Chapter 5
Shiloh
It’s not that I haven’t stayed out all night at a rodeo before; it's just the reason we stayed that long that has me annoyed. Verge, as much as I’m drawn to his looks, gets under my fucking skin.
It’s like he is just trying to piss me off.
Like if one thing annoys me, he’s going to pick at it like a festering wound, and he seems to enjoy it.
I was full of shit when I said his chute timing was off and his free arm was sloppy.
I was just trying to personally offend him.
If I'm being honest, give him a little taste of his own medicine. The joke was on me, though, considering he took my criticism as if it didn’t faze him and seemed to take enjoyment in the fact that I didn’t succeed in pissing him off the way he does me.
His riding was just like Cash said and praised, flawless.
He does ride just like my dad, if not even better, and that’s hard for me to admit.
I was mesmerized by his posture, his balance, shit, all the way down to his fucking free hand; it was impeccable.
Dust and Smoke is one of the top bulls, and he made that bull look like he should be in the amateur league.
Do I think another cowboy would have stayed on the full 8 seconds? Not a chance, but Verge made it look effortless, and I’ll deny it to him and any of the other guys, but I was impressed. And fuck me, I want to watch him ride. He’s stirred up something inside me that has been lost for so long.
Knocking me out of my thoughts, I hear Cash speak up before we get out. “Shiloh, let's make this a pleasant outing okay?”
I look at him, then Cross, confused as a smile creeps across Cross’ face, and I shove him before I say, “Whatever do you mean, brother?”
Cash rolls his eyes, cutting the engine before he continues. “We all get it, Verge gets under your skin, but he’s going to be traveling with us, so can you try to get along?”
I huff before I say, “He started it.”
I look over to Cross, who is useless, doubling over laughing at our exchange before I smack him, laughing. “Shut up.”
He throws his hands up in defense before he puts his hand on the door to get out and says over his shoulder, “Don’t drag me into your drama.” I hop out after him, jumping on his back, swatting him because I know he’s being a smart ass.
He laughs, throwing me off his back before he puts his arm around me, whispering in my ear, “Don’t worry, Boots, your secret is safe with me.”
Snapping my head in his direction, my cheeks heat and I smack him in the chest, and a belly laugh bursts from him before he zips his lips and throws away the key.
Not much gets by Cross when it comes to me.
As much as people say a guy and a girl can’t be best friends without one catching feelings for the other, in our case that’s far from the truth.
After my dad passed, Cross was my confidant, my rock, and he’s always been like a sibling to me, and I am the same for him.
When we were fifteen we kissed once, and let's just say we both laughed and said never again.
Cross is very affectionate, and it has nothing to do with him liking me in that way; it's just him. We have grown so comfortable with each other that he doesn’t see an issue in putting his arm around me playfully or even putting his hand on my thigh when he knows I’m anxious.
Making our way into the diner, Beau and Verge are getting out of his truck, walking toward us, and I pretend to ignore their presence as we take a seat at the booth off to the right.
The diner isn’t big, just a small place with about ten booths.
The floor is black and white checkered, with black and white booths and red tables.
Cross and I scoot on one side while Beau and Cash cram into the other across from us.
Verge pulls up one of the chairs that line the wall for people who are waiting to be seated, but seeing as no one is here but us, it’s not a big deal.
Once he sits down, our knees brush, and I quickly scoot closer to Cross because I don’t want to admit the feeling I just got when his leg brushed mine.
“Sorry.” He quickly says, glancing at me with that cocky smirk, and I’d almost say he did that shit on purpose, but I heed Cash’s warning and nod, acting as if it didn’t just send chills all over my body.
The waitress comes up quickly, taking our order, then leaving us, and Cross throws his arm over the booth before he says, “I’m fucking beat. That ride home is going to be a bitch.”
“Yeah, and you’re driving.” Cash smirks.
“The fuck I am. I drove here.” Cross laughs as the waitress puts four coffees and my coke in front of us.
Cash sits back laughing before he says, “Ah, I’m just fucking with you.”
Cash then shifts his attention to Verge, who looks lost in thought, looking down at his coffee, and as I glance over to him.
I notice a scar that lines his jaw and wonder what happened, but I could probably take a wild guess, so I keep my questions to myself.
I don’t need to know anything about his endeavors.
“So Verge, what was Pierce going on about before we walked up?” Cash asks, and Beau quickly chimes in before Verge can answer.
“I fucking hate that guy.”
Verge chuckles, looking up at them before he says, “He was just shit talking per usual.”
“I can’t stand him either.” I say, and Verge shifts his attention to me quickly, and I continue, “He’s hit on me a few times. He started team roping with his buddy Hunt a few months back, and fuck he’s annoying, not to mention arrogant.”
At this I see Verge’s jaw flex and his eyes seem to fill with something that resembles rage, but he quickly bats it away, smirking again before he says, “I believe arrogant is his middle name.”
“Funny, I thought it was your middle name.” I quip, and he gets a sparkle in his eye, no doubt ready to spar with me before he says, “Nah, my middle name is Asshole if you recall.” He winks.
I try to hold back my laughter that is about to erupt from me, but I can’t hold my smirk, and Cross nudges me at my side. I look over to him with my eyes wide, indicating for him to knock it off.
The waitress brings our food, and we all carry on in light conversation about how all of our days went and the events we were in.
Verge seems calm and collected, carrying on shooting the shit, but I’d be lying if I said him being this close to me didn’t do something to me.
His scent, his smile with those dimples, and those damn silver eyes when they look at me send a shock through my whole body every time his eyes meet mine.
After we are done we pay for our food and head out. As we make our way out to the trucks Beau says, “We will be at your place Friday. Don't we leave then?”
“Yeah, bright and early.” I reply, and Cash throws his head back groaning before he says, “Fuck, you and your early mornings. Show’s not ‘till Saturday, Shiloh.”
“It’s a 14-16 hour drive, and we gotta get the horses settled the night before. Suck it up. We can all take turns driving.” I argue.
Beau puts his hands in his pockets laughing at us, and Verge is smiling, lighting a cigarette.
“Didn’t your mamma teach you that’s a bad habit?” I joke, but it falls flat with the look on his face at the mention of his mother.
His jaw flexes as he blows out a puff of smoke.
He lifts his lips slightly in an attempt to smile, but I sense a pain in his gaze.
His smile doesn’t quite meet his eyes before he winks at me and walks past me, taking one more pull on his cigarette, then flicking the butt to the ground and not uttering a single word back, which surprises me; and puts a sour feeling in my stomach all at the same time.
I look at Cross and Cash, and they both shrug their shoulders, and I hear the truck door slam as he gets in the passenger seat of Beau's truck.
Beau looks at us, taking his hat off, running his hand through his hair before he looks at us and says, “His mom passed away about two weeks ago, leaving him homeless; they were close. He took care of her up until the day she died. It’s not exactly my story to tell, but I’d keep your mamma jokes to a minimum in the future. ”
Feeling like an asshole myself, I say, “Oh shit, Beau, I’m sorry. I was just picking at him.”
He nods his head. “I know, Shiloh. He's had some shit luck recently, though, and I know he can seem rough around the edges, but go easy on him, okay?”
I nod, feeling guilty as I look down at my boots, kicking the rock in front of my foot.
“See y’all next week. Drive safe.” Beau says, walking off and heading out.
“Fuck.” I say, and Cash looks at me, shaking his head, and I try to defend myself, saying, “He’s been trying to get under my skin all day, Cash. I was just playing.”
He turns to me with his hand on the driver's door, not saying a word before he gets in, and I feel Cross put his hand on my shoulder and he kisses my head, knowing the guilt that is consuming me right now before he says, “You didn’t know, Shiloh.”
I look over at him feeling defeated and like a complete bitch.
If anyone had said something like that to me about my dad, whether they knew or not, I would know exactly how it would make me feel.
The sting would cut me to my core, and I hate that I made him feel like that, even if he is a jerk at times.
“Let’s go home.” Cross says.
I nod my head, walking to the truck and climbing in the back seat, lost in my thoughts about Verge McCoy.