Page 117 of Roulette Rodeo
I frown, not understanding their confusion.
"But I can't just loaf here for free. I have to help too. Contribute something."
"You're our responsibility," Shiloh says firmly. "We work. You don't need to."
"Then what will I do all day?" The question comes out smaller than intended, genuinely lost.
"Anything you want," Talon says like it's obvious.
"Okay... maybe I can cook? Learn to help with meals?"
"We have chefs," Corwin says gently. "Three of them, actually. They rotate schedules."
"Then cleaning?—"
"Full housekeeping staff," Talon interrupts. "Plus groundskeepers for the property, stable hands for the horses, mechanics for the vehicles. We gave them all a week off so you could adjust without strangers around, but cooking and cleaning are definitely off the table."
I'm genuinely confused now, a bit of panic creeping in.
"Then what do I do? If I don't work, don't cook, don't clean... what's my purpose here?"
They exchange looks that I can't quite read before Talon leans forward, grinning.
"You exist," he says simply.
"I don't know how to do that." The admission comes out embarrassingly honest. "I've never just... existed. There's always been something required of me. Some performance, some task, some way to earn my keep."
"Jesus," Shiloh mutters, and his hand finds my knee, squeezing gently.
They're all looking at me with expressions that might be pity or sadness or anger, but not at me—at the situation, at what my life has been.
"Okay," Corwin says slowly, thoughtfully. "How about this? You explore Jack Ridge. Get to know the town, the people. Try things you've never done before, figure out what you like and don't like. No pressure, no requirements, just... discovery."
"Is it really that easy?" I ask, skeptical. "To just start this new adventure without consequences?"
"With us, with a proper pack, it's supposed to feel as effortless as it can be," Talon says, and for once he's completely serious. "We'd love for you to experience that. What it's like to just be, without constantly calculating the cost."
A smile tugs at my lips despite my uncertainty.
I can handle that. Discovering what I like and don’t like…easy enough. Simple. Not complicated or risky.
"Okay, but I really don't know how to do anything. Like, I'd love to learn to cook even if we have chefs. And maybe drive? I know the basics from watching, but I've never actually done it."
"What else?" Corwin prompts gently.
"I like reading," I admit. "But I don't really know what I actually like to read. The casino had a few romance novels girls left behind, some true crime paperbacks, but nothing... substantial. And obviously, I love boxing and working out, but again, nothing formal. Just survival stuff."
They're all nodding, and I can see Talon's brain working, that manic energy focusing into something productive.
"Operation Rodeo Roulette," he announces suddenly.
I laugh at the ridiculous name.
"Why are you naming this mission like that?"
His grin widens.
"Because learning new things is exactly like both those games. Rodeo—you're getting on something unknown, trying to hold on for eight seconds, seeing if you can master it or if it'll throw you off. Either way, you learn something about yourself. And roulette?" He spreads his hands. "You place your bets on what interests you—red or black, odd or even—spin the wheel and see where the ball lands. Sometimes you win big and find a passion. Sometimes you lose and learn what you don't like. You embrace the gamble of chance and opportunity, but every spin teaches you something."
