Page 61 of Fool for You
I opened up the app and cued up the episode, quickly glancing around at all my boots, still spread around the living room floor. Tomorrow I’d pack up the pairs I picked in my truck. I’d pack my backseat full of garment bags, hat boxes, and suitcases full of God knows what in them…leaving the small space for Wyatt’s one duffel bag.
“Come with me,” I said suddenly, not even second-guessing it.
Wyatt raised a brow and looked over at me.
“This weekend, come with me to the rodeos. I’m sure your favorite horse…you know the one that starts with an H and ends in an ook, would be thrilled to know you’re there to take care of him.”
The smile I wanted came back. Even the sparkle in his eyes returned.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Twenty
Wyatt
Myentirebodyjerkedas I pumped my fist and cheered, watching as Quinn disappeared behind the gates after her fourteen-second ride. I’d decided to sit in the stands for these rodeos, and I could still see her smile from here. She took first, and Kurt—the announcer on duty tonight—just called that she was now the time to beat. Kurt was good; he got the crowd roaring, and damn, they cheered for Quinn. She had this in the bag. Just like last night and the night before, Quinn was topping the charts. And she was riding the high.
I waited a few seconds before side-stepping past everyone, taking the stairs two at a time until I was back behind the stands. My heart was racing; I couldn’t get to her fast enough. She couldn’t go far. If she won, the reporter would want to talk to her. I could imagine her still on Hook, letting him turn in circles as they waited. With how fast he was going, I’m sure his sassy ass still had some pent-up energy, so she’d be taking her time to calm him down. Yet, I still ran as fast as I could to the back of the arena, jumping onto the lowest metal bar once I reached the gate.
“Quinn!” I bellowed once I caught sight of her.
Just like I guessed, she was still on Hook, his head bobbing up and down as he tried to settle. Hook turned before she did, his hooves bouncing as they made their way over to me.
“Did you see that!” Quinn exclaimed. “Fourteen seconds flat! Fourteen! Pretty sure that beat your mom’s time.”
My grin spread as I remembered that day at the ranch. The entire Hartwell family was sitting in the tiny indoor arena. Quinn rounded some barrels, she taught Stetson how to race, Rhett beat my ass at tie down, and my mom showed Quinn how it was done. The other thing that stood out in my mind was that it was the first time I had actually tried to hit on Quinn—and her exact words: “If you would get your ass off the gate and saddle a horse, I’d be more inclined to talk to you.” If only she knew that months later, she’d be the one inviting me to her rodeos.
“I got it all on film,” I assured her, reaching out to pat Hook on the nose. “I’ll make sure to send it to her—but knowing them, they already saw it.” My parents were still traveling after their retirement, but they always made sure to follow the rodeo. They basically hadthe Cowboy Channelon as background noise.
She wiggled her hips in the saddle, a breath of relief leaving her lungs. Quinn's cheeks were flushed, her hair was disheveled, and her shirt slightly askew on her shoulders—yet I had neverseen her this ecstatic. I wasn’t sure if it was the fact that she knew everyone was supporting her—watching her—even from Alpine Ridge or across the world, or if it was simply because she was doing what she was meant to do.
“Compton,” a rodeo hand called. Quinn turned to the voice. “You won! They wanna see you on the dirt.”
“Coming!” She slid from the saddle and handed me the reins, not even a second thought as to who she was handing off one of her boys to. She just gave me a wide smile and took off towards the gates.
I climbed over the gate, landing on my feet in front of Hook. He moved and nudged me with his nose to get my attention, but I turned just in time to see Quinn adjust her hair, straighten her shirt, and step out onto the arena dirt.
“What a ride, Quinn! You must feel like you’re on top of the world.” The reporter’s voice rang through the speakers, almost drowning out the crowd.
“I am. It’s been three nights of amazing rides. But it wasn’t just me; it was Hook also. I always try to gauge who to ride, but these past few nights it’s been him, and he’s really performed.” I could hear Quinn’s smile through the speakers. The excitement she carried traveled through the microphone and into the crowd, and I suddenly wished I were right next to her. I wanted to see her there, not just hear her. “We trained and worked really hard to get here, and it’s one step closer to the NFR.”
“If you keep up with rides like this, you’ll definitely make it there. Congratulations on tonight, and we can’t wait to see where you go.”
Quinn was beaming when she collected her check, and she had a bounce in her step as we unsaddled Hook. She hummed as she guided him to the trailer and locked it. Flipping her hair as she got into the driver’s seat of her truck—the joy basically radiated off of her at this point. I had never seen her like this,and I couldn’t stop staring as this new side of her came out. The Quinn I knew was scheduled, she was structured, she was calm. Tonight, she was acting as if she were a Coke bottle that had been shaken and was ready to burst. I loved every minute of it.
Her gaze met mine in the silence, and her eyes widened, the expression never leaving her.
“What?” She removed her hat and plopped it on the dash, her fingers quickly moving to run through her hair.
“Nothing, you’re just cute like this.” I smiled at her.
“What?” She repeated, her smile widening as she scrunched her shoulders. “I’m excited. I won. Three nights in a row. Nothing to stop me or pull me from this mood, so you'd better relish it while you can.”
“Oh, I am.” I chuckled. “I love seeing every new side of you, but you’re too energized. I’m kind of wondering what you’ve done with my Quinn.”
“Your Quinn?” She raised a brow, but the smile didn’t fade.
“Yeah,myQuinn.”
