Page 116 of Burned & Bound

“Very fucking gay,” I interrupted. “It ain’t an act, honey.”

“Willa said you help us pick guys—”

“No.” I shook my head. “Not a fucking chance.”

“Jackson just makes sure we don’t get treated like crap,” Wren chimed in. Much like Birdie, she was all prim and proper but at least her hair moved.

“Rule number one of the rodeo,” I began, “don’t trust the fucking cowboys.”

“But you’re a cowboy,” Birdie said.

“Jackson is the exception,” Darla told her. “Trust me, when some two-bit nobody is gettin’ too handsy for his own damn good, you want Jackson there to put ‘im in his place.”

“Sounds hot.” Birdie’s gaze swept me head to toe, and I recognized that damn look on her face. There was always one of them—one fucking woman who thought maybe she could make me less gay. Why? Who fucking knew? Maybe it was a challenge thing.

“Still gay, honey,” I reminded her. “And there ain’t a damn thing you’ve got that I want.”

“Are the live auction guys on the table?” Birdie asked, changing the conversation. “Because I was over there earlier—”

“Why were you over there?” Sutton demanded.

“I went shopping,” she smiled wide, “and there was this one guy… a real tall, dark, and toss me around daddy type.”

I snorted into my drink.Yeah, this was exactly why I hung around.This girl was going to find herself a goddamn serial killer if she kept using that criteria to find men.

“The auction guys don’t stick around,” I said. “The first event is always the biggest turnout—short of the finals. It’s a whole ordeal. The animal sales and the live auction are included as a part of the whole fair.”

The first rodeo was always a big event. People brought animals to be sold as well as auctioned off. Hell, my dad and Harrison used to sell bulls at the first rodeo auction. There was barrel riding, calf wrangling, bull riding, and more.

“That’s a bummer.” She pouted—actually pouted. This girl was so goddamn surreal. “I’m going to go for it. The day’s still early.”

“You do you, honey,” I told her. The conversation moved on without me. My heart wasn’t in it. No, my heart was a few hundred miles away with a man who wasn’t answering the damn phone.

What the hell was he doing to me?How had I let myself become so wrapped up in him that I couldn’t fucking stand the idea of being ignored for a whole day?

“You okay, grumpy boy?” Darla nudged me in the side with her elbow. I gave her a well-practiced smile—one she saw right through. “Don’t you go lyin’ to me now.”

“Just got someone on my mind,” I told her, keeping my voice down. I rarely shared my dating life with anyone. Darla knew a handful of things, but that was it. I was always cautious about what I shared. I didn’t want to clean up a fucking mess publicly.

“Jackson Ford Myles!” She gasped, slapping a hand to her chest playfully. “Are you tellin’ me you have a special—”

“Oh!” Birdie exclaimed, lighting up. “Well, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Toss Me Around Daddy just made this easy.”

While they chattered about her conversation strategy, I decided to take a look at Mr. Tall, Dark, and Toss Me Around Daddy—ready to take notes in case I had to kick someone’s ass. But I never got that far. My heart lurched into my throat as I watched West wander up to the bar. He looked ready to fall asleep on his feet. His clothes were dusty, and his hair was shoved under a backwards hat.

What the hell was he doing here?

He drummed his fingers on the bar as he waited for the bartender, and I leaned forward, silently hoping he didn’t order a drink.

He did, but it was water.Thank fuck.

After exchanging a handful of words with the bartender and tossing down some cash, West wandered to a corner booth and damn near collapsed in the seat. He dragged his hat over his face as he leaned back.

What the hell had happened to him?

“Sorry, honey, that one’s taken,” I interjected over their planning. Not saying anything else, I left the table to join West. When I dropped onto the bench across from him, he pulled the hat off his face. I asked, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I told you I’d be there for your first ride. I just never said at what rodeo,” West said. The corner of his mouth tipped up in a crooked, tired smile. Something inexplicable and overwhelming weaseled its way around my heart. When I didn’t reply, he continued, “I took a job for Rich Mattesonhauling horses to the live auction. He’s too old to drive or some shit—took a plane. That’s why I didn’t answer you. Got in at like fucking midnight last night and had to stay with the horses. I figured I’d sleep in the truck, but one of the horses was too damn restless. I stayed up to keep him calm, so I haven’t slept yet. And then Rich’s plane was fucking delayed, which left me being a goddamn salesman.”

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