Page 12 of Destry

She swung her head, searching for the bar, but I stopped her.

"Not here."

Savvy frowned, looking up at me confused. "What do you mean, not here?"

I let my gaze drift over the crowd; there were too many people and too many eyes. Half of them were already watchingus, whispering shit about me giving a woman my time and speculating. The last thing I wanted was an audience while I had her to myself.

"We’re going to have that drink but it’ll be after this. At Forty Acres."

Her body stiffened. "Not happening."

"Why the fuck not?"

She folded her arms and her expression screamed hell the fuck no. "Our deal was a drink not a date. Going to Forty Acres sounds more like a date. We can have a drink here."

I shook my head slowly, watching the way her lips pressed together like she already knew where this was going.

"Too many people. I want you all to myself."

Her breath hitched, barely noticeable, but I caught it.

"Forty Acres, Rebel." I kept my tone smooth. "You can ride with me."

"That’s not fair."

I grinned. "Never said it would be."

She groaned, tipping her head back like she was asking the sky for patience. "I’ll drive myself."

I chuckled, watching her fight the inevitable.

"That’s cool as long as you show."

She groaned, muttered something under her breath, then turned on her heel and stormed off. I watched Savvy disappear into the crowd, enjoying the curve of her ass, still grinning to myself. I wanted to follow her but I had another stop to make.

With the rodeo officially kicking off tomorrow, things were about to get hectic, which meant if I wanted to check in with my people, now was the time.

I made my way through the crowd toward a long table set up near the stage. The centerpiece was a leather saddle with the Callahan name engraved on the side, a clear reminder of just how much my family had invested in this rodeo.

Our cattle business had deep roots in Millers Pointe and my parents had been one of the sponsors of this event for years. Even though I’d built my own reputation, I wasn’t blind to the fact that my last name carried weight and that was fine. They had their legacy. I had mine.

I spotted my mother, Sonja Callahan, first, standing near the table chatting with a couple of ranch owners. The second she saw me, her face lit up, and she was at my side before I could get a word out.

"Destry Callahan," she said, shaking her head, "took you long enough to come say hello."

My mother’s voice broke through the other voices and before I could say a word she cupped my face in both hands.

I chuckled, leaning down slightly so she could press a kiss to my cheek. "What’s up, beautiful?"

She smiled, smoothing a hand over the front of my shirt. "You look good, baby. Have you eaten? You need to make sure you’re eating."

"I’m eatin’, Ma.” I shook my head.

"Mmhmm." She didn’t look convinced, but before she could go full interrogation mode, my father stepped up beside her, offering a firm handshake.

"Son."

I gripped his hand, nodding. "What’s good, Pops?"

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