Taming a Texas Rascal (Bad Boy Ranch #6) - Katie Lane Page 0,39
one thing you’ve tried that you can’t do.”
She scrunched up her nose as if she was struggling to find something. He didn’t know why that made him grin, but it did. “Blow a bubble. I can’t blow a bubble with bubble gum. I tried and tried as a kid, but could never accomplish it.”
He widened his eyes in shock. “Lord have mercy, Maisy Sweeney can’t blow a bubble. Say it isn’t so?”
She sent him an annoyed look before she went back to turning the bacon. “Now you’re just being a smart butt. And what’s wrong with wanting to be a good at things?”
His gaze took in the firm muscles of her legs, muscles she’d earned. “I guess there’s nothing wrong with it. Everyone likes being the best.”
“Do you?”
He was surprised by the question. “What do you mean?”
She shrugged, but didn’t turn around. “I don’t know. Sometimes when I watch you ride I get the feeling you’re holding back. That you could be a lot better than you are.”
She was getting way too close for comfort. He forced a laugh. “Hey, I’ve won my fair share of rodeos.”
She turned around, her big brown eyes serious. “Is that your goal? To win a few rodeos?”
“What’s wrong with that? Not everyone has to be the best. Maybe I just like the adrenaline and thrill of the ride.”
“For me, it’s not just the adrenaline rush and thrill of the ride. I love it all. The sight of a packed arena and the smell of horse manure, beer, and nachos, and the sounds of the gate springing open and the roar of the crowd when the eight-second buzzer sounds. But mostly I love the feeling of being in complete sync with the horse. In that moment, it feels like I have the world by its tail. And I do want to be the best. But not just for my ego. I want to be the best for every little girl out there who has a dream that some jerk has tried to squash because of antiquated societal gender roles.”
Sawyer was struck speechless not just by her words, but also by the passion behind them. It humbled him. And made him speak the truth.
“I chose saddle bronc riding because it was the last thing people expected me to do.”
She stared at him. “What?”
“Not only am I an underachiever. I’m also obstinate.” He nodded at the grill. “And the bacon’s burning.”
The bacon didn’t burn. It was cooked exactly the way he liked it—extra crispy. The over-medium eggs she made to go with the bacon were perfect as well. The whites cooked and yolks runny. She grilled some toast too and slathered it with butter and strawberry jam. They ate outside on a little fold-out table under the red-and-white striped awning with the wild Texas land encircling them like a warm comforting blanket. The fact that it was his land made it all the better. Maybe Maisy was right. Maybe he did need a place to call home.
Thankfully, she didn’t return to the topic of his underachievement. Instead, they swapped rodeo stories and Sawyer laughed more than he had in a long time. He suddenly realized that the last time he’d enjoyed himself so much had been at Lincoln and Dixie’s wedding.
When they finished eating, she glanced at the horses. “Did you intend to ask me to go riding or do you always travel with a spare horse?”
He smiled. “I always travel with a spare horse. But since you shared your bacon, I’ll be willing to share a horse.”
While she changed for riding, he carried the dishes inside and washed them at her little sink. He was looking for a towel to dry the pan when he pulled open a drawer and a photograph caught his eye. He took it out to get a closer look. It was a picture of Sam Sweeney holding a saddle with a rope looped over his shoulder. He was younger than Sawyer remembered. And he didn’t look nearly as mean. His eyes were Maisy’s. Or Maisy’s were his. His smile made him look like any young, cocky cowboy.
Sawyer now understood why she had held on for so long to the belief that Sam was still alive. This was the man Maisy loved. The father she’d dreamed about meeting and having a relationship with. The happy cowboy she was unable to let go.
A sound from the bedroom had him putting the picture back and continuing to look for the dish towel. He found