Page 26

“You are a wicked woman,” he declared. “Four hundred years ago you would have been burned at the stake.”

“Lucky me.” She winked. “Instead of being accused of practicing witchcraft, I’m just practicing bitch craft.”

He laughed. She was dangerous. And smart. But so much fun.

“Let’s take a walk along the lake,” he suggested, too antsy to sit still.

“You going to tell me about the woman?”

“She was never mine,” Bodhi said.

“Never’s an impossible time.”

Bodhi’s heart was a stone in his chest.

“This one time I believe in the impossible.” He held out his hand. “Walk with me?”

She slid out of the truck and stood beside him. “This woman…” She hesitated.

“Ashni.”

“Beautiful name,” she marveled.

“Beautiful woman. Even more beautiful soul.”

“Is she why you need a bride for a week?”

“Yes.” He dug deep for a smile. “One reason.”

“And the second?”

“Well played, improv podcast listener. The second reason is that my cousin, who loves her more than his next breath, will be miserable if she walks out on him.”

“Why would she walk if she loves him?”

He took off his hat, ran a hand through his hair, and pressed his hat back on. He took her hand and lightly tugged. It was easier to talk about things closer to his heart if he weren’t facing her penetrating regard.

“She’s ready for the next stage of life. The husband. The home. The baby.”

Nico nodded, thoughtful. “And he doesn’t want that?”

“He does. He’s just…stuck. And I think the rodeo, the adrenaline, the challenge, the money, the rush, the fans…it’s addictive. Hard to walk away from.”

“I can see that. Is there a third reason?”

“My granddad has a ranch in Marietta. He’s getting on, getting lonely, wanting his family closer. We visit on breaks, help out, but pro rodeo is a life on the road. We all planned to retire together at some point and make a life there, and I think he’s getting impatient. If Beck retires and marries Ashni, they can move to the ranch. Build their life. Granddad won’t be alone, and Beck can work the ranch with the hands, taking some of the burden from Granddad.”

“So why do you need a bride?”

“It’s a game. I turned it into a competition so that Beck would get his a—I mean, butt. No. Sorry. Behind in gear.”

Nico laughed. “You are trying to pressure your cousin into proposing, and you’re worried about swearing?”

Bodhi picked up a stone, rubbed his thumb across the smooth, dark, round surface. How long had it nestled on the rocky shore? What part of the mountain range had it sheared off of? How long had it taken the water or the wind to smooth the rough edges?

And could he take comfort, find a message for his future from the stone?

“Yes,” he admitted. She might as well see the worst. Know what she was getting into, but he was really curious to see what she’d ask in return. His heart thumped unevenly, and the night seemed warmer.