His hands move to cup my face, halting my thoughts. “I’ve been waiting to kiss you since the first day I met you, when I saw your kind smile and green eyes. I don’t give afuckabout morning breath,” he growls before pulling me back in for a searing kiss.
I melt into him and his words. He kisses me like I’m the air he breathes and I kiss him back. This time feels less like discovery and more like an all-consuming need.
If this is how Knox kisses, what would it be like if I surrendered entirely?
We hear a truck pull up outside of the barn, and Knox pulls away. He tucks loose strands of my blonde hair behind my ears. “I better go. I have appointments this morning.”
My heart pounds as I try to catch my breath, but my mind catches up far before my body. Before I can stop myself, I blurt, “I don’t date.”
Knox’s eyes go wide for a split second before he masks his surprise with a wicked grin. “I agree. You don’t date—anyone but me.” He winks as he heads for the door, leaving me stunned in silence. “Whenever you’re ready, sweetheart,” he calls back before disappearing out the door.
What?That is not what I meant. I can’t date him. The sentiment behind his wordswhenever you’re readyhas a swarmof butterflies taking off in my stomach. I don’t know what to do or think. Knox seems genuine, but I can’t take the heartache; not again.
But the little voice in the back of my head asks,what if he doesn’t break your heart?
Chapter 19
Knox
I’m pulling away from my last shoeing appointment for the day and I can’t stop thinking about her. I haven’t kissed Kacey again, and she hasn’t brought it up. I’m trying to be patient. I thought after that kiss, we would turn a corner, and she’d start opening up to me more. And while she isn’t keeping her distance from me, she’s still holding her thoughts just out of reach. Meanwhile, I can’t stop replaying that kiss in my head. I’ve never felt a connection to someone like that before, and I know she felt it too.
The way her body responded to mine. If someone hadn’t pulled up to the barn, I don’t know far we would’ve gone. I’m not sure either one of us could’ve stopped it. The tension between us has been stretched to the limit for weeks, and we’re going to snap. It’s only a matter of time.
Today is the open rodeo where I’m roping with Cody. Jack got his cast removed last week and is back to work. so tomorrow, I’ll head back to Oklahoma before the summer run starts thiscoming weekend. If Kacey’s going to let me in and try to keep whatever it is we’re doing going over the summer, she’s going to have to do it soon.
I see the rest of the crew pull into the rodeo grounds right behind me. We all had work to do this morning, so I’m meeting them here and we only have fifteen minutes before the event starts. I climb out of my truck and look around. The arena is set up like most rodeo arenas. Your bucking chutes are on one end with back pens for rough stock; on the other end of the arena are your roping boxes and roping steers.
The smell of horses, cattle, and fair food float through the air. It doesn’t get much better than a rodeo in my book. No matter how big or small, for a few hours, it’s always the best place in the world.
I walk over to the truck and trailer right as the back door to the truck opens and I hear, “All I’m saying is you sound a little insecure about your masculinity. There is nothing wrong with men barrel racing, but if you can’t handle it just say so, it’s okay.” This, of course, comes from Jessie.
Kacey climbs out next, followed by a very annoyed-looking Chet.
“I am not signing up for barrel racing and it has nothing to do with my masculinity,” he grumbles.
Cody gets out of the driver’s seat and Carson comes around the front of the truck. They’re pouring out of this thing like it’s a clown car and with Jessie in it, it just might be.
“Fun ride to town?” I ask no one in particular. Four heads turn to glare at me while one just has a smirk on her face.
“Before Chet, she wantedmeto barrel race. Watch yourself, she’s on one today,” Kacey says as she heads for the mid tack on the trailer. Carson passes me without a glance, heading to unload the horses.
Jessie, who apparently came today solely for the purpose of causing mayhem, turns to me. “Hey, bull rider, I hear they’re doing a wild cow milking today. I’ll go get you, Carson, and Chet signed up.”
It’s official, this woman is insane. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, there will be no wild cow milking for me. I ride the beef, I don’t milk it.”
Wild cow milking is an event with teams made of three people. There are haltered wild cows loaded in the bucking chutes, every team already holding onto a long lead when all the cows are released at once. Two guys try to hold the cow still while one guy milks the cow and runs the milk across the finish line. Fastest team wins. It might not sound too hard, but it’s normally a complete shit show of people getting kicked, stomped on, and run over. Often only one or two teams get their cow milked. People don’t watch it for the milking; they watch it for the wrecks.
Cody sighs loudly as he walks by. “Jessie, he doesn’t want to get hurt before the summer run starts and unless you plan on filling in for Carson or Chet on the ranch, they won’t be milking anything, either.” He gives her a firm paternal look. “Why don’t you go find Lainey and get some coffee? We’ll meet up with you after the team roping,” he instructs.
She lets out a dramatic huff. “You guys are no fun. But I don’t ranch, so I guess I’ll go find the coffee. I could use an energy boost, and I know she keeps some Bailey’s in the back.” Jessie skips off toward the stands on the other side of the arena. Her long red hair flicking behind her in the sun, like a waterfall of flames.
Carson ties the last horse to the trailer and turns to Cody. “Good job, the last thing that tornado needs is more caffeine.”
“You want to milk a cow? I can call her back,” Cody says as he starts to saddle his horse.
I get to work saddling the dun I’m borrowing.
Once we’re saddled, we head for the warmup pen. I can hear Cody Johnson's “Where Cowboys Are King” playing over the sea of cowboy hats. Everyone is laughing and having a good time. It seems like the Hart crew knows every single person here. After shoeing horses around here for six weeks, I even know a few.
