Chapter Eighteen #2
I looked at my feet, coughing as I said, “Canada.”
“And for how long?”
“Six months, minimum.”
Kat whistled low.
“What? What’s wrong with that?” Jack said, glancing between us.
“Nothing, it’s great,” I replied.
“But?” Tate added.
“I’ve never been away from home for that long before.”
“You mean you’ve never been away from her for that long before?” Kat stated, managing to home in on exactly what my brain was tumbling over.
“Ah,” Jack said, the penny dropping.
“What? Who?” Tate glanced between us all.
“Maddy.”
“Ohhhhh, shit. I didn’t know you and Maddy were—” Tate was cut off by Jack punching him on the shoulder. He rubbed his arm, glaring at Jack. “Ow, dude?”
“Have you told her yet?” Kat asked, ignoring them.
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
“I suggest you go and do that now before word gets out. But congrats Leo, that’s incredible. I know you and Daddy had been working on this for a long time. It’s a great opportunity, don’t lose sight of that.”
“Thanks Kat,” I said, kissing her cheek. “Where is she anyway?”
Kat waved her hand. “Oh, she’s in the corral judging the donkey contest.”
My face scrunched up. “The donkey contest?”
“Yeah, you know, Rate My Ass.”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “Let me guess, Daisy’s idea?”
Jack nodded. “Daisy’s idea.”
“Right, I’m going to go and find Mads. Wish me luck?”
“Good luck,” Tate crowed, clapping me on the back again and I tossed him a dirty look. He returned it, adding in a shit-eating grin too. I let him off because he doesn’t smile often.
I wandered through the fair, watching people from the town play games, buy food from the trucks and gifts from the stalls.
The ranch came to life when people visited.
I loved nights like this, witnessing the sense of community here that nowhere else could compete with.
It made me feel homesick even though I hadn’t even left yet.
Eventually the corral came into sight. It was surrounded by people; local ranchers and cowboys leaning against the fence as they eyed up the donkeys in the center.
Then I saw Maddy, in the middle, short denim shorts on, red flannel shirt with the lapels tied into a knot at the waist, showing off her ridged stomach. Her peach cowgirl’s boots completed the mouthwatering look.
My eyes roved over her and I let them. I practically knew her body better than my own. It’s imprinted on my brain, behind my eyelids and my soul. And yet I never missed an opportunity to refresh my memory.
Maddy is a work of art, a pure masterpiece.
I can’t even be unbiased about it; she is a stunningly beautiful woman.
Small perky tits, trim waist and the little swells of her hips led to a tight, muscled stomach showcasing all her strength, all her hard work.
She used to complain when we were teens that she didn’t have curves like the other girls did.
She still doesn’t. She has strength and that’s even sexier to me than all the hips, tits, thighs and ass in Reverence.
Unless they’re her hips, tits, thighs and ass. Speaking of her ass…
Maddy spun in the corral, like she could feel me near and our gazes clashed. I shot her a grin, and she returned it with a wink before facing the crowd again. I climbed the corral fence, setting my own ass on the top and watched her.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve assessed all their coats. Each one is clean, shiny like a shampoo commercial, and I can see more bald spots in the crowd than I can on these donkeys!”
There was a ripple of laughter from the audience and I laughed along with them. She could be cheeky when she wanted to be, another quality I loved about her.
“Now, it’s time for the braying portion of the contest. Come on boys, show this lovely crowd what your singing voices sound like!
” Maddy flourished back to the donkeys and there was complete silence.
Then all of a sudden and all at once, they began to bray and it was the most horrendous sound I’d heard in my entire life.
The crowd groaned and most of them covered their ears, but Maddy didn’t care.
Working on the ranch, she was used to odd sounds, no matter how horrible and loud they were.
She swayed her arms like she was conducting an orchestra, and it made me laugh harder at her nonchalance.
Then with a flourish from Maddy, the donkeys all fell silent.
“Gorgeous!” Maddy breathed into the microphone and earned a few more chuckles.
Eventually the contest was over with one lucky donkey crowned The Perfect Ass and presented with a prize ribbon. Maddy made her way over to me, hopping up onto the fence.
“I think the wrong ass won,” I began.
She arched a brow. “Oh yeah?”
“There was only one perfect ass in that corral and it belonged to you,” I teased, waggling my eyebrows.
She scoffed and shoved my shoulder playfully, her cheeks flushing. “You’re ridiculous.” She shook her head, assuming I was joking but I really wasn’t. “How was training?”
I nodded. “Good. I got chewed out for not training hard enough.”
“You have been slacking.”
“Hey! You’re my best friend, you’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I know. But I’m on the side where you don’t get gored by a bull and that means you need to be training. Especially if you won’t let me come and watch you.”
“Yeah, about that…” I started, looking over to the emptying corral. The crowd around us had dispersed, the donkeys led back to trailers by their owners. It was just the two of us.
“Leo?”
I turned back to her, concern dipping her thick brows.
There was a loud squeal nearby and we both turned in the direction of the sound, seeing a young family; husband, wife and squealing baby.
I looked back to Maddy to continue the conversation, but her stare lingered on them.
Her brows dipped in as she watched the family before a look of longing crossed her face, quickly wiped away when she squeezed her eyes shut.
Maddy always talked about how she didn’t want a family, didn’t want a husband or children. But sometimes, when she got that same look of longing on her face, I wasn’t so sure she really meant it.
Her hand gripped the flame necklace I’d gotten her all those years ago, her finger stroking over the diamante in the tip, like she was soothing herself. She always wore it. I don’t think I’d ever seen her take it off. That reminded me…
“I got you something.” I pulled out the keyring and placed it on her knee. She snatched it up, like a little magpie spotting something shiny.
“Oh my God, thank you. I love it!” she gushed.
She turned it over, inspecting it in too much detail for something that was so cheap. But she loved anything anyone got her. No matter how big or small, it was truly the thought that counted with her.
Once she finished inspecting it, she fixed me with a hard stare. “Now, spill.”
“I’ve got a spot on a tour.”
She gripped my arm, squeezing in her excitement. “You’re kidding!” Her hazel eyes lit with enthusiasm.
I chuckled. “No. I finally got one, thanks to Charlie.”
She tilted her head to the side, eyes welling with tears.
“Gah, don’t do that!” I gasped and turned my stare away before my eyes filled as well.
“I’m so happy for you. So glad Daddy helped make this happen, after everything.”
“Yeah.”
She squeezed my knee, drawing my attention back to her, frown back in place. “Why aren’t you happy about it?”
“I am.”
“Tell your face that.”
I chuckled at her sarcasm. “It’s just…it’s not here. It’s Canada.”
Her grip on my knee tightened imperceptibly. Her mouth twitched but she kept her expression clear. “Wow. How long would you be gone for?”
I couldn’t look at her when I said, “Six months. Minimum.”
“Oh?” Her voice cracked and she looked to the side, her lip wobbled and I felt sick. Then with a jerk of her head, she turned back to me, bright smile fixed in place.
“Amazing! You’re going to do amazing; I just know it. Six months on a tour is going to do so much for your career. And in Canada? You’re off to see the world, baby!”
I knew this woman better than I knew myself.
She was only just about holding it together, her eyes too shiny from just plain happiness.
Her smile stretched slightly too wide and forced.
She was upset, but she was fighting it all for me.
Because she knew what this meant, knew how many times I’d given up the opportunity.
Mostly for her. But she wouldn’t let it show.
She’d stay positive and want nothing but the best for me.
God, I loved her so much. How was I going to cope without her for six months?
“Besides, you know what this means?” she asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.
I sighed, resignation already in my words when I said, “What does it mean?”
“I get to throw you a going away party!”
I laughed. “Of course you’d focus on the priorities.”
She matched my smile. “Of course. What are best friends for?”