"Yeah, and it all starts with you, Dad." I lean in, meeting his glare with one of my own. "You’re the problem."
"I do what I have to to protect this land.”
"Yeah, and you’re doing a bang-up job of it too," I shoot back. "That's why we're fighting off government rezoning and Whitmore land grabs, right? Because your way's working so well."
Dad's face goes red as a brandin' iron. "You don't get to criticize how I run things. You gave up that right when you chose rodeo over family."
That’s bull. "As if you ever listened to me. I wasn’t good for anything around here but hard labor. Everything's gotta be done your way, on your timeline, with your temper calling the shots."
"Because I can’t trust you to stick around when it matters!”
We stare at each other, both breathing hard like we've been throwing punches instead of words.
"Don't know why I bother talking," I say finally, my voice raw. "You’ll never listen. Never have."
Dad hits the road again. "Hard to take advice from someone who's got one boot out the door." He turns up the radio and Chris LeDoux fills the silence.
Dad parks at the horse walker where Billyset up Tucker and Ace. He bee-lines for his horse and heads for the hills. He's goin’ up toward the high country where he can ride off his anger.
Stubborn old fool. Can't listen to reason, can't think past his own anger,
I can’t wait until this weekend. I need to get off Stonegate land—now.
Sixteen
MAYBE HE'S JUST THAT GOOD AT SEDUCING WOMEN AND I’M AS DUMB AS THE NEXT GIRL.
KINSLEY
The barn's quiet except for the soft sounds of horses settling in for the evening, and I'm starting to unwind from another day of phone calls and political maneuvering.
The Forest Service’s attempt for a control burn was intense. Stopping it was a big win for me—for Stonegate Ranch, but the war is far from over. I need some time off tonight and facetimed Jess to keep me company while I groom my horse.
Rebel stands patient as a saint while I brush through the tangles in her mane.
"So," Jessica grins as she applies mascara in her bathroom mirror, "I drag you kicking and screaming into a tent in Cheyenne and you end up kissing the roughie? How doesthat work out? Not that I’m not happy for you—but the irony must be noted."
“Agreed.” I grin toward my phone.
“Is he treating you right?”
Heat creeps up my neck despite myself. "It's... complicated." I lean against Rebel's warm shoulder, her solid presence grounding me in a way nothing else can.
"Good complicated or weird complicated?"
"Both" I confess. “I haven’t seen him for a couple days and I weirdly miss him. Then there was a post of him with that girl we saw in Cheyenne.”
“RodeoBrittney? Saw it.” She flicks her hand like it means nothing.
“He says it’s not what it looks like.” It’s pathetic how badly I want to believe him. “But I can’t come up with an explanation for it that I’m okay with.” Nor can I figure out why I can’t let it go.
Jessica leans closer to her camera, staring at me. “How about—it happened before he kissed you, so you don’t obsess over it.”
“First—I’m not obsessing. It’s evidence of his character.”
She rolls her eyes. “Wyatt’s a public figure and his life is out there for the world to see—mistakes and all. It kind of sucks. If it was you or me, no one would have photographic evidence, and we’d be able to move on with our lives.”
I go back to brushing Rebel. “True.”