“Not tonight.” I huff out a laugh. “But at some point, yes.”
The parking lot at the equestrian center is already packed, so it takes us a while to find a spot. I shoot off a text to Segan, letting him know we’re here, and he comes out with Augustine to meet us at the gate. A smile tugs on my lips that mirrors his when he comes into view.
He’s looks good enough to eat in his tight, straight leg, light denim Wranglers that I know hug his plump bubble butt perfectly, black cowboy boots, a plain white tee with the sleeves rolled up once, and an all-black Smoky Boy Whiskey trucker hat. Segan fits in so well, and it’s such a harsh difference to how he used to stick out like a sore thumb back home.
I love that he found his place in the world.
“Hey, Josie,” he mutters with a wink before turning his attention to my right. “Hey, Ash. Nice to see you again.”
Ash darts their gaze over to me, a huge grin split on their face. “Josie?”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t fucking ask.”
Segan laughs as my scowl deepens. “Come on. Let’s get in the back. I can introduce you to everyone.”
We make our way through the crowd, everyone stopping to stare at Segan. This has to be a regular occurrence for him, and that’s wild to me. To never be able to go anywhere under the radar. To constantly have people know exactly who you are, and not have a single moment of privacy. I wonder if it gets old or if he enjoys it. Making a mental note to ask him, I stay close by as we weave through the sweaty bodies toward the back.
A hell of a lot of cowboys are mulling around once we seem to get to where we’re supposed to be. It takes a few moments, but I spot Wade and Voss amongst the sea of them. They wave us over, and once I introduce them to Ash, Voss calls over someone for us to meet.
A tall, dark blond guy, dressed similarly to Segan, but with colored ink up and down the length of his arms, steps up, Voss slapping him on the back. “Y’all, this is one of my best buddies from back home, Shooter Graham. We went to school together up until we graduated, and he’s one of the best bronc riders I’ve ever seen.”
Voss beams when talking about his friend. It’s cute.
Shooter tosses us a smirk that no doubt has the ladies—or fellas—dropping their panties. “Nice to meet you guys. Thanks for coming out tonight.”
Voss introduces us to a few more guys before we all take a seat in the stands. Augustine, and some others, sit around us all, making sure people keep their distance from Segan, Wade, and Voss, but for the most part, this feels pretty normal. I don’t know what I was expecting, maybe a special, blocked-off section, but no.
The area is loud, music playing, people chattering back and forth. It’s hot as hell out today, but thankfully, we’re under cover, so it’s not too bad. Glancing over, I see Ash and Wade are getting along well. They gravitated toward each other the minute we got here, and they’ve been chatting ever since.
Someone bumps my shoulder, and when I look, Segan’s holding out a matte black flask for me with a grin on his lips. Taking it from him, our fingers brush, and it’s like an electric zap. “Thanks,” I mutter before bringing it to my lips and taking a swig.Whiskey, and if I had to guess, I’d say it’s the same brand that’s on the hat he’s wearing. It seems to be his favorite, and I can see why. It’s good. Rich.
Bronc riding comes first, and Voss wasn’t lying. Shooter is the best one out there. I know next to nothing about the sport, but it’s clear that he knows what he’s doing.
Leaning in toward Segan, I ask, “Do you go to these types of things a lot?”
He shakes his head, meeting my gaze. “Nah, this is only my third time. Do you?”
“I’ve never been to one.”
Segan smirks, sultry and wicked, before he murmurs quiet enough for only me to hear him, “Well, look at us being each other’s firsts in all kinds of things lately.”
A thrill shoots down my spine at the mention of us hooking up last week. That wasn’t his first time having sex, of course, but itwashis first time having sex with a man, and his first time hooking up with anybody in years. I love that I got to be that first for him.
We’ve both been busy with work—me at the garage, still slammed and shorthanded, and him at the studio—so while we’ve texted back and forth quite a bit, it’s mostly been surface level. We haven’t talked about the hookup, much to my disappointment, but I’m glad to know it’s been on his mind like it has mine.
My gaze dips down to his lips as he wets them with his tongue, and I have the overwhelming urge to lean in and capture them with my own. I won’t, but fuck, would I love to.
For a moment, I try to picture what it would be like to be out in the open with my feelings for Segan. To hold his hand in public. Kiss him. Claim him. He’s never been spotted dating anybody, and as far as I know, he’s not even out.
Ash has it right; Segan and I need to sit down and talk about whatever this is between us. I don’t like sitting in this gray area with him. I either want to have all of him or none of him—preferably the former, and all the time.
It’s dark by the time the rodeo ends, but none of us are ready to call it a night. We all decide to head to Segan’s for some drinks by the fire, including a couple of the guys from the show. In the car ride to his place, Ash is quiet, on their phone almost the whole time, which isn’t unusual for them.
“So,” I start, turning the music down a notch. “Wade’s cute, huh?”
Ash bites the inside of their cheek, glancing over at me, trying not to smile. “He is.”
“You guys seem to get along nicely.”
