Page 152 of Reckless Hearts

My hands fly to my face, pressing to my eyes like I can block out the whole world, like maybe if I can’t see it, I can’t lose him.

Eight seconds stretch into eternity.

The announcer calls out the end of the ride, but my palms are still glued over my eyes, like if I lift them too soon, I’ll see something I can’t unsee.

A calm, warm voice beside me cuts through the panic. “He made it through just fine.”

I turn to the woman. I’ve been too busy freaking out to notice her until now and blink at her in wide-eyed surprise.

She’s stunning.

Golden waves tumble over her shoulders, and her eyes are a clear, bright green. There’s something about her. She’s calm, grounded, welcoming. Like she knows exactly what it’s like to be in my shoes and isn’t in any rush to make me explain it.

She offers me a water bottle like we’ve known each other for years. “Here. Drink. Helps more than you think.”

Her tone is low and even, the kind people use when they don’t want to scare something skittish.

I accept the water with a muttered “Thanks” and take a long sip. The coolness is a shock, but so is the way my panic starts to dull around the edges, like her voice is smoothing out all the ragged parts of me.

“First time watching someone you love ride?” she asks, still in that even, reassuring tone.

I huff a quiet laugh. “If only it were that simple.”

She tilts her head, clearly curious, but she doesn’t press. Just nods, then pivots to something easier. “I’m Mia.”

“Callie.” I shake her hand, awkward and too aware of how tightly I’m still clutching the water bottle.

She doesn’t seem to mind, just smiles and keeps talking, like this isn’t strange at all. “So, who are you rooting for?”

“Colt and Maverick.”

Her brow lifts, and her lips twitch. “The rivals?”

I twist my fingers in my lap, the heat crawling up my neck. My brain immediately floods with memories that have nothing to do with rivalry. Maverick’s hand gripping Colt’s thigh, Colt’s low moan echoing against my neck, the way they moved together until I couldn’t tell where one of us ended and the other began. My face ignites, heat crawling up my neck until I can feel it all the way up to my ears.

Mia watches me closely, then grins. “Oh. So it’s like that.”

I open my mouth. Close it again. Try to find the words, but they scramble. “I mean—sort of. Yeah. We’re… together.”

“First time saying that out loud?”

I pause. “Technically second. If you count a group of girls in a gas station parking lot.”

She laughs, and the sound is light, not mocking. “These two”—she nods toward the men seated beside her—“are mine.”

My brows rise, reaching for my hairline. “Wait. Seriously?”

“Seriously,” she says brightly. “This one’s River.” She pats the thigh of the dark-haired, brooding man beside her. “And this charmer with the dimples is Alex.”

Both men glance over at me, curiosity in their expressions, but their attention never strays far from Mia.

“I’ve never met another throuple before,” I admit, still a little stunned.

She giggles. “And isn’t that a shame?”

I choke on a laugh because… yeah. It kind of is.

She chirps happily as she introduces them, telling me how they’re here to cheer on a friend who switched from hockey to bull riding. How they both play in the NHL, that they’ve been together for several years, and that she couldn’t imagine life without them. It’s all said so casually, like love like that is the most natural thing in the world.

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