Joey smiles a knowing smile, having literally grown up around Harry “Tiny” Minnow.
“We’ve got a lot goin’ on here tonight, but next time Leah gets on a horse, I promise to ride with y’all, doll.”
Leah looks down at me and mouths the word never.
It’s funny enough to make me chuckle, and when I turn away toward Rodney, his eyebrows are nearly inside his hairline.
“What?” I ask him, to which he shakes his head. “What?” I say again.
He groans but finally states, “It’s just…you seem happier than normal, is all.”
“What?”
He shrugs, but the rest of what he leaves unspoken is pretty damn clear, regardless. He thinks Leah Levee is influencing my mood for the better. In fact, he’s probably even assuming it’s because we’re sleeping together.
Normally, I’d discredit those kinds of thoughts immediately. But given the fact that I’m about to leave him alone with her again, and the image of his hand on her thigh is burned on the side of my brain, maybe it’s not such a bad thing if he’s got some assumptions.
I shrug back at him then, and I can’t seem to stop myself from reaching up and patting Leah’s thigh pointedly as I say goodbye. “I’ll see you girls over by the exhibition, okay?”
Joey nods, and Leah assures me verbally, “Yes. Go. We’ve got everything covered here. As long as I survive this ride, that is.”
“You’re gonna be fine, Leah!” Joey insists, adorably exasperated.
I laugh and lift my shoulders. “See that? The expert has spoken.”
“Oh God. The expert is smart, I’ll give you that, but she’s also five.”
“You’re gonna be fine, darlin’,” I say softly, leaning up toward her enough so that she’s the only one who can hear me. “If not, all these people’ll answer to me.”
Knowing if I don’t tear myself away now, I never will, I leave that as my parting line and make my way back toward the truck to head over to the arena.
I don’t know what’s going on with me the last couple of days, but the more time that passes, the more it seems like the pyrotechnics tonight won’t be the only fireworks on this ranch this summer.
I sling the last of the temporary fencing into the bed of my truck and dust off my hands before leaning down and adjusting my brace.
I’m tired, but overall, my leg feels good. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to say that without the help of my brace taking some of the stress of the day off it, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to admit that aloud anytime soon.
It’s better if I don’t do anything to swell Dr. Leah’s ego up any bigger.
Something pokes me in the ribs, and I turn around, expecting to see any face but the one I do. Safe to say, after yesterday, I really thought I was done seeing this face altogether.
“Hey, Rhett. In a better mood today?” Anna asks with a wink and a smile as I stand up straight again and lean into the bed of my truck to keep my distance.
“Hey, Anna,” I greet, clenching my jaw against the annoyance I feel every time I see her. I’d rather have nothing to do with her at all, but after what Chase said yesterday, I’m starting to wonder if the key to ending all this shit really is to just act like I don’t give a fuck.
“Lookin’ good as always, even with the bum leg. I almost forgot about what happened to ya when I saw ya yesterday since you weren’t wearin’ the brace.”
I glare at Chase as he comes to a stop behind her, clearly having been moving at a jog, and he shakes his head swiftly, hooking a thumb at Cutter, who slides to a stop beside him. Apparently, he’s the one with the big mouth and lack of respect for when to keep it shut, but I guess I’ll at least give them both credit for their hustle. It seems she got loose, and they were trying to run her down. I just wish they’d managed it before she got to me.
“I meant to come by after it happened, see if y’all needed any help,” Anna continues, “but rodeo season’s been real busy, ya know?”
I nod, just for the sake of peacekeeping and not making a scene at Shaw Springs’s biggest event of the year, but the truth is, I don’t know. I spent plenty of time on the circuit fucking around and drinking and all sorts of other shit, but I didn’t have a daughter at the time. When something is important, there’s plenty of time to be found. Anna just doesn’t want to find it.
Something catches my eye over the top of her shoulder, and when I realize what—or who—it is, I don’t even bother dismissing myself before stepping around her and walking toward them.