Page 11 of Eight Seconds to Fly

Beau, bless his big heart, looked between us. “This is Tessa from Texarkana? The one you-” Branch slapped him in the back of the head, the gesture so familiar from our childhood days that I almost grinned. Branch looked at me, then at Dylan.

“Outside, now,” he growled, and I snarled in his direction.

“Fuck off, Branch.”

There were a few sniggers around the room, and Branch’s eyes narrowed. “Fine, you want to air this shit in here? Lets do it. How about we talk about how you-”

I held up a hand and glared. Branch was fucking this up for me, and I was going to punch him in the damn face.

Frankie had moved closer to me, hovering at my side, ready to throw down. I cast him a thankful look as I strode toward the door that led out of the changing room. Frankie was right at my heels, watching my back, and I could only assume that Dylan, Branch and Beau would follow. I strode into an empty conference room across the hall.

“Dammit, dammit, dammit,” I whispered under my breath. You only got one chance to make a first impression, that's what Daddy had always told me. And Branch had fucking blown it for me.

As if I summoned the Devil himself, Branch strode into the room, Beau on his heels and a still shell-shocked Dylan bringing up the rear and closing the door.

Branch looked at Frankie. “Who the hell are you?”

Frankie called him some pretty nasty things in Portuguese, and I grinned. “Be nice.” Frankie stared down at me, his face blank but his eyes dancing with questions.

“Francisco Santos. Tessa’s best friend. Who the fuck are you?” he growled back, and I rolled my eyes. Great.

Beau looked like he was about to burst. He turned to Dylan, both eyebrows raised. “This is Tessa, the buckle bunny from Texarkana?”

I scoffed, my eyes catching Dylan’s. “Nice, asshole. Real respectful. You guys are like a bad stereotype.”

Dylan raised his hands, throwing Beau a disgruntled look. “That’s not what it was like. Not what I said.”

I smirked in his direction. “Technically, I’m a rider too. Maybe that makes you the buckle bunny, dickhead.”

Frankie laughed, holding his abs as he bent in half. “Buckle bunny. Damn, that was a good one.”

Branch didn’t seem amused. “See you still got the same dirty mouth, Tessa May.”

“Eat a dick, Branch.”

“How about you eat it for me?” He growled back, and all mirth left Frankie’s face as he stepped forward like he was going to beat the shit out of Branch. I had a moment of hesitation where I seriously considered letting him go for it, but then I grabbed his arm, holding him back. As much as I would like to see Frankie slap down Branch, my position in the WBRP was precarious as it was.

Beau stepped forward, his palms up. “Hey, lets not get crazy. We aren’t kids anymore.” He gave Branch a disapproving look. “I think you being here is a bit of a shock to everyone. Maybe Dylan for a different reason.”

I couldn’t tell if he sounded disapproving or not. I didn’t care. I was a big girl. I didn’t need Beau or Branch chasing away boys like they had when I was a teenager. Beau had been my first kiss, and Branch had been my second, that day at the Rodeo when I rode for the first time. The last time I saw him.

“I fucked Dylan in the back of my truck. Let’s not pretend it isn’t something you guys do every weekend. This is the twenty-first century. Women are allowed to enjoy one night stands too, the same way we are allowed to ride bulls.”

Beau winced, casting a quick look to Branch. The man had his fists clenched. “You are worth more than a quick fuck in the back of someones pick-up, Tessa May.” Whoops, he was pulling out my actual name. I must have pissed him off good and proper now.

I shrugged. “Maybe. Hell, maybe Dylan is worth more than being just a body to get myself off with, but it doesn’t matter because he has a dick, right?”

Beau actually laughed. “Jesus, I’ve missed the hell out of you.” He looked like he wanted to hug me again. Beau was a hugger. Frankie stepped closer to me, and pulled me beneath his arm protectively. I shot him a sidelong look, and I swear, his expression was jealous. Did he think I was going to replace his BFF status with Beau? Beau was my past, but Frankie had held me together for years. Patched me up and been my staunchest supporter. I loved him to death. He was my Ride or Die.

All three of the men across the room looked at Frankie’s hand curled around my shoulders, like they could sear the limb off with their mind. Jesus save me.

“Look. This doesn’t have to be weird. We can just pretend we don’t exist to each other. I’m not here to make waves. I just want to ride. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Beau’s eyes softened, and he stepped toward me. He reached out a hand and I only hesitated a moment before I took it. For the second time in an afternoon, I was dragged into familiar arms. “Damn, Tessa May. I kind of can’t believe it's really you. I wanted to see you in hospital after…” My body stiffened, but he rubbed a circle on my back. “But they wouldn’t let us in to see you. Branch threw a punch at the security guard and we got banned.” Disapproval colored his tone, and I didn’t know if it was disapproval of Branch’s short temper or the hospital's actions. “Then you were being shipped off to California. We didn’t even get to say goodbye. You were just gone forever.”

Tears welled in my eyes and I sucked heaving breaths to stop them from falling. No. I was not going to cry in front of Branch and Beau. Instead, I pulled away. I shrugged. “I kept track of you guys. Talked to Mr. Watson about the property, and he mentioned you went into sports medicine, specialising in bull riding. And he always talked about how Branch was doing. Sorry about the ACL,” I said over his shoulder to a still tightly strung Branch.

He shrugged. “It happens.”

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