Ridden Hard - Kim Loraine Page 0,2
then Sera, and if you come home, they’ll figure out a way to construct some love story for you.”
“They can try. Won’t happen.”
We stood in the elevator as it descended to the hotel lobby. Only a six-hour drive from Sunrise, I didn’t really understand why he would choose not to come home and see his family when he had two days between his competitions. But Sam always was a little distant from all of us.
“It’ll be good to kick back and catch up without some big event keeping us distracted. We can blow off some steam.” I stared at myself in the mirrored doors. I looked a lot like him, except my hair was the same straight blond as our mama’s. The rest of them got dad’s dark, curly locks.
“Yeah, it will.”
“Thanks for getting me a room on short notice.” God, I felt like a kid suffering from a case of hero worship, but I’d always looked up to my champion bull rider brother. From the time he started winning at local rodeos when I was little, he’d been my idol.
He shrugged. “Course. You’re my baby brother. I wasn’t gonna make you sleep in your truck, and I sure as shit wasn’t gonna share a bed with you.”
After we exited and made our way to the upscale hotel bar, I realized in any other circumstance, we’d be completely out of place in our boots and jeans. But tonight, the five-star hotel was packed with sponsors and bigwigs attached to the bull riding circuit, and everyone wanted a piece of my brother.
Sam glanced over his shoulder at me as yet another suited man with polished boots approached him. “I have to go talk to this guy. He’s one of my biggest sponsors.”
Honestly, I didn’t give a rat’s ass if he had to schmooze. Sure, I wanted to hang out with him, but I wanted something normal for a little while more than anything. “I’m good. Go do what you’ve gotta do. I’ll grab a drink and find someone to make my night a little prettier.”
He laughed and winked. “Stay out of trouble.”
“Oh, I’m always in trouble, Sammy.”
As he greeted his sponsor, I made my way to the bar and a whiskey. This place was full of men with money and women who could smell it on them. It wasn’t my kind of bar. Fuck, it wasn’t Sam’s either. But he made a ton off of his sponsors, and I wasn’t going to ruin that for him just because I was a fish out of the damn water.
“What’ll you have?” the pretty bartender asked, smiling and batting her lashes.
“Bourbon, neat.”
“Anything else?”
I shook my head and ignored her smile. “Just the bourbon. Keep ‘em comin’.”
The crowded bar was buzzing with the noise of multiple conversations happening at once. But at least I wasn’t on camera or watching everyone move on without me.
I was three bourbons deep when my brother sat beside me. “You good?”
Chuckling, I tossed back the last of my drink. “Golden. Want one?”
Sam shook his head. “Nah, I’m good.” He waved the bartender over, and again she was all smiles and fluttering lashes. “Club soda with a twist of lime, please, ma’am?”
She blushed and nodded, leaving and returning with his drink almost immediately.
“You make your sponsor happy?” I asked.
“Sure did.”
Holding up my empty glass, I clinked mine with his.
“How’s Mama doin’?” There was a faraway look in his eyes, and I wondered if he was missing life on the ranch more than he was letting on.
I shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Ever and Penny are really helping her a lot. ”
“She still watch?”
“Every single time she can.”
“I don’t want to hurt her by not coming home. You know that, right?”
“Honestly? No. It’s been years. You only stayed two days after Dad died. You’re like a ghost.”
“I don’t mean to be.”
“Doesn’t change the fact. We don’t need you on the ranch, but Mama needs you.”
“I know. Fuck, man. I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”
I clapped my hand on his shoulder. “Good. Now, let’s find us some company tonight. I didn’t drive all the way up here just to sit in some fancy bar.”
He laughed. “This isn’t really your kinda place, is it?”
“It’s not yours either.”
“There’s a dive bar two blocks from here. Wanna go? They’ve got a mechanical bull.”
“Fuck yeah, I do.”
Hazel
The warm, heavy air of the Horse & Cow was thick with the scents of hops and fried food. There wasn’t a single thing wrong with it. In fact, I loved everything about