Page 87 of Roping My Rival

All this time, all I had to do was mention my income wasn’t what I declared. I thought it was what they needed to hear. Which I likely wouldn’t have disclosed anyway, but still…Maybe I could be better off now if I’d just taken a minute to fucking breathe and research shit.

“If I can get a second chance, so can you. I made a mess of things for a while. It was only once I asked for help that things truly changed. I stopped being this stubborn ass and let people help for real.” Hunter turns to me again and leans an elbow on the fence. “Second chances aren’t easy. Sometimes they’re harder than the first go-round. You’re under extra pressure. What if I fuck up worse? Did I do it right? Is it enough to make up for me being a shit head before?” I press my lips together at Hunter’s bluntness. “The point is, Dane, it’s never easy, and when you get a second chance at anything, it’s human nature to want it better. My son deserves happiness, and so do you. I have an offer to make it better.”

“An offer?”

“If the rodeo thing doesn’t work out, I have a proposition for you.”

I pause and think of Warren and his rabbits, how he came to rescue me from the bottle last night and has done so much to help me. Not with charity, like I want to believe. No, he wants to because he loves me. I really like the way he loves me.

“Okay. I’m listening.”

When Hunter finishes with his offer, he waits as I digest it all. It’s a lot, and I’m truly overwhelmed, but what he said earlier about second chances keeps bouncing around in my head.

“I accept.”

His grin brings out extra lines around his eyes. “Excellent choice. Now let’s get into the house in time for Clarence. That kid is a stickler for being prompt. Warren is probably antsy that we’ve been gone so long, too.”

We turn to walk to the farmhouse.

“I’ll admit I was scared you might have a gun when we first came out here.”

“What makes you think I don’t?”

My feet stumble, but Hunter’s strong hand grips my elbow. His laugh booms in the ranch yard, and he eventually releases my elbow.

“You’re gonna be all right, kid. Maybe next time ask about a weapon before leaving with someone, though.”

Hunter’s grin is just as mischievous as Warren’s. It’s probably better that I don’t know if he’s joking. I have enough to worry about.

The door to the conference room opens, and an older man steps out. After looking down the hallway, his gaze settles on me, and he strides over.

“Warren Burke?”

Standing with my hat in hand, I nod. “Yes, sir. That’s me.”

He offers me his hand. “Bob Black. I’m the Competition and Rules Liaison for the Professional Rodeo Board. I was told I could find you out here.”

He motions for me to take the chair I stood from, and he sits in one next to me. We’re sitting in a hotel hallway in the city where the entire professional rodeo board set a meeting for Dane. He and Clarence have been in a meeting for almost an hour.

“Dane has himself in a situation, and since he’s your partner, this affects you too.”

“Should I be in the room?”

He waves a hand in the air. “Nah, I wanted to meet you and ask you something away from all that pomp and pageantry.” He chuckles to himself. “Not that we don’t take this kind of thing seriously, but sometimes you can’t get a good read on things. What we decide needs to consider many factors.”

My gaze drops to the tiny rainbow flag pin on his lapel.

“Okay. Ask away.”

“You only just teamed up with Dane this year and have a few team events under your belt. Did you know about his past, then?”

“No sir. That is a recent discovery.”

“And at any point did you ever think he cheated when he beat you all those times in the past?”

I shake my head hard. “Not once. Dane isn’t like that.”

“How do you feel associated with him now if he has rodeo sanctions against him?”