Beau looks like he wants to say something, but Trig grabs Honey’s arm, and she walks off with her older brothers.
She glances back at me. “Talk to y’all later. And fuck you, Beau.”
Beau just shakes his head and stalks off, leaving his bunny running after him.
Thank God other people have drama. It distracts me from my own.
Leaning against the rail of the arena with the sun on my face and a cool wind on my back, I can almost forget what’s happening tomorrow.
“You okay?” Paige whispers.
“If I don’t think about it, I’m fine.”
Rory, who’s on my other side, frowns. “You’re sad ’cause Maverick’s leaving, right?”
I nod. No sense in trying to keep anything from her. All the girls in my salon know everyone’s business anyway.
Paige’s lips twist. “Have you guys made a plan for what’s going to happen? Or talked through how you might handle him being in New York?”
“Nope. We haven’t had one conversation about it. Aside from Maverick making sure my security system works and making me promise to open the store with one of the other stylists so I’m not alone.”
She smacks her forehead. “This is almost as bad as him dating his stalker.”
“We’re just trying to enjoy the here and now.”
“Baylee, he’s leaving tomorrow.”
I groan. “Can’t I just bury my head in the sand a little longer?”
“Look, I know how challenging his schedule was in college. In some ways, the NFL probably isn’t as bad because he’s not juggling classes. Figure out times to talk each day. Make things sexy a few times a week with some fun video chats and vibrating toys, and maybe send him some baked goods.”
Rory looks scandalized, and she points to the concession stand. “I’m going to grab a snack. I’ll be right back.”
Paige chuckles. “I think I scared her, but relationships in a modern time might need virtual sex.”
I love my best friend, but that sounds miserable. “I have no problem sending him food, but I shudder when I think about seeing my naked body on video.”
“You’re gorgeous, Baylee.”
“I feel okay when we have sex because I’m either sprawled out or sitting up since we can only do certain positions whilehe’s rehabbing. But when you’re on video, you need everything well lit so you can see. Like, do I really want to see my white ass all lit up? And you have to watch the angles so you don’t give yourself a double chin or accentuate a fat roll.” I once overheard one of my clients complaining about video sex.
She laughs and takes my hand. “I get it. I’m not saying it’ll be easy.”
“I’m afraid I’ll be too self-conscious, and then I’ll have to fake it, and I’m not good at faking it. Like, give me my damn orgasm.” And then things will get weird with Maverick, and he’ll be too far away to talk me off the ledge. “So yeah, let’s not talk about it.”
As I wait for the event to start, I replay that conversation Maverick had with his coach. My heart sinks as I think about what he said. About leaving behind the distractions.
That’s what I am to Maverick right now. A distraction. He’ll be worrying about me while trying to rehab and playing a game that almost killed him.
The runaway thoughts make me panic.
When the team penning event starts, I’m delighted to see Honey compete with her two brothers.
“Come on, Honey!” I cheer. My friends and I clap as I lean over to Paige. “I feel weird applauding the McAllisters, but Honey is awesome.”
She nods. “My husband will understand. Besides, I’ll cheer louder for him.”
The Walkers are last. The goal is for Rhett, Jace, and Beau to separate three specifically marked calves out of thirty to one side of the arena and into a pen within sixty seconds.
