Page 81 of Fool for You
Wouldn’t miss it. Last time I went out with just the guys, I got my ass handed to me at pool.
Sam
And we got kicked out by your girlfriend.
Me
She’s not my girlfriend. After the rodeo, I’m assuming?
Hawkins
Yeah…we’ll meet you at the trailers?
Me
Perfect.
I shoved my phone back into my pocket. Plans. With just the guys. For the first time in—well…six…maybe seven months. I was going to get rusty if I kept saying no to friends.
Quinn came back to the trailer with her number and two water bottles. She handed the number and water to me and spun on her heels so I could pin it to her shirt.
“There’s a crowd tonight,” she muttered softly, twisting open her bottle.
I moved the wavy hair her braids created off her back and shoved the water bottle under my arm, working on the first pin on her right.
“There’s a kids’ fair tonight—more families, fewer drunken dates.” I looked at the back of her head as I pinned the final pin. Holding her shoulders, I shifted her torso slightly, and she met my gaze over her shoulder. “You nervous?”
I felt her body rise with a deep breath. “No.”
“You sound a little nervous.” I gave her a tilted smirk.
“Maybe a little,” she admitted. “This is a big crowd—bigger than I’m used to.”
“One step closer to the NFR, Compton.”
“For you, too, Hartwell. I fully expect you to make your way over to that announcer box tonight.” She gave me a sexy grin,one I assumed she wasn’t trying to make sexy, but failed because my heart fluttered.
If only she knew how much I wanted to kiss her.
She did—I’d told her plenty of times.
If only she’d let me.
“I will. Hawkins will welcome me with open arms.”
“I thought that was you.” The voice of the woman neither of us wanted to see carried over the crowd, and we broke our eye contact to look into Helen Compton’s direct stare.
“Your father didn’t tell me you were going to be here.” Helen crossed her arms. “You didn’t say anything in our family chat either.”
I held on tighter to Quinn’s shoulders.
“I’m here, Mom,” she said solemnly.
Helen let out a hum, and her chin tilted to me. “Wyatt, nice to see you again.”
I gave her a nod. “Just here for Quinn.”
Another hum. I pinched my brow watching her eyes dart from me to Quinn. “Yes, well, she needs the help. I just wanted to say hello since you didn’t yesterday, but now I need to get back to the girls. They’re carrying the flags—Kelly is holding the American Flag, so make sure you congratulate her.”
