Chapter 7
Junior
“Way to go, Adam.” I cheered from the side of the ring.
I was letting some of the guests try riding the barrels today.
I didn’t put them anywhere near as close as they would be in an actual competition.
There was plenty of room for them to maneuver around each one, and so far they had been doing an excellent job.
I looked around hoping to see Bria, but she hadn’t made it to today’s lesson, which made me nervous.
Things had been going great since our first ride through the ranch.
We’d spent the last three nights together, but when I asked her about coming home with me to Blackthorne this weekend, she’d instantly closed down last night.
I knew it was fast, but I only had one more week here after this. I didn’t want to wait.
“Can I ride next?” Lola, the same woman who had been hitting on me since our first lesson, asked.
She was standing so close I backed up to make sure there was even a sliver of space between us.
“Sure.”
“I’m going to need your help getting into position.” She blinked her overly made up lashes at me as if anyone would consider that sexy.
“Okay.” As much as I didn’t want to touch her, I also couldn’t have anyone getting hurt on my watch.
Adam rode back over to us, and I held the reins as he got down.
“That was awesome.” He had a huge smile on his face.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it, and you did a great job.” I shook his hand.
“You did a better job than Junior did the first time he tried riding the barrels.” I knew that voice.
“Your instructor here slipped and slid all over the saddle. His father had to catch him before he fell on his butt.” I turned around to see my cousin Dallas standing next to his girlfriend, Trinity. Both of them wore identical smiles.
“What are you doing here?” I couldn’t believe they had come down to see me.
“Figured why give the people one Thorne when we could double the fun.” He walked forward and clapped me on the back. “Missed you, Junior.”
“Missed you too.” I felt myself getting a little choked up.
“Guys, I hope you don’t mind if we cut class a little early today.
I promise to stay later tomorrow.” It would be the last class of the week, and I’d already planned to make it a long one.
It was also my last class with this group.
I believed they would be going home on Sunday.
Hopefully, that would keep me out of Lola’s clutches.
“But he just got here.” Lola didn’t disappoint. She looked at Dallas as if he was the cherry on top of a sundae. “Maybe he can help with the class today and tomorrow.”
“I’m sure Junior here has it all in hand.” Dallas smiled my direction. “Trinity and I will just hang out and watch.” He backed up until he was next to his girl and put his arm around her waist.
“We’ll pick things up tomorrow, and you’ll be the first on the horse, Lola.” I specified the horse just in case she got any other ideas.
Everyone but Lola seemed okay with giving us space. She hung around for a few extra minutes, possibly expecting me to pay attention to her. When she finally got the point, she walked off with a huff.
“Having problems, cousin?” Dallas laughed.
“She’s been on my ass since the first class.” I shook my head. I had been hoping she could tell I was taken by the way I only paid attention to Bria that first day, but no. I wish I could convince Bria to come to each class, but she always said she had work to do.
“Oh, she’s one of those.” Dallas laughed.
“One of what?” Trinity asked.
“The rodeo groupies.” Dallas explained. “The girls that don’t really care who they hook up with as long as it’s a rider.”
“It’s possible that maybe she just likes Junior.” Trinity suggested. “He is awfully cute.”
“Thanks, Trin.” I smiled.
“Don’t be flirting with my girl.” Dallas pulled her close. “I thought you’d found a girl of your own.”
“I have, thank you very much.” My smile softened just thinking about Bria.
“That’s why we’re here.” Dallas told me. “Figured someone from the family should check her out.”
“He’s kidding.” Trinity shook her head. “There’s a horse he wants to check out in the next town over.”
“A new horse?” I didn’t think we needed any more horses on the ranch.
“Just looking.” Dallas shared. “Trin doesn’t have a horse of her own.”
“And I don’t need one.” She looked at him.
“Yes, you do.” He focused on me. “So where is your girl?”
“Come on. I’ll introduce you.” Excitement filled me at the idea of anyone in my family meeting Bria.
We walked my horse back to the stables before heading over to the main lodge.
Dallas caught me up on everything that had been going on at the ranch since I’d been gone.
I laughed hearing his side of my mother’s latest dinner creation that she put together for my father who got a small cold a few weeks ago.
“You know we all love Aunt Jeanette, but honestly, why does she keep trying?” Dallas laughed.
“Because she loves us.” I defended. “It’s not her fault that she’s not as good in the kitchen as everyone else.”
“But it’s chicken noodle soup, man.” Dallas went on. “Why would she think adding sour cream in order to make it creamy was a good idea? Why not just make it like normal?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea.” God bless that woman.
“It actually wasn’t too bad at first.” Trinity really was a saint. “But the longer it set the worse it got. Especially when the broth started to separate.”
“Oh dear god.” I was glad I missed it.
“Yeah.” They both said as we entered the hall.
We went up the stairs. I knocked on Bria’s door and waited for her to say something. I stuck my head in first.
“Hey, beautiful. Are you busy?”
“Kinda.” She was typing. “Can it wait?”
“Um,” I wasn’t sure. I could always introduce her to Dallas and Trinity later, but I wasn’t sure what they might think. “My cousins are here and I wanted to introduce you.”
“What?” She stopped typing and looked at me.
I figured at this point there was no need to wait, so I pushed the door open and walked in.
“Bria, I’d like you to meet my cousin Dallas and his girlfriend, Trinity.” I went around her desk to where she was now standing. “Guys, this is Bria St. James.” I almost called her my girlfriend, but he hadn’t talked about labels yet and I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Dallas spoke first.
“And we are so sorry for the interruption.” Trinity added. “We just wanted to say hi, and we will let you get back to work.”
“Of course.” Dallas smiled.
“It’s nice to meet you too.” Bria replied. “Did you know they were coming?” Her eyes turned to me, and there was something in them that troubled me.
“No, we decided to surprise him.” Dallas answered before I could. “We’re really just passing through.”
“That was thoughtful.” She stepped away from me. “I’m sorry, but I really do need to finish this.” She picked at the papers on her desk.
“Sure,” Trinity said. “Hopefully we will see you again.”
“Guys, I’ll meet you downstairs.” I told them.
Dallas nodded and led Trinity out of the office, making sure to close the door as he went. I gave it a beat to let them get further away before I spoke.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Bria was back in her seat and facing her computer.
“Yes, there is.” I pushed. “Are you mad that we interrupted your schedule?”
“No.” She wouldn’t look at me.
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.” She repeated. “I’ve just got a lot to do.” She took a breath. “Which means I’m not going to be able to go with you this weekend.”
“That’s fine. We can go next weekend.”
“I don’t think I’m going to be done by then either.”
I stood there staring at her. “What weekend would work for you then?”
“Does it matter?” She glanced my direction so quickly I might have missed it if I didn’t have my eyes glued to her. “You leave in a week.”
“And?”
“You’ll be back to your normal routine, and so will I.” Her fingers slowed as she moved them over the keyboard. I’d bet my last winnings that shew as just typing gibberish.
“My normal routine?” I repeated. “You mean traveling from town to town, and rodeo to rodeo, sleeping with every woman that passes my way?” She didn’t say anything.
“Wow, just like that we are back to day one, I see.” I shook my head. “I thought we’d moved on. That you’d gotten to know me better. That we’d gotten to know each other better.”
“It’s only been four days, Junior.” She snapped. “You can’t know someone in four days.”
“Then how do I know that this isn’t about time or visiting my family?
” I asked. “And it isn’t about me being some fuck boy.
If that was all I was after, then I’d have been screwing Lola since that first class, and you know it.
I’m falling for you and I think you’re looking for any excuse you can find not to feel the same. ”
“You might think you know me, but you don’t.” When she looked at me this time, her eyes were nothing but ice. “We’ve had fun, but I have a job to do, and so do you.”
“Like I said, back to day one.” I shook my head and spun her chair so that I could rest my hands on either side of her.
“I do know you, just like you know me, and you know I’m not about to give up that easily.
I don’t walk away from what I want, and I want you, Bria.
Not just in my bed, but in my life. I want to know everything there is to know about you.
I want to ride through Blackthorne with you beside me.
I want to spend holidays with you and wake up beside you.
I want to know your past and your future.
I want all of you, but I won’t force you. That is the one thing I will never do.”
I stepped away. “I think we could have something really special here, and I know you feel it too. When you’re ready, I’ll be here. I don’t care how long it takes. I’m not going anywhere. Not without you.”
I went over to the door. “I’m still going home this weekend, and I’d really like you with me, but whether you come with or not doesn’t change how I feel.
Nothing can do that. I knew I’d be yours from the moment I saw you, and that feeling has only grown stronger.
Now it’s up to you to decide if you want to be mine, cause I can’t think of anything I’ve ever wanted more. ”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say those three life changing words, but I couldn’t do it. Not until I knew she was in this with me. So I left before I said the one thing I didn’t want to regret.