“Of course not. How can it be? You don’t say much of anything,” she snaps.
I take a deep breath. Feeling like a jackass because she’s right. It’s not fair. But I can’t help that every damn question feels like she’s digging into my heart.
It’s just a damn flower.
“Sunflower. The wild kind,” I tell her.
Her eyes lift as she searches for them.
I point. “They pop up along the west fence line. Tall, strong, resilient.”
A small grin plays on her face. “Should’ve guessed.”
Something twists in my gut. Warm and a little painful.
“Lavender,” she says, then rolls her eyes with a smirk. “And yes .?.?.rosestoo.”
I bite back a curse. Because she’s so damn beautiful. So open and giving, despite how many times I’ve let her down. And I’m about to again.
She catches me staring, or hell maybe even my jaw working, and clears her throat. “Sorry. I know you didn’t bring me out here to talk about flowers.”
I soak in what’s left of her smile, my gut twisting because I’m about to wash it away. But I can’t put this off. Rose broke rules and I’ve still got a ranch to run.
I glance over at the stables. “Rose, we need to talk about what went down Friday night.” I can already hear the warmth draining from my tone.
The brilliant colors disappear from her eyes when she tears them away from the field.
“I got distracted this weekend,” I tell her. “We both did. But that doesn’t mean I forgot.”
“I didn’t think you did,” she admits.
“It’s not just about breaking rules. It’s your safety. What if something happened to you over there?”
“It’s a rodeo. It’s supposed to be fun. And I wasn’t going to go, I was just .?.?. helping.”
I stop and turn to face her. “Rose, I can’t keep worrying that you’re going to run off and do something wild again just to—”
“Just to what?”
I swallow hard and cradle her face so she can’t look away. “Just to prove you’re brave.”
Liquid fills her eyes. “Did Willow tell you that too?” Her voice cracks, and it cuts me in half.
“No,” I answer, my voice like gravel.
She looks up at me with something I can’t read. Denial? Gratitude? She shakes her head, breaking free of my grasp. “OK, I’m sorry. There, you got your apology.”
“I don’t want it,” I snap. “I told you Ilikethat you’re not sorry. But I’d also like to know you’re safe while you’re here.”
“You’re not my brother. You can’t keep me in a bubble.” There’s a hint of anger and defensiveness in her tone.
“No, but I can ask you to stop tryin’ to steal my stuff for an adrenaline rush.”
The tension thickens between us but there’s still no place else I’d rather be.
When my words sink in, she rolls her eyes and shrugs stubbornly. “I suppose that’s fair.”
“Thank you,” I huff out.
