Page 105 of Fool for You
And I couldn’t wait to get to Quinn, scoop her up, and tell her everything.
“Damn, man,” Hawkins cheered. “That was a show. Now if you don’t mind…I’m meeting a girl.” He looked between Archieand me, giving us a stupid grin before leaving us both in the booth. I chuckled at my friend and turned back to Archie.
“Thanks, Archie, this uh…this meant a lot.”
“Gotta say, Hartwell,” Archie drawled. “When Hawk said you were here, I wasn’t too thrilled.” He tapped the side of his nose.
“I was shocked you agreed. This is my first time back since—”
“Yeah, I haven’t made that easy for you, huh? Guess I should apologize for that.” He leaned back in his seat. Archie was about my age, maybe a little older. Tall and lean, with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. He was known for his looks and his voice. Not only was he the head of the Wyoming committee—but he was sought out for his abilities. If I hadn’t punched him a year ago, he probably would have been a decent guy to get to know. Made my shot of getting to the NFR all that easier.
“It’s actually been a really great year. Sure, I’ve missed this, but I’ll get back at it in no time.” I tapped on the desk, the pile of papers sliding when I lifted my finger.
“We’ve all been watching you, you know.” He gave me a coy grin. “Hawkins has been telling us about how you’re cleaning up your act—no more bar fights in your future.”
I chuckled. “No, Arch. That was a…” I looked over him and tapped the side of my nose with my thumb, mimicking his gesture from earlier. “One-time thing. Just—don’t insult my girl anymore.”
He barked out a laugh. “Your girl? Compton? Yeah, Hawkins told me you were helping her out. I almost didn’t believe it. But then I saw you at a few rodeos, hell, even at Reno after they turned down your name. You’ve been sticking by her like a magnet.”
I smirked, the thought of Quinn waiting for me making my heart swell. “Yeah, she’s great.”
“Closing up the booth, guys.” A head popped in the box. “Make sure you have everything and lock up.”
Archie and I gave him a nod, and we both stood, grabbing what was left of the papers to make sure everything was in order before we shut down the booth. Archie shut the door behind us, locking it and giving the keys a jingle.
“It’s gotta be your game. I know you, man.” He slapped my shoulder.
“Game?” I repeated. “There’s no game. I just want to get back in the box. This is where I belong, seeing everything from right in that seat—it’s what I was meant to do. Traveling with Quinn, helping her out when she needed someone, helped me get here. If I weren’t with her, who would you have called to cover for Sam on short notice?”
“Yeah, that’s right. We got lucky. Just…whatever you’re doing, keep doing it, and I’ll make sure your name gets back on committees. Keep her around for a bit longer, okay? She’s good for your image, and it’s helping her out too.”
“We’re helping each other.”
He raised his brow and winked. “Sure you are. Keep it up. Great show tonight.”
“You too. See you around.” I replied, still keeping my façade.
Archie gave me a nod, his gaze traveling behind me. A quick shake of his head and a wave of his hand, he turned and left. I had this in the bag. Archie said it himself, they were watching, they were noticing—maybe I didn’t screw up as bad as I thought.
Making a mental note to thank Sam for getting sick— and also to get well—I spun on my heel, ready to see Quinn and feel her in my arms. I hated not being there after her ride, but this was almost better. We both had reasons to be buzzed and energized. We were both flying high, and I couldn’t wait to see it in her eyes. Couldn’t wait to just be near her.
Was it too early to propose? Would she even say yes if I asked?I chuckled, trying to imagine exactly what she would say. I could see her eye roll, the way she would slap my shoulder,but she’d let me take her in my arms and kiss her over and over again until she told me,Come on, Hartwell, we have more than tonight—remember?
“Wyatt? I knew that was your voice.”
A hand touched my forearm, pulling me from my daydream and right into the gaze of Miss Rodeo Montana.
“Kelly.” I smiled. “Miss Rodeo Montana in the flesh.”
She grinned, “For a few more months, and then it’ll be Miss Rodeo America,” she said, her tone pompous.
“That’s right. NFR bound.”
I looked her up and down, noticing all the details about her. Her blonde hair was stiff and sprayed to perfection, even after riding her horse around the arena. Her crown sat a tiny bit askew on top of her hat, and her makeup was a tad overdone. She was gorgeous, there was no doubt about that, and there was a week that felt so long ago that maybe she could have been more—there was a spark between us, but I knew who was waiting for me back at the trailer.
“You too, I hear. Helen tells me you’ve been traveling with her daughter.”
I raised my brow, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. “Yeah, Quinn and I—”
