Chapter 7
Shiloh
It’s been a week since the rodeo last weekend and as hard as I’ve tried I can’t get my mind off of Verge.
He didn't come to practice with Beau, which makes sense. It's not like he needs to practice team roping, but I thought maybe, just maybe, he’d show up to pick at me. As much as he gets under my skin, I do want to apologize for the comment I made in passing about his mother. I mean at least that’s what I keep telling myself, that I’m only longing to see him because I feel bad.
I’m lying to myself. Although I do feel bad about my comment, I fucking dreamed about him.
I’ve NEVER dreamed about a man, but those silver eyes were what I thought of when I went to sleep every night, and they followed me into my dreams. I haven’t told anyone about my dreams though.
I typically tell Cross everything, but this?
I can’t. He will tease me, and he already does.
Every time Beau showed up this week for practice I would try to be casual, glancing over to see if Verge was with him, and Cross would start laughing and whisper, “Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo.”
He got a good tongue lashing from me each time, but he knows me too well and I’m still denying it, but I guess me getting anxious the other night at his ride gave Cross all the ammo he needed to sense the attraction between us.
Verge isn’t super subtle in his attraction either, in my opinion.
I see the way he looks at me. The way he teases me and tries to get under my skin. I’m not stupid.
I can’t go there though, can I? A bull rider Shiloh, really?
Ever since my dad, I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around even opening that door.
So for now I’ll still deny it as long as I possibly can.
Right now he’s making that rather easy considering him and Beau were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago.
“Cash, I’m going to leave without them.” I yell.
“Calm down Shiloh, they will be here in five.” Cash says.
“I’d be more concerned if he was on time.” Cross teases, and I pop him on the head, making his hat fly off, and he catches it right before it hits the ground.
He looks at me smirking and pushes me lightly.
We have the horses in their stalls still, considering they have a long ride ahead of them, but I’m about to load Riot and Havoc and leave without them.
I then hear the crunch of gravel and look up to see a truck I don’t really recognize.
It’s an old Dodge Power Wagon. It’s pretty rusted out looking, and I’m shocked that it’s able to pull the two horse trailer that’s behind it.
“Who’s that?” I ask Cash and Cross.
“Beau.” Cash replies.
“Beau doesn’t drive a beat up power wagon.” I mutter under my breath.
Cross leans down whispering in my ear, “Romeo might though.”
I smack him. “Shut up and go get your horse.”
He walks away laughing his ass off at my expense as my cheeks heat, and I look up to see Verge stepping out of the truck along with Beau.
I walk into the barn, glancing over my shoulder, and catch his gaze on mine. He winks at me while pulling out his pack of cigarettes, and my stomach flips as I avert my eyes, walking into the barn to get Riot.
Fuck, get a grip Shiloh, you’re not interested.
Cross walks by with Havoc and winks at me himself, and I roll my eyes because I now know he saw Verge wink at me.
“Oh get fucked Cross.” I joke.
He laughs hard and he shakes his head walking by me.
Once I grab Riot I load him in the trailer and see Beau bringing his horse Carmen up behind me and Cash with his horse Tommy.
“Beau, for the love of everything can you ever be on time?” I ask, stepping out of the trailer and turning to look at him.
“That’s not in my DNA, Shiloh.” He chuckles, loading up Carmen.
“Give it a rest Shiloh, we have plenty of time to get there. The rodeo isn’t till tomorrow.” Cash groans.
“We still need…” I go to say and Verge cuts me off.
“To get the horses settled, we know.” He says, blowing out a puff of smoke, those silver eyes staring into mine. He looks annoyed but also like he is in pain and my stomach twists.
“What’s up your ass?” I ask.
“Nothin’. I just knew you’d be sassy this morning and I have got a headache.” He remarks, taking a pull on his cigarette and blowing the smoke to the side slowly. Why does he make this nasty habit look so sexy?
“She’s always sassy, that's our Shiloh.” Cross says, grabbing my shoulders from behind before he continues, “It’s worse when Beau is late though but that’s all the time.” I shrug him off, popping him in the belly.
“Who’s driving first?” I ask, looking around.
“You made us all get up this early, you drive.” Cash says, throwing the keys in my direction.”
“Fine.” I say, sticking my tongue out, and I see Verge in my peripheral smirking as he steps on his cigarette.
“I’ll take second.” He says.
“Sounds good, you ride shotgun with Shiloh then.” Cash says.
My stomach lurches into my throat because I know without a doubt all the guys are going to pass out in the back as soon as we start moving and if Verge doesn’t well that opens me up for conversation, just him and I.
Fuck my life.
It’s been about thirty minuets and sure enough everyone in the back has passed the fuck out.
We did talk for a little while before they passed out, considering Beau wanted to all fill us in on Aria’s fuck up last night taking drugs from Pierce.
It doesn’t shock me in the least that he would pull some shit like that.
And I can’t say I’m shocked that Aria took it.
She is impressionable as fuck and always has been.
She’s not much younger than me. I'm only twenty but she craves attention and anything that will give it to her, especially a guy. Pierce is a fucking dick but he’s not ugly.
He is tall and pretty built with ice blue eyes and dirty blonde hair.
As we are driving I glance over to Verge who is looking at his phone. He senses my gaze on him and looks up at me. I quickly look back to the road, considering my next words, but the guilt of what I said last to him still has been eating at me so I decide to just lay out there.
I grip the steering wheel looking in the review mirror to make sure everyone is passed out before I say, “I’m sorry about your mother. I didn’t know.”
He looks over to me with a twitch of his lips and it's just enough to make that panty dropping dimple pop before he says, “Thanks, don’t worry about it.”
“Well I have been worrying about it. If anyone passingly mentioned my dad that way I’d feel some way about it so I wanted you to know as much as you get on my nerves I am sorry.”
He leans on the passenger door putting his hands to his lips wiping them before he says, “Oh, I don’t think I bother you too much, Shi.”
I snap my head in his direction, my heart racing. No one has called me Shi ever. Except my dad, and I don’t know how I feel about it. I mean it’s better than boots and does make my stomach do a somersault but again it hurts at the same time. Fuck emotions.
My eyes mist over as I stare at the road and I swallow the lump forming in my throat. He puts his hand on my arm and I pull away quickly, looking back at him and his eyes are bouncing back and forth between mine in pure confusion before he says, “What is it Shi?”
There it is again and a tear slides out of my treacherous eyes before I bat it away quickly and say, “Nothing Verge.”
He reaches over again and I glance at him and see nothing but remorse and confusion in his eyes before he says, “It’s not nothing, I haven’t seen you be anything but hostile toward me and I deserve it but I’d never make you cry and I don’t know what I did to cause it but please tell me so I can fix it. ”
“Nothing Verge just drop it okay, I’m fine.” I snap looking back at him and his jaw flexes and he takes his hand off of me with his eyes searching the road.
I swallow with my heart still racing. I’m lying to myself now. I know exactly how him calling me that made me feel. It makes me feel as if my dad himself fucking sent this man to me and that right there….that fucking scares me.
As I’m syphoning though my feelings I turn the radio on to drown out the deafening silence. When will I be Loved by Vince Gill starts to play and Verge turns it up glancing at me before and says, “This is..”. He pauses, pursing his lips before he continues, “was one of my mom’s favorite songs.”
I nod and smirk lightly before I say, “It always reminds me of the movie 8 seconds.”
At this a huge grin slides across his face before he grabs his chest putting his hand over his heart. “Careful Shi, I might fall in love with you after that comment.”
I roll my eyes and act as if that comment alone didn’t send butterflies erupting in my stomach and I can feel the heat creeping up in my cheeks as I chuckle and bite my lip.
I look back in the rearview mirror to make sure not a soul heard but then I see Cross looking at me under his tilted hat smirking right back at me.
Fuck my life.