign.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” He gives her a sarcastic side eye.
“It’s not appropriate for a public place, but it rhymes with noobs. And if you’re lucky, she might ask for a picture, too.”
Knox laughs. I put my face in my hands and groan. Sometimes I wonder why I’m friends with her. But Knox pulls his phone out. “Smile girls, I want proof of how red Kacey’s face is right now.”
All three of us lean in close and take a selfie, then Jessie snags his phone out of his hand.
“Okay, now just you two. Smile and say boobs.”
We both laugh and then turn to look at each other, making eye contact.
I can hear Jessie snapping away at the camera before she hands him his phone back.
He reaches out and takes the phone without breaking eye contact with me.
We slid close together for the photo, so now our faces are only inches apart.
I can feel the heat radiating off him and when I feel his hand slide up my lower back.
I lean into him.
Is he going to kiss me?
It feels like my heart is about to pound out of my chest when I hear Jessie say, “Oh, he’s up! Chet is riding into the box.”
I look away first. Then slide back into my seat and try to calm my breathing. I can still feel Knox looking at me before he finally looks away at the sound of the roping chute cracking open.
Chet is actually a way better calf roper than I expected. He was 9.8 for third place.
By the time the calf roping is over, we’re all ready for a snack and a drink, so we head to the concessions and run into Carson. Once we’ve all grabbed something to eat, we make our way to the coffee stand.
Lainey is out front, chatting with a couple of girls while her baristas manage the trailer. She's dressed in a cute sundress with her brunette hair cascading in waves down her back.
“Hey, Lainey, how’s business been today?” I ask as we walk up and the other girls wave goodbye.
A smile breaks over her face as she turns toward us. “Hey, gang! It’s been great. This is the first break I’ve gotten all day. I was about to head over to the mini doughnut stand. How did the roping go?”
I see her glance at Knox. Every woman looks at him, and I can’t say that I blame them, but an irrational territorial feeling rises up in me. “It was good, we all placed. Knox, this is Lainey, Lainey, this is Knox. He’s been shoeing horses for Jack and breaking a colt for us the last few weeks.”
Knox takes off his hat and reaches out to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard great things about your coffee shop. I keep meaning to stop in one morning.”
“Nice to meet you, too. Stop by anytime—the first one is on the house.”
Carson stiffens next to me as Lainey shakes Knox’s hand, smiling at him.
“Well, I’m off to get some doughnuts. I’ll see y’all around. Carson, see you tomorrow.”
She heads toward the doughnuts as I turn to Carson. “What’s tomorrow? Are you guys friends?”
“No, I just get coffee there a couple of times a week,” he clips out, but his eyes follow Lainey as she disappears into the crowd.
Okay, weird. I figured he only got coffee there when I made him stop before ropings.
We all head back to the stands to watch the bull riding. I ask Knox if he wishes he was getting on and he said a little bit, and that he’s getting the itch to get back on the road and ride some bulls.
It’s clear he loves it. I just wish I had a little bit more time with him before he goes.