Page 20 of Ride Me Reckless

"And you told me you weren't gonna get involved." He took another swig. "Funny, considering I'm the one who sent them a Zelle."

My head snapped toward him. "What?"

He shrugged. "Callie gave me a sad-sack story. Said they were eating gas station burritos and racing on credit. I figured, what the hell."

"You bankrolled them?"

"Yep. Callie said Tessa was afraid to ask you.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. "How bad is it?"

"She lost Daytona. Car's half shot. Says she's out of sponsor money, and the next race ain't for weeks. Needed money just to get home.”

I closed my eyes for a beat. “So it wasn’t a complete sponcership.”

“Nope!”

“Tessa didn't tell me anything about it. I'm not a complete asshole,” I muttered.

"Yeah," Rhett said, "and that's the part that bothers me."

I looked at him.

"She's proud," he added. "But you think that woman would've come all the way back here, back to the memories, the ghosts, the goddamn rodeo dirt—if she wasn't desperate?"

I didn't answer.

He clapped me on the back. "Just think about it. Maybe you can help."

Across the arena, the lights kicked on. A ripple of sound from the crowd rolled up like thunder.

Rhett started heading toward the announcer's booth again. "Oh—and heads up."

I turned. "For what?"

He gave me a pointed look over his shoulder. "She's here. Just walked in behind the north bleachers. Wearing that jacket with the red zipper, like she used to.”

My pulse stuttered.

I didn't look for her. Not yet.

But damn if my whole body didn't start listening for her footsteps.

Windstorm shifted beneath me as I gave the last tug on the cinch. The gelding huffed, hot breath curling in the air, ears twitching toward the clatter of hooves in the distance.

"Almost done, boy," I murmured, smoothing my hand down his damp neck.

"Colt!" Kenzie called, half-jogging toward me with her helmet tucked under her arm. "You good with the braid?"

I caught her wrist. “Hang on.”

I slipped off the braided tail hair she’d tied on me earlier and looped it around her instead.

“This belongs with you now,” I said, fastening it snugly.

“You’ve got this.”

She smiled wide, nerves and fire all wrapped up in one. "Thanks, Coach."