Page 71 of Bull Riders Don't Swoon

“Lord, is that what my future holds? You making deals for sex?”

Griff sounds pissy, but he’s smiling, and before he can buckle himself in, I reach over and fist his shirt in my hand, tugging him over the console so I can kiss him.

“No sex deals unless it’s what room to do it in first in our new place.”

“Did you get everything signed?” Griff’s lips dust over mine, and I steal one more kiss before leaning back in my place and putting the truck in gear. “Yep. The tenants are moving out next week, too. Once they give the keys back, we get in there early since it’s still my dad’s property. We can start the renovation almost a month early!”

“That’s great news, Jamie!”

Griff’s smile is truly one of his best features. When he smiles, it sort of makes his blue eyes more blue if that’s possible, and he exudes this lovable personality that I’m completely in love with. He’s beautiful, and he’s mine.

He reaches for my free hand as I drive to the hospital, and I fill him in on my morning with lawyers and arranging for materials at the home improvement store. After I park at the hospital, he takes my hand as we stroll inside and check into the orthopedic suite.

“Mom wants to know if you want her to make anything special for dinner.”

Griff stops flicking through the gossip magazine he grabbed off the table and faces me. “Did you ask for the macaroni salad you love?”

“Of course I did. Then she asked if you still liked apple strudel or if you’d prefer something else.”

Griff swallows hard, the click audible even in the busy hospital. “She remembers that?”

“Babe, you ate half the pan and told her she should sell the stuff. She remembers.”

“God, that was…what? Six years ago?”

“At least. She likes you and wants you to feel like you’re part of the family.”

Dinner with my family has happened a handful of times over our friendship, and every time it did, Griff was polite and charming. My mom loves him, and so does my sister. My dad was harder to read, but once I told him I wanted to buy the house and that Griff and I were in a relationship, a small smile appeared.

My dad approved, and that meant the world to me. We bumped heads a lot when I insisted bull riding was my goal, and sometimes I wonder if he stopped fighting me on it simply because he grew tired of me arguing. Or maybe I’m just a late bloomer, and I’ve finally figured out my dad’s arguments just came from love.

Either way, we’ve had some great conversations since he texted me that morning to say he was proud of me, and we’ve mended a lot of our differences.

“Anything your mom makes is great, but you can tell her I still love strudel.”

“Griff Shepard?” A nurse calls out, and Griff stands.

“Need me to come hold your hand?”

Griff rolls his eyes. “I can handle it. See you soon.”

After he leaves me in the waiting room, I open the Pinterest app on my phone and scroll for decorating ideas. My sister told me to make boards and pin things, and she’d help me figure out what we’d need to turn my grandmother’s old one-hundred-year-old home into something modern that suits me and Griff.

Owning my own home and building a life with a partner wasn’t something I thought about. I rented a tiny studio apartment I wasn’t attached to, and its purpose was to hold my stuff in the summer and give me a place to sleep in the winter.

I only had sex when someone attractive literally asked me to. It never turned into more because it was usually while I was travelling with rodeo, and it was just sex.

There wasn’t a lot of stability in any part of my life.

It’s funny how I drifted through almost thirty years and not once thought I was missing something. I was mostly content with my life until Griff kissed me and flipped my life around.

Suddenly, I’m excited to choose paint colours and pick out light fixtures and wake up in our bed every day. This longing for something sits nestled in my chest, and it only goes away when I’m with Griff.

“Hey. I’m done.” Griff appears in front of me and holds out a very pale arm. “The nurses had a great laugh at your doodles, by the way. Thanks for that.”

I snort laugh and peek around to see the nurses snickering, and I wave at them.

“I never claimed to be a Van Gogh. It takes skill to draw anatomically correct stick figures. Cock and balls are hard.” I snicker at my joke, and Griff shakes his head.

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