“Thanks for the ticket.” After ignoring him for almost a whole week, those words felt like something of a defeat.
They also felt like a victory.
“I wasn’t sure you’d show up, but I wanted to make sure you had a good seat if you did.”
“Why wouldn’t I show up?” I asked, like I hadn’t been hmmhaw’ing over it all week.
“Because I was here.” Jesse shifted closer to let someone pass him. He didn’t move his arm sharing my armrest once the couple passed.
He has a girlfriend. One named Josie. It was sad how I had to remind myself every two seconds.
“So is Garth,” I said. “He’s competing in something tonight. Something that has to do with one of those devil creatures over there.” I pointed toward the far end of the arena where the bulls paced around in their corral.
“Garth Black,” he said with a sigh. His expression shadowed for a moment before it cleared. “Have you been seeing a lot of each other?”
“About five seconds more than I’ve seen you this week. You know how it is. If you’re not working, you’re sleeping. This is the first R and R”—I made air quotes—“I’ve had in a week.”
“There’s a reason we’re kept so busy, you know?” Jesse said, his smile recovered.
“What’s that?”
He leaned in closer. So close I smelled the soap on his skin. “To keep us out of trouble.” He laughed a few low notes, and I couldn’t not join in.
“It’s working.” Even if I’d wanted to get into trouble, which was my M.O., I didn’t have enough time or energy. I wondered why they didn’t parole criminals at ranches.
Jesse’s attention shifted to the arena when the M.C. announced the next event: bull riding. At least I knew the official term for it.
“Don’t you compete?” I asked while Jesse watched the arena.
“I used to. Up until I was ten or eleven, I competed in team calf roping.”
Judging that the term “bull riding” perfectly described the event taking place, I made an educated guess on what calf roping entailed.
“Why did you quit?” I guessed there was some tragic reason behind it. One he probably wouldn’t open up about.
“I didn’t quit, Rowen,” he replied as his eyes latched back onto mine. “It’s what I do every single day. I just don’t need some shiny belt buckle to prove I can rope a calf from twenty yards.”
I peaked an eyebrow. “My . . . Either you’re rather full of your calf roping abilities or you’re really just that good. Which one is it?”
“I’m all right,” he said with a small shrug.
“Which means you’re the best there is,” I said under my breath.
His smile pulled higher. “The point is, even if I wanted to rodeo, there isn’t time for it, and at the end of each day, I feel like I’ve competed in my own personal rodeo. It’s not as novel when it’s your life.”
“So why are you here?”
“Because in case you haven’t noticed, there’s not a whole heck of a lot to do around here,” he said, counting the reasons off on his fingers. “Two, because rodeo night is like a family reunion. You don’t miss it unless you want everyone else talking about you. And three . . . I had to swoop in and save the day in case Garth Black forgot to leave that ticket he promised you.”
My eyes narrowed a bit at him. I wasn’t sure if it was because of his number three, or if because I knew number four was that posse of pretty girls still batting their eyes at him from ten rows back.
“Why don’t you like Garth?” I asked, wanting to get to the bottom of it.
Jesse’s shoulders rose and fell slowly. Then those eyes of his flashed with something I couldn’t make out. Whatever it was made me shift in my seat though. “Why do you?”
Answering a question with a question was a familiar defense mechanism. I was its number one fan. “I’m not sure I do yet.”
Jesse’s whole body visibly relaxed. “That’s good, Rowen, and I know I’m probably the last person you want to believe when it comes to Garth, but you should steer clear of him. Really. I wouldn’t tell you that if I didn’t mean it.”
Jesse’s voice and expression held so much sincerity. I didn’t doubt what he said was what he believed, but I wasn’t so sure he was in a position to warn me off guys that were no good for me. I knew what was no good for me, and I was staring at him.
“Says the guy who asked me out and winds up having a girlfriend.” That I didn’t say under my breath.
His eyes didn’t leave mine. “And if you would have given me two minutes to explain everything to you, like I tried a hundred times this past week, you’d be feeling pretty silly making that accusation right about now.”
“The only reason I’d feel silly is because I almost said yes to you.” Those words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.
Jesse’s eyes widened. “Wait. You were?” His forehead lined. “You were going to say yes?”
“No!” I snapped, my voice an octave too high. He gave me a look and waited. “No, I wasn’t.” His look got more pronounced. “I don’t know. And now we’ll never know, so it doesn’t matter anyways.”
“It matters to me.” His voice was soft and almost silent.