It was stupid, and it shouldn’t have happened. Seeing how much Boone wanted me in that alley, witnessing the burning desire in his eyes, it silenced the alarm bells in my head. The ones that have been telling me to keep my distance since I watched Boone jerk off. He kissed me, and something else entirely took over, and I simply couldn’t stop the force. In that moment, with the feel of his lips moving against mine, it was a new reality, one where I could see what it would be like if Boone was mine.
But that can never happen, can it? That was nothing but a fantasy that took over in a moment of weakness.
“Did you guys have fun last night?” Jade’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.
“Huh?”
“At the bar,” she clarifies. “You both went last night, right? Was it fun?”
“Oh, yeah.” I huff out a laugh, chancing a look in Boone’s direction. He’s focused on an invisible crumb on the table. “It was fun. Xander, Colt, and I did a round of karaoke.”
Jade nods, a smirk playing on her lips that makes my pulse kick up a notch. “Is there something you want to tell me?” she asks, and I swear, my blood runs cold. This time I don’t even bother looking over at Boone.
“What, uh…what do you mean?”
“Oh, come on,” she says. “Don’t play coy. I talked to Hannah yesterday afternoon.”
Hannah…oh. That’s what she’s referring to. Not the fact that I made out with her ex-husband last night.
“Oh, that.” I laugh. “Yeah, she offered me a full-time job at the arena.”
“Grady, that’s amazing!” she boasts, her eyes going wide. “Hannah told me there was exciting news, but she didn’t tell me what. Congratulations!”
The weight of Boone’s gaze is on the side of my face, but I can’t look at him. My cheeks are hot, and I know they’re red. He’s probably wondering why I didn’t say anything to the guys last night.
“Thanks. I’m pretty excited about it.”
“So, what’s the job entail?” she asks, shoving a spoonful of her cereal into her mouth.
I dive into everything Hannah told me about the position, including the travel during rodeo season. Suzy asks a few questions along the way, but for the most part, everybody is quiet as I explain it all.
“This is so exciting, Grady. I’m so proud of you.”
Hearing this praise from my sister makes my chest warm. I’ve always had this need to make her proud. Probably because I know I’ll more than likely never make my parents proud, so having her approval means so much. After I dropped out of college, I worried she would be disappointed in me. Like she’d think I was still an immature kid who couldn’t stickwith anything. Her support throughout all of this has meant so much…and now the guilt sets in over what happened last night.
Even though I’ve always been attracted to Boone, I’ve never felt ashamed of it. I mean, look at him. He’s rugged and gorgeous. But acting on those feelings is a whole different ball game. I’ve betrayed her, and if she ever found out, she’d probably never forgive me.
She can’t find out. She canneverfind out. And based on the way Boone is behaving this morning, I think it’s safe to say he agrees. Sure, they’re divorced now, but still. It’s wrong. It’s fucked up.I’mfucked up.
“You said you’ll be driving to each location like the guys do,” Jade goes on. “Why don’t you sleep in the camper with Boone?”
My throat plummets to my stomach. “What?”
“Yeah, there’s plenty of room for both of you,” she explains, clearly oblivious to what she’s suggesting. “There’re two beds, and that way, you wouldn’t have to pay for lodging or camp in a tent all summer. That would be miserable.”
When my eyes slide over to Boone, he’s white as a ghost. He’s not looking at Jade or I, but it’s more than clear he heard the suggestion if the way his jaw muscles are clenched is any indication.
It’s right there on the tip of my tongue to tell her that the arena offered to cover my lodging, but I don’t. I keep that information to myself, even though I don’t know why.
A laugh falls off my lips, the sound awkward and forced. “I couldn’t do that,” I say, voice cracking. “Boone’s probably stressed enough on the road; he doesn’t need a camper roommate making it worse. It’s fine. I can get a tent and sleep that way. Or in my car. I have a large back seat, you know.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jade scoffs. “It’s fine. There’s plenty of room, and it’s just for sleeping. There’s no reason you should be spending excessive money on hotels and stuff when there’s aperfectly good camper available with an empty bed.” She turns her attention on Boone. “Will you please tell him it’s fine?”
Boone finally looks up at her before his gaze darts in my direction. Clearing his throat, he nods, the movement clipped. “It’s fine,” he grits out. “Jade’s right. There’s an extra bed that’s not being used.”
Fucking shit.This is a fucking awful idea.
“See.” Jade looks so fucking pleased with herself. If only she knew. “Do you leave the same time as everybody else?”
