Page 106 of Never Left You

Once the rodeo started, I started beating myself up for staying away for so long. The one we went to with Stetson was fun…but my focus wasn’t on the event. Then I was hyper-focused on Cash and Stetson and how much I was in love with being with the two of them. But here, I was immersed in the events. Jumping and cheering when a roper got a good time. Booing when a barrier was broken, and sending Kyla videos of the mutton busting to show Stetson.

Kyla

Oh, he’s already roped Rhett into a few training sessions.

Me

Of course he has.

When the barrel racing started, Cash’s demeanor changed completely. He studied each rider, focusing on where they turned, how they handled their horse and their body language as they rode. I even caught him counting out loud, stopping right when the buzzer went off. When Quinn came, he furrowedhis brow and sat up straight on his seat. She held his entire attention, and she didn’t even know it.

She burst through the gate, hitting the first and second barrel with ease, then moving towards the third, curling around it like a knife spreading frosting and then she raced back to the entrance. Her smile filled the entire arena. She was back. The eight weeks she took working with Cash had finally paid off. He pumped a fist and turned to me, shouting.

“She’s in second.”

I cheered loudly in his ear, clapping even louder.

“I take it you're having fun?” he asked, leaning into me.

I kissed him, taking him completely by shock. “I am. Thank you.”

He kissed me again, deeper this time, his hands cradling my chin as our lips danced against each other. The spark was radiating through my body, heat traveled everywhere, and I knew Cash could feel it as his fingers threaded through my hair. I hummed against him, breaking the kiss and placing my forehead on his.

“I’m having the best night of my life,” I admitted, remembering him using those exact words with me. Every night with him was becoming the best night of my life.

“That’s setting the bar high.”

“You can break it,” I smirked, giving him one last chaste kiss.

Thirty-Two

Cash

Thundercrackedoverusjust as we stepped into the lounge at the hotel. Abi’s entire body jumped as she scooted closer to me. I laughed, pulling her flush to my side, kissing her temple, not caring who saw or who would comment. I should have known the comments would come right away.

“Whoo-ee!” Darren—another tie down roper who Zeke was closer to—whooped. “Tell me Callahan, how did you rope Rhett’s little sister?”

I rolled my eyes at the level of maturity coming from the cowboy following Abi and me.

“He didn’tropeme,” Abi protested. “Technically…I roped him.”

“It’s true, she did throw herself at me first.” I looked down at her and wiggled my eyebrows, remembering the first hug she gave me after my ride.

“But…” Abi pulled away from me, her hand sliding down my arm until our fingers intertwined. “That’s not the topic for tonight…right? No one wants to hear about our relationship.”

“Not gonna lie,” Zeke began. “I kinda do.”

“Come on, Callahan.” Quinn came up from behind me, patting my back as she made her way into the lounge. “Let’s get some drinks and then off to bed. We gotta head to Montana early tomorrow morning so we can’t—”

“Man.” Darren wrapped his arm around Quinn. “You’re just as uptight as Rhett was. Relax, Compton. You’re with the big boys now.”

Quinn grimaced and shrugged him off. “First Wyatt, and now you.”

“Wait…Wyatt?” Abi spun her body around to look at Quinn. “Please tell me my brother didn’t make an ass of himself?”

“Oh, he did.” Quinn barked a laugh. “At The Steel, the same night you kissed Cash.”

“I need the entire story.” Abi grabbed Quinn’s arm and pulled her to a couch, as me and the guys made our way to the bar top. I kept my eyes on Abi the entire time, wanting to be right next to her and Quinn, rather than at the bar top with some tie down ropers.

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