I take the step anyway.
Chapter 20
Asher
Long before the first chute opens, the rodeo grounds are alive with noise and nerves and adrenaline hanging in the air like heat. Dust hangs in the air, cut through with the smell of leather and grilled corn. Kids weave between rows of boots and spurs, laughter chasing them. Cowboys warm up their horses with the kind of quiet focus I understand in my bones.
But it is not the arena that has my attention. It is the sight of her and her girl, walking beside my family as if they have always been here.
Emma wears a denim jacket two sizes too big and a bow in her hair that's already slipping sideways. She clutches Kassi's hand until something in the midway catches her eye, and she breaks into a run. Without thinking, I scoop her up before she can tumble over a loose board in the walkway. She squeals, high-pitched and happy, and when I set her down, she beams like I hung the moon.
"You have to watch where you're running, Sweet Pea," I say, crouching to her level.
"Those boots aren't built for quick turns."
She nods solemnly, then giggles. "You're like a catcher's mitt."
"Big hands come in handy." I grin, tapping the brim of her hat. "Stick close to your mama. Rodeos are busy."
When I straighten, Kassi's watching me, her lips parted like she's caught between saying thank you and saying something else entirely. The look holds a beat too long before she glances away, brushing her hair behind her ear.
Emma's braids bounce as she skips a step. "Mama, can we sit close to the chute so I can see the horses jump?" Her voice is bright and eager.
I step in before Kassi has to answer. "We'll get you close enough to see everything, Sweet Pea."
I walk with them back to the seats Mom and Dad always pick. They are already there, settled with programs in hand, proud as sin about Finn's name being printed in bold on the roster. Zach cracks a joke about side bets, and Jenna swats him with her folded program.
The first set of riders goes, and Emma claps until her palms are pink. My brother shouts, my mother waves her hat, my father stands tall, pride written in the set of his shoulders. And in the middle of it all, I notice how Emma leans against my side when I sit back down. It’s as if she trusts me to hold the space around her. I slide my arm behind her shoulders to shield her from a sudden jostle when a kid tumbles down the row, and without realizing it, I've tucked her even closer. Kassi notices that too.
She bites her lip and looks away, but I don't miss the quick sweep of her lashes, the way her shoulders ease just a fraction.
The announcer calls Finn's name, and the whole family roars. Emma stands on the bench, bouncing. I grab her waist so she doesn't topple, lifting her high so she can see. She laughs, gripping my hat with both hands, waving it like a flag. I don't even care that the crown of my head is exposed to the sun. Her joy is worth every second. Finn bursts out of the chute, riding like the devil is at his heels, and we cheer until our throats go raw. When the buzzer sounds, and he makes his time, the stands shake with the noise. Emma hollers with the rest of us, hat slipping down over her eyes, and I fix it with a grin I can't hide.
"He did it, Mama! He really did it!" she shrieks, bouncing against my side.
"Sure did," Kassi says, steadying her before she tumbles off the bench. Her small hand fists in my sleeve, anchoring herself. The sound of her laughter worms into places in me I didn't know were empty.
My mom wipes a tear. My dad grins so wide his mustache shifts. Zach hollers loud enough for the entire arena to hear. And right in the middle of it, Kassi looks at me. Just a small glance, but it lands deep. She saw me holding Emma steady. She saw me watch her daughter like she was mine to protect.
After the chaos settles and after Finn takes his victory lap, the announcer moves on, and I catch Kassi's gaze across over Emma’s head. Something electric passes between us—certain, unmistakable. She knows it as much as I do. The weight of what we've been holding back presses heavily. I lean down, murmuring low so only she can hear. "Walk with me."
Her eyes widen, but she doesn't argue. She just nods. Candy has joined my family and has Emma settled with popcorn, my mother is fussing over her, and I know she's safe. Kassi leans down and whispers something to Candy, who smiles, eyes darting to me before she nods. Kassi kisses the top of Emma's head before we make our way out of the bleachers.
Kassi lets me guide her out past the arena fence, toward the quiet edge of the fairgrounds where the lights don't reach so bright.
The silence stretches between us, heavy but not unwelcome. Crickets chirp and a horse stomps somewhere beyond the pens.
"You didn't have to catch her earlier," she says finally, her voice low.
"Didn't even think," I admit. "She was falling. My hands moved."
Her shoulders soften. "That's what scares me."
"Why?"
"Because you keep proving I can trust you."
I stop walking, turning her toward me. The fair lights flicker in her eyes. "Is that so bad?"