Chapter Fifteen
Royce
I step out of my cabin and pull the door shut behind me, locking it before heading down the steps.
It’s the one Axle stayed in last summer, tucked beside the clinic instead of over with the other instructors.
He made me move in here because, according to him, there was no damn way he was letting anyone else bunk beside Jovie while he was gone.
I still laugh about it.
That cabin is the reason my tough-as-nails brother ended up with Jovie in the first damn place. Forced proximity has a funny way of breaking down a man’s resolve. Ax fought his feelings for that woman out of respect for Cabe like they were an opponent he could beat in the arena.
He lost.
I’m still grinning when the door to the neighboring cabin opens.
Axle steps out, his hair damp from a shower, a suitcase in one hand and a duffel slung over his shoulder.
He spots me locking up. “Where the hell are you headed this early?”
“Jackson Hole. I’ve got an appointment at St. John’s Health. MRI.”
His brows draw together. “I thought that was next week.”
“The hospital called this morning. Had a cancellation.” I pocket my keys. “They rescheduled me for this afternoon. Three o’clock.” The lie comes out easy.
Axle looks at his watch. “Then why are you leaving at seven thirty?”
“I’m taking Rina to the airport first.”
The door behind him opens again.
Jovie steps outside, holding a to-go coffee cup. She walks straight to Axle, presses it into his hand, then wraps both arms around his waist like she has every intention of keeping him right where he is.
Axle looks down at her with that soft expression he only seems to have for her and kisses the tip of her nose.
“I can take Marina to the airport,” he tells me. “That’s where I’m headed anyway. I’ve got a flight to catch to Reno.”
Jovie gives him a sharp elbow in the ribs.
Axle looks at her. “What?”
She just shakes her head.
“I don’t mind taking Rina,” I say. “I figured we could grab breakfast on the way.”
His eyes come to mine as realization dawns across his face.
“Oh,” he says, nodding. “Well, I guess it’s lucky the hospital had that cancellation, then.”
“Yeah.”
Jovie looks between us. “Whatever gets you to that appointment,” she says.
Then she turns her attention to Axle. “You need to get going.”
He scowls, and I swear he looks like a grown-ass man who doesn’t want to go to school. But he finally bends down and kisses her.
“I love you. I’ll call when I land,” he tells her.
“Love you more.”
He straightens reluctantly and starts down the steps. I follow and meet him at his truck.
For a second, neither of us says anything.
Then Axle cuts his eyes to me. “I don’t like going without you.”
The words land heavier than they should.
I shove my hands into my pockets. “You’ll be fine.”
He shakes his head.
“When you’re not on the back of a bull, your sponsors are going to keep you so damn busy that you won’t even realize I’m not there.”
He snorts. “Bullshit.”
I grin. “I’ll be back on the road with you in no time.”
“You’d better be. Take care of that shoulder, and for fuck’s sake, listen to Jovie so I don’t have to kick your ass for her.”
“I will.” I clap him on the shoulder. “And don’t do anything stupid in Reno. Especially anything that gets you hurt. Because then I’ll have to kick your ass for Jovie.”
“Jovie has no problem kicking both your stubborn asses herself,” she calls from the porch.
I pull him into a one-armed hug. He squeezes my good shoulder once before letting go.
“Take care of yourself, asshole.”
“You too.” He climbs into his truck, starts the engine, and pulls away.
I stand there, watching until his taillights disappear down the road.
A moment later, Jovie comes down the steps and stops beside me.
She slips her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, watching the empty driveway. “I don’t know who he’s going to miss more.”
I glance at her.
“You or me?”
I laugh out loud. “Trust me”—I bump my shoulder against hers—“it’s you.”
Marina is waiting for me when I pull up in front of the main house. Clean-faced and wearing a pair of fitted jeans ripped at the knees, a tank top, and a long-sleeved flannel tied around her waist. A Cowtown Rodeo ball cap is pulled low over her eyes.
And damn if she doesn’t look just as good as she did, all made up, last night.
Maybe better.
She climbs into the passenger seat, buckles up, and settles in with her hands folded loosely in her lap. For the first few miles, she stares out the window as the mountains roll past, early morning sunlight spilling across her face every time we round a curve.
Every few minutes, she checks her phone.
Then locks the screen.
Then checks it again.
“Expecting a call?” I ask.
“Huh?”
I nod toward her hand.
“Oh.” She shakes her head. “No. I just told Ryder he could call me anytime. If he needs me.”
She left him at Wildhaven with Grandma Evelyn, and judging by the way her thumb keeps hovering over the screen, she’s fighting the urge to call him herself.
“You know he’s fine, right?”
Her eyes flick toward me. “I know.”
“You don’t sound like you know.”
“I know,” she repeats, softer this time. “It’s just”—she looks back out the window—“I’ve never been away from him.”
I glance over. “Not even for one night?”
She shakes her head.
“Damn. How old is he? Five?”
“Four.”
Four years without a single night away from her kid.
That lands somewhere deeper than I expected. Even the best mothers deserve a day off from time to time.
“You’re allowed to miss him,” I say. “But you’re also allowed to let somebody else spoil him for a couple of days.”
Her mouth curves. “I’m pretty sure Evelyn is already doing that.”
“I guarantee it. She’s probably fed him cookies for breakfast.”
Marina gives me a look. “She wouldn’t.”
“No.” I grin. “She’s probably got him sitting at the table with a stack of pancakes as tall as he is though.”
That gets a quiet laugh out of her, and some of the tension leaves her shoulders.
A few minutes later, I pull into Jackson Hole and steer toward The Rebel Whisk. The place is already humming despite the early hour—pickup trucks filling the lot, the smell of coffee and bacon hitting us before we even make it through the door.
“Hungry?” I ask.
Her stomach growls loudly at that moment.
“I guess that’s a yes.”
Inside, we grab a small table near the window. It’s the kind of place where everybody seems to know each other, where coffee appears before you ask for it, and the waitress calls everybody honey.
Marina orders an omelet and coffee.
I order coffee, eggs, sausage, hash browns, biscuits, and a side of gravy.
For a few minutes, we eat in comfortable silence.
“So,” I finally say, “what exactly do you have to do in Dallas?”
She leans back in her chair. “Ugh, so much. I need to meet with my realtor first.” She starts counting on her fingers.
“Then I have to pack everything. Or at least figure out what I’m keeping and what’s going into storage.
I need to call the movers, cancel utilities, turn in my leased car.
And make arrangements to have Rowdy transported to his new home. ”
“To Wildhaven,” I say.
“Yeah.”
The words settle between us, and I find myself liking her calling my ranch home.
“How long do you think all that will take?”
“If everything goes smoothly?” She lets out a breath. “A few days. Maybe. A week at most.”
We finish breakfast, and by the time we’re back in the truck, the quiet feels different.
The ride to the airport passes quickly, and when we pull into Departures, the tension has changed. She gathers her purse and checks her phone one last time.
I put the truck in park.
For a second, neither of us moves. Then she turns toward me.
“Thank you,” she says. “For breakfast and the ride.”
Then she reaches for the door.
“Give me your phone.”
She looks back at me, confused. “Why?”
“Just hand it over.”
She hands it to me reluctantly, and I open her message screen and send myself a hello. When my phone chimes, I open the message and reply.
“There. Now you have my number and can let me know you landed safely,” I say. “I’ll let everyone know.”
“Okay,” she says slowly, then opens the door.
Before she can climb out, I say, “Rina.”
She looks back.
I lean an arm against the steering wheel. “I’m happy you’re moving to Wildhaven.”
Something flickers across her face. “Are you?”
“Yeah.” I don’t bother pretending otherwise. “Having you around is going to make the summer a hell of a lot more interesting.”
Her eyes narrow. “Don’t get too excited.”
I grin. “Why not?”
“I don’t date cowboys anymore.”
I nod solemnly. “No dates. Got it.”
She studies me, clearly waiting for me to say more.
“And I don’t sleep with cowboys anymore either.”
A low chuckle rumbles out of me.
“No sex.” I shake my head. “Seems more like a punishment for you than me, but okay.”
Her mouth falls open.
I grin wider.
“Have a safe flight, Rina.”
She stares at me for another heartbeat, caught somewhere between curiosity and amusement. Then she rolls her eyes, climbs out, and shuts the door.
I watch her walk toward the terminal.
And despite the fact that she just laid down two very clear rules, I can’t stop smiling.
Because I’m pretty sure Marina Kincade just friend-zoned me.
And I intend to be the best damn friend she’s ever had.