Page 55 of Break the Barrier

“Well, what does she do while you’re working?”

He shrugs his shoulders with a grin. “What we all did growing up. She works on the ranch.”

I scoff and look at him. “You make the poor little girl work on the ranch?”

“It builds character,” he counters, chucking my chin with his finger. “Plus, she loves following Dani around and watching her work.”

I hum and nod my head, envious of the way this wholefamily grew up. I can only picture how that must have been, but growing up in the city, we didn’t have opportunities like that.

“All right, I gotta go, or Stetson will panic.”

I smile and nod, and he turns to go, but before he can, I grab his hand and tug. “Oh wait,” I say, and he turns back, eyes confused. I waste no time in leaning forward and pressing my lips to his, holding his shoulder with one hand.

His hand not in mine reaches up and holds the back of my head, taking the kiss deeper for a few seconds before we part. Logan’s eyes smile at me first.

“Good luck,” I repeat, settling my feet back down and backing away.

“Oh, I don’t need it now.”

He winks again and wanders down off the bleachers. I sit on the edge of my seat, and my hair falls to hide my face from anyone who may have been watching.

Thankfully, I don’t know anyone here by name. I recognize a few from when they’ve come into the bar, but I keep my eyes from wandering long enough to start any kind of conversation.

I hate that about myself, too.

I used to be so much more outgoing. I used to become friends with everyone, used to love to gossip and chat and check in with people.

Now, I have ten-foot walls around myself, hoping no one would climb them.

I have to work on that. I want to work on getting back to my old self.

I also have a feeling that Logan could help me.

Waiting for a few minutes longer, I glance to the right, where there are several men and women in cowboy hats waiting theirturns for this event. A few people go before Logan, and I get the gist pretty fast.

A person opens a chute that lets the cow run into the arena, two people on horseback chase the cow from either side of the chute. One person ropes the cow’s head, then the other ropes a back foot. Then they back their horses up until the ropes are taut and release the cow.

I don’t understand the point, but I get how it works.

So, when Logan comes up with his brother, and they settle themselves by the chute, I know what to watch for.

Logan nods to the girl in the chute, and she releases the cow. They both immediately start running their horses behind it.

I fold my hands in my lap as Logan swings his rope overhead and throws it at the cow, wrapping it swiftly around the cow’s head and pulling. Stetson aims for the back leg and throws his own rope, barely getting it around the foot, and they pull, finishing their run rather quickly.

I think.

Applauding with the rest of the crowd, I smile when Logan trots by on his horse, tipping his hat to me.

Yeah, I’m in big,bigtrouble.

20

logan

“This is unconstitutional,”Lue grumbles, digging a shovel into manure. I’ve told her a million times to use the manure fork, but she just won’t listen.

I spray out a bucket and let it drip into the alleyway before setting it back in its spot and filling it.