We got to the bar at eleven o’clock because Cole was hungry. I knew he hadn’t eaten all day, so we went for dinner first. The band was pretty decent and a lot of people were dancing. I scanned the room for Tawnie, but didn’t see her. What I did see was Tyson and Blake sitting at a table near the back with Lee-Anne, her best friend Rochelle, and Shae-Lynn. Blake had his arm draped across Shae-Lynn’s shoulder. She looked up at me for a second, but when she noticed that I was already looking, and not impressed that Blake was hanging off her, she turned her head to take a sip of beer and watch the dancers.
“Isn’t he a bit old for her?” I asked Cole as we stood at the bar to get drinks.
“Who?”
“Blake.”
Cole checked over his shoulder and shrugged, unconcerned. “He’s twenty, same as you. Isn’t she almost nineteen?”
I frowned and glanced at the table again. Shae-Lynn didn’t seem comfortable. Blake seemed smug. The bartender slid two beers over.
“What are you doing?” I asked Cole. “You know you can’t drink.”
He rolled his eyes like an irritable teenager before he handed me both beers. He leaned over and yelled at the bartender, “Can I get a Coke too? My keeper says I can’t have a beer.” As he waited, he looked at me. “I forgot my wallet.”
I shook my head, not surprised, and pulled out cash to pay the bartender. Cole grabbed his drink and headed towards the table where everyone else was sitting. I downed half a beer before following him. A guy asked Rochelle to dance, so Lee-Anne moved over into her seat and invited me to sit in her chair. I handed her the second beer.
“Thanks.” She tipped it back to take a swig. “You bought a fast horse for Tawnie.”
“I didn’t buy it for her. She’s just riding it.”
“Mmm hmm.” She tilted the bottle up for another sip.
Blake leaned over and whispered something in Shae-Lynn’s ear that made her smile. He placed his empty bottle down on the table and stood with his hand extended towards her. She slid her hand over his and followed him out onto the dance floor. As they two-stepped, I finished my beer and signalled the waitress to bring me another one.
Rochelle was back, and Lee-Anne was telling her a story that had something to do with her boyfriend, TJ. I wasn’t really listening. Blake and Shae-Lynn danced for three fast songs, and based on how much she was smiling, she must have been having a pretty good time. When a slow song came on, she said something to Blake before walking off the dance floor. He followed her to the bar, ordered a beer for himself and a bottled water for her. They stood at the bar for a while, talking. When he turned as if he was going to head back towards the table, she glanced at me. When he noticed that she was hesitating, he reached over and held her hand to lead her back to the table. I downed the rest of my drink and signalled the waitress to bring me another one.
Once they were sitting, Blake draped his arm over Shae-Lynn’s shoulder. She stared at the table. He stared at me. “So, Billy, when are you going to start riding with the big boys again?” he asked.
I was definitely going to get into it with him. I shook my head. “I’m retired.”
“Why? Did you get sick of me always taking home the buckle?” He laughed at his own joke. Nobody else did.
“Check the record books, Blake. You never won shit when I was competing against you.”
He leaned over to shout at Cole. “Hey, who won more when we went up against each other? Billy or me?”
Cole smiled, happy to get into the middle of a disagreement. “You already know the answer to that question. Billy’s the best God damned bull rider in the country. He’s got a case full of buckles at home to prove it.”
“Was,” Blake mumbled.
“When do you expect your collarbone to be healed enough get back to trying to catch my records?” I asked, partly because I wanted to rub it in his face that I was still ranked higher than he was. Also, because I didn’t think he was good enough for Shae-Lynn, and the sooner he shoved off the better.
He shrugged. “I don’t want to rush it. Besides, I kind of like hanging out here with Shae.” He squeezed his arm to pull her into his chest. “Maybe I’ll take the whole summer off. What do you care anyway? You quit.”
“I retired.” An urge to punch the smug look off his face flashed through me and I had to cross my arms to resist the impulse. Cole obviously knew I was on the verge of jumping the table because he grinned and moved his drink so it wouldn’t get spilled when I did.
Shae-Lynn pushed off Blake’s ribs and sat up straight as if she sensed their closeness was what I was pissed about. Interestingly, she was wearing the same old jeans and tank top that she had on when I saw her coming from the concession stand. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she didn’t have any make-up on, except maybe that cherry lipgloss. Her lips did look shiny. Lee-Anne had on dark jeans with rhinestones over the seams, new looking boots, and a sparkly low cut top. Her hair was sprayed to the point that it didn’t move when she did.
Blake abruptly got up to say hello to someone he knew. It was a pussy move because he knew I could take him, and would have, if he hadn’t broken the tension. I leaned in and asked Lee-Anne, “How long did it take you to get ready?”
“Shut up.”
“What? I’m not trying to insult you. It’s a serious question.”
She eyeballed me scornfully, but when she realized I wasn’t joking, she answered, “Forty-five minutes. Why?”
I turned my head back to look at Shae-Lynn, who obviously spent no time getting ready. “I was just wondering.”
“Relax, Billy Ray,” Lee-Anne said. She shoved my shoulder, trying to loosen me up. “You’ve been so serious since —” She checked my expression. “Since, you know.” She took another sip of beer. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up. I just miss good time Billy.”
“Yeah, well, good time Billy has responsibilities now.” Blake returned to the table and sat on the other side of Shae-Lynn, away from me. I turned so I could have a private conversation with Lee-Anne. “Are you okay with her dating someone older?”
“Blake? Yeah. Why not? He’s a total sweetheart.”
“He’s an asshole.”
“To you maybe. He’s sweet to her. He always has been. He’s been following her around like a puppy dog for years.”
“How long have they been dating?”
“Since tonight. He’s asked her out a million times and for some reason she finally said yes.”
Arms wrapped around me from behind and a girl’s voice whispered in my ear, “Guess what?”
I twisted to see that it was Tawnie.
She kissed my cheek and her chest squished against my back. Her breath smelled like beer. “I got a sponsor. Jordan Outfitters has offered to pay for all my travel expenses for the rest of the season. I also get all the boots I want.”
“That’s great.”
“It’s all because of Stella.” She squeezed my neck and kissed my ear.
“Congratulations,” Lee-Anne and Rochelle said at the same time.
“That’s great news.” Shae-Lynn stood and yanked Blake by the hand. “You can have my seat. We’re leaving.”
Blake tipped his hat at all of us, then eagerly hurried to keep up with her. I watched