Page 5 of Head Over Spurs

A metal card with a large number seven was passed over to them which Jules snatched up and carried to an empty table.

Dropping onto the wooden bench beside her, Maddie said, “Okay, I need to hear about this trip. Are the pictures ready?”

Over the years, her best friend had learned Jules’s process. Upload to the cloud as soon as possible, begin edits during travel.

Withdrawing her tablet from her oversized travel purse, Jules opened the newest folder in the collection and leaned in to flip through them together. “The team is mostly female. And they have a natural horsemanship course where people can come and stay and immerse themselves,” she started, scrolling to a picture of the ranch house. “And oh my gosh the endless olive groves!”

“These are amazing. I mean obviously the place looks so cool, but your photos are gorgeous.” Her friend gave her a squeeze as she took the tablet and started pointing out things she loved. Pausing on a picture of the sun setting over a mountain, she looked up and asked, “Is it ever hard to leave? Do you get too attached?”

“I mean, it’s always bittersweet,” Jules replied, pausing to accept the metal tray of fries and drinks from the server thatappeared. “But the fact that it’s temporary is always in my head, you know? It’s never a one-way ticket. If I’m being honest, the hardest part is coming home and remembering that this doesn’t feel like home anymore. Nothing really does.”

Maddie dangled a fry in midair, freezing with it halfway to her mouth. “I know things are hard with your parents, but I’m so sorry it’s gotten to this point.”

With a hum, Jules bit her lip and looked off into the distance. She watched the band set up on the stage across the patio, shoveling down a handful of cheese covered French fries. After a moment, she said, “I think it’s getting worse. Or maybe I just feel it more with each trip. But every time I come back, it’s like my dad has disappeared into his business a bit further. And my mom, I can’t even keep track of where she is.”

“Have you talked to them about it?”

She dropped her chin and shrugged. The question didn’t require a response, not really. There was nothing left to say. The family that had seemed perfect her whole childhood was now nothing but a distant memory. Broken up and the pieces scattered, her time and loyalties split between parents after more than twenty years of closeness.

“Right,” her friend snorted. “Okay, well what do you think is the biggest thing for you?”

“It’s like…” Jules started, contemplating the best words to express the emotion lodged in her chest. “It’s like when you’re a kid, and you have this larger than life, romanticized view of something. But then you understand how it works, or why it’s the way it is. And suddenly, it loses its mythical pull.” She looked over to see Maddie nodding silently. “I just think I’ve outgrown the childhood charm of this place. And I know that sounds extremely immature, but?—”

“It doesn’t sound immature, I get it. I mean once your grandpa died…”

Nodding, Jules studied the golden drink in her hand. “Everything changed when Dad took over. He changed.”

“Loss has a way of altering people…” Maddie trailed off as her phone vibrated between them. Withdrawing it, she furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. “Why would Brett be calling me?”

“Is that weird?”

“Kind of. But I’m sure things are fine with Grey.” Her friend’s words were more confident than the tone that delivered them.

“Answer it.”

“No! This is not a conversation to just?—”

Jules reached over for the phone. While she appreciated her friend’s undivided attention, she didn’t need it. This had been going on with her family for the past two years, there was nothing new to discuss. She pressed the green circle on the screen and handed it back over.

With a roll of her eyes, Maddie lifted the phone to her ear. But because of how close they were sitting, Jules could still hear everything, and Brett sounded frantic.

Laurel is in the hospital, she heard.Something is wrong with the baby. I need your help.

They exchanged a worried glance as she pushed Maddie up off of the bench.Time to go, she mouthed. The brunette shook her head as the rancher continued.

“Go,” Jules repeated sternly this time, rising as well. “It’s okay. I’ll grab my bags and call a ride.”

Love you, Maddie mouthed as they rushed out to the parking lot, phone still to her ear.

“Love you,” Jules replied, reaching the Jeep and yanking her luggage out of the back. And then once again, Jules was alone. She stood in the parking lot, oversized purse over her shoulder, duffel in hand, and suitcase at her feet. It was dark enough now that the streetlamps were turning on, fluorescent lights flickering above her head.

She could go back into the bar by herself, she didn’t mind doing that. But over the past year, whenever a man would approach her, adifferentman’s face flashed in her mind. The same face that came to mind more often than she cared to admit. With an impressive mustache and endearing glint in his eyes.

Based on how much traveling she did, it would be easy to perfect the act of meaningless flings. But she didn’t want to earn that reputation. After all, she traveled for work, it was important to maintain a professional demeanor when out on the job. So, when she did allow herself to indulge in a night of passion with a stranger—just that once—it had proved difficult to shake the memory.

4

RILEY

---