Chapter Twenty-Five. Winnie

Two weeks later, I'm collecting my prize for yet another second-place finish just behind Maria and Duchess.

I accept the check with a giddy flip in my stomach and smile as the flashes of multiple cameras temporarily blind me. A photographer for a local paper motions for me to move closer to Maria, who throws a long arm around my shoulders, holding her blue ribbon nice and high.

She tsks, teasingly, through her smiling teeth. She manages to speak without moving her lips and ruining the shot. "Second place yet again, Sutton."

I snort, keeping my own good-natured grin in place. "I don't suppose you're getting tired of local rodeos. Maybe you're thinking it's about time to move on to something more exciting… maybe out of state? I hear Oklahoma is real nice this time of year."

She raises a sculpted brow. "You mean to tell me you're still planning to stick around here?"

Heat floods my face as the crowd moves on and leaves us standing alone with our winnings and horses. "Welllll," I say. "I don't know. You know it's complicated with my family."

Maria waves her hand dismissively. "You nearly caught me and Duchess tonight. Practically too close to call. You deserve to shoot your shot in bigger arenas than county fairs and livestock shows. While I don't relish the thought of coming up against you all summer long, I'm not one to shirk a challenge, and you and Mab are the closest thing to competition I've had in two years."

I don't know what to say. Of course Camilla and Mr. Michaels and even Case have said the same thing, but it's different coming from Maria. Like she said, we're competitors. She doesn't owe me anything.

Maria must suspect what she's said has thrown me because she waves an impatient hand in the air between us as if swatting away any awkward tension. "Enough of that serious stuff. I can see I've given you a lot to think about, and if you do turn up on the circuit, I'm probably gonna regret all these weeks I've spent encouraging you."

I snort at her rueful tone.

"You coming to my party tonight? I hold it every year, and it's the tits." She flits back to Duchess and fiddles with her buckles. "It's just a bunch of rodeo kids drinking too much, dancing to terrible music, and causing a commotion out at my ranch. My parents hide next door at the neighbors' to have plausible deniability."

I blink, stunned. I've never been invited to a party, not even a birthday party at the bowling alley in elementary school, let alone one that promises terrible music and commotion. Maria is my friend and we've been hanging out in arenas and ranches these past few months, but never without horses around. This feels like a big deal.

"Oh. Um…"

"Please say you'll come," she begs. "It's so rare to find a girl my own age that doesn't annoy the living hell out of me, never mind a stellar barrel racer. Bring Michaels, if you must. I'm sure Pax'll want him there as a familiar face, so bull riders are welcome, I guess," she drawls. "Just as long as your boyfriend doesn't break the good china."

My mouth drops open to protest, but she's going like a freight train.

"Sorry. That was a terrible pun. You know what I meant. Like a bull in a china shop?"

I snap out of it and shake my head. "Yeah, Maria. I get it. But Case and I aren't dating."

Maria's smile is triumphant, and my belly drops like I've missed a step. "That's what I hear," she says, her tone cajoling. "But the fact you assumed I was talking about your handsome cowboy bestie is all the confirmation I need. In fact"—her eyes flicker over my shoulder—"don't look now, but he's on his way over."

"Maria," he drawls out evenly, making the little hairs on my arms stand up straight.

His gaze hesitates on my features, and I have no doubt he's noticing my flaming face. Smooth, Sutton. Just once, God, I'd love it if you could give me a winning race and five minutes of not feeling like an idiot around Case.

Five measly minutes.

"Convince Winnie she has to come to my party tonight. Better yet, you should bring her." Her dark eyes are sparkling with trouble, and I nearly roll mine in exasperation. Subtle she is not. She and Garrett have been hanging out way too much. I knew I shouldn't have let her help pick up my little sister from school.

Case looks at me. "Jesse's at home tonight, isn't he?"

"Yeah, and even if he wasn't, my dad's supposed to be."

"It's up to you." Always. Ever since Case went behind my back to ask his dad to sponsor me last spring, he refuses to make any plans without asking me first. It warms me to know he's so determined to stick to his promise. But also, my dude, it's fine if you want to buy me a lemonade. Not everything needs a consult. I'm gonna have to sketch a Venn diagram illustrating the difference for his nerd brain.

I think my crying jags have scarred the poor guy, unflinching or not.

"I've never been invited to a party before," I say in a low voice only for his ears.

His eyes widen. "In that case…" He turns to Maria. "What time do you want us?"

They exchange information, but I'm completely distracted from their conversation. I don't even know what to do at a party. Do I dress up? She said it was at her ranch. And there would be drinking! Like, alcohol? I'm assuming alcohol. She probably wouldn't bring up drinking if it was water or soda. That'd be like saying, "Hey, I'm having some people over, and we'll be dining on water, lemonade, and Sprite, so don't worry if you get thirsty."

I bet I could ask Jesse about this.

Oh my god, am I even hearing myself? I could ask my fourteen-year-old brother how to party? Gah.

Maria starts heading out, and I wave her off, lost in my musings until I'm interrupted again by Camilla and Mr. Michaels. The pair saunter up to congratulate Mab and me, and Mr. Michaels does one of those manly shoulder squeezes to Case. I pull out my check, passing it with a flourish to Camilla. It's not my first winnings—the first went to much-needed car repairs. But this one's special.

"A down payment on Mab," I say, and I can almost feel the heat from the pride shining out of my eyeballs like little happiness lasers. I'm gonna own my own horse one day—and not just any horse, but Queen Mab, the best horse in the entire world.

Camilla beams and tucks the check into her shirt pocket without even looking at it. "You got it. I'll write up a contract, and we can keep track of the payments until she's all yours. Which"—she winks at me under her ever-present Stetson—"should be in no time at this rate."

Maria's earlier comments about touring spring back. If I could tour bigger rodeos and keep collecting prizes, I wonder if I could make a small living at this. I shove the thoughts away for later when I'm alone and lying in my bed trying to budget out groceries. No point in going down that road right now. Who's to say I could even keep up in a larger field? Considering my dad's complete failure to be dependable, I'm not comfortable risking the time away to try.

Case's dad and Camilla offer to meet us back at the ranch, and I turn to Case, finally alone. He ruffles his hair thoughtfully, lifting his ball cap and fidgeting with it.

"You sure you're up for this tonight? Maria was being a little pushy. I can totally make up some excuse—"

"No!" I cut him off. "I want to go."

He looks relieved. And cute in his rodeo plaid and vest, but what's new? "Good. When you said you hadn't been to one before—"

"Not just been to one, I haven't even been invited. I'm not sure I could've gone even if I wanted to, but Maria's the first person to think of me."

"That's not true," he hedges.

"Eh, Michaels, it kinda is. I'm not blaming you or anyone else, but it's not like I've been turning down plans over the last six years. The truth is, my little brother has more game than I do."

"But also less responsibility," he points out.

I release my breath, conceding. "Also true. At any rate, I like Maria, even if I wish she'd hit the road so I could win for a little while."

His lips quirk in a half grin, rewarding me with his dimple. "You were so close."

"Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."

He laughs. "Fair enough. Maria's a good friend to have around the circuit. A friendly face from home and all that."

My good mood slips. "Case, I'm not sure I'm ready to—"

He cuts me off, pretending to button his lip. "I know. I haven't forgotten. I'm not gonna say another word."

I make a face and start to remove Mab's tack for the trailer ride back to the ranch. "But you'll be thinking it."

He groans theatrically, throwing back his head. "You can't hold my thoughts against me, Win. Unless you're my father. Then I'll take it like a man or whatever, but between you and me, I'm allowed to think what I want, and if I want to think about you kicking ass across the national circuit and coming home to an ever-loving parade where you get to throw your hundreds of thousands of dollars in winnings in Christine Reynolds's fake eyelashes, then—" He drops his hands to his sides with a thwap against the well-fitting denim. "Then I get to and you can't stop me."

Oof. I want to kiss him sooo badly right now.

"Well," I say. "That's okay, I guess. Though I wouldn't say Christine's eyelashes are fake."

Case reaches to pull the heavy saddle from Mab's back. "Whatever. You aren't the boss of me."

We get Mab settled in her stall at the ranch with plenty of extra carrots and sugar cubes for a job well done, and then I head home to get ready for tonight. Case has been to Maria's before, so he's going to pick me up at eight and drive us over.

Because it makes sense he drives if he already knows the way. That's all.

I walk in the door, and Garrett and my dad are sitting on the couch watching some old cowboy movie. Not black-and-white old, but close.

"Did you win?" Garrett asks, bouncing to her feet.

"Second again," I say. "But I was able to put my winnings down toward owning Mab! I suppose at this point, I own her tail? Maybe her mane?"

Garrett snickers. "Save her lethal chompers for last."

"If only."

"What about Case?"

I nod. "He did well. First heat done, with another in two days. He's definitely in the top three contenders."

"Can I come and see him on Monday?"

I drop my bag by the door and walk to the sink, filling a glass. "Of course. We can ask Jesse, too. Where is he, by the way?"

My dad answers, his gaze still on the TV screen, "Out with his lady friend."

I bite my lip. I was hoping Jesse would be around in case my dad flaked on watching Garrett.

"I've been invited to a rodeo party tonight, Dad…"

My dad looks away from the TV. "Oh really?"

"Yeah. Do you think it would be okay if I go?"

"Oooh!" my sister says. "Can I help you get ready?"

I don't look at Garrett, pleading with my eyes at my dad. Please don't let me down. Please be the parent tonight.

"You're an adult, Win. You don't need my permission to go."

I'm irritated at his casual response. Like I'm the one being overcautious in asking.

"I'm not asking permission, Dad."

He grunts and returns his gaze to the television screen. "I'm not going anywhere. Garrett and I have a box of microwave popcorn and a Lonesome Dove marathon ahead of us."

I wince at Garrett theatrically. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay," she tells me in a very grown-up voice before stage-whispering, "We all have to make sacrifices." She adds, "You know, there's a way you can make it up to me…"

I pretend to look annoyed when the truth is I'm anything but. "Fine, you can help me get ready."