Page 2 of Love You Already

While Bridgett is a flower child, go-with-the-flow type of lady, I'm more about planning things down to the wire. I decided to be one of the first female bull riders, and I achieved it. I made a plan to earn enough money to invest it. That way, I'd have a nest egg when I chose to leave the sport. Also achieved that.

My planning then led me to wonder what I wanted to do with my time. In this life, there were two things I knew how to do well: ride a bull and have a good time. Since riding wasn't going to be on the table anymore, I took the good time part of me and made a purchase that I'm sure will have more than a few people questioning my sanity.

“What are you thinking about?” Bridgett's voice pulls me from my thoughts. I turn over the ignition, then pull out into the sea of diesel engines and horse trailers as my sister stares down the side of my face.

I force myself to take a deep breath. She's going to find out sooner or later. Hell, the entire family will find out. Cedar Grove isn't the type of place where secrets stay secret for long.

“You know how I offered to help Daddy with the ranch from my earnings when I first started?”

“Yeah. He got pissed and told you he had it under control,” she says slowly, as if trying to connect the dots on her own. I doubt she'd ever get there.

I turn out of the fairgrounds onto the main road. We've only got a few miles to the highway, then it's home sweet home.

“There were about ten minutes of me wondering what the hell to do with my money before I decided to do the adult thing and invest it. Since I couldn't do it on my own, I had Beckett's friend Scott help me.”

Bridgett hums as her elbow moves to the console. She's engrossed in every word I'm saying.

“Keep going. This is getting good.”

“Calm down, Nancy Drew. There's no mystery to solve. Long story short, Scott took that money, invested it, and now I'm sitting on some solid cash. Well, I was. I made a big fucking purchase this week that took a chunk off the top.”

I don't have to look at her to know her eyes are lit up. There's a magnetism to my sister that radiates to everyone around her when she gets this way.

Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it does the opposite for Bridgett. Figuring things out is her superpower. Having a good mystery to solve gives her the biggest high.

“You're leaving me in suspense here, sis. I love to be edged as much as the next woman, but not in a familial way.”

My bark of laughter echoes through the car. “That filter of yours turned off again after hanging with the guys, huh?”

I turn to look her way as I stop for a red light. It's one of three along this strip of road.

As I suspected it would be, her mouth is curled up in the biggest grin. That single dimple in her left cheek is showing and there's no denying she's amused at my words.

“Please continue. I'll hold back all edging commentary until the end.” She waves her hand to urge me on.

The light turns green, and I turn forward to keep driving. It's not like I want to see her face as I say this next part anyway. She's either going to be very happy for me or very angry. I'm not sure which.

“I might have bought Sips from Old Man Jenkins.”

“Might have or did?” Her tone is neutral.

Shit.

Neutral Bridgett isn't what you want. Lively is best. Angry is good too. But monotone is dangerous.

“Did. But before you yell at me or tell me I'm stupid for buying a run-down bar, I'll have you know that I've got plans to fix it up and make it the best bar in the county.” I rush the words out to prevent the lecture I'm sure is headed my way.

Though I'm not as close to her as I am to Nate, there's still a connection between us as the only two girls in the family. We've had to stick together to stand up to our bullheaded brothers and overprotective father through the years. I've got her back, and she's got mine. I'm just not quite sure where this will fall in the normal realm of things.

She stays quiet until I'm on the highway. Once I'm able to gun it down the blacktop, she opens up.

“I'm not going to give you some long spiel about responsibilities and all that because it's a moot point. You're twenty-three years old. A full-grown adult who doesn't need my opinion on things like this.” I sigh as relief sweeps through me. It's gone when she starts to speak again. “But I will say that this is very out of character for you, Rose. You've given up the thing you swore you loved most while you were at the top of your game. You've been secretly investing money and have now decided to use said funds to buy a bar that would be better off demolished than anything. I mean... I don't even know who you are right now.”

My laugh is hoarse. “I'm still me, Bridgett. You know as well as I do that bull riding started because of Nate. While you and Becket were off doing your twin thing, I trailed after Nate and watched his every move. It was our thing. And now that he's out, it doesn't feel the same.”

I don't tell her that I'm also nervous as hell about meeting the same fate he did. Whereas I've voluntarily given up riding, Nate's exit from the sport wasn't as smooth. He was forced to retire after a career-ending injury nearly paralyzed him.

“As far as the money goes, it seemed like the smartest decision at the time. I didn't tell anyone because I figured you'd call me kooky for trusting the stock market. The bar thing, well, that's different. I've always wanted something of my own. Something that wasn't the ranch or following in Nate's footsteps. I think Sips will be it.”

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