Page 8 of Before You Can Blink
“You hungry? We can fix you up a plate if you are.”
I shook my head. “Mighty kind of you to offer, but if it’s all right, I’ll wait out here.”
“Suit yourself.” He dipped his chin before closing the door.
Restless, I walked around a bit before dropping my ass to the dirt. Facing west, I folded my arms over my bent knees and watched as the sun sank toward the horizon.
The first stars could be seen in the sky when boots became visible in my peripheral vision.
“Been a while,” Murphy remarked as he sat down beside me.
Voice thick, I confessed, “My dad died today.”
Murphy sucked in a sharp inhale. “Shit. That’s rough.”
Blowing out a heavy breath, I agreed, “Yeah.”
“You’re probably gonna hear this so many times it loses meaning, but I’m sorry, kid.”
I grunted in response. Accepting sympathy wouldn’t come easy.
There was a beat of silence. “So, what are you doing out here? This some kinda running away from home type of thing?”
My shoulder lifted in a half-shrug. “Not exactly, but close.”
“If you’re lookin’ for work, I might be able to put in a good word.”
Shifting my body, I turned to face him and raised an eyebrow. “’Cause you’re all cozy with the owner’s daughter, right?”
A smirk crept onto his lips. “Heard about that, did ya?” His smile grew, and he let out a laugh. “She’s a rebellious little thing. Married me to piss her daddy off. Just the other night, she suggested I start competing again, and the idea of his precious baby girl slumming it on the rodeo circuit with some half-washed bronc rider almost made his head explode at the dinner table.”
My ears perked up. “Are you gonna do it?”
Murphy’s head tilted from side to side. “Thinkin’ about it.”
Swallowing, I prepared to shoot my shot. “That’s actually why I came out here.”
His brows shot sky-high. “Oh yeah?”
“That offer to train me still stand?” When Murphy merely blinked at me, I began to backtrack as I pushed off the ground. “You know what? Forget I asked.”
I made it all of two steps before he called out from behind me, “Hell yeah, I’ll train you.”
Stopping dead in my tracks, I spun around slowly, eyes wide. “Really?”
Murphy rose to his feet and flashed me a grin. “If anything, a young, naturally talented training partner is just what I need to get my ass back into shape.”
The burst of laughter that bubbled up from my chest was so unexpected that I slapped a hand over my mouth.
Holy shit, I was really doing this.
Today might’ve been the last day of my father’s life, but it marked the first day of the rest of mine.
Chapter 3
Jett
Age 21
