Page 76 of Dating a Cowgirl

Brows creasing, Adam nodded. “Yeah.”

“I thought it was you.” The man turned to the other cowboy. “This is Faye’s boyfriend. He’s the guy I was telling you about.” He turned to Adam again. “Looks like you ended up at the rodeo after all.” He nudged the guy beside him. “After that dinner you missed, I didn’t think he’d have the guts to do it.” He chuckled. “Zeke can be one hard cookie, right?”

Adam glanced from the man with the boy to the man in front of him. The guy was familiar, but he couldn’t recall seeing him at that dinner. “I’m sorry, I forgot your name.”

The man chuckled again, extending his hand. “Riley. I had you fix up my motorcycle a ways back. I’m Grace’s fiancé.”

Memories came flooding back and Adam smiled broadly. “Right. You were the one who helped Faye pay for her truck’s parts.”

“That’d be me.” Riley gestured toward the other cowboy. “This is Tristan and his boy Mathew. He’s with a Callahan too.” His focus swept over Adam then shifted as if searching the nearby crowds for someone. “So, what event are you competing in?”

“I’ve signed up for the bronc riding. It’s in a few hours.”

Riley grimaced. “I’m guessing that isn’t going over very well with Faye.”

“You could say that,” Adam muttered.

“Where is she?”

Adam rubbed the back of his neck. Either he hadn’t heard that they’d broken up, or he was pretending he didn’t. Either way, he was putting Adam on the spot. “She’s not here.”

Riley and Tristan exchanged glances then Riley gave Adam a short nod. “That’s tough. I’m sure she’ll come around, though. The Callahans are stubborn, but they’re pretty smart.”

Mathew tugged on Tristan’s hand, drawing his attention. He pulled until his father dropped down and then whispered something to him.

Tristan straightened. “I’m going to take Mathew to the bounce houses. It was nice to meet you, Adam. Good luck.” He made a face. “You’re going to need it.”

They watched Tristan leave then Riley nudged Adam. “Don’t listen to him. He’s got a lot on his plate. When you have someone to care for, you tend to be… well, there’s no nice way to say it… a nervous wreck. It took a lot to get him out of his shell, especially when it came to letting his boy ride. Faye will figure things out. You’ll see.”

“You’re telling me I should do this then?”

Riley chuckled. “I think you should do what makes sense. Would I do it? That’s a big no. I’ve seen action. I’m more than happy to keep my feet on the ground.”

Adam studied Riley. What kind of action was he referring to? Had he been a rodeo competitor? He shoved aside his curiosity, pressing Riley for more information. “What would you have done—had you wanted to compete?”

Rubbing his chin, Riley seemed to consider Adam’s question deeply before responding. “I suppose I wouldn’t have pushed it. I love Grace too much to make something so small become an issue. I’m all for a man following what calls to him. It’s just a matter of what’s more important. In your case, there are probably a lot of other things you could do with your time. Let me ask you this. Do you see yourself turning this into a career?”

“No.” There was zero question what this was. Like learning how to skydive or going rock climbing, the rodeo was something just for fun.

“Do you love Faye?”

That was a question he hadn’t expected. He had feelings for her. There was no question about that. He hadn’t admitted it out loud to anyone. Adam worked his jaw back and forth then nodded. “Yes. I do love her.”

“Then I guess the only question you have left to answer is whether this ride is more important than making her happy. Relationships aren’t fifty-fifty.”

Adam’s eyes narrowed. A relationship between two people would definitely add up to each taking half of the responsibility.

Riley chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. “When you’re in a relationship, you should always be giving one hundred percent—even if your partner isn’t. There are going to be days when you can’t fulfill your end and days when she can’t either. You should make sure you’re giving all of yourself whenever you are capable.”

“What are you, a therapist or something?”

This time he tossed his head back and let out a loud laugh. “Sort of. Though, I never saw myself being one. Anyway, if you’re beating yourself up over this, then maybe it’s not the right decision. Perhaps you need to step outside yourself and figure out what you really want before you go through with it.”

The man had to be a couples’ counselor. There was no other explanation for the advice he was giving.

“And what if the damage has already been done? What if she doesn’t want me back?”

Riley frowned, his head tilting only slightly. Okay, so he hadn’t heard about the breakup. He considered Adam for so long that Adam began to twitch. Then he took in a deep breath and let it out. “I’m not going to say that there’s always a way back. Faye is her own person. She’s permitted her feelings, same as you. But I will say this much. You’re never going to know unless you try.” He glanced at his watch then offered Adam a smile. “Sorry, but I have to get going. Tristan and I are headed to an auction. Good luck with everything. Like Tristan said, you’re gonna need it.”

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