Burn
CASH
SEPTEMBER
We didn’t stay too much later at the bar. The night just…shifted. I can’t quite explain it other than that. It’s like the weight of all the damn drama wouldn’t fully dissipate, and I think everyone could feel it.
Or maybe it was just me. I don’t know.
All I knew was that as pissed as Ollie was about me putting my hat on her head at the rodeo, for someone who didn’t do relationships, she sure claimed me an awful lot tonight.
First with Kelsea, then with Bodi. I mean, she didn’t actually say we were anything, but actions spoke louder than words, right?
And yet, somehow after the whole ordeal, I hadn’t even managed to get a dance with her.
Had hardly even gotten to talk to her for that matter.
She was uncharacteristically quiet for the truck ride back to the rodeo grounds.
And with each moment her glassy gaze cleared, I felt reality setting back in.
I swear, I could all but feel her worry from beside me in the backseat. Walker sat up front with Maverick, and Ollie was between Ryder and I, but she and I might as well have been miles apart.
Tonight might have been too much, I realized. But it’s not like I’d anticipated Kelsea and Bodi. One or the other would have been more manageable, but I could sense Ollie’s restlessness. I just hoped I could ease some of her fears without coming off too strong.
I wanted her. Hell, I’d wanted her from the moment I set my eyes on her, but I wasn’t used to women like her.
Women immune to my charms. Most reacted similarly to Kelsea…
but not Ollie. And maybe that’s what made me want her all the more.
Maybe once I had a taste of her, I’d be able to get her out of my system, but something felt different this time around.
It probably should have scared me, but there was also a certain thrill to it as well. Like settling down on a bronc's back, or waitin’ in the box for the steer chute to slam open. My whole life I’d been chasing thrills. It made sense I’d chase after her for one too.
The plan was simple when we got back—well, it should have been. Get her out of the car, get her alone, and go from there. But fate seemed set on keeping us apart. Or maybe the universe just hated me tonight.
Mav called me back as we all got out of the trucks. “Come on, let’s go check on them horses one more time.”
I leveled him with an are you kidding look. “Can’t you do it?”
But in true Mav fashion, he didn’t react other than to say, “Ryder, you come too.”
Blowing a breath, I sighed before catching Ollie’s attention. “Hey, I’ll be right back.”
She nodded, flashing me an easy grin, but there was no warmth there. The lines in the corners of her eyes felt forced.
Fuck, that couldn’t be good. And while every part of me longed to stay, to figure out what was eating at her, there was no denying the authority in Mav’s tone.
Each step away from her felt wrong. Like a mistake. One I couldn’t stop myself from making.
“What’s this about?” I asked as we finally were out of earshot of the trailer. But Mav refused to answer. I glanced at Ryder, who looked just as confused as me. He offered me a shrug as we followed along behind my cousin’s towering figure.
“You gonna fuckin’ talk now?” I asked as we entered the show barn our horses were in.
He glanced into Boone and Playboy’s stalls before ripping off a flake of hay for each of them. “I’m helpin’you out,” he finally said, settling his jade stare on me.
I rolled my eyes, pulling my hat off to run a hand through my hair. Ollie had given it back to me at some point in the night. “How?”
“Well,” he shrugged. “If she’s there when you get back, maybe I was wrong and she’s different for you than the ones in the past.”
Really? He had to fucking bring me out here to play Russian roulette with my hookups now? “And what about if she runs?” I huffed.
Which was probably what she was doing as we spoke.
He and Ryder shared a long look before they both aimed their sights on me. “Well then you get to decide if she's worth chasin’ after.”
Fucking Maverick. He was forcing my hand.
But why? I mean, I knew it was his way of looking out for me.
Protecting me like he always did. But I was a big boy.
I could take care of myself. He usually lets me just fuck up and was there to clean up the mess.
Maybe he was tired of doing that. Or maybe something about Ollie made him feel different than the rest. I didn’t know, and right now I didn’t particularly care.
I turned on my heel, and stalked out of the barn.
Like hell she was getting away.