Page 20 of The Harder They Ride

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Declan—this guy I met at the Nightfall Rodeo—showed up and helped me deal with the mess. We ended up stopping at the bar by your house, but he got a phone call and left pretty abruptly.”

Laura raised an eyebrow, a playful glint spreading across her face. “Ooh, a cowboy came to your rescue. Tell me more.”

I rolled my eyes, feeling my cheeks flush. “It’s not like that. We just had a few drinks and talked.”

“Uh-huh,” Laura said, her tone skeptical. “And did anything else happen?”

I sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and arousal at the memories flooding back. “He flirted a bit,” I admitted, taking another sip of the coffee.

Laura’s eyes widened in surprise. “And?”

“And nothing. He had to go,” I said, feeling a pang of disappointment. “He kissed me. Kind of. It was short and sweet. It doesn’t matter, anyway. I can’t get involved with him.”

Laura placed a comforting hand on my arm. “Why not? You deserve to have some fun, Clover. And from what it sounds like, that cowboy could definitely show you a good time.”

I couldn’t deny the truth in her words, but I had a bad feeling about Declan. “He’s a bull rider, Laura. And I’m pretty sure he’s involved in some shady sh—” I looked at Carson. “Stuff with theD-U-S-TD-E-V-I-L-S.”

Carson interrupted. “I can spell, you know.”

Laura tickled him. “You little devil. Go clean your room for a minute while I talk to Miss Clover, okay?”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. But bull riders are cool, Clover.”

“Go,” Laura said with a laugh before turning back to me.

I took another sip of my coffee, and she eyed me for a moment before speaking again. “I think you should give him a chance,” Laura said, her voice low and insistent. “As I was saying, you deserve to have some fun, and he could be just the thing to take your mind off of everything else going on in your life.”

I shook my head, feeling a mix of desire and fear. “I don’t know, Laura. He seems dangerous. And I can’t afford to get involved with anyone right now.”

Laura leaned in closer. “Sometimes, danger can be exciting. And maybe this is exactly what you need right now, Clover. A little bit of excitement and a whole lot of fun.”

I couldn’t deny the truth in her words, but I was still hesitant. “I just don’t want to get hurt,” I breathed.

Laura placed a hand on my shoulder. “I know, Clover. But life is short, and sometimes you have to take a chance. And if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ll getL-A-I-D. I’m not telling you to marry the man, just have some fun. You’re working yourself to the bone, leading trails, watching your sister. I know you come over here to unwind, but I’m a boring mom with—”

“You’re a fun friend and I love Carson. Believe me, hanging out at your house is the highlight of my week.”

She looked around at the scattered Legos on the ground. “If dodging Legos is your idea of fun, then we seriously need to get you out more.”

I giggled and tossed her the pillow I slept on. “Shut up. You’re my best friend. Hanging out with you helps a lot. I don’t need a man in my life.”

“You have that impressiveD-I-L-D-OI bought you for your twenty-third birthday last year.”

Laura and I both laughed until tears streamed down our faces. It felt good to let loose and forget all of my problems, even if just for a moment. “Maybe you’re right,” I said, feeling an unexpected thrill at the thought of giving into my desires.

“Of course I’m right,” Laura said with a wicked grin. “Oh. Avery called last night. She was worried you weren’t home when she got there.”

I frowned. “How late did she call?”

“Three. She didn’t sound too drunk, though. Just riled up. Like she was on an adrenaline high.”

“I bet she was bull riding again,” I grumbled.

Laura grabbed my shoulder and squeezed. “Avery is eighteen now. You can’t control everything she does.” I sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and worry about Avery. She had a tendency to rebel, especially lately. I just hoped she wasn’t putting herself in too much trouble.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed, interrupting my thoughts. I glanced at the screen and my heart skipped a beat. It was Avery.

“Speak of the devil,” I muttered under my breath before answering the call. “Hello?”

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