Chapter Twelve
I took my time getting ready.
I took out my green floral dress and threw it on. It was one of my favorites, a sundress that clung to my waist perfectly. I curled my hair and put on the sandals Martha had gifted me for my last birthday.
My hands were shaking.
I left the hotel half an hour before the rodeo was going to start. The driver dropped me off right at the outdoor arena entrance, and I was grateful. The entire parking lot was full. The teenagers checking tickets at the gate smiled at me as I flashed my all-access badge, and I walked in.
The music was so loud that it was shaking the seats. The announcer let everyone know the show would start in twenty minutes.
I smiled at Thompson, who again sat in the front row and was surprised when he tipped his worn cap to me.
The best and the worst of the county had come tonight.
Rough-looking men and women, real cowboys and cowgirls, families, couples, they were all buzzing with excitement.
The food trucks’ smells were wafting through the crowd, making my stomach growl, but I was going to dinner after the show.
I couldn’t lose my appetite on an incredibly delicious rodeo burger.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the star of the show!”
I turned around and smiled. “Mr. Na-Dennis, it’s great to see you.”
Did I just ignore the embarrassing scene I had caused the last time I saw him, or would that make it more awkward?
Jo was wrapping her arms around me before I could say another word. “Darlin’! You look so beautiful! I am so glad to see you. We missed you these past few days!”
She sounded like she genuinely meant it.
I hugged her back. “What have you all been up to?”
She gave me one last squeeze before letting me go. “I’ve been listenin’ to boys fart in my backseat!”
I laughed in surprise.
“Jimmy and Alan are married, and they’re the worst ones!” Dennis added. He wrapped his arm around his wife and smiled at her, obviously smitten. “We took our time gettin’ here, that’s for sure.”
“You drive the whole circuit?” I asked in amazement.
“Most riders do,” he explained. “They don’t want to waste the limited money they have on planes, so as soon as it’s over, they jump back in the car.”
“We don’t do it every time,” Jo reassured.
I was still blown away. I was exhausted from loading on a plane once a week; I couldn’t imagine driving back and forth across the country. “How long have Jimmy and Alan been married?”
Jo immediately got out her phone and found pictures. “Jimmy has been married for ten, almost eleven, years; they have three kids. Alan got married about five years ago, and they have a little boy and a baby.” She swiped through the pictures of their families.
The girls were stunning, Southern Belles at their finest. They were tall, skinny, and drop-dead gorgeous. The kids were adorable, some of them looking exactly like the Nash family, others taking after their mothers. I leaned in and looked closer at one of the photos.
“Did your granddaughter sing the national anthem in Arizona?”
She beamed at me. “That’s Ellie, Jimmy’s oldest. She did! The kids were missing their daddy, and their poor mamma was tired of being home. Oh, I want you to meet them so bad!”
What it would be like to grow up with her as a mother or even get to have her as a mother-in-law. Her family was so lucky.
“I would love to meet them! If they’re at a rodeo anytime soon, let me know.”
“We will!”
I checked the time. “So sorry, duty calls.”
“Tell my boys good luck for me,” Jo called.
“I will!”
I made my way behind the chutes, where Billy was taking some behind-the-scenes footage as I had asked her to. She smiled and waved erratically when she saw me.
“Did you have a good day, Billy?”
She nodded. “Did you know this town goes berserk for rodeo weekend?”
I had seen signs up and down Main Street. “Did you go to the fair?”
Again, she nodded so hard her glasses almost fell off. “I almost threw up on the Ferris wheel!”
I laughed. “That’s not good!”
“Oh, it was so much fun!”
“I’m ready for my close-up,” said a voice behind me.
I spun around and saw Dean Nash smiling brightly. “Dean, how are you?”
He threw his chin toward Billy. “Your friend here said it was time for my interview. Is now a good time?”
Billy lifted her camera and gave me a thumbs-up. Dean was wearing a button-up shirt with the Agri-Corp logo. Though he wasn’t wearing the new vest we had bought, as their event didn’t require them, he was standing a few feet in front of the giant Agri-Corp trailer.
It was a perfect shot.
“Let’s talk Team Roping.”
He dramatically pretended to wipe sweat off his forehead. “Oh, thank goodness. I was worried you would want to talk about Mutton Bustin’!”
Billy laughed hard, making the camera shake.
He chuckled. “Sorry, go on.”
“Team Roping is unique because it’s a two-person event. How vital is the synchronization between you and your partner, and twin, Alan? How long does it take to truly trust each other in the arena?”
Alan appeared behind him and put his hands on his twin’s back. Dean jumped in surprise and spun around. “It took a while to get this kid to focus, but now that he’s gettin’ married soon, he’s figurin’ it out.”
Dean rolled his eyes.
It was a good thing Dean had a mustache, and Alan kept his hair shorter; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart. They were obviously identical twins, their movements almost constantly unconsciously synced.
“No, but honestly,” Dean continued, nudging his brother, “trust is everythin’. You gotta trust the rope, the horse, and the guy on the other side. I rope the head, so I gotta know Alan is back there ready to grab the feet.”
“Takes years to figure it out,” Alan jumped in. “You can’t guess what he’s gonna do; you just have to know he’s got your back. If you don’t trust him, you’re not ropin’ cattle, you’re either makin’ a fool of yourself or falling off your horse.”
This was better than I could’ve imagined. “Being a part of the Nash family legacy, how do you decide which events to attend? Is it purely strategic, based on potential prize money, or a rigorous path already written out for you?”
They shrugged at the same time.
“Well, prize money helps pay the bills, so that matters. Some cowboys choose a circuit, like Southern, and stick to it. We did that one year,” Dean explained.
Alan nodded, resting his elbow on his brother’s shoulder. “But as you know, Dad works for Agri-Corp, and they wanted to travel the country as much as possible. Spread the sponsorship across the country. We figured we could hitch a ride, and have been followin’ them this whole season.”
“You both are family-oriented men, Alan with your wife and kids, and Dean with your soon-to-be bride. How do your girls feel about the rodeo life?”
Where had the question come from? What was I going to do with that answer in the campaign video?
Alan blew out a long breath. “It’s not easy, especially with kids, but she knew who I was when we got married. She knew there was no changin’ a rodeo man.”
“Luckily, they’re all from Oklahoma, so it’s basically a family compound,” Dean described. “In fact, I’m ninety percent sure they’ve all moved into Mom and Dad’s house and are raisin’ the kids together. Including my poor fiancée.”
Alan laughed. “You should’ve seen the state of the house last year when we came home. It was trashed.”
At least the women were never alone. Even when most of their family was gone, they had support.
This family was so lucky.
“Awesome, thank you both so much. I’ll send you the finished product before I post it, and make sure you approve,” I said, offering my hand.
They both shook it.
“From what we’ve seen from Jimmy and Colton’s, you don’t need to approve it with us,” Alan assured me.
“Speak for yourself. Miley still has the chance to leave me before theweddin’.”
“If she’s raisin’ your nieces and nephews while you rodeo around the country, I’m sure she’s in it for the long haul,” Alan fake-punched his twin as they walked away.
“That was perfect, Miss Ford,” Billy said, putting the camera down. “Man, is there anyone in their family that doesn’t look like they walked out of a Hollywood movie?”
I shook my head. “I’ve seen pictures of their wives and kids. They’re all that perfect.”
The audience was hooping and hollering. It was the Mutton Busting events, where the kids clung to sheep and did all they could to stay on. It was one of the funniest things I had ever seen. Some of the kids weren’t half bad, either.
At the end, one kid would get a trophy bigger than they were.
“Allegra?”
My heart went flip-flop in my chest as I saw Harrison walking toward me.
He was wearing a navy shirt that was two sizes too small and white pants, already speckled with dirt.
His glasses were still on, and he was sporting his most expensive watch and his solid gold family ring on his right hand.
His usually shiny shoes were losing their reflectiveness as the dust piled on them.
I waved, my hands beginning to shake. “Hi, Harrison.”
He stood by me, his hands in his pockets.
Billy cleared her throat.
“Oh, sorry, this is my videographer, Billy,” I awkwardly introduced.
She shoved her hand in his direction. “Hi! You’re from Chicago, too, right? I’ve never been there, the murder capital of the world, right? No, thanks! What brings you all the way out here? It’s Harrison, right?”
He took a long breath, as if he didn’t have the patience for her, and shook her hand. “Yes, it’s Harrison,” he answered one of her three questions.
When she finally released his hand, she gave me a quick side hug. “I got some footage to shoot. If you need me, let me know.”
“Get whatever footage you think we need, including the bull riding with the new vests, and then you’re all set for the night. Thanks so much, Billy,” I said, ignoring how much I wanted to throw up.
She nodded and waved goodbye.
“Can I give you a kiss?” Harrison asked when she walked away.
I nodded, and he leaned in.
It was one of the worst kisses I’d ever had in my life. Short, awkward, and so stiff. Neither of us put our hands on each other, so I’m sure it looked as terrible as it felt.
“Thanks for coming out.”
“You asked.”
I suddenly realized he was behind the chutes, where only select personnel were allowed. “How did you get back here?”
He gave me a confused look. “Do you know who you’re talking to? I can get anywhere, Babe.”
I think he was attempting to tell a joke, so I chuckled. We stood out of the way and watched the show for a while, neither of us speaking.
The rodeo was nearly over. They had barrel racing, an event primarily for women, and bull riding. I knew it was all Harrison could handle being there, so I threw my head toward the exit. “I’m hungry, are you ready to go eat?”
He nodded, grateful we didn’t have to stay for the last events. We walked across the gravel parking lot to his rental car. Harrison refused to take taxis or call for cars, no matter where he went. He needed to feel in control when he came or left.
The announcer and the music were still loud enough for us to hear exactly what was going on inside.
Jimmy was riding when the buzzer sounded, and the announcer screamed his impressive score.
Harrison opened the door for me, and I climbed in. It was a brand-new car, a rental, and somehow it already smelled like his expensive cologne. “Where are we going?”
Again, our options were extremely limited unless we went to the next town, so I suggested a little farmhouse cafe I had seen.
He drove, and I stole looks at him, my stomach feeling like a rock. I was nowhere near hungry. At one point, he put his hand on my thigh, something he used to do all the time in Chicago. I swallowed hard, wanting to give in to his touch, but knowing I couldn’t.
He pulled into the crowded parking lot, and we got out.
The place was unbelievably adorable.
Dee Dee’s Farmhouse Cafe
It was shaped like a barn, with a little porch, American flags, and a few benches. Harrison opened the door for me. There was a wood-burning stove, a small shop with clothes and knick-knacks, and vintage tables and chairs.
It was the cutest little restaurant I’d ever seen.
We took a seat near the little shop, Harrison signaling a waitress before I had even grabbed my napkin.
“Excuse me, could we get a bottle?”
The waitress was young enough to be in high school. She gave him a confused look, clutching her notepad like a lifeline. “Sorry, sir? What would you like a bottle of?”
He gave her a degrading scowl. “A bottle of wine.”
I put my hand on his. “Harrison, I don’t-”
“What is so hard to understand?” He snapped.
“We would both like some water, please,” I said to the poor teenager.
She nodded and ran off.
“Harrison, we are in a Mom and Pop cafe in the smallest town in Utah,” I whispered harshly. “There is no chance that they have wine, or any alcohol for that matter.”
He pulled his hand away from my touch. “Remind me again why we had to go somewhere with a kid’s menu.”
I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Can we please talk?”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
It was all I could do not to throw my hands up in defeat. Martha would be resisting the urge to smack him right about then. “Harrison, I want to talk about the proposal.”
“Oh.” He said, putting down the menu and reaching into his pocket. He took out the little velvet box and tossed it on the table. “Right. Here.”
I watched it roll twice before landing upside-down.
The bell on the top of the door rang, announcing the arrival of another guest.
I stared at the table, not ready to meet his gaze as I broke the news. “Harrison, I want you to listen with an open mind, okay? Please don’t freak out or-”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Harrison, we need to break up,” I finally spat out. “I thought I loved you and knew exactly what I wanted my life to end up like, but these past few days-”
“Allegra,” he interrupted.
I finally looked up, angry that he couldn’t even let me break up with him the way I wanted to. “Harrison, please.”
He was snarling.
“Here’s that water for…you…” The waitress said, feeling the tension between us. “Looks like you two need a minute. I’ll come check on you in a bit.” She almost ran away.
I tried again. “These past few days, I’ve had time to-”
“Allegra, I will not listen to another word,” he informed me. “I know exactly what you’re going to say.”
I plucked the napkin from my lap and slammed it on the table. “Oh, really? Do tell.”
“Yeah, I know, and I don’t want to hear all about how you slept with the cowboy and his exciting hick life made you realize you didn’t want me.” He was yelling now, and everyone in the cafe was slowly turning their heads to look at me.
I huffed and crossed my arms. “Is that right? How are you so sure?”
“Because he’s here.”
I turned sharply.
Colton, Jimmy, Alan, and Dean were standing by the door, not bothering to hide the fact that they were staring at us.