Page 35 of Forever Enough
I came to a stop in front of her and tried like hell to read the expression on her face, but it was unreadable.
Avery cleared her throat. “Well, I think I’ll go see if I can do anything to help with Josh’s ride.”
My sister slipped away, and I took a step closer to Mackenzie. “What did you think?”
She slowly shook her head, and a part of me was regretting that I’d brought her here, but the other side knew that if I wanted to have something more than a friendship with this woman, she needed to be able to see this side of me. I may be walking away from a career in professional bull riding, but I was still going to ride.
“I was terrified watching you…but at the same time, I felt this crazy sense of pride.”
“Really?” I asked with a surprised tone to my voice.
“How is it that we just met? I feel like I’ve known you forever. And I’m not sure if that’s making me feel overwhelmed or scared.”
She glanced around to make sure no one could hear her before she went on.
“I haven’t dated very much, and I’m going to be completely honest, I haven’t experienced anything like this before. I’m sure you have, but you need to know how inexperienced I am when it comes to…guys.”
I reached for her hand and laced my fingers with hers. “I don’t care about your past or your experience, Kenzie. The only thing I care about is that I get to see you tonight, and tomorrow, and tomorrow night, and so on.”
A brilliant smile broke over her face. “I would love that. And your mom did tell me I had this week off. Avery mentioned going shopping tomorrow, so I’m not sure how long that will be, but afterward I’m all yours.”
“Are you free for dinner afterward? I got to show you a part of me, but I’d like to learn more about you.”
Her smile slipped and something moved across her face. She looked down, and when her eyes met mine, that mysterious something was gone. “I can cook us dinner at my apartment, if you want. That way we’re not rushed with having to leave to free up a table.”
I suddenly got giddy at the thought of spending time with her alone. “I would love that. I should, um…go help with Josh’s ride.”
“Oh, yes! Of course.”
Turning to head to the chutes, I stopped and faced her again. “My sister Avery.”
Mackenzie blushed as a sweet laugh slipped free. “Is super sweet and I adore her.”
“I’m sorry I made that comment about falling in love with you in front of her…it was just…” I let my voice trail off.
She took a step forward, reached her hand up and placed it on the vest I was wearing. “I’m not sorry, because today has been the first time in a very long time I’ve felt truly alive, and I have you to thank for that.”
It took everything I had in me not to pull her into my arms and kiss her again.
“Bradly!” Uncle Ty called out.
“I need to go help.”
She took a step back and said, “I’m not going anywhere.”
Josh rode a few bulls, Blayze rode three, and I rode one more before we called it a day. When Uncle Ty told me to head on out with Mackenzie, I wasn’t about to argue. Somehow we managed to slip away without Avery or my father seeing us.
“Is it very different when you ride in one of your events?” Mackenzie asked as we made our way back to my folks’ place.
“Yeah. It’s a lot crazier. Cameras and reporters are always there. It’s hard to think clearly sometimes, simply because it’s so damn loud. The crowd, the music, and just the noise of the bulls in the chutes.”
“How do you stay focused?”
I shrugged. “Growing up and riding at Uncle Ty’s was good practice. Today was super quiet, with only a handful of us there, but when I was younger, there was always a lot of family around. My cousins and sister also used to bring all their friends to watch us ride…basically, lots more people to cheer and emulate a small crowd. And knowing my female cousins’ pretty friends were watching…that was always a real distraction.”
She chuckled. “I bet. But I assume riding in an event would be a lot bigger.”
“Oh, yeah. I guess I’ve just learned to tune it all out. Honestly, once I sit down on the bull, the only thing I can hear is the pounding of my heart in my chest.”