Page 94 of Reining in Never
“Oh, that’ll be Evan,” Kinsley remarked with an eyeroll.
Rhett’s eyebrow quirked upward. “Evan?”
“My sister’s boyfriend.” Kinsley did not hide her disdain. “Asshole with more money than brains.”
“Isn’t he a lawyer?” I asked.
“My statement still stands.”
I stole a glance over at Grady, who had gone unnaturally still and quiet beside me. The usual playful glint in his eyes was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a guarded look as the passenger door swung open.
Abby Jackson stepped out in a sundress, her dark hair blowing in the breeze.
The sports car peeled away in a cloud of dust, leaving Abby to make her way towards the house alone. Grady’s eyes tracked her every movement, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly as she entered her home without so much as a glance in our direction.
I knew that look all too well; I’d worn it myself over the last couple of years more times than I cared to admit, and there was no mistaking the flicker of wistful tenderness passing over his features before he could hide it.
At first, I hadn’t thought much of Grady’s little crush on Kinsley’s sister. We all got starry-eyed now and then around a pretty face. I’d figured it would blow over once the next rodeo rolled around and his head was back in the game. But seeing him now, the way his eyes stayed glued to the house even after Abby had disappeared inside... It made me rethink just how deep those feelings might run.
Before I could dwell too much on my friend’s reaction, the vibration of Grady’s phone cut through the silence. He fished it out of his back pocket, brow furrowed as he read the screen. In the next moment, the tense look on his face melted into one of pure elation.
“Fuck yes!” Grady let out a whoop of surprise and joy, leaping up from where he’d been sitting on the grass. “I just got an invitation to the PBR Canada Tour!”
The rest of us were on our feet in a heartbeat, crowding around to slap him on the back as we offered our congratulations. This was the big break he’d been chasing, a chance to prove himself on one of the biggest stages in bull riding.
But even as the celebration swirled around him, I couldn’t help but notice Grady’s eyes drifting back towards the house where Abby was.
A sinking feeling settled into the pit of my stomach. I recognized all the signposts on the road to heartache.
As happy as I was for Grady’s success, I couldn’t shake the feeling that his luck might take a turn for the worst with Abby Jackson.
