Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
mikey
Ican take that, thanks.” Juniper grabbed the handle of her suitcase as I pulled it out of the backseat of my pickup.
She walked up the steps, and I followed her to the base of them, despite the look she gave me over her shoulder. She turned the door handle and turned around to face me as I shifted on my feet.
“Thanks for driving me home,” she said at the same time I said, “Well, thanks for coming with me.”
We both let out awkward laughs.
“I’ll, uh, see you around?” I asked, a bit unsure.
Now that we were back home out of the bubble we’d been in for the past month and a half on the road, we didn’t really have to see each other anymore.
If we needed to—if anyone asked—we could pretend to hang out without ever being together.
This town, although small, was still big enough for that.
She nodded slowly, as though she was still deciding. “Yeah, I’ll see you around.”
I watched as Juniper stepped through the front door, closing and locking it behind her. Then I trudged back to my truck, heading home to the small RV park I’d been living in. If I was being honest with myself, I was ready for that plot of land Colter had promised.
When I pulled into the horseshoe court, my closest neighbor was outside sitting in a lawn chair.
“Hi, Leroy.” I waved as I got out of the truck to unhook the trailer.
Leroy was an older, retired gentleman. Sometimes he could be a bit grouchy, but I didn’t mind. He didn’t bother me, and I didn’t bother him.
He grunted, his form of saying hello, and went back to reading his magazine. Upon closer inspection, I realized the front cover looked familiar.
Approaching him warily, kind of like he was a stray dog, I asked, “Hey, Leroy, can I borrow that magazine from you?”
“Whaddya need it for?” he grumbled.
“Just real quick, I’ll give it right back. I promise.”
After huffing out a breath, he thrusted the magazine in my direction. After mumbling a brief, “Thanks,” I took a good look at the front cover.
Just as I suspected, a photo of me and Juniper at the Houston Rodeo was plastered on the front page.
MIKEY TUCKER, BULL RIDING BAD BOY
HAS A BADDIE?
My face contorted at the headline.
God, was that the best they could come up with?
I flipped through the pages until I could find the brief article and skimmed what they wrote about me.
Has resident playboy bull rider, Mikey Tucker, finally met his match?
Tucker, one of the leading bull riders in the nation, was spotted several times with a new woman in Houston, Texas.
During one instance, she made a point to say she was his girlfriend and the relationship was not a fling.
After his championship win, a first for Tucker, fans crowded him as he locked lips with the lucky lady.
So, who is she?
An anonymous source told us that her name is Juniper Ray, age twenty-two, and she resides in Montana. Ray recently graduated from Sapphire Gulch University in the Molecular Biology program, which brings up questions of whether she’s telling the truth.
Is their relationship truly real? Is she being paid to be seen with him? Or is it just another one of Tucker’s flings that will fizzle out before it has the chance to burn? The coming weeks will be telling of whether this wild mustang has finally been tamed.
A representative of Mikey Tucker was contacted, but we have not received a response.
A resigned sigh escaped my lips as I handed the magazine back to Leroy.
“All this bull crap they’re sayin’ ’bout you true?”
“Depends on what part you’re calling bullshit.”
“That girl you’re with in the photo. She’s the one who works at Rudy’s.” His words came out more matter of fact than questioning.
I nodded.
Leroy pouted, seemingly in approval, as he nodded. “I like ’er. Don’t fuck that up.”
I chuckled, ready to brush him off, but he continued.
“I see you bringin’ in those women all the time, and I gotta say, I think that whole skirt chaser thing you got goin’ on is a big ol’ steaming pile of horse shit.”
“I—”
“Y’wanna know what I think?” He paused as he stood, his rickety knees shaking as he pointed a gnarled finger at me.
“I think you just want someone to love you. And you’re lookin’ for it in all the wrong places, boy.
” Without giving me a second glance, he went back to flipping through the tabloid, leaving me utterly speechless.
I went into my trailer and immediately dialed my agent’s number. He picked up on the second ring.
“This is Travis.”
“Have you seen the magazine article that came out about me and Juniper?” I demanded.
“I have.”
Annoyance prickled at my skin. “And? What are we going to do about it?”
“We’ll stay on top of it, I promise. Just keep laying low, and it should blow over. It wouldn’t hurt to spend more time with the girl. I know it looks bad, but if people continue to see you together, they might accept it and back off.”
My brows furrowed. Was he implying that he didn’t believe it was real, either?
“We’ll handle it, Mikey. I’ve gotta go, but we’ll talk soon, okay?”
My phone beeped in my ear as the call ended, and I huffed out a deep breath.
“Where’s your girlyfriend?” Jake asked me as he took a seat at the dining table in Ellison and Colter’s place.
Shrugging, I pulled out a chair for myself.
“What, you win the bet then drop her already?” Colter laughed.
“No.” I glared at him. “We’re in a relationship, not attached at the hip. We can spend time without each other.”
“Yeah, Colt. It’s actually healthy not to spend every waking hour with your significant other.” Reid nudged him in the ribs.
“Yeah, yeah. Can’t blame a man for being obsessed with his wife.” Colter gazed longingly at Ellison, who was across the room.
“Give him a break, guys. It’s only been a few days since we got back. I’d need a break from Mikey, too, if I had to spend six weeks with him,” Ellison teased, sticking out her tongue when I rolled my eyes.
“You should bring her over for dinner again. A bit of a redo of the first time.” Colter scratched the back of his head.
Ellison nodded, her smile beaming. “That’s a great idea! Next week?”
“Yeah, that sounds great, Ellie,” Reid agreed, followed by Hayden and Jake nodding their approval.
“Maybe we can have a potluck-style dinner?” Hayden suggested. “I always feel bad that you’re the only one who cooks.”
“I’ll have to see what she’s doing, but I’m sure that’ll be fine.” I was all for the idea of spending more time with Juniper, especially after my conversation with Travis. I just didn’t know how she felt about spending time with me outside our agreed upon timeframe.
“Hey, next time Isa’s in town, you guys should host. Give Ellison a break,” Jake added.
It was subtle, but Reid cringed. “Isa may be good at baking, but she’s an awful cook. We can host, but it won’t be her doing the cooking, it’ll be me. Probably throw something on the grill.”
“She makes the best cookies, but I had to learn the hard way when we were in college that the girl cannot make a meal to save her life. If I didn’t learn how to make more dishes, we’d have been living off buttered noodles, microwave meals, and sourdough bread.
” She laughed, and the rest of us let out a chuckle, too, knowing Isa well enough to know Ellison’s recollection was probably accurate.
“Did you guys see that stupid article they had about me in that one gossip magazine?” I asked once the chatter had quieted down.
Jake snorted. “Yeah, Bull Riding Bad Boy has a Baddie? That shit’s gold.”
I rolled my eyes. “Man, they can’t just leave me in peace.”
“Maybe when you’re dead, Michael.” Ellison patted me on the back in mock reassurance.
“Just imagine how much buzz they’ll make at your wedding one day.
” She raised a brow then looked at each of the guys’ expressions then flicked her gaze back to me.
“You do want to get married one day, right? Settle down?”
I thought about what old Leroy said to me.
“Maybe. Probably.” Yes. Not right now, but someday, yes.
“Well, shit, I mean, you and Juniper looked good together in Houston,” Colter noted. “She’s a nice girl.”
“She’s cool, Mike,” Hayden added in agreement before he disappeared into the kitchen to help Ellison and Colter bring out plates, silverware, and food.
I grinned, and all the emotions swirling through my head—relief…longing—were completely genuine. “I think she’s pretty cool, too.”