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“Stephanie King. She’s a local vet that works with the rodeo when it’s in town.”

I turn to him, noticing how he’s not taking his eyes off her. “Something I should be worried about?”

“What? No,” he breaks his gaze away and looks down at me. “No. Chance and Stephanie are just friends. That’s all.”

“I didn’t think Chance did friends, other than you,” I laugh, bumping my shoulder into his.

“Not many.” He smirks.

“So what’s the deal then? You didn’t seem too happy to see her.”

“You’re about to find out; they’re heading this way.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chance

“Thanks again for inviting me up to the suite, Chance. I know things have been a little—awkward—since everything happened.”

Stephanie sneaks a glance across the room. I’m sure she doesn’t want me to see, just like she doesn’t want me to notice any of the other times she did it, but she can’t hide it from me. I’ve known her too long to hide something like that from me.

“I told you, what happened has nothing to do with me. I stay out of shit like that.”

“Even when it involves your best friend?” she asks with a smile.

“Wyatt doesn’t tell me what to do—or who to talk to.”

My eyes look up and lock with Dakota’s across the room. She’s laughing with Wyatt and raises an eyebrow at me before turning her attention back to my friend.

I don’t miss the concern that crosses her face when she first spots me with Stephanie. I hate that she would doubt me, but I don’t blame her. This is the first time I’ve ever regretted my past. I don’t want there to ever be a time when Dakota doubts me, no matter how justified it may be.

“So, do I get to meet her?” Stephanie asks playfully.

“How about now?” I turn and grab our drinks from the bar. Handing Stephanie hers, I turn and grab Dakota’s wine before making our way over.

We cross the distance of the suite, greeting Dakota and Wyatt as they whisper about something he doesn’t seem too happy about.

“Do I want to know?” I ask Dakota as I pass her the wine.

“Nothing to worry about,” she answers with a smile.

“Dakota, I’d like to introduce you to Stephanie King. Stephanie, this is my girlfriend, Dakota.”

“Girlfriend? I heard you were engaged.” Stephanie shakes Dakota’s hand but turns to me.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Everything with Dakota being real is so new; I forgot we are supposed to be engaged.

“It’s still so new. Takes a while to get used to,” Dakota says, shooting me a glare that said she won’t forget it later.

Stephanie turns her attention to Wyatt and drops her smile. “Wyatt.”

“Stephanie,” he grunts, barely looking her way.

Seeing my friend so uncomfortable shouldn’t bring me joy, but it’s a little payback for the hell he put me through when this whole shitshow started. Sure, it meant that I ended up with Dakota for real, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy watching him try to act like Stephanie isn’t in the same room as him.

“I brought Stephanie over here because she’s a vet that works with the rodeo when it’s in town. She also heads up a group in the area that works with local shelters to rescue animals or rehabilitate them if the owners can’t,” I say to Dakota, ignoring the ‘fuck you’ glare I’m getting from Wyatt. He didn’t know I had invited her, and he certainly doesn’t know I am hoping that she and Dakota will talk about possibly working together.