Page 88 of Ride Me Cowboy

“Okay,” Cassidy claps her hands together, her easy authority reminding me of her brother. “Beth, introduce her.”

“What?”

“Hey, that’s fair,” Mackenzie grins. “I’m going way outta my comfort zone, why don’t you have to?”

“I’m always behind the camera.”

“Come on,” Mack insists. “Same rules apply. If you’re not happy with it, we won’t post the thing.”

I guess I can always crop the video later; it’s on my phone, after all. “Okay.” I turn the camera around to film it like a selfie and introduce Mack as country music’s next big thang, really letting my voice drawl over the syllable, and catch Cassidy grinning, just like Beau would have, as I turn the camera on Mack.

She’s sitting where Cassidy directed her to, and as I record, she starts singing again, this time with me filming. I pan from the fire to her face, then zoom out to capture the setting, the lights, the stars, then back to Mack for the chorus, pinching in on her earnest, beautiful expression as she finishes off the song. For the last bit, I shift the focus back to the fire and slowly zoom in on the flickering flames.

“How was it?” she asks, placing the guitar down once more.

“Perfection,” I say.

“Can I see?” She sounds shy.

I hand her my phone without hesitation, and Cassidy goes over to watch with Mack, so my gaze shifts to the house, and I find myself wondering about Cole, inside, and how long he’ll be in there shooting the breeze with his brothers and Caleb. When he’ll head to his truck and text me, so we can go down to the stables.

“Let’s post it,” Mack says, with a nod, after Cassidy’s rapturous applause.

“Are you sure?”

“What’s the worst that can happen?” she asks. “We can always delete it, right?”

“Do you want to sleep on it?” I check. “We can post tomorrow.”

“Post the damn thing,” Cassidy says with a stomp of her foot. “It’s time for you to fly, girl.” She squeezes Mack’s shoulder.

Mackenzie laughs. “I don’t know about that, but sure. Go ahead. Post it.”

I’m so delighted she agrees that I don’t even think about my cringey introduction until it’s much too late. By then, the video’s been uploaded and when I check it, much later that night, in our bed in the stables, the number of views, comments and likes blows my actual mind.

“Oh my God.” I sit up, and beside me, Cole glances across quickly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I say, hating that I’ve worried him. “Absolutely nothing. Would you look at this?”

I shove my phone in his face, and he frowns as he watches, then taps the volume up several times, frown deepening. “Is that Mackenzie?”

“Yeah. She sings. And writes songs. And she’s actually brilliant, right?”

He stares at the screen until the song finishes then shoots me a look of confusion. “She really is.” He shakes his head. “What the hell’s she doing out here wrangling horses when she’s got that kind of talent?”

“I think she likes the whole wrangling horse thing.”

He hands the phone back to me.

“That’s a whole heap of likes. I wonder if she’s seen it yet?” I check the time on my phone. It’s too late to text her and check. I put my phone down and snuggle into Cole, my head resting on his chest, one leg thrown over his.

“Jesus Christ, Nash’s gonna flip when he sees that thing.” His chuckle is the last thing I hear before I fall asleep.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Beth

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