Page 27 of Second Rodeo


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“God, no one in this family can keep a secret.”

“I’m glad you told him no,” he says without missing a beat.

That surprises me. “I thought you liked him?”

“He was a nice enough guy, but he didn’t make you happy. Not the way you deserve. The one for you is out there, Regan. We’d never want you to settle for a guy who’s just okay.”

“Thanks… I know. Same for you, you know?”

He chuckles, low and soft. “I don’t think so. Marriage might be a dream for you, but it’s not for me.”

I press my lips together, nodding. “I’m going to let Colt and Molly buy it if I can’t figure something out in a week.”

“You mean convince Mrs. Mayberry to sell it to you anyway?”

I shrug. “I guess… I don’t know.”

“Well, don’t see it as a loss if they do. It’ll still be your business.”

But it wouldn’treallybe mine. The name on the deed would be Colts’. I hold that thought back.

“Where are you right now?” I ask, shifting the conversation before the knot in my chest tightens any more.

“Phoenix. Hot as hell, but it’s been good. I had an interview this morning for the news here where all I did was talk about Cash and his chickens.”

“You really like being on the road that much?”

“Keeps me busy. Distracted. No time to sit and think when you’re always on the move.”

I nod because I understand that better than our other siblings probably do.

“Okay. Gotta go. Love you,” I say quickly, cutting the call short before my voice cracks and the tears start again.

“Call me anytime, Regan. Love you.”

When I hang up, I wipe my hands down my pant legs, my skin raw from over-washing. Catching my reflection in the smalloffice mirror, I sigh and fix my makeup, smudging out the faint traces of mascara where my eyes watered earlier. My t-shirt and ripped jeans feel like a disguise, with the family brand splashed across my chest like a banner that’s supposed to say I’ve got it all together becauseI’m a Marshall. But tonight, it feels like a mask—one that I’m wearing to keep from falling apart.

Maybe I shouldn’t be letting the loss of a property that was never really mine affect me this deeply, but this was never about a house for me. It was about a dream.

I turn on my heel, deciding to call it a night and head home. Perhaps sleep will help me think of a new plan. But the second I step out of the office, the noise from the bar hits me like a wave.

It’s louder than when I left a few minutes ago. People are hollering, clapping, the music is cranked up, the kind of energy that means something’s happening. I glance toward the crowd, my curiosity sparking as I crane my neck to see what the commotion’s about. And then I see him.

Freaking Hayes Walker in my family’s bar.

He’s soaking in the attention, all charm and swagger in a dark black shirt, his light brown hair mussed under a baseball cap brim, as people clap him on the back and cheer like he just won the lottery. He works his way through the crowd, his easy smile setting everyone at ease until he lands on an open stool at the bar. One of my servers starts toward him, ready to take his drink order, but I stop her with a quick shake of my head.

“I’ll get this one,” I say, sliding back behind the bar.

She nods, shooting me a knowing wink before walking away.

Chapter 12: Hayes

“Hayes,” a voice as sweet as summertime honey calls out my name.?

I glance up from the menu I was reading, and just like that, the air shifts. Regan Marshall is making her way through the crowd like the whole damn place is parting for her. And maybe it is. She’s got that effect. That magnetism you can’t quite explain but everyone feels.

And damn, she looks gorgeous tonight.