“No, you don’t.” Caleb’s words were soft, but still just as firm as ever. “But hear me out on this last thing. I know you want to be a rodeo star. You’ve wanted as much since you were five and Dad took us to our first rodeo while we came here to visit our cousins. You fed off the chaos and the adrenaline practically pouring off those cowboys. Back then, we didn’t live in the country. We didn’t have access to horses or rodeo events like we do now. So let me ask you something. What’s holding you back?”
“You know what’s holding me back,” Mack shot back. “Our parents would never allow?—”
“You’re an adult, Mack. You can make your own decisions.”
Mack wanted to point out that Caleb had never had to deal with their parents’ disappointment. He didn’t know what it was like to be stared at like he was under a microscope. Caleb was the golden child who could do no wrong. And Mack? Whenever he made a mistake, he got that look—the one that said they wanted more out of him.
But he didn’t have anything more to give.
Caleb was nonplussed. “All I’m saying is that you have to start living your own life without worrying about what others might think.”
It was almost as if they were having two conversations. To toss aside his worries over his parents’ judgment and to shrug off what Angela might think about the budding relationship he wanted with Lacey.
Caleb placed a heavy, almost comforting hand on Mack’s shoulder. “There’s another rodeo coming to town in a few more months. Maybe you should practice between your moonlightingwith that girl.” His lips quirked upward, and Mack shrugged off his touch.
Maybe his brother was right. With how bad he wanted Lacey, with how long he’d dreamed of being a rodeo star, he knew he wouldn’t get any of it by doing things halfway. He needed to take charge and actually fight for what he wanted.
Lacey’s apartmentwindow glowed with light. It wasn’t strong by any means. As late as it was, Mack wasn’t expecting that they’d all be up. His parents had made sure they spent a good three hours playing board games and card games before they let him slip off.
Of course, he’d find himself sitting in his truck in front of Lacey’s apartment complex. Of course, he’d be thinking over and over about the words that Caleb had said to him only hours ago. Because his brother had been right.
Caleb might have been the one standing in the way of his own happiness, but he’d figured it out. As much as Mack didn’t want to admit that his brother had learned a thing or two about finding happiness, he could accept that there were several good points to be made.
He scrubbed his face with a rough swipe of his hand and sighed. If he went up there, he knew what would happen.
Lacey would tell him that she wasn’t going to change her mind. Every step closer he got to Lacey and convincing her that they belonged together, she found a new way to turn him down. Inhis head, he knew being here was a mistake, and there was no reason for it. He could be patient and win her over bit by bit.
Unfortunately, his heart had other plans. The confounded organ in his chest refused to accept that there was any other way than to plow forward and get Lacey to admit to herself and him that she wanted a relationship just as much as he did.
His jaw ticked with the pressure of it biting down hard. Without second guessing himself, he pushed the door open and climbed out of his truck. It wasn’t until he lifted his fist to knock on the door that he realized he might be making a huge mistake.
The door whooshed open only slightly, and a frazzled Lacey leaped from the confines of her house. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were wide. She tossed a worried look at the window before ripping her focus right back to him. “What are you doing here?” she hissed. “My sister is here.”
Mack’s confidence faltered. Oh. Right. Even if he didn’t want to care about what Angela thought, Lacey still did. Her worries were one of the bigger reasons for her turning him down. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, then swallowed back the burning in this throat. “I wanted to see you,” he murmured. It was all he could think of to say. What else could he tell her? That he thought he might have already fallen for her? No. Of course not. That would be ridiculous.
Even as he checked on his heart, he knew that it was entirely possible. Why else would he go to such great lengths to spend time with her? To win her over?
Her brows hitched up, and she let out a disgruntled laugh. “What? Are you insane? I told you I didn’t want…” Her voicetrailed off, and she yanked her lower lip between her teeth. “Angela won’t understand.”
“Is that your only reason for pushing me away?” he asked quietly.
“Of course not,” she snapped. But immediately, her hard exterior shifted, and she looked away. Whatever it was, she wasn’t prepared to tell him. The fact that she’d told him as much as she did about Angela was a feat all on its own.
“Then why won’t you let me in? Haven’t I proven that I’m not going to do anything to hurt you?”
Lacey snorted. “There’s no way to prove that. People make mistakes all the time. People get into fights. You could hurt me without even knowing you’re doing it.”
His head reared back with surprise. “You think I’m the kind of person who would do something like that?” They were speaking in hushed whispers, probably due to Angela being on the other side of the door.
“That’s just it. I don’t think you’d intentionally do anything, but I can’t guarantee that you wouldn’t do something byaccident.”
Her blistering words burned him, and all his insecurities he had from his parents filtered into his mind. Lacey was basically saying he’d be a disappointment—much like he’d been most of his life for his folks.
It didn’t matter that he’d gotten past his rough teenage years and stopped spending time with questionable people. It didn’t matter that he’d graduated from high school—especially since he didn’t immediately jump into college. Heck, it didn’t even matter that he’d agreed to move with his folks to the country andhelp work his cousin’s ranch. None of that mattered because he would always disappoint them in one way or another.
Her soft voice dragged him from his spiral. “It’s okay, Mack. I’m not saying that you’re a bad person. I’m just saying I can’t take the risk right now.”
“But thereisn’ta risk,” he insisted. “I would never do anything to hurt you. I’m an open book. You can ask me anything. I won’t ever hide anything from you.” Mack leaned forward, placing his hand on the door above her shoulder as he leaned in closer. His voice lowered to a whisper. “I can make that promise because I know who I am, and I know who I am when I’m with you.”
