Page 116 of Untamed

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Page 116 of Untamed

Grayer isn’t like anyone I’d ever met before. He has this passion buried down deep in his bones that makes you see him in a different light. It is a passion that he risks his life for. Some call him crazy for it. Who would risk his life for eight seconds? He would. And down deep, I see him in a different light too. Because how many people do you really know that risk their lives for their passion? Some, I suppose. But not many. Fear holds them back. The unknown weighs on them.

I’ll never regret my decision to leave Ellensburg and follow Grayer. I never would because I did the unthinkable, found my wandering soul along the way and in those weeks that I was with him, he showed me a love I would have never thought possible had I not gone.

I don’t get to see Grayer as much as I want to, but when I get outside the apartment, he’s waiting in his truck to take me to Springfield with him.

He drove hours out of the way to come pick me up and take me with him.

When I open the door, I’m met with that same hat and those diamond eyes that don’t just give me hope these days. They give me forever in the gentlest way. The kind of way you wouldn’t expect from someone who spends his days defeating the odds of the most dangerous eight seconds on dirt. But that’s Grayer Easton.

“You really didn’t have to drive this far out of your way,” I tell him, getting in the truck.

He looks at my necklace, the one he saved, collected the beads when they broke and put it back together for me just like he did my broken heart. “You could move in with me and I wouldn’t have to,” he says, reaching for me and scooting me across the seat to press me to his side.

He’s been asking me to move in with him since he finished his house three months ago. Still, I’m holding out on him. There’s nothing like seeing Grayer Easton beg.

So I hold out.

I smile, rolling my eyes and kiss his scruffy cheek. “I still have another year of school.”

“You know I hate that you’re four hours away and not in my bed every night.”

This time I laugh. “You’renot in your bed every night.”

“Still . . . it’d be easier to imagine you, if you were in mine,” he points out.

“And why’s that?”

He winks. “I’ve got some vivid memories of you in my bed. But my problem is I got a new bed . . . and a new house. I need you there.” And then he shrugs, his words delivered purposely slow just like he always does. “We gotta make new memories.”

I smile. He’s awfully cute to tell no. “When I finish school. I’m sticking with this school thing.”

Grayer shakes his head, amused. “I bet I can convince you otherwise.”

“I bet you can. But you won’t because you know it’s important to me.”

“There’s that, isn’t there?” He kisses my temple.

There was that because Grayer knows how important finishing school is for me. A year ago, it wouldn’t have been, but this was for me and he understands that.

I look in the backseat to Wyatt’s car seat. It’s empty. I thought he was coming with him this time. “Where’s Wyatt?”

Grayer grunts, frowning. “He wanted to ride with Britany so he could see Emerly. I’ve been replaced by a baby.”

Laughing, I think of how taken little Wyatt is by his new baby sister. “She’s cute though.”

“Yeah, whatever.” His hand slides around my shoulder. “Get over here.” And then comes the wink. “Girl, what’s up?”

I bust up laughing thinking of that day in the barn, sitting as close to him as I possibly can. “Are you nervous?”

“About?”

“Drawing Pearl Harbor. . . . He’s gone unridden all year.”

There’s not a shred of doubt in his eyes when he says, “I’m totally calm.”

Shaking my head, I’m not surprised by his answer. This is Grayer we’re talking about. I’ve learned bull riders have a very different mentality on life. “That’s because you’re mentally instable.”

Meeting my gaze again, Grayer takes a deep breath. “There’s that. But let’s talk about who else has gone unridden for a long fuckin’ time.”


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