Page 45 of Rogue Cowboy
Bodhi grinned, sure of his charm, and crooked his finger at her.
“Riley Telford, you’re not shy.Saw you demonstrating a dead man’s drop on a horse today, so get on up here and bring your cowboy.”
The band continued to play the opening chords of Alan Jackson’s ‘Little Bitty’ on a loop while Bodhi called them out.“Get up here, girl.You too, Kane and Sky Wilder.Get on up now.Everyone else hold on to your partner because we are doing a two-step demo before we cut you all loose for the night.”
The weird thing was, Riley wanted to show off with Cole.It was like the night had cast a spell.She loved to dance and hadn’t in…six years.She’d let what happened to her not only shake her confidence but also rob her of everything she loved—music, singing, creating, dancing, performing.Everything that made her her.
“Do you want to?”she asked Cole, who waited for her answer.
“With you?Yes.”
“Let’s go,” she decided, tugging on his hand, determined to squash the scaredy-cat voice that she thought would start hissing at her any second now, only it didn’t.She ran up the stairs, only remembering that she wore a flouncy, shortish skirt—not her usual jeans.She’d stood on stages for years in skirts, and if her underwear made an appearance, well, at least it covered everything, was new and matched.
Kane and his wife greeted them, Kane tipping his hat and shaking Cole’s hand while Sky hugged her.
“Let’s show the crowd how it’s done,” Sky said, holding out a pinkie.
Riley giggled—the gesture was so unexpected from a famous artist who was married and a mother of four.She pinkie-swore and felt like she was seventeen again, setting out, claiming her dream with only her creativity, guts and a guitar.
Bodhi and Bowen stood back, the band started to play the song, and Cole led her through the steps as if they’d danced together for years instead of only twice.She remembered what he’d told her about her palm to the sky, and she just watched his face, anticipating what he was going to do before he did it, and in her peripheral vision, she saw Kane leading Sky in a circle on the stage.Bodhi called out some of the moves they were doing, and he also just let them dance.
Riley loved the feel of Cole’s body-warmed navy western shirt with black velvet piping sliding through her fingers when she touched his back or shoulder, and his abs and obliques felt like sculpted, sun-warmed metal beneath her fingers as she grazed his waist.She laughed in joy and closed her eyes, wanting the rest of the world to disappear while she danced with Cole as if six years and thousands of miles had never happened.
The band swung into Little Big Town’s ‘Happy People.’Riley sung along with the words and danced and let the night and the music and Cole’s touch take her far away, even as she felt grounded in the moment.
The crowd cheered and stomped their feet when Bodhi reintroduced them to the crowd.
“That’s how it’s done in Montana,” Bodhi said, handing the mic back to his cousin.
Cole helped her down the stairs, and they walked side by side, and she kept her fingers linked with his.
Kane said something to Cole, who nodded.They shook hands and Kane and Sky disappeared into the crowd.
“Feels like the night’s just getting started,” Cole said.
“Yes,” Riley said.“I could dance with you all night.”
“Sounds right.”
*
Several hours laterthey joined what had become a trickle of people headed back to the fair and rodeo grounds.Ranching hours were long and started early, and though Riley had wanted to dance all night, the band had called it a night before ten due to noise curfews and probably the livestock needing their beauty sleep.
Tonight had been one of the best nights of his life.Riley had shone, and that had had nothing to do with the glitter that was now on his hands and his shirt—and probably in his hair—and he wore it with pride.Damn, his cousins would laugh themselves sick.But he didn’t care.For the first time it felt like Riley could be his.
She used the word ‘magical’ more than a few times tonight, and it had felt like that to him, though he was under no illusion that everything would go smoothly.She’d have good moments, some bad, but he intended to walk beside her, encourage her, support her.But even that wouldn’t be enough.Spending time with her over the past couple of days had really shown how her life was in Montana.Fifteen hundred miles away from his ranch and his family.
He’d faced bigger challenges, but he owed his family, especially his paw-paw, everything, including his loyalty.His mouth was dry just thinking about that series of conversations and decisions.
“I want to check the horses,” Riley said, and as they headed right to walk across the park, she snagged two bottles of water from a large cooler similar to the ones that had been set up along the street.
She unscrewed the cap and handed him the bottle.He took a long drink, watching her the whole time, both amused and a little…unsettled.No one had taken care of him since he’d been little.
“I think that should have been my move,” he said.
She smiled cheekily.“Big hunk of Texas cowboy.Think you’re so tough, but I’m on to you.”
“Are you?”He wondered how much of him she did see.Thought she understood.
