Page 104 of Fool for You
Wyatt furrowed his brow. “Wait. What?”
Hawkins formed a tight smile and nodded.
My jaw dropped, quickly spreading into a wide smile. On one hand, I wanted to spend all the time I could with him. On the other hand, I knew how badly he wanted to be back in that announcer box. I saw him on the Fourth; I saw the passion he carried in his entire body. He had to jump on this. He had to get his ass in that box with Hawkins and prepare—yet he was a statue.
“Wyatt…” I said softly, reining in my own excitement for him, pulling on his arm.
“You’re serious?” Wyatt asked, his fingers pressing into my shoulder. “He’s the guy—”
“Yeah, I know.” Hawkins laughed. “But seriously, man. He’s agreed to it, and we need you. Come on.”
He turned to me, letting out a shaky exhale. “Quinn…”
“Go.” I pushed his shoulder.
“Just…hold on a minute,” He turned back to Hawkins. “Give me a sec.”
Hawkins nodded. “Just a sec. We got a lot to go over.”
Wyatt pulled me to the other side of the trailer and held onto my shoulders, dropping his head between his arms.
“Why are you stressing?” I asked him, leaning down to try to look at his face.
“Archie is the guy I sent to the hospital a year ago. To have him say it's okay for me to be in there—this could get me back in the box.” He hushed, his voice almost breaking.
“Then why”—I took his face in my palms and raised him up to look at me—“are you stressing? Go. This is huge. Imagine you announcing my ride again, imagine the excitement you’ll bring to the entire crowd. Wyatt…” I held his gaze. “I want to hear your voice over the speaker. Go.”
He smiled, and I felt his body begin to hum with energy. Almost like a switch flipped, he was ready to give me what I wanted. “I fucking love you.”
“I love you, but go.” I kissed him, deeper than I planned, before pushing him away. “He’s coming, Hawk,” I shouted, not once taking my eyes off Wyatt.
His smile grew, then he moved, opening the back door of the truck. He plopped his hat on his head, gave me one last kiss, then ran off with Hawkins to the announcer booth.
I folded my arms and watched him, biting my lip. We had more than tonight for a date. We had so much time.
All the time in the world.
Thirty-Six
Wyatt
WhenIsawArchie,I gave him my winning smile and shook his hand, thanking him over and over again for the opportunity to step in for Sam. He smiled back, telling me right off the bat, without even a hello, that if I did anything uncalled for, I’d be out. I chuckled, promising him my best behavior as he sat down next to Hawkins and me. We began to go over the sheets, and this close, I noticed his nose was now slightly skewed to the left—something that my punch most likely created. This was the moment I needed to get my career back together…get my lifeback on the right track. I had to watch my every move, not just let loose like I loved to do behind the mic. I had to say things he wanted to hear. I had to keep it civil…and get back on this man’s good side.
Watch what you say. Only things he wants to hear.
And then it started, and the three of us pulled it off without a hitch.
I was back.
The best part of the entire night was watching Quinn from this view.
The camera angles were perfect. They captured her just as she took off, getting the best shot of her rounding each barrel. The hardest part was not jumping up after her run to wrap her in my arms and kiss her. She beat the top time for the night, and I couldn’t see anyone else knocking her down. The camera followed her to the back dirt, the satin of her new shirt shining from the lights.
“You’re dying right now, aren’t you?” Hawkins asked in a whisper, leaning over so only I could hear.
“You have no idea,” I replied.
Archie drew us back to the racers, and the three of us built the hype for the bulls. When the event ended, we thanked our sponsors, the crowd, and the great state of Montana. As soon as the lights dimmed, all three of us let out an exasperated sigh. I lifted my hat to run my hand through my hair, the adrenaline of being back behind a microphone pumping through me. The Fourth of July rodeo was great—but it was nothing compared to being back here.
