“So are you,” Brady said.
“I was. Not anymore.” At one point, she’d lived for the buzzer that signaled it was time for her and Diesel to charge into the arena and demonstrate what they could do. College courses had left scant time for training, so Tanya hadn’t slept much during those two years as she attempted to juggle everything, including a long-distance friendship with Brady. Her last big win was eight years ago, when she’d snagged the All-Around Cowgirl title for breakaway roping and barrel racing at the Colorado state finals in Montrose. Then her parents had needed her, and she’d decided it’d never get better than that anyway. Now she only competed at smaller local rodeos, much like Brady had done the last few years, for many of the same reasons.
“Guess that makes us even, then.”
Tanya pursed her lips, neither confirming nor denying. She stood and waved goodbye to the various townsfolk climbing into their vehicles, and Brady lifted a hand as well. Telling the cowboy across from her that his idea about allowing the townsfolk to see the teens in a new light while also getting them more involved was brilliant would only feed his ego. She’d mention it, though.
Eventually. Say, after she’d beat him at his own game.
“And since we’re even,” Brady said, as if there hadn’t been a break in the conversation, “I need a favor.”
“Seriously?” she asked with a shake of her head.
Brady flashed her a puppy-dog expression that she used to be much better at resisting before she’d gone and fallen in love with him. “I need to borrow some of your Smallfry kid ropes.”
“What’s wrong? You took off the training wheels, only to find you weren’t ready for an adult rope?”
He lunged forward and pinched her side, and a squeal accidentally escaped. Since she’d made noise, Dundee took that as his cue to let out a bark, and he circled them, ready to play along.
Tanya expected to have to block or for Brady to lunge again. Instead, he took a large step back and slid his thumbs in the pockets of his Wranglers. Of course it made the mouthwatering line of his forearms stand out. “Actually, some of the teens are struggling with the bigger ropes. They’re the ones who need training wheels on their ropes.”
Tanya fought the urge to bite her lip, and her voice came out breathier than she meant it to. “Likely story.”
“Did you put on sunscreen today?” Brady asked, tilting his head and studying her face with a whole heap of concern. “You’re looking a little pink, and I know how easily you burn.” He gestured over his shoulder. “I have some SPF 50 in my truck if you’re running low.”
It was the curse of a redhead—turning pink within two seconds flat, whether due to sun, passion, or embarrassment. Here she was ogling and having lusty thoughts about him, and he was taking care of her like she was a little kid who would end up sunburned and peeling. “I, uh, put on the heavy-duty stuff today already.”
“Good, good. Anyway, can I borrow a few?”
The haze in her brain cleared, allowing her to connect the dots and fill in the blank. The Smallfry ropes—right. “Sure. Follow me into the tack room, and I’ll see what I can dig up.”
“I’d be happy to.” His voice dipped low when he added, “You’ve got that whip in there, too, right?”
Luckily, she’d already pivoted toward the open door of the stables, since she had no desire to be asked about her sunscreen usage. But he’d hinted at the whip, and what the hell did it all mean? Were any of her efforts working? Or was she setting herself up for a future crash?
So far, she’d only made it halfway through the dating book. The last chapter she’d read delved into throwing out flirty lines like bait. Between the corporate retreat activities, the countless questions from Eric about ranching, and forming a team of novices, she’d fallen into bed completely exhausted the past few days.
With Brady at her back as she riffled through drawers, muttering and shuffling around bridles and other odds and ends, the urgency to pore over the knowledge from the book increased. “I swear they were right here,” she said, merely for something to say.
Brady jerked up his head, and for one glorious moment, she assumed it was because he’d been checking out her butt. Then she realized she’d skidded in the corral during a demonstration and had mud and manure on the seat of her jeans.
Well, shit. Literally.
The man had seen her dirty more times than clean, so it shouldn’t matter. Then again, that might mean she would have to work that much harder to get him to see her as a sexy woman instead of his childhood friend.
Not that she’d ever felt super sexy, per se, but when she made effort, she liked what she saw in the mirror well enough. The real question was if perfectly styled hair, a face full of makeup, and some flirty lines would cause Brady to suddenly think: There’s my dream woman. She was under my nose the whole time.
Tanya opened a cabinet, her mood deflating a bit. There was optimism and then there was delusion, and she wasn’t rightly sure which side of the fence she’d landed herself on. “Ope, there they are.” As Brady’s fingers brushed the multicolored coils she’d extended his way, she wrenched them behind her back. “Wait. If I let you borrow these so your team can try to beat mine, what are you gonna give me in return?”
There. That was flirty yet not over the top. Cheeky without leaving her cheeks flaming red.
The toes of Brady’s boots hit hers. “Tanya.” His voice dipped low, igniting a riot of emotions that left her lungs straining for air. “We said we were even. Now, hand over the ropes, and no one will get hurt.”
She tightened her grip, her stubborn nature and need to win making it impossible to simply hand over the ropes. “You said we were square, not me. Even so, I still haven’t heard a good reason to let you borrow my training equipment.”
He reached around her, his chest bumping into hers. “How about because you love me?”
Too true, although she worked to keep those feelings from creeping into her expression. She glanced at the ceiling, as if she had to do some serious pondering on the matter. “There’s love, and then there’s shooting yourself in the foot.”
“Fair enough.” Brady’s chest rose and fell against hers, and warmth pooled low in her belly. For one courageous second, she imagined leaning in and pressing her mouth to his to see what he’d do. Just go all in and be done with it. “How about because you love a challenge? The better my team is, the higher the stakes.”
Excitement surged, his words playing her like the sucker she was whenever it came to their friendly rivalry. While she hated the chicken insult and how often he used it against her in their younger days, she was far too much of one to go for a kiss quite yet. Honestly, she’d hoped she’d dangle the bait and he’d do the biting. “You got me there.”