Page 80 of Before You Can Blink
I barked out a laugh. Bex was petite while Tripp was tall for his age, so they stood at about the same height. I could see how Layla might confuse them for being twins.
“That’s because we didn’t. This here’s Bex, Aspen’s friend, who decided to come on a little rodeo adventure this summer to see what all the fuss is about.” My hand came down on my son’s shoulder. “And this is Tripp.”
Layla’s breathing audibly hitched. We’d kept in touch, but she had never met Murph’s namesake in person.
Tears filled her green eyes, and Layla crouched down, extending a hand to my boy. “It’s so very nice to meet you, Tripp.”
Since our old friend was practically a stranger to him, my son peeked up at me, unsure.
“Tripp,” I prompted, jerking my chin toward Layla’s hand. He remembered his manners, shaking her hand as I introduced her. “This is Layla. She used to be married to an old rodeo buddy of mine. She’s also Penny’s aunt.”
That perked him right up. “My Penny?”
Layla huffed, making a show of jealousy. “See, now here I was thinking she wasmyPenny.”
The two of them went back and forth on it until Layla finally conceded that since Tripp saw her every day, he could claim her as his, just so long as he kept a good eye on her. With a serious face, my son gave a firm nod, vowing that he would always take care of Penny.
Layla rose to her full height, her voice growing hoarse. “He might have Murph’s name, but he’s a mini Jett.”
Chuckling, I joked, “Don’t go tellin’ him that. He goes out of his way to be the opposite of me.”
“Bet that drives you up the wall, doesn’t it?”
My eyes lifted to the sky, and I blew out a heavy breath. “You have no idea.”
She didn’t bother to conceal her amusement. “I love it. Consider it karma, evening the score from your hell-raising days.”
“Hey!” I protested. “I wasn’t that bad.”
“You were the biggest pain in my ass. Don’t bother pretending otherwise.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I pulled her in for a hug. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too.” She squeezed me tighter before pulling away. “All right. Best I get back to work. Those young rascals I manage can’t be left to their own devices for too long.” Stepping backward, she retreated with a salute. “Enjoy the show, Sullivans.”
“Don’t be a stranger,” Daisy called to her back.
Layla blew my wife a kiss over her shoulder. “Don’t ask me to make promises I can’t keep.”
She didn’t visit Rust Canyon or the Livingston Ranch. Not since she lost Murph. You’d think she’d want to reconnect with her sister and her niece, but I suppose the memories were too painful. Having lost people I’d loved, I could respect that we all grieved in different ways.
If all we got were passing moments when we happened to attend the same rodeos, that would have to be enough.
The arena lights were nearly blinding, but they didn’t come close to the brilliant stars shining in my daughter’s eyes as she watched the barrel racing competition.
“Did you see how tight they took those turns?” she yelled to Bex beside her.
My daughter’s best friend stared at the display with her mouth hanging open. “Uh-huh.”
“I’m gonna do that when I grow up,” Aspen declared with confidence.
“Like hell you are!” No daughter of mine was going to be slumming it on the rodeo circuit, chasing buckles while the bull and bronc riders chased her.
But I had no clue how to explain that to the eleven-year-old staring at me, glassy-eyed, her lower lip trembling because I rarely raised my voice at her.
“Uh,” Daisy began to cover for me. “I think what your daddy is trying to say is that competing in rodeos is a rough way to make a living. You onlyget paid when you win, and you’ve played enough games to know you can’t win every time.”
Aspen’s forehead wrinkled. “Is that why Daddy quit?”
