Summer Love_ A Steamy Small Town Romance Anthology - Piper Rayne Page 0,225

brass ring any time he caught sight of one of her bulls.

However . . . She’d been having thoughts.

Nothing she’d talked to Bobby about yet because she wasn’t sure she could pull it off, or if she wanted to. Or if he and his family would go for it if she did present her idea. But she’d definitely been having thoughts. And thoughts other than about what position they would try each night.

“Still ogling, I see.”

She jerked at the sound of Nick’s voice, then blushed bright as a tomato when she looked up at him.

“Damn,” he murmured. “That good, huh?”

She elbowed him in the chest. “You startled me.”

Nick knew that she and Bobby were together. Everyone knew it. They hadn’t made it a secret. But she also hadn’t talked about him with anyone. After all, they were just having a good time. She didn’t want to start thinking it could be more.

“This is his last night?”

She nodded. Everyone also knew that Bobby would be staying in Missoula tonight. School would start back the following week. The rodeo this weekend was in his own town, so instead of camping out with the rest of the group, he’d driven down separately, and they planned to stay in his apartment tonight. Then tomorrow, she would go home alone.

Her throat grew tight at the thought. It hadn’t just been sex these last four weeks. She’d gotten to know him better, too. They’d talked, they’d laughed. They’d even gone on dates.

Once she’d seen the type of carvings he really did, she’d refused to let him work with her during the week, instead insisting he take whatever time he needed to focus on his art. And in return, he’d occasionally let her watch him in action. Which had then led to even more sex.

The man was hot when he was focused.

Hot, period.

And sweet and kind. And simply a good guy.

Her throat ached with the need to shed tears.

“You going to be okay?” Nick asked, and she realized she’d disappeared into her own thoughts.

“Of course.” She forced a smile. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

She was going to miss Bobby like crazy.

“Oh, I don’t know. Because you’re in love with the man?”

She didn’t look at him. “Wrong. It’s just lust.”

“Uh-huh.”

He quit talking as the next rider readied to climb into the nearest chute. Both of them watched. James Crawley had drawn one of Easup’s bulls, and as he waited his turn, Jewel found herself seeking out Crawley’s girlfriend. Bria’s sister sat in the crowd, but thankfully Bria hadn’t come with her. That had been a worry for Jewel, especially since Bria lived here. After all, it seemed about time the other woman would decide to reel Bobby back in.

“For the record,” Nick whispered at her side, “I think he’s got it bad for you, too.”

She wiped an escaping tear away, but the lump in her throat remained.

“Are you really just going to let him go?”

“What choice do I have, Nick?” Her voice barely made it to her own ears, so she didn’t know if Nick heard her or not. But when he slipped an arm around her, she leaned into him. Yep. Walking away from Bobby was going to hurt.

Crawley gave a nod once he’d settled onto the bull, and as the gate opened, Nick’s arm fell away. They both leaned forward.

Eight seconds was all it took.

Eight seconds and eighteen-hundred pounds of muscle.

The numbers on the clock ticked off, and with just point three seconds to go, Crawley went down.

Nick blew out a shaky breath. “Dang. The man is too close for comfort.”

She patted him on the arm. “You’ve got this. It’s going to be your year.”

“I sure hope so.”

Circuit finals wouldn’t be until January, when Montana’s top riders would be crowned, but local competitions wrapped in two weeks. On Labor Day.

Which would be the same weekend she found out if she’d lost the Double B or not.

Gray light oozed around the edges of the blinds, letting Bobby know the forecast for the day had been correct. Cloudy and overcast. Just like his heart.

He glanced to the far side of the bed, careful not to disturb Jewel, to see that it was six fifteen. He would have to take her back to get the bulls soon. Only, he didn’t know how he was going to let her go.

He’d just had the best four weeks of his life. Spent those weeks with the only woman he could imagine ever being with again.

Jewel was special. And he would be a shell