Page 66 of Secret Heart
Her lips push into a pout. Then she taps my vest.
“Pa,” she says, tapping the vest again. “Papa.”
“It’s my vest,” I tell her, moving her onto my hip. “It’s to keep me safe just in case I fall in the wrong spot.”
Or can’t move fast enough, but my daughter doesn’t need to know that bit of information yet. She can watch8 Secondswhen she’s a teen if she really wants to know why the vests are mandatory.
Emily and Beau reach us then. Emily’s wearing jeans that hug her hips and flare at the knee, a more dramatic version of Penny’s. Her hat and boots are the ones she wears when riding Redwood. Her eyes are lined with dark mascara that makes her brown eyes pop. She smiles, completely at ease, and warmth spreads through me at the sight. Beau’s dressed in dark wash Levis and a Western-cut shirt with the top two buttons undone. His hat is a true black, untouched by the sun. Their joined hands swing between them. Neither of them seem worried or stressed or even uncomfortable. Some of the anxiety that’s been plaguing me fades.
Penny taps my vest again.
“Papa,” she says. Then she twists and points to the hallway that leads to the temporary pens housing most of the animals. She babbles sounds that might be her asking to go see the horses.
Lance keeps a few steps away, his hands tucked in his pockets, his gaze sweeping the staging area.
“Do you have time?” Beau asks, tilting his head toward the hallway, too. “Or do you need to be getting to where they need you?”
“I’ve got time.” And I’d much rather spend the next half hour before the bronc riding starts with them than hearing the other bull riders chirp each other.
Lance checks his phone and then frowns. “Heads up, a couple of the lifestyle journalists are here and are making the rounds. You’ll have to give written permission for pictures with Penny’s face, but in theory they can use anything else.”
Emily squeezes my hand in reassurance. “We’ll be fine. Let’s go show Penny the barrel racers. Those horses are works of art.”
Beau chuckles. “You got something against the ropers?”
Emily only rolls her eyes and smiles.
Michael’s eyes are wide as saucers and Collin’s jaw is practically on the floor as we pass the group. Emily’s shoulders stiffen as she scents the rut-amplifier on Collin. It’s my turn to squeeze her hand in comfort.
Once we’re away from the main open area, I let Penny walk. She never ventures more than a few feet away from the three of us as we walk down the temporary pens.
“So how different is it?” Emily asks as Penny pauses in front of the sheep prepped for mutton busting. “A ride like this compared to the rides where money and rankings are on the line?”
“Not much, really. Well, the atmosphere is a lot different. The Alphas don’t tend to use rut-amplifiers as heavily when there isn’t money on the line, so everyone’s less on edge.” I adjust my hat. “But they still draw the bulls the same. You still have to climb the chute and hope you wrapped the rope the exact right amount of times around your fingers. When I’m in there, what comes after the ride doesn’t matter. It can’t, otherwise it’ll mess with your mind, and that’s when you make the worst mistakes.”
She nods, deftly pulling Penny’s hand away from the fencing. In a practiced move, she perches Penny on her open hip. Penny drops her head onto Emily’s shoulder, clutching the blanket closer to her chest.
“Ten minute warning,” Lance murmurs.
We follow him back to the larger area. The guys are still there, converged around one of their phones. Collin tilts his head back and barks out a laugh. A month ago, the sound would have had my skin crawling. Now, I just run my thumb over Emily’s knuckles and breathe in the faint vanilla that clings to her clothes.
“You want me to get some photos?” Lance asks.
“Yes, that would be good,” Beau says easily, holding out his phone.
Just like her birthday party, we take turns holding Penny. Unlike her birthday, I don’t feel ready to break apart. My smiles aren’t forced, and Emily’s touch is soft and confident. Penny pats my vest again, very clearly unnerved by it.
“It’s okay,” I say as softly as I can manage. I run my finger along the edge of the bright pink vest she wears. “It’s like yours, just heavier.”
“All right, just about time for everything to start,” Lance says, handing Beau his phone. “We’ll go get situated and let you focus.”
Beau wraps his arm around my waist, and presses his lips to my shoulder. Emily mirrors him, her hand flat against my spine. Her lips are soft as a feather behind my ear.
Nerves clog my throat and thicken my tongue, worse than they have in years.
“Have a good ride,” Emily whispers.
I steal a kiss from her and then Beau before letting them walk away.
