Page 26 of Bull Riders Don't Swoon

“Sit.”

He does as I ask, and I take off his socks. The scar from the first time he put himself between me and a bull has faded on his calf, but it’s there. A reminder of what Griff has done for me all these years.

“The water should be good now.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

In just his briefs, he walks to the bathroom, and the door clicks behind him. For several minutes, I don’t hear him in the shower or even a toilet flush.

“Do you need me —”

“For god’s sake Jamie, I don’t need you to wipe my ass! I’m fine!”

“Sorry!”

Finally, I hear him moving and the sounds of him in the shower after a toilet flushes, and I lie on my bed staring at the ceiling with the voice of the motel clerk in my head.

There is a lot we don’t always see at first.

I think I just noticed something about my best friend for the first time in almost ten years of friendship.

And I don’t know what to do with that.

“I thought you said we still had a way to go? Why are we stopping already?”

Griff raises an eyebrow, and I smile back.

“It’s like you don’t even know me. You think I’d take a road trip like this and not research all the food places I need to visit?”

“You just ate a pound of pierogies before we left Manitoba!”

I probably could have eaten more, to be honest. I’ve never tasted pierogies that fucking amazing.

“True. But that was hours ago, and there’s a place that’s supposed to have the most amazing blueberry ice cream in Dryden. We need a rest stop, anyway.”

“You use any excuse to get snacks.” Griff shakes his head, but he’s already reaching for the small pack he has his wallet and phone in with sunscreen and whatever else I didn’t see. When he showedme how much he loved this fanny-pack thing, because that’s what it is, I couldn’t tell him it’s what retired men wear or that he was a blast from the 80s. He was so damn thrilled it would make hiking easier. It was like he discovered the moon.

“Well…yeah. Snacks are life.”

I turn the vehicle into the parking lot of a truck stop and restaurant off the highway and stop at the gas pumps. While I fill the truck, Griff empties the garbage inside before joining me with a stretch.

“It’s a perfect day. Too bad we’re spending it driving.”

“You’re doing okay then? Arm isn’t too sore?”

Griff shakes his head. “A little off and on, but nothing I need a painkiller for or anything. It’s just getting used to moving with my arm.”

After replacing the gas nozzle, we walk into the truck stop together. It smells like home-baked goodness and…blueberries.

“Oh god, do you smell that, Griff?” But he’s already pointing to a giant shelf of fresh-baked goodies and baskets of blueberries.

“Look at this, Jamie. It’s everything you love. Maybe we should get some to eat for breakfast while we’re at the ranch.”

Blueberry muffins, pies, tarts and jams line the shelves in various sizes and my mouth waters.

“I don’t trust myself not to spend every dime I have here right now.” I push Griff closer and cover my eyes. “Pick some stuff for us while I take a piss.”

Griff’s laughter rings out. “Go on then. I’ll save your bank account.”

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