8. Warren
“Hey, Jesse.”
Greeting my brother, I drop my gear on the office sofa with a sigh.
Maybe if I’d slept here last night, I’d be more rested.
The last time I remember feeling this wrung out and exhausted was when I forgot my house key at my foster home.
They made me stay outside on the porch that night.
I slept curled up like a dog, and to this day, I still twitch when I hear a transport use its air brakes in the early morning.
Funny how little things still stick with you after you’ve put yourself back together and found the right family to love you.
“Morning, Warren.” He sips from his coffee mug. “Did you know I can read Llama, Llama Red Pajama out loud sixteen times in a row and still not get the voices right?”
The dark circles under my brother’s eyes must match my own.
“She’s still giving you a hard time sleeping?”
“It’s probably a growth spurt the daycare said.” He pauses before sighing. “They gave me a nanny registry and suggested hired help if I need it. Do you think that’s okay?”
Jesse is the strong one. He’s always the pillar when I need it. I’ve never seen him look so…defeated and unconfident.
“Jesse…you have to do something. If you don’t always want to ask Dad and Pops, what are your options? At least a registry would vet the applicants for you, right?”
“Yeah, it’s just… weird leaving her with a stranger, I guess.
The daycare was hard enough. I just wish her mom didn’t…
. need to leave,” Jesse finishes, and he’s being kind.
While I support his ex needing to take space and discover herself, I don’t like that she left her daughter the way she did.
Jesse says they talk on FaceTime, but it’s not the same.
Maise understands that Mommy had to go on a trip for a while, but it’s certainly taking its toll on my brother.
“You always do what’s right, Jesse. This is just another bump in the road, and you’ll get it sorted.”
His phone buzzes, and after a glance, he nods. “Your steers are here. How did it go with Dane yesterday?”
Many words rush into my mind to describe how it went.
All of them are unprofessional. After Jesse encouraged me to build a bond with Dane before we enter the ring, I agreed it was the right thing to do.
Finding him working on his truck seemed more attractive than watching him on a horse.
He’s so competent and strong. I watched for several minutes before it clicked.
Fixing his truck in the school’s garage, Dane seemed more comfortable. Almost unguarded, and it was beautiful.
He was beautiful.
It took all my willpower not to stare while he worked, and let him know I liked this part of him. Then he had to kiss me, and now I’m all tied in knots and dreading working together. How the hell am I supposed to concentrate now that I’ve felt his lips and had his tongue next to mine?
“Warren?”
Jesse’s concerned voice pulls me back to the present.
“Oh…fine.” Standing when I notice Jesse’s eyes narrow, I grab my gear. “I’ll go meet the contractor. We’ll finish in time for the bull riders.”
That was close. Jesse always figures me out before I do, but I’m not about to tell him anything when it was just a kiss. A hot kiss from a beautiful man who happens to be my new partner and biggest rival since I started rodeo. No big deal.
After swinging open the loading gate, I motion for the contractor to back his trailer to the ramp. Once his trailer is in place, he hops out with a wave.
“I brought you twelve steers. I’m not sure how many you plan to use today, but it’s what I could spare. Most of my other stock is in travel right now.”
“That will be just fine, Eric. I appreciate what you can do on short notice. I can help you pen them.”
Eric has been supplying the school with stock since opening day, and I appreciate anything he does for us. It’s been wonderful listening to Dad talk about how well Eric’s business is doing apart from us. I feel like I’ve known him almost as long as Dad has.
The steers leave the trailer easily enough and enter the holding pen. I wave while Eric drives off. As soon as he’s out of sight, a familiar truck and horse trailer pull into the back and parks next to mine.
Dane exits and stretches his back, and a puff of air punches from my lungs. He still looks good, even after I spent the night trying to build him up as an ogre in my mind. So much for that, then.
“Burke.” He upnods when he notices me in the open loading doorway and places his cowboy hat on his head. “Just bring the horse in here, then?”
“Yeah. Right into the ring is fine.”
After closing the stock loading door, I open the smaller one and head outside. Dane has his horse out of the trailer already, and an unwanted smile tilts my lips. “You have the same horse still. Nice. Me too.”
He pats the mare fondly. “Yep. Trigger is my lady. Ain’t that right, Miss Thing?”
Trigger snuffles and nods her head, stretching to bump Dane’s hat. He smiles, and just like that, all I can think about is those lips on mine again. I quickly turn to my trailer.
After unloading my horse, I tie Petey to the opposite side of the trailer from Dane while he saddles his horse. Even with the trailer between us, his deep, gentle murmurs to Trigger drift to my ears, and I die a little inside when he sings a soft song to her.
Jesus Christ, he’s already kissed me, and now he’s singing to his horse. How the hell am I still supposed to hate him now?
When I’m finished saddling Petey, I stroke his neck and whisper to him before leading him to the building. Dane is only a few steps in front of me, and I definitely don’t imagine what it would be like to walk next to him instead of behind.
As if reading my mind, he looks back over his shoulder with a smirk.
“Like the view, Burke?”
“Sure. Pretty sure I prefer the ass on the left.”
Dane’s smirk falls, and I can’t help the laugh that bursts out at his put-out expression. I don’t think he enjoys being the one on the other end of the jokes much.
“We’ll have to load the steers ourselves until Jesse joins us.”
Dane nods and glances around the ring. “How do you want to work this?”
I’m sort of shocked that Dane isn’t taking over, choosing to defer to me, but I don’t mind at all.
“We can warm up inside. Plenty of room to get the horses loose and throw a few. I’ll get Jesse to release the steers once we’re ready for a few practice runs.”
“Sounds good.” Dane hoists himself into the saddle and goes to the far end of the ring while I stay near the chutes.
It’s hard to get my mind in the game when I keep darting glances at Dane.
He’s not been competitive for five years and still throws with confidence and precision.
Just like he did when I first met him all those years ago.
He was always an amazing tie-down roper. He could capture a calf and tie a knot faster than anyone. He was always so quick off the start that he could muck up his hooey tie and still win. I should know. I’ve lost to him more times than I care to admit.
Dane brings his horse next to mine. “I’m ready when you are. Still want to be the header?”
“Actually, I was thinking maybe you could. You always had a better start than me.”
Dane nods. “Okay. We can try both if you want and see what works best.”
Why is he being so cooperative? This is so odd for him to be so…likeable. So easy-going.
“Let’s try it with you heading first and see how it goes. I’ll go get Jesse if you want to get a few steers to the chutes.”
Dane nods again and takes his horse over to the gates and into the corral area. After tying Petey, I climb over the rails to locate Jesse.
“Hey, bro.” I knock on the doorframe of the office. “Can you come and do the releasing for us? We’re ready for a few rounds.”
“Can do. Just let me save my work.” Jesse clicks at the computer before standing.
“I just had an email from an Aussie bull rider. He wants to come to the school and spend a year here training and touring. I’m not sure if we can help him out with the legal stuff, though. I’ll talk to Clarence about it.”
Snorting, I shake my head. “He’s the lawyer, Jesse. If anyone knows, it’ll be him. Make him work for something here. Since he doesn’t like to get dirty, I feel like it’s always us pulling the weight for him.”
We walk along the hall to the ring, and I immediately feel shitty for bad-mouthing my youngest brother, but it’s true.
“I’ll handle it. I wish you’d stop being so harsh with him, Warren. He’s had a hard life, too. Probably worse than both of us.” He gentles his voice. “We’re family.”
“I know. I’m sorry, and you’re right. This thing with Dane has me on edge, I guess.”
Jesse stops and pulls me back a step. “A thing? What thing?”
“Being his fucking partner, Jesse!” I hiss. “The guy has been nothing but a thorn in my side for years. He’s…he’s…” He’s getting to me. Being this close and speaking full sentences when all I ever had from him before was taunts and smirks has me unsettled.
“Whoa, bro, calm down.” Jesse’s hand on my arm brings me back to reality, and I inhale to get myself together.
“I’m fine. It’s just…I’m fine.”
I leave Jesse in the hallway and quickly hop back into the ring before he can press me for more. Petey stands waiting, and so does Dane. His expression says nothing, and I hope to god he didn’t overhear anything with Jesse.
“What side do you prefer?” I ask as we head to the chutes, and he shrugs.
“Whatever side you don’t want. I’m not picky.”
He always used the right side like me. Since he’s going for the head, I back up Petey into the left side chute.
Dane takes the right side, and Jesse makes sure the barriers are ready across our chutes and the steer’s.
It’s awkward for Jesse to get back and load a steer without it bolting before he’s ready, but Jesse has done this so often that he has his own system to manage it.
Dane glances my way, and I nod. He nods to Jesse, and with a shout, Jesse gives the steer a shove from the chute.
As predicted, Dane’s start is still fast, but he only catches a single horn.
He drops the rope with a curse as I pull up on Petey to stop.
The steer knows the exit. He’s likely been here a few times, and after flicking Dane’s rope off, I open the gate so it trots back to the holding pen.
“Guess I’m rustier than I thought,” Dane grumbles as he winds his rope back in.
“That’s why we’re practicing now. Let’s do it again.”
And we do. Three more times, and Dane still hasn’t thrown a legal head catch. I’ve yet to even try anything.
“Let’s switch,” Dane barks.
“You sure?”
“Burke, I don’t miss four in a row. Something is off. Maybe it’s the pressure of knowing I need to do well for you to make a throw.”
“I highly doubt it’s pressure. You never cracked before. Not once.”
“Yeah, well, things change.”
Without another word, he switches sides and gives me the right-side chute I prefer and puts me in the header position. His gaze catches mine while we settle in the chutes, and he’s still as unreadable as ever. He nods, and I exhale slowly before signalling to Jesse.
The steer bursts from the chute with the two of us in pursuit, and my throw lands perfectly around its neck. Petey digs in to stop, and I turn him so the steer’s feet face Dane as best as I can. He’s already releasing his rope before the steer is in position, and he catches both feet perfectly.
I cheer from my saddle as Dane sags.
“Good work, boys. That was textbook. I need a pee break, and I’ll be right back.” Jesse hops out of the ring and trots towards the washrooms as Dane and I dismount to release the steer.
He remains quiet until the steer is out of sight.
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Dane says it so softly, I think I’ve heard wrong.
“Is that a compliment, Walker?”
A cloudiness floats across his ocean blues, the normal taunting gaze absent, and it honestly throws me off.
“No, it’s a statement of fact. Don’t let it go to your head. You should be the header.”
“It was one run. We can keep trying to—”
“No. You’re the header.”
“Shouldn’t this be a team decision?”
“For fuck’s sake, Burke. What about this aren’t you picking up?
” Dane shouts. “I know you think I’m a faster start, but it’s been a few years, and you clearly have the step on me in that department.
Don’t rub it in. If you can’t see that, then maybe I’m giving you too much credit.
Get your head in the game.” His jaw clenches, and he steps closer to me.
“You’re the boss’s son. Your dad is a fucking legend.
Surely some of that talent and brain passed down to you. ”
A dry laugh passes over my lips.
“Sure. By osmosis, maybe. I’m fucking adopted, you asshole.
We all are, and you know this. If you’re implying I should inherit his skills and brains by genetics, you’re a bit off there.
” I push a hand to his chest and instantly regret touching him.
“What I can do and know in this ring I worked fucking hard for. Probably harder than you.”
He doesn’t remove my hand, and my fingers curl into his shirt like the traitorous body part they are. His gaze drops to my lips, and I swallow hard.
I hate hoping he’ll kiss me again. I also hate that being this close and touching him makes my pulse race. Dane doesn’t kiss me. Instead, he steps away from me and swings up into his saddle. “Don’t act like you know me. I guarantee your life is easier than mine.”
He turns away on Trigger and heads to the chutes. Jesse stands there waiting and pins me with his gaze. I shake my head and hope to god he saw little of that exchange.
“You two gonna finish up on these steers or calling it a day?” Jesse asks when we’re both at the chutes.
“I’d like to keep practicing if Dane wants to.”
“Yeah.”
Jesse forces a smile, clearly picking up on the tension that I hope doesn’t follow us into competition. “Great. Let’s do it.”
Dane is like a wall again. No emotion. Nothing but a game face, and I suppose that’s all we need at this point in time.
Perform in the ring. Make Dad happy and promote the school.
I need nothing else from Dane Walker.
A perfect lie I can keep repeating until I believe it.