Page 76 of A Photo Finish
As they near the finish line with a wide-open lane, I feel my icy dread morph into something warmer. Excitement. She’s about to do it again. And I am so damn proud.
Hard work, sweat, and her fierce determination are paying off in spades. A little country bumpkin with a no-quit outlook and infallible positivity is making her dreams come true. And I admire the hell out of her for it.
They fly across the finish line, and it’s tight with DD and the other horse pretty much nose-to-nose. To be honest, I can’t tell who won. But I don’t care. All I want to do is see Violet. I realize in this moment how badly I need her—want her. I want to run my hands all over her body. I need to feel her. To know she’s okay. I haven’t felt this level of anxiety since right after my discharge, when I couldn’t even hear a car door slam without jumping.You’re fucking losing it, man.
“A photo finish,” Vaughn mutters as he shakes his head and jangles his keys in his pocket.
I’m not the only nervous wreck it would seem, but he stays up here because Billie gets anxious. She doesn’t like him in her space when she’s working, which is something I can appreciate. Suddenly, I realize I don’t know what Violet likes. Would she want me down there? Are we going to be a thing where that’s even an option? I’m not sure if I could handle it. What about now? After the race? Do I wait until tonight, back at the ranch? Tomorrow? Follow her around like a sad little puppy dog?So fucking lame, Cole.
I groan, hating how uncertain I feel about this whole thing. I hate feeling out of control. This is when accidents happen. Missions go wrong. People get hurt.
Hearts get broken.
“I gotta go,” I say to Vaughn as I turn to leave before he can see my face. Because as good as I am at hiding my emotions, I feel like they are probably written all over me right now. I don’t care about the photo finish results; I just need Violet.
I shoulder through the crowd in the skybox, heading to the exit, down the stairs, out the door and into the muggy heat. Rather than turning toward the track, I head in the direction of the barns.
I’m going to see Violet because it feels right. And if I think about it too much, I’ll let my uncertainty talk me out of it. God knows the woman has put herself out there enough times for me, to get to know me. And I’ve been a closed-off dick about it, taking far more than I give.
What’s the worst that could happen? She tells me now’s not a good time? She’s busy? Seems to me I’ve faced bigger disasters for less reward.
I stride into the barn and turn down the row of stalls with the Gold Rush Ranch sign at the entryway. Mira, the vet, is at one stall going through what looks like a big toolbox.
“Where’s Violet?”
She turns and looks up at me slowly, like she has all the time in the world. “Excuse me.”
“I said—”
“No,” she cuts me off, “I know what you said. But you missed saying it politely.”
My jaw ticks. What is with all the insanely lippy women at Gold Rush Ranch? Has Vaughn made it a job requirement? Even Violet isn’t as mild-mannered as she used to be, which is good. Billie and Mira are good for her. But man, getting called on my shit all the time is tiring. It’s like I’m living amongst a bunch of young Trixies.
I sigh dramatically as I try again. “Excuse me. Have you seen Violet?”
“I knew you weren’t as bad as Billie makes you out to be,” the black-haired woman sing-songs.Fucking Billie.“And also no. I imagine she’s weighing in. Head out that way and you’ll probably run into her.” She points to the opposite end of the darkened alleyway.
“Thanks.” I wave as I head in that direction.
She just winks at me. Like she knows I’m a total fucking goner. But as I round the corner, all I can think about is Violet. On her knees. In my lap. In my bed.
It’s like she broke down all the walls around me, and now I can’t stop myself from spilling everywhere. I’m oozing out all over the fucking place. When I walk out into the sunlit road, I catch sight of Violet walking toward me, wearing a simple blue wrap dress that matches her eyes perfectly. Her hair is drawn up tight in a bun, and her smile is blinding when she catches sight of me.
“Hey, you!” she calls out with a small wave and a little skip in her step. “I’m so glad you’re here! We won!”
And then I go full caveman.
23
Violet
When I seeCole marching out of the barn, I can’t help but smile. When I get close enough to him, I look away. He’s so beautiful it hurts. He looks like a storm cloud, dark and menacing, and problematic for my panties. But I know better, he’s a big puppy d . . .
I lose my train of thought when he wraps his hand around my wrist and drags me back toward the barn.
“What’s wrong?”
He pulls us into the darkened shed row and then straight into an empty stall. When he turns me to face him, he’s all steely eyes and hard lines. He prowls forward, and I back away. Not because I’m scared. More because I don’t trust myself not to combust under a gaze like that. I can’t believe I was about to call the man a puppy dog. My nipples rasp against my bra, and I press my thighs together as I bump into the wall.
