Page 98 of Ride a Cowboy

Coach grimaced. “You’re still not getting it, boy, so I’ll spell it out for you. You’re responsible for one person’s happiness in this world, and that’s your own. Making yourself unhappy and denying a big part of yourself because you think it will please others has the opposite effect. I just had to break up a fight between two boys I consider sons because you can’t get your head out of your ass. I don’t enjoy watching you take a knee on the one-yard line. You know what would make me happy? Knowing you were happy, and I got a good feeling the same holds true for your mother. However you get to that place is okay with me. And even if it wasn’t, I’d still expect you to go for it, to push through with everything that you have because I don’t coach quitters.”

Coach was right. If Joel went for what he wanted, he would have to deal with the disapproval of others. There were a hell of a lot of people in town who wouldn’t approve of what he and Sadie and Oakley were doing. And there were some who would frown upon the kind of relationship he wanted to have with Oakley. Maris—like the rest of the world—had its share of homophobes.

But if he let fear of those people’s opinions make this decision for him, it would be the biggest mistake of his life.

He’d find a way to explain it to his mom. And then he was going for it, making the play.

“I want to be with Sadie and Oakley. I want to spend the rest of my life with them.”

Coach smiled. “Then it’s time to stop playing it safe. Time to get out of the red zone and score.”

Oakley sat at a table near the back door of Cruisers and glanced over at the bar. Sadie was talking to Jack, pouring him shots. From the way the guy was slumped over, he’d venture to guess Jack was having the same shitty night he was.

Sadie had walked over as soon as he sat down and asked him about the bruises on his face. He’d been a dumbass to come here, but he’d needed to get the hell out of the bunkhouse and off the ranch. He wasn’t ready to face Joel. Or Coach. Plus he’d wanted to see Sadie and he needed a drink. Actually, a lot of drinks.

Sadie had gotten pissed when he mentioned having a disagreement with Joel. She’d muttered something about them being jackasses. When she had returned with his pitcher of beer, she’d merely set it down and turned her back on him without another word.

He was batting a thousand on pissing off everybody today.

Oakley sat alone in misery for a few minutes, and then looked up when Jack dropped into the seat across from him. “Hey.”

“Hey, Jack.”

“Sadie said I had to move it over here. I’m bringing her down.”

“That right?” Oakley looked past him to the bar. She really didn’t look happy, but that probably didn’t have a damn thing to do with Jack. “Well, I try not to argue with Sadie.”

Jack chuckled. “Good policy. What’s up with you?”

Oakley didn’t even bother to lie. The beer was soaking in and doing its job, taking away some of the rough edges. “Heartbreak.” Oakley lifted his glass in a silent toast to that bastard of an emotion.

“Is that what’s wrong with your face too?”

Oakley grimaced. Pretty much everybody in the bar had snuck a peek at his black eye. He wondered if Joel looked this bad. “Yep. What’s wrong with you?”

“Same.”

They sat in companionable silence for nearly a minute, then Jack asked the question Oakley was hoping he wouldn’t. “Someone I know?”

“Yep.” Oakley didn’t elaborate. He was pretty sure Joel didn’t want the world to know what was going on between them. He took another drink of beer. His pitcher was running low. Given the dirty looks Sadie kept shooting at him, he wasn’t sure she’d serve him another.

“What are you drinkin’?” Jack asked.

“Bud Light.” Oakley pulled the beer closer. “Pitchers are on sale. I’m not sharing.”

Jack grimaced. “Bud Light? You are having a shitty day.”

“You have no idea.”

Jack tipped his beer, draining the bottle before setting it down. “Bet I can top you.”

Oakley was about to take him up on that when Sadie reappeared. Oakley sucked in a deep breath, the floral scent of her perfume calming him down as much as the beer. She always smelled so good. She set four shots of tequila on the table. Maybe she wasn’t as mad at him as he thought.

“Looks like y’all might need these.”

Oakley grinned up at her, resisting the urge to stand up and kiss her senseless. “Thanks, Sade, you’re the best.”

She narrowed her eyes.

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