acquired taste. Trust me, you’ll be happier out of range.”
Niki’s stomach clenched all over again.
“Don’t scare her like that,” Katrina warned.
“You think she should tell him herself?” Reed challenged.
Katrina’s expression faltered. “Okay. You do it.” Then she smiled at Niki. “It’ll be fine.”
Niki tried to convince herself it was true.
* * *
Having made up his mind to romance the information out of Niki, and after telling his uncle of the plan in order to keep Charles off his back awhile longer, Sawyer approached Niki. She was sitting with Katrina in the third row of bleachers, cheering for Travis who was halfway through his eight seconds on the back of Terminator Too, rumored to be the rangiest bull at the event. The crowd roared its appreciation as Travis hung on tight, his back arched, legs straight, hat flying to the ground while the bull sprang from the deep dirt, swerving right then switchbacking left.
The horn sounded, and the crowd went wild, whoops and cheers coming up from every quarter.
Niki hugged Katrina, grinning from ear to ear. Her laugh was relaxed, her entire posture completely different than last night. To be fair, they’d been battling against a natural disaster last night. But it still seemed like more than that.
As he approached the pair, he couldn’t take his eyes off Niki. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were shining. And her fresh, windblown look made her even more beautiful than when she’d been dressed to the nines.
He reminded himself of his thought processes last night. Romancing her was a perfectly reasonable course of action. Nobody had to get hurt. Men and women dated all the time. They started new relationships. Those relationships ended. People moved on from there. It wasn’t the end of the world.
If he played his cards right, he could get the information he needed from Niki, gently break it off and get out of her life forever, maybe tell her he’d decided to move back to Montana. She’d be none the wiser, never knowing who he was or that he’d manipulated her for his own ends.
He’d work hard to make sure that was the outcome.
“Nice ride,” he commented to the women, sparing a glance for Travis who’d been plucked off the bull by a cowboy on horseback and lowered to the ground.
Travis punched his fist in the air in celebration, while the rodeo clowns and cowboys corralled Terminator Too.
“I bet he wins,” said Katrina excitedly, holding up crossed fingers. “Oh, there’s Reed. See you later.” She stood and skipped down the bleachers to the ground, rushing toward her husband who had just taken first place in the steer wrestling competition.
Sawyer swung up to the third row, setting himself down next to Niki and propping his boot on the rough, bench seat in front.
“Hey,” he offered by way of an easy greeting.
“Eight-point-nine!” cried the announcer. “Travis Jacobs ends the day with a phenomenal eight-point-nine score on the back of Terminator Too.”
“Woo hoo!” Travis yelled from the rodeo ring, while the crowd cheered him on.
Niki clapped long and loud.
“How’re you doing?” Sawyer asked Niki.
“I’m fine. Good show.” But she kept her gaze squarely forward, watching Travis.
Sawyer fought a spurt of jealousy. Travis winning the most macho event of the day wasn’t at all helpful to his cause. Now that Sawyer had decided romance was his best avenue, he was going to have to get noticed amongst her crowd of admirers.
“Ever been to a rodeo before?” he asked.
“First one. You?”
“In Montana,” he replied, neglecting to mention that he’d only been to three of them. He now saw the error in his plan. He was out of his comfort zone, not in a position to show himself in the best light.
“Do you compete?” she asked.
He shook his head, wishing the admission didn’t make him feel inadequate. It was a new experience, feeling as though he wasn’t accomplished enough to get the girl.
“Too busy
Niki’s stomach clenched all over again.
“Don’t scare her like that,” Katrina warned.
“You think she should tell him herself?” Reed challenged.
Katrina’s expression faltered. “Okay. You do it.” Then she smiled at Niki. “It’ll be fine.”
Niki tried to convince herself it was true.
* * *
Having made up his mind to romance the information out of Niki, and after telling his uncle of the plan in order to keep Charles off his back awhile longer, Sawyer approached Niki. She was sitting with Katrina in the third row of bleachers, cheering for Travis who was halfway through his eight seconds on the back of Terminator Too, rumored to be the rangiest bull at the event. The crowd roared its appreciation as Travis hung on tight, his back arched, legs straight, hat flying to the ground while the bull sprang from the deep dirt, swerving right then switchbacking left.
The horn sounded, and the crowd went wild, whoops and cheers coming up from every quarter.
Niki hugged Katrina, grinning from ear to ear. Her laugh was relaxed, her entire posture completely different than last night. To be fair, they’d been battling against a natural disaster last night. But it still seemed like more than that.
As he approached the pair, he couldn’t take his eyes off Niki. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were shining. And her fresh, windblown look made her even more beautiful than when she’d been dressed to the nines.
He reminded himself of his thought processes last night. Romancing her was a perfectly reasonable course of action. Nobody had to get hurt. Men and women dated all the time. They started new relationships. Those relationships ended. People moved on from there. It wasn’t the end of the world.
If he played his cards right, he could get the information he needed from Niki, gently break it off and get out of her life forever, maybe tell her he’d decided to move back to Montana. She’d be none the wiser, never knowing who he was or that he’d manipulated her for his own ends.
He’d work hard to make sure that was the outcome.
“Nice ride,” he commented to the women, sparing a glance for Travis who’d been plucked off the bull by a cowboy on horseback and lowered to the ground.
Travis punched his fist in the air in celebration, while the rodeo clowns and cowboys corralled Terminator Too.
“I bet he wins,” said Katrina excitedly, holding up crossed fingers. “Oh, there’s Reed. See you later.” She stood and skipped down the bleachers to the ground, rushing toward her husband who had just taken first place in the steer wrestling competition.
Sawyer swung up to the third row, setting himself down next to Niki and propping his boot on the rough, bench seat in front.
“Hey,” he offered by way of an easy greeting.
“Eight-point-nine!” cried the announcer. “Travis Jacobs ends the day with a phenomenal eight-point-nine score on the back of Terminator Too.”
“Woo hoo!” Travis yelled from the rodeo ring, while the crowd cheered him on.
Niki clapped long and loud.
“How’re you doing?” Sawyer asked Niki.
“I’m fine. Good show.” But she kept her gaze squarely forward, watching Travis.
Sawyer fought a spurt of jealousy. Travis winning the most macho event of the day wasn’t at all helpful to his cause. Now that Sawyer had decided romance was his best avenue, he was going to have to get noticed amongst her crowd of admirers.
“Ever been to a rodeo before?” he asked.
“First one. You?”
“In Montana,” he replied, neglecting to mention that he’d only been to three of them. He now saw the error in his plan. He was out of his comfort zone, not in a position to show himself in the best light.
“Do you compete?” she asked.
He shook his head, wishing the admission didn’t make him feel inadequate. It was a new experience, feeling as though he wasn’t accomplished enough to get the girl.
“Too busy
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