Page 108 of From the Ashes
“Ouch,” he deadpans.
“Alright, you sarcastic shit, all I’m saying is your person is out there. Don’t give up.”
“Yeah, I hear you.” He grunts as he stands, taking the last swig of beer from his bottle. “Hey, Phoe! I’m gonna take off.” Phoenix sets the bag of trash in his hand on the ground and walks over to clasp hands with Knox as he pulls him in for a bro-hug and a slap on the back.
“Thank you for coming today,” Phoenix tells Knox.
“Yeah, man. I’m happy for you.”
“You’re next,” Phoenix says.
“I think that ship has sailed,” Knox replies, sadly. “I’ll see you guys next week sometime.”
With that, he’s gone and I can tell Phoenix is just as worried about him as I am, but there’s nothing we can do for him tonight, so I grab Phoenix by the hand and pull him down the porch stairs to finish helping Kevin clean up.
After thanking him profusely for all the work he put in today, we haul our emotionally drained asses into the house and trudge up the stairs. Phoenix starts the shower and I pull my phone from my jeans pocket before letting my pants hit the floor. The email on my lock screen catches my attention because it’s from LXR.
Walker,
It has recently come to our attention that two of LXR’s sponsored riders had some pretty colorful things to say about your sexual orientation and choice of partner.
Bile rises in my throat.I sit on the toilet, afraid to keep reading. It feels like I’m about to lose my biggest sponsor, and I hadn’t yet figured out how to make up for the loss of the other ones.
“Baby, you okay?” Phoenix asks, squatting down between my knees. It’s been a helluva day, and although it was the absolute best day, I’m just not sure I can handle more. Even good things can be draining.
“I think LXR is dumping me.” I hold my phone out and let him read it for me.
A minute later, he’s grinning like an idiot. “This is unbelievable! They pulled their sponsorship of the two ignorant assholes who were posting shit online and they’re givingyoutheir portions! Walker, this means you have enough funding for the circuit next season!”
“What?”I rip the phone out of his hands to read it for myself.
Sure enough, LXR is choosing to fully endorse me and will be responsible for seventy-five-percent of my sponsorships.
“Remind me to send a bottle of whiskey to Mack, would ya?” Phoenix smirks. “But remind me tomorrow. Tonight, I have other plans.”
I grin, knowing exactly what those plans entail.
Chapter 44
Phoenix
—Seven months later?—
We’re starting our rodeo season in Kentucky this year. Not terribly close to home, but a lot closer than Wyoming, Montana, or Texas, and everyone made the trek to see Walker compete—including Colton and Alexis. Hell, even Kevin is here, although that’s less surprising than it could be, considering he and Alexis have gotten cozy.
Walker’s done extremely well since getting back on a bronc several months ago, but I know part of him is still concerned about his wrist holding up even though we got the all clear from multiple sets of x-rays. He trusts his surgeon and that’s what I remind him for the thirtieth time as I grip his shoulders before he climbs into the shoot.
“Baby, his job is to fix bones and know when they’re healed. Your job is to get on the back of that bucking horse and show the temperamental fucker who’s boss. Your wrist is ready.Youare ready.” Of course, the other part of me knows Walker is nervous as hell because Colt is in the audience, watching his dad compete for the first time, so, I address that too. “You’realready our boy’s hero, baby. All you have to do is climb on and have fun.” Walker nods, finally starting to get in the zone. “Good. Remember what I told you, this bronc initiates the buck from the right side every time, be ready for it with a counterbalance to the left.”
“Got it.”
I fight the urge to kiss him. Not just because what he loves to do is dangerous and I want to kiss him every chance I can before he climbs on the back of a bucking horse, but because he looksso fucking hotright now. His chaps and vest are both black today, as is his cowboy hat.
He looks like a dark, avenging, country angel.
But I don’t bring my mouth to his because it’ll distract him, and we’ve distracted each other enough in arenas just like this.
I give him a nod toward his waiting bronc.
