Page 78 of Ride the Sky

Untouchable.

“Who’s that?” asks a voice.

I turn, squinting in the bright June sun. A bunch of cowboys crowd the fence. A new week means a new class. The first day is always spent evaluating every individual rider’s technique. I can pick out their strengths and weaknesses, show them what to improve.

“No one,” I grunt. “Now let’s talk about your—”

“She’s cute,” a kid name Jonas adds.

Another, Dan, wiggles his eyebrows. “Got a guest tutor, Montgomery?”

“She single?” Ritchie asks, and I glare.

Perry’s grin is wicked. “She can train me any day of the week.”

Huck curls his lip. “What’s with the walker?”

My fists clench. Red ripples in the corner of my vision.

“That’s Fallon McGraw,” I snap, storming closer to the fence. “Show some goddamn respect.”

Perry elbows Dan. “Yeah, I’d show her some respect. In the bedroom.”

I’m under the fence and in that ring so goddamn fast they never see me move.

I don’t touch him, but I do get in his face. “Kid, I’m tellin’ you once. That woman’s my wife, and if you say one more word about her, I will fail you so fucking fast you’ll go back to your shitty hometown and work at your local burger dive.”

“Y-y-yes, sir,” Perry stutters.

“I’m going to kill you, Wyatt.” Fallon stands there, hands on her hips, narrowed eyes promising murder.

Dan snickers. “Sounds spicy.”

“Break for lunch.” I look at Perry. “Except you. Clean out the stalls.”

I duck under the fence. Fallon’s on my heels. Her hand darts out to snatch me by the collar.

“Listen, asshole, just because we’re married doesn’t mean you can toss that word around whenever you feel like it.”

I ignore the look of disgust on Fallon’s face. “What word?”

She frowns and crosses her arms. “You know what word.” Her voice drops to a whisper. “Wife.”

I toss her a crooked grin. “It’s what you are, ain’t you? My wife.”

My wife.Goddamn if I don’t love the way it rolls off my tongue. Riles her up. The way it darkens Fallon’s cheeks, making her look even prettier than she should.

Her lips flatline. “Don’t push it, Wyatt.”

I nod at the barn in the distance. “Think you can push yourself while I feed the new colts?”

Fallon nods, lacing her hands over the bar of her walker.

“You can go ahead,” she says as she makes her way over the thick grass. Her speed is slow, uneven. “I’m slowing you up.”

“Nah.” I stick my hands in my pockets and slow my stride. “Thought I’d stick around and force you to make conversation with me.”

Fallon inclines her head to look at me. “Are you happy you left rodeoing?”

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