SHELBY
I keptthe dress on during the rodeo for no other reason than I liked how I felt when I wore it. For one thing, my posture was better while wearing the dress. I sat up straighter and crossed my legs. The silk felt smooth and light on my skin, which was nice for the warm August night. Those were the reasons I gave Kelsey and Cade, and even Sophie, when I sat by them in the stands.
But in all actuality, I was still wearing this dress because of the look in Jake’s eyes when he first saw me wearing it.
It seemed fitting for my summer of trying new things. New clothes. New hair.
New feelings.
And a new job. One I had recently interviewed for. I had been checking and re-checking my email for news all day. They loved my pictures. But I’m sure all the applicants had nice pictures. The interview had gone well. The possibility of getting this job should be enough to occupy my mind. But it wasn’t. With all the good things in my life, there was only one thought roaring around my head.
I was leaving in three days, and Jake hadn’t made any move to stop me.
When Easton and two of his cousins I recognized from their stay at the ranch came and settled down beside me, all I could feel was annoyance. And confusion. They’d come down just for the rodeo, or so Easton had said.
“Don’t listen to him,” his cousin, Tim, said, leaning across him to speak to me. “He just wanted to see you again.”
Easton elbowed his cousin and shot me an embarrassed smile that would have been cute a few months ago.
Jake’s lessons were crap. My mind went completely blank. But I didn’t hit him or kick his shins, or start talking sports, so maybe something had stuck. I just smiled at him and turned my attention back to the arena.
“You look really nice,” Easton said.
My foot twitched almost uncontrollably. It wasn’t fair. Easton really was a nice guy. Before Jake, I would have floated out of the stands on a cloud. But now, I wanted to hide away from his attention.
“Thanks,” I said, watching the chutes for any sign of Jake.
“You know anybody riding tonight?” Easton asked, as the clown dressed in oversized overalls and a rainbow wig made his way to the middle of the arena, rolling a barrel.
“Yeah. Jake.”
By the time the lodge guests checked out after their week's stay, Jake had usually become a household name. After he naturally charmed and teased each guest, he needed no more introduction than that. Everybody knew exactly who Cowboy Jake was.
“Really? What does he ride?”
“He’ll be riding bareback broncs in just a minute, and then he’ll do calf roping with our other friend, Dusty.”
Easton nodded, looking straight ahead as the announcer and the clown started in on their jokes. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Are you two dating?”
My eyes flew to his in surprise. “Who? Jake?”
He huffed out a small laugh. “Yeah.”
“No,” I told him. It was the truth, but that question hurt a bit.
He nodded, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. “Good.”
My heart thumped in my chest. Maybe going back to Boise and putting some distance between me and Jake would be good. The timing was all wrong. He wasn’t in the right headspace for a relationship.
But I was.
And I would do well to remember that. In three days, I’d be living in Boise. A new city with no friends. Lonely. Alone. It would be dumb not to take a chance with Easton when Jake was such a wild card.
But the thought of Easton asking me out again filled my stomach with nausea.