Page 59 of The Best Friend's Billionaire Brother
“How about that kiss for good luck, and we’ll start negotiations there?”
She tilted her head, eyebrows drawn together like she was trying to figure out what he was doing. “Okay.” Lifting slightly on her toes, she kissed his cheek. “You don’t need luck. You’re going to be great.”
He smiled and turned. As he got to the chute, he paused. If he was going into that arena with a two-ton bull, he wanted to make sure he at least got one more of her kisses, just in case.
He wrapped one arm around her waist, held the nape of her neck with the other, and touched his lips to hers.
Just as they touched, the announcer called his name. The crowd cheered and the noise nearly deafened him. Man, his timing smelled to high heaven, but a quick kiss was better than nothing.
When he pulled back, he said, “I’m riding for you.”
“What?”
“After this, I’m done. This is my last ride. If something bad happens, I need you to know that I love you.”
Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened.
“Talk later.” He winked and jogged back to the bullpen, climbed up the side, and hopped onto the bull. He had a lot more to say, but it would be after. Hopefully, he’d get the answer he wanted when it was all said and done.
Chapter 24
Acheering crowd, a buzzer loud enough to give her hearing loss, and what had Wyatt just said? This was his last ride? More importantly, he loved her? She quickly pinched herself. This was a weird dream. It had to be.
Surely Gabby had heard Wyatt wrong. Maybe he loved her as a friend, but that was all it could be. He was still angry at her for lying to him.
She should have said no to the kiss. Apparently, her iron will was a little more aluminum than actual iron. He’d asked, looking at her with those puppy dog eyes, and her head had bobbled like a doll. It didn’t help that he was in jeans and chaps, looking like a star in a Western.
Love? He said he loved her? No way. She had to be hearing things. It was what she’d wanted for years, but there was no way that was true. What was he doing to her? More importantly, why was he doing it?
The buzzer rang, the gate opened, and the bull shot out. She ran to the nearest stand and pulled herself onto it so she could watch. In all her years going to events, she’d never seen a bigger bull. The thing was a monster, and it was bucking like its only life purpose was to get Wyatt off. She also got the feeling that if it did manage to get Wyatt off, it would do its best to stomp him into the ground.
Normally, eight seconds wasn’t all that long, but watching Wyatt hang on made those seconds tick by in slow motion. It would only take one mistake, and he could be hurt. The last three seconds showed on the time clock, and she took a deep breath, holding it as she silently counted down.
When the timer hit zero, she screamed and clapped along with the entire crowd. It was a great ride. Now, all he had to do was get off the bull and get to safety.
Again, she held her breath as Wyatt unwrapped his hand and dismounted. The bull zeroed in on him, and Wyatt ran for the closest way out. He had hardly made it out before that giant bull rammed into the gate.
This time, Gabby let out the breath she’d been holding and said a quick prayer of thanks. She jumped down from the bleachers and found her way back to where the rest of the family was sitting.
“Gabby!” Wyatt called.
She paused at the edge of the bleachers and turned to face him. What was he doing?
“I said we’d start negotiations!” He ran toward her and stopped.
“What?”
“I have something to say to you, Gabrielle Fredericks.”
“Okay.” She looked around.
Suddenly, the crowd grew quiet as they noticed something was going on, and a spotlight swung around, planting them right in the middle of it. “What’s going on?”
“It’s recently come to my attention that I am a thick-headed, stupid man. I’ve had the best thing in my life staring me right in the face, and I’ve been too blind to see it.” He shot her a smile. “I’m here to rectify that.”
“What?”
He took a step closer. “You. It’s always been you. You’ve always been the best thing, and you’ve been right in front of my face all along.”
