Page 72 of The Only Seconds that Matter
Johnny turned to Diego.“Right, yeah, Diego.”He stretched out a hand to shake.“Name’s Johnny Stearns.I’m one of Vic’s friends.”
“Stearns?Wasn’t that the name of the girl who rode Blitz this morning?”Diego asked, slightly baffled as he shook Johnny’s hand.
“My niece.Wasn’t she great?She got second place.”
“Not a shocker.Blitz is an awesome horse, and Vi-ctor is a talented trainer,” Diego said, saying Victor’s name like he was trying to speak around something stuck in his teeth.
“Sure is.If Taylor had her way, Victor would adopt her and she’d have access to the horses 24/7.Ain’t that all ten-year-old girls though?”
“If they’re raised right,” Diego replied.He paused, giving Johnny a quick once-over.“Sorry, I’m just re-thinking your last name… you wouldn’t happen to do rodeo, would you?Are youthatJohnny Stearns?”
Johnny blinked before his grin grew wider.He’d already had a run-in with a fan yesterday, according to his own re-telling.This was probably the place where he’d be most likely to be recognized, considering the rodeo running every night.
“That’s me,” he said with a smug smile.
“Wow, okay.”
“Since when do you follow rodeo?”Victor asked Diego, bitter he didn’t know this.
“Camila’s into it.We watch it together.”Diego turned back to Johnny.“Last I heard, you were recovering from an injury.Is that right?”
“Yeah, that injury retired me.”
“Shit, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Nature of the sport, I guess.”Johnny slid his thumbs inside his belt and shrugged.“Had a helluva time while I was in it.”
“So you won’t be riding the rodeo tonight?I think they’re doing saddle bronc, because they were doing slack this morning.”
“Nah, just watchin’.I’m gonna get lunch with some of my old rodeo buddies so we can catch up.Actually, that’s why I came back here.”He turned to Victor.“Can you look after Taylor for a few hours?”
“Uh, sure.”
“You got any old embarrassin’ stories about Victor from the old days?”Johnny asked Diego with a sardonic twist in his mouth.“I wanna know what nonsense you two boys got up to back in California.”
“I—you…” Diego’s eyes bounced from Johnny to Victor.Victor’s blood ran cold, wondering if Diego might tell Johnny the truth just as a finalfuck youto finish off their turbulent relationship.He mouthedplease don’t, and he knew Diego caught it because their eyes met.Diego sucked in a breath and his expression smoothed over.“Sorry to disappoint you, but Victor’s always been the dignified one.I was the one showing my ass all the time.”
“Sounds a bit like how we are, eh, Vic?”Johnny nudged Victor with an elbow.“Vic’s always gettin’ me outta one situation or another.Shame he wasn’t around in my rodeo days.Man, I should tell you about the time I woke up in the back of somebody’s—aww, well, I won’t keep ya.Looks like your lady friend’s found us.”
Indeed, someone who looked awfully a lot like Diego’s wife walked up behind him carrying a paper plate full of fries and a tray with two drinks.She was much shorter than Diego, maybe five-foot-two, which Diego probably liked.She was a pretty woman with manicured nails and a face full of make-up, neither of which Victor had ever mastered or enjoyed.Victor allowed himself a moment of grace and decided they were good together.She was what Diego had always wanted from Victor.
“Oh, Camila.”Diego’s face turned a shade of pink as he looked between his wife and Victor.“Uh, I was just chatting with an old friend from California and—”
“Johnny Stearns, is that you?”Camila asked with a growing grin.“Oh myGod, Diego, you know Johnny Stearns?”
“Well, um—”
“Nice to meet you, young lady,” Johnny said, again thrusting his hand out with one of those shit-eating grins he only ever had in the presence of pretty women.“Johnny Stearns at your service.”
Victor felt like he’d officially entered hell, because now his ex’s wife was shaking hands with the man Victor whose hands currently held Victor’s heart.Camila thrust the food she was carrying into Diego’s chest and went looking in her purse for something she could have Johnny sign, then insisted Diego take a picture of them together, remarking with a laugh at their height difference.Apparently she’d been following Johnny’s career for years, and she proceeded to tell him how she’d always liked his goofy good humor when so many others were what she calledscowlers.Johnny asked if she was attending tonight’s rodeo, and she responded, “Of course!”
“Y’all can sit with us if you want,” Johnny offered, oblivious to Victor’s sudden and violent reaction.
“Really?”Camila replied with apparent relish.
“Uh, we don’t want to bother them,” Diego quickly interjected, eyes darting between his wife and Victor.“We’re sitting with my cousins, remember?”
“They’re welcome, too.The more the merrier,” Johnny said.“I mean, ain’t you and Vic two old buds?Surely you’ll want to catch up—”
