Page 8 of Bull Riders Don't Swoon

“Thanks. I’ve, um…thought about the what-ifs, too. If…if you hadn’t been there, I might not be sitting here with you now. I know that.” Griff opens his mouth to protest, but I hold up a hand. “No, Griff, let me finish. Please.” He motions for me to continue, and I suck in a breath. “You saved my life. Whether or not you want to acknowledge that, I do. You’re my best friend, and I want to thank you for being there.”

Griff remains quiet, and I eat my pizza while I give him a moment. We’ve been close like no other friendship I’ve ever had since we met, and this has brought us even closer. It’s opened my eyes to who is really there for you. Few people would be in the position to take a bull’s hoof for me, but if they were, I’m not sure how many would do what Griff did.

Finally, his giant smile returns. “If I say you’re welcome, can we put this mushy stuff behind us and get on with things?”

Holding a piece of pizza up in toast, I take a bite. “A hundred percent. Let’s eat this before it gets cold, and I’ll help you clean up. When’s the last time you did the laundry? It smells like an old sock in here.”

Griff tosses a pillow at my head, and I bat it away, laughing.

“I was sentenced to bed rest, asshole. Don’t rag on my lack of cleaning.”

“I know for a fact you said you’d do laundry before this even happened.” I point to the mountain of clothes in a heap in the corner. “That’s not five days’ worth of laundry.”

“Remind me why you’re my friend again.” Griff moves the remaining pizza out of my reach with a grin.

Yeah, we’ll be okay.

three

Griff

The Last Week Before Graduation

I’m certain karaoke with Jamieson making up words for sea shanties is not what I want to do tonight. As entertaining as it is, I’m barely holding it all together. A significant chapter of our lives is about to end, and all I want is Jamieson to myself.

I should tell him how I feel. We’ve chatted about me staying in Kissing Ridge permanently. I secured a regular bullfighting rotation on the rodeo circuit, and Jamieson gets his dream to compete as a Canadian bull rider. It makes sense on paper for us to stay in the same town.

I didn’t apply for the master’s program in psychology like I’d planned, much to my professor’s disappointment. He assured me I’d be accepted easily, and I might even qualify for partial funding, but I just couldn’t do it. Jamieson is my focus.

He needs me while he’s on the circuit, and I can’t just walk away from that.

Is it stupid to put my future on hold because I’m in love with my best friend? Absolutely. But my heart wants to stay close to Jamieson.

If people can take time off after high school before they start their education, I can take time off before extending it. The reason doesn’t matter.

“Griff!” Jamie jumps off the stage and throws his arms around me. I breathe in his essence and try not to bury my face in his neck. “Let’s dance with…” He spins swiftly to the attractive blonde next to him. “Simon!”

Simon gives me an appreciative once-over and a little wave. “Hi. I’d love to dance with you both.”

Jamieson whispers in my ear. “He’s cute right?”

We follow Simon to the dance floor, and despite my inner turmoil, I agree. “He is.”

Simon, with his short blonde hair, warm brown eyes, and a smile you can’t help but return, is attractive in that magazine model way. Flawless skin, a perfectly tight body, and just the right amount of mystery. Jealousy strikes when he bats his eyelashes at Jamieson and playfully throws his arms around his neck.

Jamieson smiles at Simon with a promise on his lips, and I’m not sure why I’m even here. I don’t get those looks from Jamieson, no matter how hard I wish I did.

The three of us dance and pass Jamie’s beer around. He never could hold much alcohol, and while we’re all pleasantly buzzed, we’re also sober enough to understand the proposition put forth by the incredibly cute Simon.

“I want to take both of you home. My roommates are already gone, and I want to end this year with a bang.” Simon runs a hand up each of our chests and tilts his face up to Jamieson. “Or a blow. I’m not picky about how it goes down, but you two are fucking hot.”

Jamieson turns to me, and we share a silent conversation through eyebrow quirks and head tilts before I cup Simon’s cheek and kiss him softly. “Lead the way.”

I don’t know why I’ve agreed to this. Yes, I find Simon attractive, but he’s not the one I want. Threesomes aren’t even on my fantasy list. Yeah, I’m an anomaly in literally everything in life, but Jamieson wants to do this, so I agreed.

Because I’ll never say no to him.

Simon lives in a townhouse only ten minutes away, but the walk there takes us closer to twenty. Jamieson and I exchange kisses with Simon the entire time, along with the odd grope. Watching my best friend kiss another man is hot, but a low-key jealousy still burns. He never once reaches for me to kiss, and I try not to dwell on it.

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