Page 4 of Head Over Spurs

Riley settled into a spot before the fire, leaning back and breathing through the spasm that shot down his back. They’d been growing more frequent lately, something he had been warned to watch for amongst other symptoms.

“You good?” Grey asked, dropping down beside him. He was one of the few people that knew all the details of his injury. Riley had agreed that Grey would keep Brett, the ranch owner, in the loop. And of course, his sister insisted on being involved in every detail. But that was it. He wasn’t interested in having everyone watching his every move.

“Yeah, it’s nothing. Just got stiff riding today.”

“Alright. Just let me know if anything changes.”

He shifted, trying not to wince, and said, “I’ve got that appointment this week, with it being a year, so I’ll be in late.”

Grey grunted in confirmation, adding, “Brett’s going to cover. With Laurel being pregnant, you know he prefers to follow her every move anyway.”

Laurel Hayes—the rancher’s very pregnant wife. And this was their first, so the retired Navy SEAL was even more out of his mind. Typically, Laurel was his second set of hands with thehorses, but Riley had taken on some extra tasks as of late to lighten her load. He laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I think Brett will have things covered.”

With everything settled, Grey turned his attention to Cooper, who was busy telling the story of how Riley lost his mustache. Dragging his thumb along the stubble of his upper lip, Riley tuned out the rest of the story. Yet again, his mind drifted back to Jules. She was no longer an unattainable dream from his past. She had a last name, and a best friend that he saw almost daily.

He pulled his Stetson down over his face and sighed. He had acted out of character by hooking up with her. But there was no way to know if that was something she did often or not. And it was driving him up a wall. He wouldn’t sleep tonight. He was feeling too tortured about how the wild thing that captivated him was finally so near again, yet wholly out of reach.

3

JULES

She didn’t mind the airport, but airport parking was another story. No matter the length of her trip, there was no way she was leaving her classic ’69 Mustang at the lot. Built by her late grandfather for her sixteenth birthday, the car was her most prized possession. Which meant she was here, standing on a curb with bags in hand, waiting for someone to get her.

Maybe in a past life it would have been her grandfather. Her biggest support. But he was gone. And with the loss of their patriarch, her family was gone in their own way too.

It wouldn’t be her parents pulling up together in a familiar white truck, the logo for Graham Equestrian in green letters on the door. Her parents weren’t her parents anymore. They were Miles and Francine, separate people leading separate lives.

She sighed and adjusted the duffel over her shoulder. Miles Graham was an honorable man who believed in working hard to care for his family and grow their business. The problem was that his dedication to grow the business resulted in him forgetting that it was about caring for his family.

She was grown now, not needing to be cared for in the same way. But it hurt all the same to watch him retreat into the equinecenter. The memories of how close her family used to be created a dull ache in her chest any time she was home.

A white Jeep Wrangler, sans top, appeared around the curve of the pick-up lane, and the closest thing she had to a sister came into view.

“Hi, J,” her best friend and former roommate, Maddie, said in greeting once she parked. A wide smile stretched across her face as her hand lifted to brush back her wind whipped hair.

“Mads,” she smiled, tossing her bags in the back and climbing into the passenger seat.

“How was the flight?”

She pulled her hair back in a scrunchie from her duffel and shrugged. “Long. I should know by now that I don’t sleep well on flights. Yet I tryso hardevery time and get frustrated when I’m wide awake for hours.”

A soft laugh escaped her best friend as they started down the road. “And you’ll try again next time too.”

Jules nodded, holding her hand out the window and letting the wind pass through her fingers. The sun was finally warming here, just on the cusp of summer.

“How are things in the ridge?”

“I still don’t think people call it that.” Maddie arched an eyebrow at her before continuing. “But things are good. Grey’s been busier, wrapping up branding season, but gosh does he make the most of the time he does have free.” Heat crept across her cheeks.

Her heart swelled seeing happiness radiating from Maddie, but it would be a lie to say she didn’t miss the days of coming home to their shared apartment. It was truly the end of an era.

“Back to the apartment or go grab a drink?” The turn towards her now lonely residence was coming up quickly.

“A drink,” Jules replied.

She didn’t need to ask where they would go. As Maddieturned the opposite way from her home, she knew they were going to their favorite brewery. Just up the road, it was the perfect balance between trendy and classic. Unique beers paired with traditional bar food. And she could really go for a heaping pile of loaded fries after spending a day on an airplane.

They parked around the back and headed for the outdoor bar on the beer garden patio. Short hedges lined the wooden privacy wall separating the patio from the bustling Denver street. Rounding the corner, they crossed over to the concrete slab bar and placed their standing order—strawberry lemon shandy and loaded fries to split.

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