Page 70 of The Rookie's Second Chance

Chris chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "You know how it is. Same old dust, same old bulls. But damn, we miss you out there. You were one hell of a rider."

I felt a pang of nostalgia, a reminder of simpler times when my biggest worry was staying on a bull for eight seconds. "I miss it too, sometimes. But this... this feels right. Like I'm where I'm supposed to be."

We talked about old times, the rodeo circuit, and the people we knew. It was a conversation that flowed easily, filled with laughter. Chris had a way of making everything seem straightforward, a welcome break from my current life.

Just as I was about to tell him about a particularly memorable rodeo in Cheyenne, the bell above the door jingled again. I glanced over and saw Mandy walking in. She caught my eye and waved, a bright smile on her face.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath. I hadn't expected to see her here, and suddenly, I felt a twinge of unease.

As Mandy approached our table, Chris nudged me with his elbow, an amused smirk on his face. "That why you're so content to settle down, huh?"

"No, no," I said quickly, shaking my head. "She's not my girlfriend. She's my sister's friend. Staying with me while we sort out some issues with Lexi."

Mandy arrived at our table, her smile widening as she looked at me. "I was wondering where you were. You didn't come home last night," she said, her tone laced with a hint of something I couldn't quite place.

I avoided her gaze, focusing instead on the coffee mug in front of me. "Ah, yeah, just got caught up with work stuff," I replied, trying to keep my voice even.

Mandy leaned against the table, her eyes lingering on me a second longer than necessary. The air around us grew heavy, charged with an odd tension. I thought about the information she might be holding back that could help Lexi. But I kept my face neutral, unwilling to tip her off that we suspected anything.

After a few moments of awkward small talk, Mandy finally excused herself, heading back out of the diner. As she walked away, Chris leaned in, lowering his voice. "That's why you don't stick your dick in crazy."

I shot him a surprised look. "What are you talking about?"

Chris snorted, shaking his head. "Man, she's got stage five clinger written all over her."

I frowned. "I never slept with her," I said firmly. "She's just a friend."

Chris raised his eyebrows, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Are you sure about that? Because she acts like it."

I opened my mouth to reply, but the words stuck in my throat. Chris's observation, though crude, wasn't entirely off the mark. Mandy's behavior had been increasingly possessive, and it was starting to worry me.

The conversation was interrupted as Rosie came over to refill our coffees, and I used the moment to collect my thoughts. I needed to figure out Mandy's angle to understand her connection to all of this. But for now, I'd keep playing it cool, not giving away any signs that I was on to her.

Chris's frown lingered as he glanced towards the door where Mandy had exited. "Something up?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

He hesitated, scratching his beard. "Nah, it's nothing. Just... she looks familiar, that's all."

I leaned back in my chair, puzzled. "Familiar? No, you wouldn't have met her before. She's new to Silver Creek. Lexi never brought her around."

He shrugged, still looking uncertain. "Must be my imagination then."

But his comment stuck with me. Was it possible Mandy had been around before, and I just didn't know it?

After finishing our lunch with some more chit-chat about the rodeo days and current town gossip, I said my goodbyes to Chris. I wasn't ready to head home yet, not with all these thoughts swirling around in my head about Mandy. I needed to talk to Kayla and see if she had made any progress.

I drove to Kayla's place. The Silver Creek streets were familiar, yet I felt different under the pressure of all these mysteries. When I arrived, her car wasn't there. I pulled out my phone, seeing a text from her: "Went to meet a friend. Back later."

A sigh escaped my lips. The timing couldn't have been worse. I leaned back in the driver's seat, staring at the empty house. It was too quiet, the kind of quiet that lets your mind run wild. I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel, considering my options. Going home didn't feel right. Not yet.

I ended up driving around town, the streets slowly filling with the orange glow of the setting sun. My mind was a whirlwind of theories and questions about Mandy, Jude, and this whole messed-up situation. Every corner I turned seemed to bring more questions than answers.

As the sky darkened, I pulled into the parking lot of Rosie's Diner again. Maybe a coffee would clear my head. I walked in, the bell above the door chiming my arrival. Rosie gave me a knowing look as I approached the counter.

"Rough day, officer?" she asked, pouring me a cup of her strongest brew.

"You could say that," I replied, taking a seat at the counter. "Just a lot on my mind."

I sipped the coffee, the bitterness somehow comforting. Rosie left me to my thoughts, busy with her other customers. My eyes drifted over the diner's interior, and my thoughts kept circling back to Mandy. Chris's words echoed in my mind. What if she was more involved in all this than I'd thought?

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