Page 5 of Stirring Up Trouble
As least, I hoped it wouldn’t.
After waving to a few of the guys who spotted me leaving, I climbed in my truck to head off for the arena. There was still lots to be done before the rodeo started. With each day bringing us closer to the opening events, there weren't nearly enough hours in the day. I thought that was true before this mess. Now I knew I was wrong.
It could be worse. When it rained on the ranch, it damn sure poured.
At the arena, I found Leslie waiting for me by her truck. The five-foot-nine redhead wore a smirk that told me she had news for me.
I hoped it was good news. Then again, she always found amusement in my discomfort. It could be either. I didn't needsiblings with friends like her. She teased me enough for the lack of blood relation.
As soon as I opened my door she let out a whistle. “About time you showed up, sleepy head. We got a checklist a mile long, and I just got some good news for you.”
I slammed the door and marched over to her. Hands on my hips, I faced her down. The few inches I had over her didn't make much difference. Leslie's personality made her ten feet tall most days.
"Well, are you going to tell me?" I pressed.
She shrugged. "Maybe if you stop looking at me like that."
I forced myself to smile at her. "Is this better?"
She tilted her head to the side, then shook it. “I don't know. I was kind of hoping for more. I got a hold of Atticus Coleman. He's sending a couple of his guys out to help us. One of them is apparently a vet too.”
"Thank fuck," I said, the tension in my body loosening some. “That's going to put us with just enough, right?”
Her grin grew wider. “It sure will. Considering that guy knows his way around animals, he can probably even fill in when we need someone to ride. Either way, we won't be as down and out as we thought. We might just be able to pull this off.”
Her words bolstered my confidence, yet they also made me wary because we hadn't pulled anything off yet. As much as I wanted to believe that things would be fine, there was still so much that could go wrong.
A single injury or one person speaking out of turn could make this entire rodeo a sham. Something that I had worked for months to bring back to life would be tarnished.
"Uh-oh, you're thinking negative thoughts again," she said.
I scowled at her and waved my hand. “It's hard not to with all this going on. I've been worried sick that he's going to come back around and cause problems.”
“It's always possible," she said, not helping me feel any better.
At my glare, she raised her hands.
"I'm not here to placate you. If anything, I'm the person who's supposed to keep it real. You have to trust that I'm going to be honest no matter what. It's what you asked for when you brought me on. I could be off with my own family working on the farm. You know it's my favorite time of year. Picking season means all the ladies in skimpy tank tops and jean shorts show up.”
She sighed as if picturing them. While Leslie was bisexual, she liked to say she was about ninety-five percent gay. That other five percent was reserved for a certain athlete, namely Bellamy Bellport, and movie star Ean Garner. She’d met the former while on a trip with me to visit Maddox. As for Ean, she was just obsessed with his movies.
Considering both of those men were gay and in long-term relationships, I often reminded her she didn’t stand a chance with them. Even when I argued that logic with her, she told me that I should shut up and let her have her fantasy.
So I have. Who am I to rain on her parade other than a caring friend who doesn't want her to be so delusional?
Leslie would do whatever Leslie wanted.
I nodded my head towards the gates. She fell into step without me having to say a word. That was the great thing about our friendship.
Sometimes words weren't even necessary. We were close enough to not need them. I knew that she had my back, which is exactly why I asked her to call in that favor to the Colemans.
“Did they say when they'd get here?” I question once we were in the office. I grabbed my checklist for the day and a pen to mark off the mile-long list.
“Probably late tonight. Maybe tomorrow morning.”
I scowled. “Did you ask them where they’re going to stay? Or maybe suggest a place?”
She bit her lip and looked at me through her lashes. “I was kind of hoping you'd take them in, you know, since this is for you.”
