Page 69 of Rough Ride

“I didn’tmakeyou do anything,” she argued. “I just gave him a little push. Technically, I guess I gavebothof you a push. Jessica asked me to unload the boxes, not you.”

I stared at her in disbelief. “You got me laid,andyou made me do your workplace chore?”

“Don’t be so dramatic. The chore was required to make the first thing happen. You may shower me with praise at any point.”

The hair on my arms went stiff, and I glanced toward the entrance to this room. Eli was walking inside, holding my gaze as he made his way to the bar.

“All right,” I said. “You’re the best wingwoman in the world.”

“Of course I am,” she replied while clocking-out of the bar. “I’m a married women. I needyouto have all the fun so I can live vicariously through you. And lately, you have not been disappointing.”

“Just wanted to say I’m headin’ home,” Eli said. “I’ll be thinkin’ about where to take you on that date. Until then, have a lovely evening.”

He winked at me, tipped his hat at Liz, then walked away.

“Her evening has already been lovely,” Liz muttered next to me.

I elbowed her in the ribs, but that just made her smile more.

*

Sawyer was at the gym the next morning, lifting weights in one of the squat racks again. All the other spots were full; I turned and looked over my shoulder at the treadmills, and wondered if I should do a warm-up jog while waiting for one to free up.

When I glanced back, Sawyer had stepped to the side and was gesturing at the squat rack expectantly.

“Do it!” Liz whispered next to me.

“Fine,” I replied. “But don’t youdaretry to hook me up with him.”

“I can’t make any promises,” she teased. “You wore your tightest booty-shorts today, and I thinkhe’sthe reason.”

Unlike the flirty comments and knowing smiles from Eli and Johnny, Sawyer remained perfectly stone-faced while we lifted weights together. Part of me was grateful he was a gentleman rather than hitting on me. But another part of me wondered why he was playing this game, why he refused to showanyinterest at all.

And Liz was right: I had intentionally worn my gym shorts that made my ass look amazing, secretly hoping to run into Sawyer today.

The only thing he said to me during the workout was, “Nice job,” after a particularly strenuous set. Aside from that, he was silent.

And when we left the gym, Liz was frowning. “Maybe he’s not into you. He didn’t glance at your butt once, not even while you were sticking it out during squats.”

I was frustrated by this all afternoon, and simultaneously frustrated at myself forbeingfrustrated. I’d slept with Johnny at my apartment yesterday morning, then hooked up with Eli at Billy Bob’s at night. I had two ridiculously sexy cowboys vying for my sexual attention. I didn’t need to pine over a third one.

But knowing that didn’t make my feelings go away.

All three of them were at Billy Bob’s that night, sharing drinks at the bar. They were locked into a heated debate about whowas going to do the best in the Steer Wrestling competition tomorrow.

“I’ll bet a hundred bucks I score a better time than either of you,” Eli said.

Sawyer snorted while nursing his whiskey. “I can’t make that bet.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re insane,” Sawyer replied in his raspy voice. “And it’d be rude to steal money from someone lacking a basic amount of logic.”

Eli rolled his eyes and turned back to Johnny. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of a friendly wager.”

“Now wait a minute,” I interjected. “Last week, I heard you claim that Steer Wrestling was Johnny’s best event.”

“For the purposes of logical conversation, it’s his best event,” Eli admitted. “But for the purposes of competitive shit-talkery, Johnny couldn’t wrestle a steer if he had all dayanda bottle of Xanax.”

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