Page 59 of Timber's Line

“Let me guess, adrenaline,” I reply.

“You know it.” Skye blows Linc a kiss.

Someday, I will have that.

“I’m going to go walk around.”

“But your suitors are up,” Alexa says.

“I don’t need to be here for it. Sal will do some shots later to blend it in like I was.” I head off. I don’t want to see Dayton get hurt.

Funny how my mind went straight to him.

I walk around the booths, talking to some of the local ranchers, making appointments to come see livestock and horses.

I buy an ear of corn and a water, then I sit with Ever at her booth.

“Try this new jelly I made.” She scoops a bit on a cracker and hands it to me.

“This is so good.” The jelly melts in my mouth. It’s spicy with a hint of bacon.

“Peppered bacon. Memphis complains it’s so good, and that’s why he’s put on weight.”

I roll my eyes. “So dramatic.”

“He can be.” She grins.

“I have to agree with him that this is good.”

“Thank you. Dayton is coming on the show next week.”

“He is?”

“I thought it would be good for his image. People need to see he’s not the monster the press makes him out to be.”

“I agree. There’s more to him than meets the eye.”

“I wish you would get past your block.” She tucks some hair behind my ear.

“I made progress today when I told myself I will find love, not probably.”

“That’s awesome.” She smiles as someone buys a jar of jelly from her.

“Shouldn’t you be at the arena?”

“I can’t watch them hurt themselves,” I admit.

“But you could watch one of them fight?”

“It’s different. They train for that. They aren’t cowboys. Sal is only doing it because it’s in my blood.”

“What is?”

“Country. I’m a country girl. This life is all I know, and animals.”

“You wouldn’t want to move if you found the one?”

“Maybe, but I would hope whoever the guy is, we could have a conversation about it,” I tell her.