Roped Tight (Ryker Ranch #4) - Kim Loraine Page 0,22

steak, baked potato, and a heaping pile of green beans. She handed it to me as all the men at the table stood and waited for her to take her seat.

It was impossible not to notice Sam's hands clenched into fists at his side. I also saw the tightness in his jaw. But I especially recognized the way he refused to make eye contact with me or even acknowledge my presence.

It stung, knowing he didn't want to see me, but what had I expected? In the weeks since we returned from the cabin, he’d proven that my choice to break things off came with consequences. We all sat and returned to our meal. Conversation hummed in my ears that I couldn't concentrate on. Not when I could smell Sam's aftershave. A little spicy, a little dark, and a whole lot of sexy.

I forced myself to focus on the meal in front of me. That was simple, right? Easy peasy. Just ignore the man and eat like a normal, civilized person.

Digging at my baked potato a little too forcefully, I nearly shoved the damn thing off my plate, but managed to keep it together as I added some butter and bits of bacon from the small dish in front of me. The bowl of sour cream sat to Sam's left, out of my reach. Of course.

Clearing my throat, I had to force myself to utter the simplest words, an innocent question, but it felt like I was moving a damn boulder. "Excuse me, Sam?”

He ignored me. His head was turned toward Clint and Buck, who were both chatting excitedly about the new bronc coming in next week.

So I tried again. "Sam?"

He stiffened. Clearly, the stubborn ass had heard me. Buck and Clint both stopped talking and stared intently at their brother.

"I think Tuck has a question," Buck said.

Sam turned, his eyes on mine, shooting ice straight through me. God, he was pissed. "Yeah?"

The irritation in his voice was impossible to disguise, and I doubted he was trying.

By then I'd forgotten what I even wanted. But a quick glance at my plate reminded me. "Pass the sour cream?"

His brows raised, then returned to their normal position before he reached for the bowl and passed it to me. Our fingers brushed, and I had to suck in a quick breath before I could stop myself. Why was a simple brush of fingertips from this man so affecting?

Everyone around the table continued as though nothing had passed between us, and as the meal went on, I relaxed as much as I could. I chatted with the other ranch hands and made silly faces at Sera, the youngest of the Rykers. And then, George stood up and said in his booming voice, “Y’all, we got a special announcement."

Everyone at the table grew quiet, and Sam, if possible, tensed even more.

George continued. "Tonight is Sam's last night on the ranch. He'll be leaving in the morning to start his journey as the first Ryker to go pro as a bull rider."

The guys around the table started hooting and hollering, everyone clearly thrilled that Sam had finally made it. We all knew he would. But Sam had always kept things quiet. He didn't discuss the conversations he had with potential sponsors; he didn't brag about winning the local rodeo circuit or the competitions he did throughout the state. He'd always been humble.

"Damn, boy, we're gonna miss you on this ranch. No one can break a horse like you," Bud, our grizzled old ranch foreman, said.

Sam let out a low chuckle. The sound did things to me I didn't want to examine. "You give Tristan a few years, and he'll be breaking them better than me."

"I'm so proud of you, honey, but I don't understand why you think you need to move all the way to Colorado. This is your home. You always have a place here." Mama was trying so hard to keep the sadness out of her voice, but we all heard it; we all saw it on her face. And honestly, I didn't understand what she was talking about.

"You're moving to Colorado?" Everyone at the table went silent at my question. I didn't blame them. I just blurted it out.

"Yeah." That was all he said. Shut me down with one word.

I didn't say anything else, just focused on my meal, finishing my beer, and then getting the hell out of there.

After thanking Mama for the meal, I cleared my place and left the house.

The clean,