Page 25 of Roping the Rodeo Queen
Her words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest.I've been so focused on trying to separate the real from the fake between us that I never stopped to consider she might be dealing with the same confusion.
"Jo, I---"
She holds up a hand, cutting me off."Let me finish, okay?"
"Yeah, sure."
She takes a shaky breath, and I can see her hands trembling slightly."I know this is crazy.I know the timing is terrible."
Buck clears his throat awkwardly."Maybe I should give you two some privacy---"
"Stay," I say without taking my eyes off Jo."If we're doing this, we're doing it with all our cards on the table."
"With you, I'm ready for anything."
Chapter Fourteen
The Comeback Trail
Jo and I don't intend to waste much time on beginning our road to a shared comeback.It's ready, set, go---right now.My family has signed on to help in whatever way they can too.So here we are, gathered in my family's kitchen while Dad makes his famous blueberry pancakes and my sister Sarah fusses over Jo like she's already part of the family.
"The network wants us to start filming next month," Jo explains, spreading a topographical map across the kitchen table."They're thinking we'll showcase smaller rodeos first, the ones that don't get national attention but have incredible talent."
"And they're really offering enough to stop the foreclosure?"Dad asks, flipping a pancake with practiced ease despite his leg brace.The skepticism in his voice is fair.We've had too many false hopes these past few years.
"Not just stop it," Buck explains, helping himself to coffee."The advance alone is enough to clear the debt and have some operating capital left over.Once the show starts airing, you'll have steady income coming in."
Sarah leans over the map, her finger tracing a route through Montana and down into Wyoming."They want to start in our backyard, huh?"
I shrug, sipping my coffee."Makes sense.Some of the best unknown talent competes right here.Plus, it gives us home-field advantage for the first episodes."
Jo nods, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear."The producers think starting with familiar territory will help us find our rhythm before we hit the bigger circuits."
"And when exactly is this wedding supposed to happen?"Dad asks, sliding a stack of pancakes in front of me.His expression is neutral, but I note the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Jo and I exchange glances.We haven't actually discussed the timeline yet.Everything's happened so fast since we left Billings with signed contracts in hand.The network executives practically fell over themselves when we walked in together.Our romance has proved to be exactly what they were looking for.
My mom walks into the kitchen, holding our landline phone to her ear."All the neighbors are dying to know about the wedding too.Phone's been ringing off the hook."
"It'll be soon," Jo confirms."The network wants us married before filming starts.Something about authenticity in our on-screen chemistry.But Clay and I still haven't discussed the details of our wedding."
"How soonissoon?"Sarah asks, raising her eyebrows while she pours syrup over her pancakes.
I reach for Jo's hand across the table, intertwining our fingers."How does two weeks sound, darlin'?"
Dad's fork pauses halfway to his mouth."Two weeks?Son, that's barely enough time to plan a proper wedding."He winks."That's what your mom always claimed, anyway."
Jo clears her throat deliberately."We don't need anything fancy.Just family and a handful of close friends.Maybe we could do it right here on the ranch."
Getting married on McKendrick land, where four generations of my family have lived and loved...It feels like kismet.
"The old oak down by the creek would be perfect," Sarah suggests, her eyes alight excitement.She's always loved party planning."We could string lights through the branches, set up tables on the flat ground by the water."
Buck grins, slapping his knee."Now that sounds like a proper cowboy wedding.None of that fancy hotel ballroom nonsense."
"I love it," Jo breathes, squeezing my hand."Sounds perfect, doesn't it, Clay?"
Dad sets down his fork, abruptly serious."You sure about this, son?Marriage is a big step, even when it starts with the best intentions.And you two have been through hell these past few weeks.No offense, Jo, but you did run out on Clay for a while there."
