43. The Scout
43
THE SCOUT
WYATT
I ’m jealous as hell—there, I admit the damn thing.
I’m trying not to show it because I don’t want Vienna growing up thinking that’s the sign of a healthy relationship, but it turns out that I’m jealous about everything when it comes to Dakota . More than anything, it’s annoying, so I’m doing my best to ignore the feeling.
The next day, I head straight to the rodeo grounds to hunt down the scout, with every intent of doing whatever it takes to get him to come back next weekend to watch Dakota compete at the Granite Falls rodeo.
I draw the line at sexual favors because the only person I’m getting on my knees for is her, but I’m willing to do pretty much anything other than that.
After three hours of back-and-forth negotiation, a lot of schmoozing (mostly about his llama farm), and a fair amount of begging, I finally convince him to come to the Granite Falls rodeo next weekend to watch Dakota compete.
“Thank you, sir,” I say, shaking his calloused hand. “You won’t regret watching her. She’s a sight to behold.”
His gray mustache twitches with a grunt. “I better not.”
“You won’t.”
Pride swells in my chest as I strut back to my truck with the birds chirping, the sun shining, until I run smack into Boone Bowman’s black cowboy hat in the middle of the rodeo’s parking lot. That damn toothpick nearly pokes my eye out.
His eyes narrow under the shade of his hat. “Patterson.”
“Bowman.”
We stare each other down, neither of us willing to break first.
I never much liked the guy.
He has an ego bigger than Texas and thinks he’s hot shit because he never misses a shot to flaunt that his dad is on the board of directors at Regal Ranch, as if that makes him some kind of cowboy royalty. I never understood what Dakota saw in him. She doesn’t care much about money, so maybe he’s got something decent hiding beneath his all-black getup—not that I care to find out.
I start to head to my truck, but his bitter voice stops me in my tracks. “You know she’s just gonna leave you, too, right? That woman can’t be tamed. She’ll leave your heart broken like she left mine.”
If he means to set me off, it won’t work. I turn around as slow as possible, letting my eyes travel over him from hat to boots. “See, that’s the difference between you and me, Bowman. I’d never try to tame her. The only thing you can do is hold on tight to women like her.”
With that, I head to my truck, but not before Boone calls out behind me. “I’m gettin’ her back, Patterson! I fucked up, but I’m gonna make it right.”
My fists clench.“Like hell you are. I’m better for her than you ever were.”
I slam the door with more force than usual. The engine roars to life, and I take the backroads home because I need to cool down after that.
As I drive down the winding Texas roads, I can already feel myself relaxing. The sunset paints the sky with flames. The vast expanse of open land stretches out, dotted with grazing cattle. I drive ten under the speed limit, soaking up the beauty as the warm breeze blows through the open windows of my truck, carrying the scent of wildflowers.
I can’t wait to come back.
Texas has always been more than a home. It’s my favorite escape. The pace is slower. The people smile more. It’s a place to come back to when the daily grind of training, workouts, and stress gets to be too much.
By the time I pull up to the barn, I’m already feeling more levelheaded.
I spot Dakota watering the pot of mint leaves on the front porch, dressed in nothing but her sports bra and shorts. The late afternoon sun bathes her in gold, making the sweat on her skin shine. She’s sipping her carbonated water, and she’s clearly just finished a workout.
I park my truck and walk up to her, needing to feel the warm reassurance of her body in my arms.
“Guess what?” I whisper into her ear.
She leans back into me, her body fitting perfectly against mine. “You had a quarter-life crisis and bought a boat.”
I laugh into her ear, tugging her closer. “Try again.”
“You… won the lottery on a scratch-off?”
“That’d be nice, but no.”
“Okay, what?” she asks, curious. “Tell me.”
I kiss her very bare, very sweaty shoulder. “You better dust off those chaps because you’re gonna have a Pbr scout watching you compete in the Granite Falls rodeo this weekend. Buckle up.”
She drops the watering can to the ground with a dull thud, jerking around to face me. “What?”
I lift a shoulder. “You heard me. You’re riding. I talked to the scout for you, and he agreed.”
She spins around fully, and the most beautiful smile breaks across her face. Dimples and all. She flings herself at me, wrapping her legs around my waist as she climbs onto my chest and squeezes me hard.
“Thank you, Wyatt,” she says, showering kisses all over my face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! Holy shit. How’d you make that happen?”
I hold her tight. “It just took a little convincing, wasn’t too bad. Let’s just say I complimented the hell out of all the llamas on his farm. I never knew I could talk for hours about how those all-natural, organic mineral feed supplements make their coats shine.”
She laughs at that. “We need to take Vi to the llama farm. I think she’d love the llamas.”
This woman. She’s always thinking about my baby girl.
She pulls back to cradle my cheeks, searching my face for something I hope she finds. “You have no idea how much this means to me. Sometimes, I wonder what I did right to get saddled with a man like you.”
She starts kissing me with hungry lips, and I kiss her back, just as eager. That one sentence eases all my worries about Boone. She moans into my mouth, and I’m hard for her in an instant. My tongue slips between her lips, exploring, teasing, swiping the roof of her mouth, and her happiness quickly turns to need. She tastes like salt and sweat, and the tang of her workout is all over her skin.
I start walking us to the outdoor shower, her legs still wrapped around my waist, every inch of her body pressed against mine. She grinds against me like she needs me to give her some relief, and I will.
“Where are we going?” she whimpers against my lips.
I kiss her sweaty skin. “ You need a shower.”