Page 17 of Big Obsession

Jace: I don’t think Dolly is someone you hook up with. She’s more a put a ring on it woman, I think.

I read the text and wait for the unease to settle in, but it doesn’t. I never thought I’d be ready to settle down, but with Dolly, I can totally see it happening.

“I’m taking this slow,” I tell them and then type out, “Anyway, I’m good. Two weeks of no driving and no bull riding.” I leave out the part where I have to go get rechecked.

Walker: With all seriousness, you and Ace need anything? I can drive you around.

I smile at my phone. “Nope. Dolly offered.”

Brody: See? Ring on it.

I type out, “Thanks for the pep talk, guys. I’ve gotta go and get Ace to practice. See you this week at poker.”

Brody: Want to move it to my house since you’re hurt?

I type, “Nope. I got it. Later.”

I stuff my phone in my pocket and then go in search of Dolly. She’s walking out of the bathroom as I walk into my bedroom. “That was quick.”

She shrugs. “We need to leave soon.”

“We need to talk.”

She opens her mouth and then shuts it.

“I think you and I should?—”

I’m cut off when Ace comes barreling down the hall and stops at my bedroom door. “I’m ready when you guys are.”

He starts backtracking out of the room. “Come on! We can’t be late.”

Dolly starts to follow him, and I put a hand on her arm. “Dolly, we should?—”

She interrupts me. “Come on, we should go. We can’t let him be late. He has to run if he’s late.”

Before I can stop her, she’s walking out of the room, and I’m having to follow behind her. She and Ace talk the whole way there, and the longer I sit in the passenger seat, the more unsettled I get. I really fucked up last night. For all the obvious reasons but also because I want Dolly to spend time with me because she wants to not because she sort of has to.

CHAPTER 10

DOLLY

As soon as I park, Ace is bounding out of the car and running toward the field.

I get out and meet Tucker at the back of my car. “Your head hurting?”

He shakes his head.

I put a hand on my hip. “Well, something is bothering you. You were scowling the whole way here.”

“It’s nothing.”

I stare at him for a full ten seconds, and when he doesn’t give me anything more, I shake my head. “Fine.”

I reach for the two chairs I have in the back of my car, but Tucker stops me. “I’ll get them.”

I wish he didn’t have those damn glasses on so I could see his eyes, but I get that the sunlight is hurting him. He grabs the chairs and carries one in each hand. I point at him. “You do know you’re hurt, right?”

He grunts. “Yeah, I know. Trust me, I’m trying to forget.”

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