Page 126 of Reckless
“Because he’s not old and washed up yet. Let the man live, Summer. He doesn’t need another mom,” Willa pipes up.
She’s sitting on the carpet with Vivi and Emma, who are busy playing with a full set of My Little Ponies. Apparently, Cade can’t stop buying them for Emma, which means there is an alarming number scattered across the floor.
A whole fucking herd of rainbows and sparkles.
Loretta laughs, sitting in the armchair that has become hers. Peter is curled in her lap. The thought of her leaving soon makes my chest hurt. I know she has her own life in Emerald Lake, but she’s filled a gap in my heart these past weeks.
She feels like the mom I should have had.
I’ve decided I’ll soak up all the time I can with her while Theo is away. She’s helping me plan Vivi’s first birthday, but she’s leaving the next day. She says it will be a fun and celebratory way to mark her departure.
But I’m not so sure it will work for me.
“Theo is very capable. He knows his body.” Loretta’s eyes fall to mine. “He’s grown up a lot in recent years. I think he’ll make smart choices up there; he’s got a lot of reasons to come home safe.”
My throat feels tight. I assume her husband had a lot of reasons to come home safe too.
But he didn’t.
“There he is!” Sloane leans forward in her chair, and I follow suit, my eyes raking over the big screen in our living room.
I see Theo climbing up the metal panels. The cream shirt he’s wearing does nothing but good things for his tan skin and alluring dark features. He’s wearing a black cowboy hat, but he has a black helmet in hand.
He trades them off with Rhett, who is propped up on the gate beside him. I can see them exchanging words, but I’m too taken aback by the sight of Theo to attempt to lip-read.
He looks fucking hot, like an entirely different person. Like . . . an entirely different experience than I’ve been getting at home.
Theo’s chaps are a creamy blue with black stars on them, and his protective vest is black to match his boots. His face is pure focus—with a tinge of vicious.
Like I’d lie naked in the dirt for this version of him.
“Okay, it’s my turn to saygoodnow that Emmett didn’t stay on.” Summer pulls my attention away from Theo and Rhett in the background to the blonde cowboy stomping out of the ring.
“Why?”
“Cause Emmett Bush is a douchebag.”
“Emmett, who you almost let take body shots off your tits?” Willa asks right as she pops a chip into her mouth from the bowl on the table.
Summer turns bright pink. “I was pissed off that night.”
We all laugh because we’ve heard the story. Pissed off is code for: she was trying to make Rhett jealous. Based on the way she blushes every time it comes up, I’m going to assume it worked.
I turn my attention back to the TV and end up kneeling on the floor behind Vivi. “Look.” I point to the TV. “There’s Daddy.”
Her head turns, and I swear she peers a little closer.
I rub her shoulders just to give my hands something to do as I watch them load up a rather ugly white bull with pink skin around its eyes and a black splatter pattern all over its coat. It looks mean.
The harder they buck, the better chance he has at getting a good score, so I decide it’s a positive thing.
My palms sweat. I bite my inner cheek hard enough to make it bleed as Theo lowers the helmet over his handsome face. The cage obscures most of his features, but I see those onyx eyes glaring around until they feel like they’re right on the camera.
I can’t help but wonder if he’s searching for me. I want him to be. I wanted to be there, but two weeks on the road living in hotel rooms with a toddler, eating out for every meal—it just wasn’t in the cards. It wasn’t the focused setting he needed, and that didn’t offend me.
If it means him succeeding, I’ll do it. So, I kneel on our living room floor, twisting my hands and watching the live stream.
The people around me chat and laugh like nothing important is happening right now, but my stomach is in my throat.
