Page 18 of Bull Riders Don't Swoon

“I just wanna know.”

Griff doesn’t answer for a beat, and I’m just about to ask again when he breaks the silence.

“Honestly? I wouldn’t have been able to. I was going to tie your laces together so you wouldn’t make it to the ice instead.” Griff opens the door to the restaurant and motions for me to step in. “Get in. I don’t need you waking me up with a grumbling belly in three hours.”

My stomach growls on cue, and I step inside.

The aroma of fresh-baked bread makes my mouth water, and I order my usual. A cold cut combo with everything on it. Like…whatever is under the glass, I want some of it on my sandwich. Except mayo, that would be gross.

Griff carries the tray to a table and stacks two bottles of water in front of me with my sandwich before returning with his own cup of lemon tea and a very tiny sandwich.

“Griff, I need to ask you something. I thought of it earlier, and I forgot.”

He sips his tea before nodding for me to continue. “Sure. What is it?”

He bites into his sandwich, waiting for me to speak, and I have to dig around again to remember what I just remembered I need to ask him. Brains are weird.

“Oh, right. Remember when we took that guy home just before we graduated? You never told me why you left. I thought you liked him.”

Griff pauses mid-bite before ripping off another mouthful.

“I did like him.” He sets his sandwich down and leans back, picking at the lettuce on the wrapper. “Why are you asking now?”

“I dunno. That girl tonight, I guess. I’ve never had a threesome, and it made me think of that night, and I wondered why you backed out.”

Griff drinks his tea and pushes the rest of his sandwich towards me.

“Here, finish mine too, and we can get out of here.”

“Bonus sandwich! You’re the best!”

After wolfing everything down, I grab the second bottle of water as Griff stands up. I’m really sleepy, and my eyes close as Griff drives us back to the campsite.

I think we were talking about something. Oh well, if it’s important, he’ll bring it up again.

“Jackson! Where are you?”

It’s been one busy week at home, and it seems like I’ve been at Hunter’s ranch every day but have yet to spend any time with him or Jackson.

Finally, Jackson calls from the back of the barn. “I’ll be right there!”

Nobody works as hard as Jackson. He says he doesn’t do rodeo anymore, but he’s been renovating Hunter’s barn to offer rodeo clinics to younger kids who want to learn steer wrestling or team roping, since Hunter used to do that. On top of helping his boyfriend with his event planning business and restarting his hydroponic gardening, the man doesn’t stop.

“Hey, Jamieson. What’s up?”

“Nothing really. Just wanted to take a minute and visit with you. Feels like forever since we’ve talked.”

Jackson tucks his work gloves into his back pocket and motions towards the ranch house. “You’re probably hungry. Let’s go have abite and catch up. I know it feels like forever, but it’s barely been a month since the kick-off BBQ.”

Jackson bumps me with his shoulder as we walk. “You can admit that you miss me.”

“Of course I can. I do miss you.”

“I miss it some.” Jackson’s beagle cross, Carrot, races across the farmyard towards us, barking the entire way. “Better hold up. She needs to know what we’re doing, or she won’t stop barking.”

The dog stops at our feet, tail wagging so fast she should take flight, and Jackson bends down to scratch her ears.

“It’s just Jamieson and we’re going inside. You know him.” Jackson coos and my heart gets a little squishy watching my friend’s face light up over his dog. “You’re all muddy, though. If you need to keep a watch, it’s from the porch. Hunter will kill me if I let you in like that.”

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