Chapter 4 Hestia
HESTIA
In the week that followed, one thing was crystal fucking clear.
Abstinence was not an option.
There was no point sugar-coating it to anyone, least of all myself – Jesse and I had quickly become fuck buddies. Friends with benefits. A situationship, if you will.
No other thoughts, barely any eye contact, certainly no talking that implied any kind of further involvement.
Purely physical. I’d suggested it right as we’d finished up against the truck at the line dance and he’d agreed, his slow smile on our formal handshake almost prompting a repeat performance on the spot.
Christ, that man was delicious.
Not that we’d had a chance to repeat anything since, given how busy everyone was in the lead up to the rodeo this weekend.
I’d dived into helping Lottie with the guests, learning the basics of how to take care of the horses with Bailey and using any free time to sketch out new tattoo designs.
My favourite spot was at the lake by Lottie’s new cabin, the sheltered position often turning the still water to glass, reflecting the burning sky in the late afternoon.
Increasingly my designs were drawing more on the natural world.
My morbid delight at finding an animal skull among the trees made me think of Dee’s store, knowing she’d likely understand my excitement.
But now, on the way to the rodeo with Lottie in Cole’s truck, a very unfamiliar feeling was dawning.
‘Stop it. You look fucking gorgeous, Hes. Trust me.’
I pulled down the sunshade, using the inset mirror to check myself again.
Lighter make-up, except for the ruby-red lips – those I refused to give up.
Lottie had curled my matching hair into soft, voluminous barrel waves under the straw cowboy hat, but it was the pale blue denim minidress that really made me pause.
My black cowboy boots added an element of comfort, but it was so . . . country.
‘I don’t think I’ve had bare legs in public since secondary school,’ I murmured. ‘Remind me why I agreed to this?’
Lottie giggled, squeezing my arm.
‘Because you love me and are humouring my over-the-top excitement at having you here? And because it’s too hot to wear black today, and frankly, I was just really fucking curious to see you in any other colour.’
‘Blasphemy,’ I grumbled. ‘It’s never too hot for black.’ But as I glanced over and saw her bright blue eyes dancing with amusement, I rolled my own and offered her a small smile. ‘Only for you, cowgirl.’
We approached the rodeo, following the queuing traffic for the car park, the muffled sound of the loudspeaker blaring outside and a sea of cowboy hats as people walked in.
‘What about certain cowboys?’ Lottie said, her voice light. ‘I hear Jesse had a lot of, um . . . feelings about your outfit at the line dance, and that was only, what? Fifty per cent country?’
I bit my lip to hide my smile as we parked up, just one of hundreds of pick-up trucks, seemingly part of the Wyoming uniform.
‘Look. It’s just a bit of fun, like I said before. There’s nothing else to read into. For a guy, he’s . . . not bad. I’ll admit it – nice ass, arms to die for, face like a movie star . . .’ I stopped as her smile turned into a grin.
‘Great sense of humour, kind, thoughtful . . .’ she continued as we got out, waiting for me as I rounded the front of the truck.
‘Whatever,’ I replied. ‘It doesn’t mean anything else, okay? What happened between you and Cole is pretty rare, Lots. It just doesn’t happen like that for most people, certainly not me.’
She hooked her arm through mine as we got to the entrance, showed the tickets on her phone to the attendant, and we were through.
A vast dirt-floor arena stretched out in front of us, surrounded by stands with banked seating, some covered and others open to the fierce sun.
The full impact of the noise – the sounds of the gathering crowd, the occasional sounds of horses and – shit, was that a bull over there?
Lottie laughed at my expression.
‘I forget that you haven’t seen any of this before,’ she added, walking us over to the covered stand where our seats were located. ‘It’s so . . . American, isn’t it?’
I just nodded, my eyes drawn to the event already starting. A calf was released out of a gate at one end of the arena, followed by a couple of cowboys moving at warp speed, circling ropes above their heads as they chased it.
‘Listen,’ Lottie added as we reached our seats finally, attracting a fair amount of looks from the surrounding spectators.
It was likely because they didn’t know us – Lottie had said her arrival had caused a wild amount of interest in town.
‘I guess I’m just letting myself feel delusional about having you here and enjoying the cowboys as much as I have.
’ She smiled as I did, unable to do anything else in the face of her genuine joy.
‘I’m just aware that very soon you’re going to head home and .
. . honestly, it’s going to feel like I’m missing a fucking limb. ’
I gripped her hand, feeling a sudden prickle of emotion behind my eyes.
‘Me too,’ I whispered.
‘Ugh, don’t,’ she said suddenly, looking up and blinking. ‘None of that. You’re here and we’re making the most of it. Now – Jesse’s up in a sec, then Bailey. This is a big day for them both, there’s a fair amount of prize money up for grabs, I think.’
As we watched and waited, a shadow fell across us. We both looked up into the smiling face of a cowboy, tipping his hat.
‘Howdy,’ he said, eyes flicking over my outfit before going back to Lottie. ‘Lottie, right? I’m Carter, I was on the cattle drive at the Diamond Back a couple months ago.’
‘Oh, right, yes – I remember!’ She smiled. ‘How are you? You competing today?’
He shook his head, glancing to me again.
I raised an eyebrow. I had a feeling I knew where this might go.
‘No ma’am, just watching with a few buddies.’ We both glanced behind us, clocking the handful of other cowboys now nodding and smiling in our direction. ‘I don’t suppose you and your, err . . . friend here will be going out to Shelby’s later? It’d sure be nice to catch up over a drink?’
Lottie’s face changed, suddenly catching on. Honestly, it was adorable – being so into Cole that it didn’t even seem to cross her mind to think of any other men in that way.
I stood up, taking charge.
‘Hestia.’ I introduced myself, leaning over Lottie to shake his hand. ‘I think we will be, yes, although Lottie will be with Cole. You know him, right? Big fucker, arms like the Hulk?’
Lottie covered her mouth and dipped her head, shoulders shaking slightly.
‘Yeah, yeah, I know Cole.’ He acknowledged my tone with an amused nod and a curious smile, but otherwise unperturbed. He was cute, admittedly. ‘Maybe see you later, then?’
‘Maybe.’ I smiled sweetly. ‘Mine’s a bourbon. No ice.’
‘Yes, ma’am,’ he replied, tipping his hat again and shaking his head as his friends laughed.
‘Oh, Hes – look,’ Lottie said, still laughing but pointing to the arena.
And there he was. Clad head to toe in rodeo gear, from the tan leather chaps to the Diamond Back branded shirt, his smile breaking out as he roped the calf in record time.
As the crowd roared and he pulled up his horse, Jesse seemed to search out the crowd, looking from under the brim of his hat to shield his eyes from the sun.
Lottie jumped up, cheering and clapping, and in the same moment he saw us.
I held myself still, expression neutral, but my heart picked up as he fully took off his hat and tipped it towards us. Running a hand through his hair, he placed it back and despite the distance, winked before turning away.
‘Well, I’ve never received that before,’ Lottie noted as she sat back down. ‘Greatest sign of respect from a cowboy to fully take their hat off—’
‘Tell me he doesn’t ride bulls?’ I asked, noticing a sudden commotion to the right, where one of them seemed to be kicking the shit out of the gate.
‘Not any more,’ Lottie clarified, smiling at my blatant deflection. ‘He stepped away before he received more than a broken back . . . besides, Cole told me that his mum got sick around the same time. His dad left years ago, so he wanted to step up for her and his sisters.’
The myriad of sarcastic responses dried up and evaporated. Combined with what I knew of Jesse already, the picture building around him was . . . fuck.
As Lottie turned to me, suspicious of my silence, with considerable relief I saw the barrels being set up and heard Bailey and Dunkin’s names over the tannoy.
Attention turned, we watched as the first few racers belted out of the gate, their speed and precision breathtaking as they thundered across the arena, a blur of colour and dirt. There were milliseconds in the time differentials.
‘These are some of the best racers in the state,’ Lottie explained as the crowd cheered again, just as Bailey’s name was announced. ‘Qualifying here takes you on to the championships in Cheyenne. It’s a big deal . . . big money, too, Bailey says. More than she’d get in a year at the ranch.’
We held our breath as the countdown started, a roar as Dunkin rocket-launched up the centre of the arena, Bailey no more than a flash of auburn hair against the horse’s golden coat.
The first turn was the tightest we’d seen yet, cutting so close to the barrel that I couldn’t believe it wouldn’t be knocked down.
On to the next, and again, as Dunkin dipped down, Bailey leaning with her, it looked like the perfect turn until –