Page 71 of Bourbon and Secrets

The arena where the charity rodeo is held is indoors. The typical humid heat that licked everyone’s skin during rodeo season is nowhere in sight. Instead, snowflakes dust all the cars lining the entryway.

“I still never found outwhymy sister had bruises all over her face and body? Any guesses?”

“Of course, but you know your sister,” he rushes out.

I raise my eyebrows. “I don’t, actually. Kind of seems like you might know her better.”

I watch his casual body language and try to pay attention to if it changes as we pass more people walking through the front gates and into the main hall. Tables line the edges with local businesses that sell everything from hot toddies to turquoise adorned belts and buckles. Rodeos are an excuse to dust off cowboy hats and pull on your best boots. The talent wears Wranglers and cowhide just about every day, but Kentucky isn’t typical cowboy country. They still look damn fine in worn jeans and Henleys, but their accessories include rocks glasses and charm. Present company included. Cortez is in plain clothes, but he and I are similar in that we rarely turn off work mode. He might have asked me here, but he’s always on duty.

A group of two women smiles at him as they walk by. Tipping his hat, he gives them an innocent smile, ignoring the way they’re blatantly checking him out.

“Are you dating anyone?” I ask him. “This is our second time out and I haven’t heard you talk about anybody...”

“You tell me,” he says with a smirk. “Like you said, this is our second time out together.”

“Oh, please.” I laugh. I try not to think about who I ended up with and what we were doing when I went out with Cortez last time. “That isn’t why I’m asking.”

We stand in line for one of the tents, and it gives me a minute to look around. I’m not sure what I’m looking for, but a small wave of excitement rolls through me when I see Griz Foxx. I scan behind him to see if Lincoln is with him.

“Who are you looking for?” Cortez asks, as he follows my line of sight.

I let out an exhale and figure I might as well cut my losses here and just ask him point blank. “Are you sleeping with Maggie?”

He snorts out a laugh, head rearing back. “What? No.” He looks behind him. “Jesus, Faye, why would you think that?”

I shrug my shoulders, trying to decide if his reaction is more of a show than truth. I step up to the long wooden table when it’s our turn to order. “What are the chances I can get a hot toddy?”

Marla gives me a tight-lipped smile as I hold out a twenty for the drink. “We’re all out.”

Cortez laughs to himself.

Romey gives her arm a slap and laughs. “You’re such a bitch, Marla.” Smiling up at me, she says, “That’ll be five dollars, Faye.”

Marla makes a show of moving down to the next table that’s selling 50/50 raffle tickets.

“Ignore her,” Romey says as she hands me back my change. “I know you’ve got a lot going on, between your sister and just moving back?—”

“I’m not moving back, Romey.”

She bats away my words. “That’s neither here nor there. Marla likes grudges and you’ve been gone long enough to be considered a tourist now.”

My stomach sinks at not being a part of this place.If they only knew how often I wanted to be here.The way that I planned to never leave this town after coming back from the academy.

“She went ahead and started a whole famous life without us,” Cortez says as he slides up next to me. He gives me a wink and that crooked smile that I’m sure gets him plenty of attention around here.

Romey looks between us, smiling. “You two would have the prettiest babies.”

Cortez smiles at me, just waiting for my response.

I’ve never pictured having babies with anyone. Even when my plans included staying in Fiasco, kids felt like a distant decision. I wanted to build a career, get my footing, then decideif that path made sense for me. Now, any path I take seems too short-sighted to even consider it.

“Having babies doesn't exactly fit into my life plans or my career choices,” I say jokingly.

She gives me a placating smile as she slices out two small pieces of the fudge she’s been selling. “The girls at Teasers were talking about asking you to host a dance class.”

“Really?” I’m a bit thrown off by that. It isn’t something anyone has asked me before. I just assumed it wasn’t the kind of dancing they’d want to see, never mind learn, in a small town.

“Mable can teach ballet with her eyes closed, but she wouldn’t know the first thing about swingin’ her hips or shimmyin’ around.”

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