Page 76 of The Hearts We've Broken
When he pulled back, I shot him a cocky grin. “I know.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
mikey
We ended up not signing up for the wild horse racing this year, but that didn’t stop us from going to watch.
After the horse racing, we planned to head over to Rudy’s before it got too swamped with people. We’d leave right before the mutton bustin’ in an attempt to beat the rush heading to the street dance and, inevitably, the bars.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re starting our final wild horse race of the night!” The rodeo announcer introduced all of the teams and shortly after called for the crowd to count them down.
“I’m telling you guys, we should have entered this year. I really think we’d have won again,” I complained as the teams struggled to even get their horses steady.
Reid shook his head. “If there’s ever a next time, and emphasis onif, you’d have to hold one of the horses.”
I wrinkled my nose. Fat chance I’d do that.
If I was being honest, a lot of the Bucking Horse Sale last year was a series of blurs—I didn’t remember much—but I didn’t think any amount ofliquor would give me the courage to hold a horse’s head. I didn’t know what it was about them. Maybe it was their faces or their eyes, or how tall they were, but horses gave me the heebie-jeebies.
“Yeah, I don’t know, that might require you to get over your fear of horses first, buddy,” Colter teased.
“Maybe we just need to give you a couple shots then send you and Bullet on a nice long trail ride,” Jake teased. “By the time you get back, you’ll have sobered up. Exposure therapy or whatever they call it.”
“Notmyhorse,” Colter protested.
“Not mine, either!” Reid added with a grumble.
“That’s all right, guys, no one needs to sacrifice their horse for me. I get enough rides as it is.” I winked suggestively. “Mustache rides, specifically.”
“Ew,” Ellison groaned, conveniently having returned to our seats at that moment. “Please stop.”
“Oh, grow up, Ellison.” I rolled my eyes. “Sex is normal. Everyone has sex. You and Colter—this I know, because I’m pretty sure I walked into Colter’s house and interrupted something that one time. Reid and Isa, probably. Hell, I’m sure Jake and Hayden even have sex.”
Hayden’s face turned bright red, and Jake started sputtering, asking why I was bringing him into this.
“I didn’t mean with each other, but if that’s the kind of thing you’re into, then hell yeah, brother…brothers?” I added.
“Pleasestop talking about sex,” Ellison begged.
“Damn, never thought I’d see the day you begged for me, Firecracker,” I joked, earning myself a death glare from Colter.
“You know I’d punch you, Mikey, but I also know Ellison, and I wouldn’t take an opportunity to clock you away from her either.”
“I’mjust joking!”
When the wild horse racing ended, we packed up our belongings and beelined it out of the fairgrounds, leaving our vehicles to walk downtown. The entire street was blocked off for the dance, so there was no point in trying to find new places to park.
A good crowd of people had already gathered, and the cover band had started playing in the middle of Main Street.
Despite my plans—which I assumed were well thought out—Rudy’s was already pretty busy. It wasn’t quite at the level it’d be in a few hours, but there were a lot more people than their normal occupancy.
Juniper was busy flitting from one end of the bar to the other, taking drink orders and pouring shots. Liv and Nico were also working, but Rudy wasn’t here tonight.
I sidled up to the bar, leaning against it while I waited for Juniper to finish serving a customer.
“What can I—” she started to ask, her customer service voice laid on thick. “Oh, hi.” She huffed out a sigh like it was the first moment she’d had to breathe tonight.
“Hey, pretty girl.” I reached out, twirling a long strand of her blonde hair around my finger.
