Page 62 of Head Over Spurs

“Mads, I’ll find a girl who isn’t like a sister to take me home.” He winked before rising to hug them both goodbye.

Parting ways, he moved to meet Riley at the bar while they headed for the door. Jules took a second to glance over her shoulder, locating a certain mustached heartthrob. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wood edge of the bar. It was thrilling to always find his attention on her. She bit back the giddy smile as their eyes met across the way then blew him another kiss before disappearing out the door.

A step towards dropping the secrecy. She hoped he could see that. Because it wasn’t about playing a game, it was about not wanting to disappoint even more people when she had to leave.

It was bad enough that she would let him down if she decided to go to Argentina early. And he was the last person in the world that she wanted to disappoint these days.

“You’ve been quiet tonight,” Maddie commented.

They were changed into sweats—matching sets they had ordered together late one night when scrolling socials side by side at the apartment they shared. And sitting tucked in under cozy blankets on Maddie and Grey’s corner couch, it felt nearly the same. Comfortable.

In the kitchen behind them, Grey was busy whipping up homemade pizza for their late-night snack. An addition to their familiar routine she was plenty happy to accept.

“Me? No way,” she denied, focusing her attention on the cattle dog sleeping before the wood burning fire.

“Jules.”

She glanced back up at the seriousness in Maddie’s tone. Her best friend’s brow was creased in concern, and she bit her lip, contemplating Jules. “Do you like it here?” Maddie asked after a beat.

“Oh! Babe, yes. I love it here.” She let out a huff. “That’s the problem.”

The sound of Grey’s steps through the cottage caught their attention, pausing the conversation. He rounded the corner with fresh, wood fired pizza in hand. Pepperoni and green pepper, Maddie’s favorite.

“He’s the perfect man. You know that, right?” Jules pointed out to her best friend as he handed her the pizza.

Maddie pulled Grey down into a kiss. “I know,” she replied as he settled in at her side, dropping his arm around her shoulders. “But you can’t change the subject that easily. Why is it a problem that you love it here?”

She was always open with Jules, trusting. And Jules prided herself on doing the same normally. Then there was the fact that Riley didn’t want any more secrets. It seemed like time.

With a sigh, she decided how to begin. “I got a call tonight. Right before you picked me up, actually.”

“What was it? Family?”

“I have news with that too,” Jules replied with a huff. “But no. It was Rustic and Ranch. They want me to leave for Argentinanext week.” It hurt to say it aloud, the words burning on their way out.

“Next week?” Maddie gasped. “But it feels like you just got here.”

“I know. I hate this. And on top of that, my mom showed up in town the other day trying to throw all this guilt on me for not being present with her.”

“When she called me,” Maddie guessed.

“Yeah.”

“What does that mean? She’s the one that left.”

“I told her that?—”

“That is great, I am so glad!”

“But she suggested that I am also running away, that my photography is just a hobby and distraction.”

Her best friend’s eyes widened, face frozen in shock. She opened her mouth, searching for a response, Jules assumed. Beside her, Grey pressed his mouth together in a hard line.

Finally, Maddie found her words. “I can’t believe she said that to you. You know that your career is such a skill, right?”

“Riley agrees,” Jules huffed.

She hadn’t realized it, but she’d just inadvertently led them to the next piece of news. Maddie tilted her and asked, “Why doesRileyknow about your mom’s visit before me?”

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