Page 72 of Reckless Skye

‘Yes.’ There was no point in denying it. Even if she hadn’t told the girls everything, Andrea knew her too well. ‘But never again,’ she promised.

And she meant it.

On the farm later that same evening, TJ lay on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. He’d pushed his body too hard that day, so that now he barely moved, barely breathed, as pain sliced down either side of his back and a river of sciatica coursed through his right hip and leg.

His mom popped her head in, but TJ didn’t even turn his head to look at her.

‘Dinner’s ready.’

‘Not hungry,’ he replied. Because only the thought of trying to make it downstairs hurt.

‘TJ—’

When his phone started ringing, TJ used it as an excuse. ‘You guys eat without me. I gotta get this.’

Janey offered him a small smile, but TJ noticed the hurt and the fear swimming just beneath it. He didn’t – couldn’t – acknowledge it, only frowned down at his phone and once he felt his mom move away, answered with, ‘Mav?’

‘TJ.’ There was a smile in Mav’s voice. ‘Son of a bitch, it’s good to hear your voice. We weren’t sure how you were doing until we saw that you were riding pickup in Tucson.’

‘Yeah, it’s been a long road,’ TJ replied cautiously. He’d worked a few rodeos, hoping that he’d get to participate in one last season. But just those few pickup gigs had been enough to remind him that he was well and truly done. Instead of enjoying himself, he’d had to fight through every second of pain. Instead of staying behind to bask in the fact that he was back at the rodeo, he’d had to run home or risk passing out in front of people who had once seen him take on goddamn bulls.

‘Recovery’s obviously going well?’

TJ wasn’t sure how to reply to that, so he just made a noncommittal sound of agreement. But unable to resist, he asked, ‘How’s Skye doing?’ and held his breath as he waited for even the tiniest snippet from Mav.

‘It’s funny you should ask, TJ.’

TJ grimaced as he levered into a seated position on his bed. ‘Oh?’

‘Well, I was actually hoping you could return that favour …’

Chapter 21

The next morning, despite Stevie’s protests, the girls hit the road just as the dark night shifted to the blue of pre-dawn.

They drove the full eight hours to Phoenix, stopping only for gas, restroom breaks, and a long lunch so that Smokey could stretch her legs and Skye could call Tia and ask if she could board Smokey at her place for a few nights.

Scottsdale was only a twenty-minute drive from Phoenix, and although Skye knew that she could have called Ryan or Janey and they would have welcomed her and her friends, she couldn’t do it. It didn’t matter that she and TJ were going to bump into each other eventually; she wasn’t ready.

It was two-thirty in the afternoon by the time they passed the Phoenix city limit, three by the time Skye pulled up to the hammered metal gate outside’s Tia’s place.

She idled outside for a long moment. She had expected the memories; a woman couldn’t escape those sensory reminders – the feel of wire in her hands, a faintly familiar scent clinging to a stranger in a crowd, hotel room sheets wrapped around a body. But here, now, looking at that gate, they were stronger than she’d expected.

‘Skye?’ Stevie touched her arm. ‘You okay?’

‘Yeah.’ Skye shook her head as if she could clear it of the memories.

She leaned out the window and pressed the intercom. When the gate opened immediately, she drove slowly through and down the long drive towards the covered arena, where two people on horseback worked through a set of barrel drills.

Skye got out and walked over. As she got closer, she recognized Tia on her palomino. The other horse – a red roan Quarter Horse – was ridden by a man who might have been Skye’s age or slightly older. He was a tall blond with quiet brown eyes that focused on her face.

Tia dismounted and passed her reins to the man with a few quiet words. He nodded and turned his horse towards the arena gate, leading Tia’s horse behind his own.

‘Skye!’ Tia ducked between two of the arena’s piped fence poles.

Two years hadn’t changed her at all. She still had the same long, braided hair, dark eyes, and smoker’s husky voice. She pulled Skye into a quick, friendly hug, said, ‘Boy was I glad to hear from you.’ She set Skye back. ‘I knew you’d do it. The day you left, I told George: just you watch – that girl’s gonna be leaving me in the dust before too long.’

Skye tipped her head, unwilling to agree with the compliment. ‘We’ll see how it goes. You competing this year?’