Page 49 of Knot my First Rodeo

“Hell of a run today,” he says loud enough to carry over the music.

Another guy catches Briggs near the aisle. “Didn’t think anybody was beating that time.”

Tripp just laughs when someone hollers, “Second place finally humble you, yet?”

“Not a chance,” he calls back, grinning.

Then a woman steps into Tripp’s space. She’s all long legs, shiny hair, and a top cut low enough that she might as well not have bothered. Her hand lands on his arm like she knows she can.

My teeth press together before I look away, something low in my stomach twisting before I shove it down.

Briggs sits across from me, watching me.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing.”

“You always look this cheerful?”

“Only when I’m having fun.”

I glance around the bar. “This is you having fun?”

“Sure is.”

“God help us all.”

His mouth almost moves. Not quite a smile, but close enough that my stomach does something stupid.

Clint comes back with the drinks before I can think about that too much. He sets mine in front of me, brown and icy with a lime on the edge.

I look down at it. “This looks dangerous.”

“It’s not,” he responds.

“That’s exactly what dangerous drinks want you to think.”

Tripp slides into the chair beside me, carrying two beers. He smells ridiculous for a cowboy. Sweet and sharp, key lime pie somehow making sense on a man who willingly gets thrown by horses.

The woman from the bar follows for three steps before stopping. Her eyes flick over me, quick and assessing, then back to him.

“Tripp,” she drawls, dragging his name out like it belongs in her mouth.

He looks over his shoulder. “Lacey.”

My fingers tighten around my straw.

Lacey.

“You coming to dance later?” she asks.

Tripp leans back in his chair. “Maybe.”

Her gaze lands on me again. “Didn’t know you were babysitting tonight.”

I smile before I can stop myself. “Didn’t know they let horses in bars, but here we are.”

Clint coughs into his beer.