Page 8 of Big Obsession

My son walks straight to Dolly, and even though I should be focused on what I'm about to do, I know I won’t be able to unless I know my son is secure. As soon as Rick and Ace reach Dolly,Rick takes his hat off to talk to her. Jealously flairs inside me, and I grip the banister harder.

My name is called, and I should be getting into the chute, but I stand here, watching Dolly and Rick talk. What the fuck was I thinking sending him over there? He’s younger and a charmer. I won’t be surprised if he walks back over here and tells me that he has a date with her later tonight. Fuck, if he gets her phone number I’m going to throw him in the chute with the bull.

Focus, Tucker. I repeat the mantra to myself, trying to look away, but I’m only able to once Rick starts walking back toward me. Dolly and Ace are talking, and it’s obvious my son is explaining everything to her. She’s patient with him, listening intently, and even though I love the thrill of the ride, I would give anything to go over and sit with Dolly and Ace right now. Maybe I’d hold her hand, tuck her into my side. We could share a meal together and then leave, hand in hand. It sounds simple enough, but even now, I can’t imagine it ever happening. We have a history. She is, or was, the best friend of Ace’s mom.

I had hoped our talk last night would come to some declarations and plans for the future, but she was timid on the phone. I get it. She’s nervous about all this, and she doesn’t want to mess up her relationship with Ace. I respect it, I really do, but I also can imagine how good we could be together, and so I know I need to stay on course, even if I need to take it slower than I want.

I finally get into the chute and get situated. The bull rocks between my legs, and I clench my thighs together. I shouldn’t ask, but as soon as Rick comes to a stop next to me, I ask him, “What the fuck was that?”

His cheeks are ruddy. “Sorry, man. I didn’t realize I was flirting with your woman. Ace set me straight, though.” He chuckles.“He wasn’t having it. He said, ‘My dad wouldn’t want you flirting with his girlfriend.’”

I raise my eyes in question and then look over to where my son is sitting with Dolly. Ace stands up and gives me a thumbs-up, so I return one to him. I should have known that Ace knew how I felt about Dolly. I haven’t done anything to hide it from him. “Yeah, she’s taken,” I tell Rick.

He holds his hands up, palm out. “Right, I get it. Honestly, I’m more scared of Ace than I am of you.”

I wrap my hand around the bull rope and shake my head. “You probably should be. He don’t play when it comes to Dolly.” I give a nod to him, and he gives a nod to our team. “Let’s ride,” I call out.

I nod to the announcer, and the countdown begins. As soon as the buzzer rings, the chute opens, and Warrior springs from the barricade. Instantly the thrill of the ride takes over, and all I can focus on is the bull between my thighs and the dirt under his feet, and I hold on until the sound of the buzzer.

Normally, that’s all I think about when I’m on a bull, but today is different. Today, I’m thinking about a certain blue-eyed woman and how I’m going to convince her I’m worth the risk.

CHAPTER 6

DOLLY

I blow out the breath that I’ve been holding. I’ve seen Tucker on a bull a thousand times, but it never gets easier. It’s in these moments when I’m completely focused on him that there’s no hiding my feelings for him. I’ve loved him for a long time, even when I shouldn’t have.

“Go, Dad!” Ace screams next to me as the count gets closer to eight seconds. As soon as the buzzer dings, the crowd erupts in cheers but not me. Nope, I’m still holding my breath until I see Tucker jump off the bucking bull and land on his feet. He takes his hat off and waves it to the crowd. It feels like he’s looking right at me, and Ace and I are screaming and waving back at him.

The whole thing lasted seconds, but it feels like it was hours.

I take a deep breath, dragging oxygen into my lungs.

Ace grabs my hand and tugs me back into my seat. “Dad will come to us.”

Adrenaline is pumping through my veins, but I sit down next to him. I look at the time on my phone, and we have a little whilebefore we have to leave for Ace’s baseball practice. Ace is so excited he can barely sit still, but I can’t say I blame him. I know exactly what he’s feeling. “My dad was awesome!” he shouts.

I laugh. “He is awesome!”

Ace tilts his head at me. “You like my dad, don’t you, Dolly?”

I tense next to him. I’m sure this is not a conversation I should be having with Ace. He knows what my role has been in his life. He has always thought of me as his honorary aunt or something. “Of course I like your dad. He’s a great guy.” I playfully ruffle his hair. “And you know I love you.”

He would normally laugh or something, but his little face is all pinched up in concentration. “No, I mean, I know you like my dad, but do you like him like him?”

“Uh…” I start. I’ve never lied to Ace, but I’m not so sure I should be telling him everything right now. I mean, how do I tell a kid I love his dad when his dad would probably freak out if he knew it? Nope, I need to keep some things to myself. “Ace, you know your dad and I are not dating, right?”

He rolls his eyes at me. “I know that. He still wouldn’t want Rick flirting with you.”

Worried that Ace thinks there’s more to it than that, I gently nudge him. “Honey, he wouldn’t care. We’re just friends.”

His little eyebrows shoot up. “Dolly, my dad really likes you.”

I lean back in surprise as my mind starts filling with questions. Has Tucker talked to Ace about this? Has he told him that he likes me? It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask, but then I think better of it. I’m not going to get Ace in the middle ofthis. Instead, I act like his statement didn’t just rock my world. “That’s good because I really like you two!”

“There he is!” Ace shouts as he sees his dad walking toward us.

He’s looking at me with a huge smile on his face. As he draws near, I can feel my heart start to race. Tucker Yates is the most handsome man I’ve ever laid eyes on, and when he looks at me the way he is right now, my heart skips a beat. Tucker fist-bumps Ace, and they’re both all smiles. Then Tucker turns to me and pulls me in for a hug. His big, thick arms surround me, and I suck in a breath as all my senses go on overload. Everything about this moment feels right. It’s everything I’ve dreamed it would be and more. I put a hand to his chest and give him a little shove, not because I want this to be over but because I need it to be. If I stay in his embrace much longer, I’m going to do something foolish like kiss him… or think this is more than it is.

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