Page 28 of Unforgettable Cowboy (Montana’s Rodeo Cowboys #1)

Trev gave her an innocent look, then turned his attention back to the arena. “Go time,” he said with a lift of his chin as the gateman got into position. A moment later, Hayes’s chute opened and then…

“Go time?” Trev repeated.

Hayes’s bronc appeared to be shy. The gateman closed the gate, then opened it again, and this time the bronc gave a few lackluster crow hops into the arena. Bailey’s heart sank. Hayes had drawn poorly. Physically, he’d be better off, but—

Her breath caught mid-thought as the bronc suddenly bunched up and exploded. There was no other word to describe the way she punched the earth and launched herself.

“Holy…” Dylan breathed, his chin rising as he followed the horse’s skyward trajectory. Twisting, writhing and sun-fishing, it became obvious that the lazy hops at the beginning of her ride were simply a matter of checking out her rider before getting down to business. Serious business.

Bailey’s heart hit her ribs as she willed Hayes to stay in the saddle through the twisting, jerking ride.

He managed eight long seconds, then bailed at the buzzer instead of waiting for the pickup man.

He landed awkwardly due to his bad knee but remained upright, waving his hat as the crowd cheered.

The little mare, relieved of the bucking strap, cantered serenely around the arena.

The announcer was saying something, but Bailey didn’t hear as she watched Hayes cross the dusty distance to the gate, and that was when she realized that she’d taken hold of Trev’s arm.

She hoped she hadn’t shut off the circulation with her death grip.

“Good ride,” she said as she casually unwrapped her fingers from his shirt.

“Not bad for the last one.”

Bailey shot Trev a sharp look. Hayes hadn’t said anything about a final ride. Trev’s expression shifted. “I’m guessing.”

“Really?”

He studied her face instead of answering and there was something in his expression that gave Bailey pause. He was concerned about Hayes. Concerned that she’d once again do a number on him.

And what if she did?

She took a step back from the rails. “I need to spell Estelle. She’s been very patient.”

“I’m sure Hayes knows where to find you.”

For today anyway.

She mentally filled in the unspoken words as she headed back to where she belonged, selling silver.

*

Hayes’s knee was killing him, but he ignored it as he left behind well-wishers and headed into the vending area.

He’d had a great ride, a high-point ride.

He didn’t care. He just wanted to get back to Bailey.

Tomorrow or the next day at the latest, she’d be gone, and he was going to act as if he was good with that, even though it was killing him inside.

Clichés about setting free the thing you love had bounced around his head for the past forty-eight hours, but that wasn’t what he was doing.

Bailey was already free, and he was going to be careful not to throw any obstacles in the way of her exit, because that would fire up her knee-jerk reaction to relationships and control—thank you, asshole Bruce.

He slowed as he approached her table where she was engaged with a customer, pointing out a detail on what he knew was her last remaining set of bridle buckles.

Thanks to Estelle, who was nowhere to be seen, she’d enjoyed success at the Copper Mountain Rodeo.

A double-edged sword because she’d have very little stock for her next show, but that didn’t seem to be slowing her desire to hit the road. That freedom thing.

But when Bailey saw him, her expression brightened, and his heart squeezed in response. He didn’t want her to go. Was afraid she might never come back, and they probably needed to talk about that. Or they could just let things play out. He had no idea what his next move was.

“Hayes, great ride.”

“Thanks.”

She indicated the older man with the pristine cowboy hat, classic cowboy mustache and beat-up Levi’s standing in front of her sparse display with a small gesture.

“This is Milo Case. We’ve been talking shop.

” She was beaming, so Hayes could only assume that it had been gratifying shop talk.

M. Case was something of a legend in the cowboy gear world, so he understood why talking with the guy would give Bailey a mental boost. A former working cowboy, M.

Case’s bits and spurs went for megabucks, and some were true collectors’ items.

“Nice to meet you,” Hayes said, extending a hand to the man. “I’ve long coveted one of your bits.”

The man smiled as they shook hands. “I’ve heard your name over a loudspeaker or two.” He turned back to Bailey. “I need to get back to the missus, but I think this will work out. I’ll contact you with details.” He held up her card. “Soon.”

“Thank you.” Bailey followed the man with her gaze as he started for the stands, then turned to Hayes.

“He admires your work?”

“Respect is probably a better word. We’ve been gear show acquaintances for a while now, He gave me feedback early in my career.

” Her eyes were dancing, and Hayes could see that something very good had just happened to her.

“We’re going to share a space in Laughlin and at the next show, too, so I don’t need to worry about having a big table with one belt buckle sitting in the middle of it. ”

“How’d that come about?”

“He asked about sales, and I explained that they weren’t as spectacular as a nearly empty table indicated.

I’d suffered a robbery.” She grinned. “That was when he came up with a solution.” She went on to explain that Milo was going to express a shipment of his items to the Laughlin event, and she would pick it up there to sell on his behalf.

“He’s at the big show in Tuscan this coming week,” she explained. “This way he’ll get double sales and I’ll get table traffic.”

“Nice.” Hayes hoped he sounded enthusiastic as he sat in the chair Estelle had vacated, slowly straightening his rapidly swelling knee, which hadn’t appreciated his bronc’s efforts that day. “Feels good when things work out.”

Really good.

Hayes shushed his sarcastic inner voice. Bailey was hitting the road, pursuing her dream, as she should, and now she had someone to help stock her. The rock in his gut would eventually dissipate and he had his own future to figure out.

Bailey touched his thigh, bringing his body to alert status. “Are you okay?” she asked.

Hayes opened his mouth, having no idea what was about to come out of it, when a customer approached the table and Bailey leaned forward, ready to assist. He glanced toward the arena, where the rodeo would soon be winding down, and spotted Trev and Dylan headed their way.

Timing, as they say, was everything, and he and Bailey didn’t appear to have enough of the stuff to properly work things out.

More than that, he sensed that they weren’t ready to work it out. Too many little ends that needed to be tied up and it would be stupid to force things.

*

Trev and Dylan helped Bailey break down her display after the last lingering rodeo patrons left the area.

Hayes had not won the bronc riding, but he’d been in the money.

Trev and Dylan were not so lucky. After collecting his purse, Hayes joined in the breakdown, and as the four of them worked, Bailey explained the plan for dropping off the mare the next day.

After leaving the horse with Jenna, she’d continue on her fourteen-hour journey to Laughlin.

The mandatory setup time for the event was Wednesday evening and she had to be there on time in order to pick up Milo’s silver.

“All I need is the horse,” she said, giving Dylan a quick look.

“I may be able to find one by tomorrow morning,” he said.

He took a look into the back of Bailey’s trailer, which had been pressure-washed after the last time she’d transported the palomino mare.

“Kind of a shame to mess this up.” He closed the door.

“Why don’t I haul the mare? It’s on my way home. ”

“That sounds good,” Bailey said, wondering if Dylan had an ulterior motive.

The man seemed to know a lot about her friend, but not in a stalkerish way.

If he had intentions there, Bailey wished him luck because all signs indicated that Jenna was done with men.

“I can follow you and then hit the freeway in Livingston to head south via Gallatin Gateway.”

“Win, win,” Dylan said.

Bailey agreed, then turned to Hayes, who’d just loaded the handcart into the tack compartment. He did not have a win-win expression on his handsome face.

Ten minutes later, after his brothers had headed for their trucks and Dylan his trailer, Bailey hooked a finger in Hayes’s belt loop and tugged him a step closer.

“Want to spend the night?”

She assumed it was an easy yes, so was taken back when he said, “Maybe a rain check?”

“Yeah?” she asked, speaking in a fairly normal voice despite the gut-punch sensation in her lower abdomen. She’d imagined a night of making love, and instead, he was easing away.

He’s making it easier for you to leave.

That’s good, her small voice whispered as she pulled her finger free of the belt loop.

If so, then why didn’t it feel good? Was she becoming dependent on the man? The thought chilled her.

Hayes rubbed a hand over his shoulder. “I know we talked about living in the moment and letting the future take care of itself, but…”

“You can’t?”

He dropped his hand. “I’d like to be part of your life, Bailey. The question is do you want me there?”

She opened her mouth, hoping to hear a yes come out, but the word stalled as she recalled the way Trev had regarded her after Hayes’s ride. She had to be certain she could deal with all that came with Hayes being part of her life. If she couldn’t…

“I think I do,” she finally said.

His lips curved into a smile, but his gaze was serious as he took her by the shoulders and drew her close enough to press his lips to her forehead. “When you’re sure, we can talk.”

“Hayes…”

“Dylan will be parked right over there. You’ll be okay tonight.”

Bailey took a step back, barely able to keep from wrapping her arms around herself. She felt oddly cold. And mute.

She nodded instead of forcing words out of her rapidly closing throat.

“Take your time, Bailey. You know where to find me.”

And with those words, her cowboy walked away.