Page 7 of Hung Up (Shadow Ridge #1)

SALT LAKE CITY

a marriage proposal?

If I have to hear Rylie tell me again about how Jesse was looking at me while I conducted a couple of my interviews, I might be taking shots tonight.

While I understand why she’s so invested in my love life—she has to deal with Adam just as much, if not more, than I do at the moment—I thought I had made it pretty damn clear in some of our conversations that I could never date a cowboy, let alone a bull rider.

Our lifestyles are just too different to ever make anything work.

Although dating someone in the exact same field as me didn’t bode too well for me, either. Maybe I do need to switch it up.

Or, you know, swear off dating altogether.

Definitely like the sound of that better.

Are men interested in an exclusive fuck buddy? That I could do.

Entering the bar on the corner, the live music practically sends me stumbling backward.

My ears start to ring as they adjust to the volume, Rylie’s hand in mine the only thing helping me through the throng of people on the dance floor so we can reach the bar.

Finding two empty stools, we waste no time taking a seat and flagging down the bartender.

Once our beers are in hand, she turns her attention to me.

“Great job today,” she says before taking a sip. “You fell into the role of bull rider interviewer really quickly.”

“Did you ever doubt me?” I try to cover up my bristling irritation by taking a pull from my bottle.

Rylie frantically shakes her head. “Of course not. I just know a lot of other people are. I’m the one person you don’t have to worry about, Faith. Don’t ever forget that.”

A commotion near the front door draws my attention.

Turning my head toward the cheering, I see a few riders walking in, beaming at the crowd as they accept high-fives and weird bro hugs.

You know, where they slap one hand together and then slap each other on the back with the other.

My eyes snag on Kai first before drifting over to Jesse.

He’s changed into a clean pair of jeans and a plain black tee, his signature black hat on his head.

“Well, would you look at that,” Rylie practically purrs, her attention on the group trying to work their way through the crowd. “Seems he can’t stay away.”

I scoff. “This was the rider's idea, Ry. You’re the one who dragged me here. If anything, we’re the ones who seem like we can’t stay away. You’ve turned us into groupies.”

“Oh, quit your whining.” She slaps me gently on the shoulders. “You promised Kai a rain check. This is your rain check, honey.”

My gaze drifts back over to the group who have now made it to the center of the dance floor, but can’t seem to get any closer.

Almost all of them have drinks in their hands, fans having given or bought them their first round.

Much to my distaste, my eyes immediately fall back on Jesse, who has a woman hanging off him.

He’s giving her a friendly smile while her hand runs up and down his arm before pushing herself up on her tiptoes to whisper something in his ear.

I can’t read the expression on his face from here, but she hastily reaches up and swipes his hat off his head.

Everyone around him starts cheering, but he quickly takes it back from her before dipping his head close to hers.

“Looks like he’s getting lucky tonight.” I twist back around to look at Rylie with furrowed brows. “The cowboy hat rule?” I shrug. “Guess there’s still some things we need to teach you. If you wear the hat, you ride the cowboy.”

“That’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard,” I state, glancing back behind me to see that Jesse has been left behind on the dance floor as the others finally approach us.

“Hello there, pretty lady,” Stetson says as he sidles up next to Rylie, Kai and Bryce coming up to my other side. Stetson takes off his hat and sets it on the bartop, running a hand through his messy blond hair. “What’s a beautiful woman like you doing in a place like this?”

She raises a brow as she rests one elbow on the bartop. “What other adjectives do you have in your arsenal to describe me?”

“How much time do you have?”

I bite the corner of my lip and avert my attention to the boys on my right. There are shots in front of them and Kai slides one in my direction. I begin to object when he says, “This is what happens when you take a rain check. For each night you postpone, you have to take a shot.”

“You cowboys and your rules,” I mumble under my breath as I reach for it. We all clink them together before tossing them back, and the second it hits my tongue, I can tell it’s tequila. It burns on the way down and I have to school my face into neutrality as I set the empty glass in front of me.

Kai extends a hand out in my direction and tilts his head toward the dance floor.

I bite my lip as I glance at the people doing some type of choreographed dance— seriously, where the hell am I right now?

—before looking back at him. He must read the discomfort on my face because he rests a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“I promise this is one of the easiest ones to learn and dance to,” he tells me, nothing but confidence and reassurance present in his tone. “But we don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Don’t have to what?” I startle at the sound of Jesse’s voice behind me, whipping around to look up at him. His eyes land on Kai’s hand that’s still on my shoulder before he casts a look over at his friend with an unreadable expression and raised brow.

I clear my throat and Kai drops his hand. “Dance. I hate dancing.”

“You hate dancing, or you hate line dancing?”

“What’s the difference?”

Bryce and Kai chuckle as Jesse looks at me with wide eyes, appearing as if I have personally offended in some way by asking that question. “Normal dancing is a free-for-all where everyone tries too hard to be sexy. Line dancing is structure with some flair for those who are good at it.”

“There’s a very easy dig in there but I told myself this morning I’d try to be nicer to you today.” The corner of his mouth tilts as if he were hoping I would. “Although I can’t recall why.”

Before he has the chance to respond, a different woman than the one before steps up next to Jesse.

She places a hand on his bicep and leans in past me to ask for a refill, her arm pressing against mine and her blonde hair falling onto my shoulder.

Once she has a new bottle in her hand, she spins around, giving Jesse a very white and perfect smile.

She’s got a very tight black tee on—that she clearly cut the neck of to showcase her cleavage—jean shorts and knee-high black cowboy boots.

It’s February in Utah for fuck sake.

“Hey, Jesse,” she says, using her arms to push her breasts closer together, and I involuntarily roll my eyes. “Great ride tonight.”

“Thanks.” He gives her a smile that appears forced, his attention shifting between this blonde woman and me.

She seems oblivious to his wandering eye, or chooses to ignore it, and takes a step closer, her hand landing on his abdomen. “Want to dance?”

“Oh, I appreciate the offer, but?—”

“He’d love to,” Stetson interrupts, his arm draped over Rylie’s shoulders as he joins in on our conversation. “He’s a great line dancer.”

“So am I,” she replies, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.

I avert my gaze, my eyes connecting with Bryce’s, and the concern in them has my brows furrowing.

“I’m sure you are, really,” Jesse tells her, unable to back away from her advances due to the large crowd. “But I just?—”

“We’ll join you.” Stetson reaches for Rylie’s hand like he’s going to pull her off her stool, but she refuses to budge. “Let’s go, Kai. Time to show them how it’s done.”

The woman doesn’t give Jesse the chance to try and object again. She grabs his wrist and physically drags him onto the dance floor, Kai and Stetson trailing behind them. Jesse’s eyes catch mine just before he disappears into the crowd.

“And this is why I hate going to bars,” I say, turning my attention to Rylie. “Can’t I just drink in peace?”

She laughs, taking another sip of her beverage when Bryce taps my shoulder. “I’m going to try and save him from that.”

“He’s a big boy, Bryce,” I remind him, lazily bringing the bottle to my lips. “I’m sure he can slip away if he really wants to.”

“Stetson is hard set on getting him with someone, and before you ask, I don’t have the faintest clue why.” I shrug, finally taking a swig of my beer. “But that can’t happen.”

I set my beer down at that. “What do you mean that can’t happen?”

“He’s under heat from his PR team.” Bryce doesn’t offer any more information before he too disappears.

I look at my friend once more, filing that piece of information away for later.

Rylie is frantically typing away on her phone, a frown on her bright red lips and a deep crease between her brows.

Resting my elbows on the bar, I look everywhere but at her as I drink— don’t be a snoop, Faith —but once she sets her phone down with a loud sigh, my curiosity gets the better of me.

“What’s that about?”

“Not sure you want to know,” she answers quietly, the music almost drowning out her words.

“I certainly do now.” Rylie scratches behind her ear, one of her tells, so I gently kick her shoe with my own. “Just tell me, Ry. I’m a big girl.”

She sighs before telling me, “Adam has been trying to get Alicia to send them out here instead of my team. Some bullshit about how the team needs to stick together.”

“And what has Alicia said?”

“That she wants them on something else for now.” My shoulders slump in relief. “I think she can tell there’s some tension there, that something is going on between you two.”

“That wouldn’t surprise me.”