Chapter 9
The sun is shining, the streets are filled with people just minding their business, and then there’s me.
Trying to blend my six foot frame amongst a crowd of people I seem to tower over.
Spotting a magazine stand a few feet ahead, I duck behind it, hoping it will shield me from the journalist’s assistant from PAbrA I spotted only a second ago.
She hasn’t seen me, or at least I hope she hasn’t.
She seems more interested in her phone call at the moment.
Thank fuck. I’m so tired of feeling like I need to hide to keep some peace.
One day I know they’ll catch me, but I hope to God today isn’t that day.
After ending her call, she shoves her phone in her bag and aims for my direction.
Can’t seem to keep a writer away from tabloids, I guess.
A sinking feeling settles in my gut, and I grab the first magazine I see, holding it in front of my face.
A last-ditch effort in avoiding this woman.
“Not very inconspicuous, Rogers.” Her voice is soft, not as if she’s trying to stay hushed, just by nature.
Small fingers curl their way over the top of the pages within my hands, pulling downward to reveal a woman with her hair pulled back tight into a pony tail.
A smile resides on her lips and she tugs the magazine from my hands, only to return it an instant later.
“Next time, make sure you hold it the proper direction.”
I glance at it. Sure as shit, it’s upside down. Smooth.
“Listen, Darlin’, as much as I’d love to chit chat, I’m real busy right now. Can we do this another time?” I force as much charm into my words as possible.
She places her hand on her hip, staring at me like she’s not surprised I’ve got an excuse. “Mr. Cassidy was on the phone when I spotted you. He told me to ask for an interview. Are you going to make my life easy and oblige? Or would you like to continue this game of hide and seek?”
I force a casual grin to my lips, but everything inside me wants to run.
Who’d have thought months after my accident people would still be talking about it.
I never knew I’d become so big that my return would be this important, and despite knowing I will go back, I just don’t know when that’ll be.
But frankly, none of these damn gossips need to know the when or why of this.
It’s my business and no one else’s. And for now, it’s going to stay that way.
“Close your eyes, Miss Woods, and count to ten,” I croon, a smirk toying on my lips. “Hell, make it one hundred. I ain’t so fast without my horse.”
Sincerity shines in her eyes. “You know he won’t let this slide forever. He’s rather fixated on your story. At some point, he’s going to make it his life goal to get it.”
“Didn’t know I had an admirer. Tell him I’m flattered, really, but let him know I like the thrill a little too much. Guess the chase continues, Sunshine… Plus, why would I want to give up on another chance to play hide and see with ya?” I shoot her a confident wink.
She smiles, shaking her head, acknowledging my response once more as if it’s no surprise to her.
“I’ll let him know I mistook someone as you, but next time, you owe me.
” I bob my head up and down, glad she’s not upset, because either way she wasn’t getting so much as a squeak from me.
“You know where to find us. Hope to see you back in our regular stomping grounds soon. Have a nice day.”
Tilting my hat toward her, I walk the opposite direction she does.
I hit the end of the block before glancing back toward the stand that she no longer occupies.
I’m lucky I stumbled across a major reporter’s assistant and not him or any number of other reporters who would have taken this moment and turned it into something more.
It’s not that I hate them, I mean I’m not really a fan of them, but they’re just doing their job.
Problem is I don’t have anything to say anyway.
I fell off a bull. The story truly stops there, because sharing my family’s hardship is only something I’d do among friends, and even then, it’s not my first thought.
I wander down the street aimlessly, passing stores and people before heading into a coffee shop.
The door chimes above me as I enter a building filled with the scent of warm coffee and pastries.
It’s bright and welcoming, with shades of blue as far as the eye can see, and on the wall, are words I didn’t expect—Southern Sip.
Well I’ll be damned. I look around the shop, noting the serene, calm setting. I think of Kaylee and how opposite this place is to her fiery personality. Man, that girl is something else.
The line I stand in disappears quickly, so I approach the counter and order the first drink I see. I haven’t ever had cinnamon in my coffee, but why not?
My drink is ready almost immediately, and as I turn to leave, I spot Daisy and none other than the angel of sass herself seated at one of the tables.
Damn, she looks good. With her light blonde hair and a rare, luminous smile on her lips.
My eyes wander over her face. Her features are soft, but her makeup is dark around her eyes.
I’ve only seen her this way, but I bet she would look just as attractive with no makeup at all.
Her hair changes every time I see her. Like maybe the colorful bits aren’t permanent, but what stays the same is the wall of ice she seems to have built around her.
She’s distracting. Not only in the way that she puts up a fight for no reason, but also in whatever hides behind those hazel eyes.
I’m not sure if I’m bored and looking for some fun or invested in the mystery, but either way I find her charm, though oddly crass, magnetic.
A rush goes through me. The same adrenaline pumping through me as when I ride a bull.
When life gives you lemons, might as well make lemonade.
I advance in their direction. “Mornin’, Miss Daisy.” I bow my hat toward her before glancing at Kaylee. “Angel,” I toss the nickname out, hoping to catch a rise out of her.
“My name isn’t Angel, dumbshit.” Each word passes her lips with distaste, but even with those eyes narrowed on me, I can’t deny that she’s by far the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. Her feisty response makes me smile.
Chuckling, I ignore her insult. “My name ain’t dumbshit, yet here we are.” I watch her frosty pink lips, entranced by what it might feel like to have them all over me, what they might taste like. Daisy laughs, but Kaylee keeps the same smug expression she always does.
“So, Cowboy, your ears must be as big as your ego. We were just talking about you.”
I tear my eyes away from her mouth, surprised by her confession. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, but settle down. We were just talking about the fact that you had sent us to The Red Fern which helped Daisy spot a really good singer. Mr. Sawyer Mason. Is he the friend of yours that you were so eager to have us hear?” She crosses her arms, putting yet another barrier between me and any emotion she carries besides anger.
I choose to ignore it. “Yes, he sure was. Sounds like I didn’t have to tell y’all that though.
Seems Miss Daisy here already knew. She told him to tell me hi.
” I aim a smile in Daisy’s direction, truly happy that what I did worked and helped her and Sawyer both out, but my eyes find their way back to Kaylee’s.
“It was a good guess,” Daisy says shyly.
Glancing back in Daisy’s direction, I’m reminded that another win for Sawyer would be seeing her again. “Well, it’s lucky I’m running into ya. I was actually goin’ to call Telluride myself if I didn’t see ya tonight.”
“What… I mean... Why’s that?” Daisy sputters off her questions, and I realize what I said may have been taken as if I’m using Daisy for some kind of personal gain.
“Don’t ya worry. No more friends with talents that need agents or any sort of representation.” My tone remains calm and I hope that settles her suspicion, if she has one. “Cowboy’s honor.”
“Great.” Kaylee rolls her eyes so hard, they damn near get stuck.
What the fuck did I do?
“Hmm?” I push a questioning sound, but unfortunately, she doesn’t offer up another snarky response to keep our little game going, which I find surprisingly disappointing.
I’ve come to enjoy our verbal sparring matches.
She’s like a cat who got its tail stepped on, angry at the surface, but somewhere within is a softness.
And I feel drawn to finding out what that side is like.
Daisy’s excitement in Sawyer is all I need as an excuse to dive a little deeper.
“I talked Sawyer into goin’ out tonight.
Not entirely sure which bar we’re headed to, or if we’ll be headed to a few, but I figured maybe he can sing or he can just sit back and enjoy himself for once.
Y’all are welcome to join.” The invitation flows out of me just as easily as another huff flows from Kaylee.
“Or not.” I wink at her, giving her one more reason to not only fume over me, but to continue to keep me in their conversation once I’m gone. “See ya, Miss Daisy.”