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1

Justin

"Forzas aren't quitters."

Justin Forza took in a deep breath through his nose and met his dad's hard glare with a softer version of his own. "I know, Dad. You've drilled that into me my entire life. I'm not saying I want to quit. I just need a little more time for my shoulder to heal."

Grabbing hold of his right shoulder with his left hand, Justin rolled it forward. Pain radiated through the socket, but he didn't flinch.

His dad picked up a saddle from the tack room, and Justin followed him to the last stall in the barn. They didn't have time for this conversation. Not again, and especially not now. He was supposed to be on his way to pick up his best friend, Em. If they didn't hit the road soon, they'd never get to Dallas in time for the concert tonight.

"I've got to go get Emmeline. Can we table this for now?" Justin sighed, not looking forward to the inevitable continuation of the same conversation. Whether his dad picked it up again tomorrow or the next day, it was bound to happen. Monty Forza had never been accused of letting a sleeping dog lie, not even when it appeared to be as dead as the arguments the two of them had been flinging back and forth for weeks.

"The two of you going to that concert in Dallas tonight?" Monty's mood lightened at the mention of Emmeline's name. She had that effect on people. Em had a way of bringing out the best in folks, even someone as hardheaded and coldhearted as his father.

"Yes, sir. Knox is playing, and Decker invited us to watch from his dad's suite." Justin had been friends with Knox and Decker since the three of them could ride a horse. Seeing as how they'd learned how to ride before they could even walk, Justin couldn't remember a time in his life without them.

"I can't believe a good woman like Emmeline's still available." Monty's eyes narrowed. "Won't be long before some good-looking, smart-talking cowboy scoops her up."

Justin gritted his teeth. He and Emmeline were friends. Had been since second grade when she'd shown up at school with two long braids and a smile as wide and open as the Great Plains of Texas. She'd fit right in with the tight trio of him, Knox, and Decker. Over the years, the four of them had done just about everything together.

Then Emmeline started changing, and Justin couldn't help but take notice. Her lanky limbs gave way to curves that wouldn't quit. The hair she used to pull up and out of the way fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Green eyes, the color of the fields surrounding his family's ranch in the springtime, took on a new shine.

He wouldn't admit it to anyone, especially Emmeline Porter, but he'd fallen hard for her their junior year at Blewit High and had been pining for her ever since. Knox and Decker had figured it out, but his secret had been safe from Emmeline for the past twelve years.

"You need anything else before I head out?" Justin fingered the key to his heavy-duty F-350-the one luxury he'd allowed himself to indulge in with the winnings he'd earned over the years as a pro bull rider. The rest had gone into savings, waiting for a time when he could retire from the circuit and invest in a place of his own.

"Nah. Y'all have a good time tonight. We'll pick this conversation up again tomorrow. Just remember, the longer you wait to get back in the game, the harder it's going to be, son." Monty tossed the saddle over the back of his favorite ranch horse.

"I know." Justin let out a long exhale. He didn't want to sit out from the bull-riding circuit any longer than necessary. Securing the world championship was the only thing standing in the way of what he really wanted out of life . . . Emmeline.

This year should have been his. He'd started off the year in the top ten and, after winning a few events in February and March, had earned enough points to put him in the top five. Once he secured the title and the cash prize that went with it, he'd planned on announcing his retirement on the spot and finally telling Emmeline how he felt.

But things never seemed to go as planned. Instead of being the one to catch, he'd been bucked off a ranker bull on the last night of a three-day event in Nashville with half a second to go. He'd healed from his surgery and a severe concussion, but his shoulder still wasn't quite where he needed it to be.

His dad was right, though. If he didn't commit to an upcoming event, he'd lose out on the entire year and have to start over again in January. That would mean waiting at least another eighteen months to come clean with Emmeline. He had no idea if she felt the same, but he knew one thing . . . it wasn't worth the breath he'd waste telling her how he felt about her if he still planned on riding bulls.

She'd made one thing perfectly clear over the years . . . she'd never date a rodeo cowboy.

The sooner he got back to riding, the sooner he could snag the title his dad expected, and the sooner he could finally admit his feelings.

He just hoped it wouldn't be too late.

Emmeline

"Here you go, Daddy." Emmeline held the fork out to her father. It had clattered to the table when one of his tremors started.

"Dammit." He closed his fingers around it. "Pretty soon I won't even be able to feed my damn self."

Emmeline swallowed hard. She hated seeing him struggle. "Some days are just more difficult than others."

He glanced at her across the solid oak table-the one he'd built with his own hands before he got injured-and frowned. "I don't know how y'all put up with me."

"It's because you're so lovable." She got up from her chair to kiss his cheek. "I've got to get ready to go. Justin's going to be here soon. You need anything else?"

A spasm ran through her dad, making his hand twitch again. "Nah. I'll be fine. Your mama will be home soon, anyway."

Emmeline put a hand on her dad's shoulder and squeezed. She'd volunteered to come sit with him while he ate dinner tonight since her mom had a garden club meeting. It's not that he couldn't be left alone, but dinnertime always proved to be extra frustrating, and sometimes his temper got the best of him.

"You want me to cut that up smaller for you?"

"I'm fine, baby girl. You go have a good time. Tell the boys I said hello and to come around and visit once in a while when they're in town, will you?"

"Will do." Wouldn't do any good to remind her dad "the boys" weren't boys anymore. That's how he'd always referred to them, ever since Em started hanging out with the trio of troublemakers in second grade. They were grown-ass men now, at least on the outside. Even though she hadn't seen Knox in a couple of years, and didn't spend much one-on-one time with Decker, she couldn't help but notice how much Justin had changed the last few times she'd seen him.

Em picked up her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder messenger bag-style. Before she had a chance to peek through the front window, the door leading to the garage opened, and Justin walked in.

"Speak of the devil." Her dad pushed back from the table.

"Don't get up on my account." Justin reached out to shake her dad's hand. "I didn't mean to interrupt your meal."

Emmeline's breath caught at the sight of him. He'd been gone more than he'd been home over the past several years, traveling from one rodeo to the next, and fitting in other events along the way. Justin had what her mama liked to call "presence" and he always seemed to fill a room with it, whether it was her mama and daddy's eat-in kitchen or a venue the size of Madison Square Garden. It wasn't something he did on purpose. Either a man had it or he didn't.

And Justin Forza had it in spades.

"You want to join me for a quick bite?" her dad offered. "Homemade chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, zucchini bread, and creamed corn. We can fix you up a plate right quick."

Justin rubbed a hand over his washboard abs. "That sounds wonderful, but we'd better get a move on if we're going to make it in time."

"Y'all have fun tonight." Her dad picked up his fork again. Emmeline held her breath, hoping he wouldn't drop it in front of Justin. Her daddy didn't like to appear weak, even though he had no control over the brain injury that had saddled him with challenges he'd face for the rest of his life.

"You ready, Em?" Justin turned toward her, the full force of his bright blue gaze hitting her smack-dab in the center of her chest.

"Yeah. You want a water bottle for the road?" It would take them about an hour and a half to make the drive from their tiny hometown of Blewit about ninety miles southeast of Dallas into the city-just a hop, skip, and a jump away when considering a place as big as Texas.

"Got one in the truck already. Mr. Porter, it was nice to see you, sir."

"Don't forget that bag of zucchini your mom set aside for him." Her dad nodded toward a plastic grocery bag of summer squash her mom had picked that afternoon.

Em handed the bag to Justin. "Don't even think about trying to leave it here."

His grin widened so much the dimple on his left cheek popped.

"Come back when you have more time, son. I want to hear all about how you're recovering. That was a wild ride you took back in March." Her dad lived for stories of Justin's time on the road, though Emmeline could do without them.

There was something crazy about a man who'd risk life and limb to seat himself on the back of a two-thousand-pound animal whose sole purpose in life was to buck him off as quickly as possible. She'd known enough bull riders in her life to reach that conclusion. Seeing how her dad's love for the sport had ruined his life, she'd never understand why a man would do that to himself once, let alone hundreds of times over the course of a career.

"Shoulder's doing okay and my concussion's better. I just need a little more time to heal, and I'll get back out there again." Justin shifted the bag from one hand to the other, and Em bit her tongue.

The last ride he'd taken almost killed him. If he were ever going to stop putting his life on the line, he would have done it then. She'd hoped the last concussion would change his mind about pursuing such a dangerous career. Their friend Decker had even mentioned the possibility of getting Justin a job with his dad's oil business.

But Justin wasn't a suit-and-tie kind of guy. He'd lived his whole life in jeans and a pair of well-worn cowboy boots. No matter how much Emmeline wished things would change, he'd never give up his chase for a world championship. How could he when his dad and brother reminded him of his failure to do just that about twenty times a day?

"See you later this week, Daddy." Emmeline pressed a kiss to her dad's temple. If Justin wanted to see what the future had in store for him, he ought to take a good, long, hard look at her father. His dogged pursuit of the perfect ride had almost ruined his marriage and nearly taken his life.

Justin held the door for her, and she brushed past him. He must have just showered, because she caught a whiff of the fresh, clean scent of that bar soap he loved. Some guys she knew dabbed on enough cologne or aftershave, it smelled like they'd gone swimming in it. Not Justin. He always smelled like soap, leather, and the great outdoors.

The late afternoon sun beat down on her as soon as they stepped outside, and she was grateful he'd left his truck running. He pulled open the passenger side door before she reached it. As she climbed into his truck, the blast of the air conditioner chased the heat away.

"You don't have to race around opening doors for me," she teased.

"And risk word getting back to my mom that I've lost my manners?" He shook his head, the smirk stretching across his lips telling her he wasn't taking her seriously. "No, thank you."

If his mama would give him a tongue-lashing for not opening a woman's door, no telling what she'd do if she found out about some of the stunts he, Decker, and Knox had pulled over the years. It wasn't Em's place to rat out her friends, especially when she'd tagged along with them most of the time.

Emmeline snapped her seatbelt into place while he walked around the front of the truck and climbed in the other side. Tonight would be the first time the four of them had been together in ages. She'd been looking forward to it for weeks. It wasn't every day a gal got to watch one of her friends sing his heart out in front of thousands of adoring fans. The last time she'd seen Knox play in person, it had been at a side stage at the Texas state fair. He'd come a long way since then and was now headlining his own shows.

"I was hoping to say hi to your mom. How's she been doing lately?" Justin asked.

"Good. She's at a garden club meeting. They're hoping to raise enough money to sand down the statue and put a fresh coat of paint on Queenie the giant zucchini this summer. I guess they're tired of everyone thinking she's a cucumber."

Justin pointed out the window as they passed the eyesore of a landmark that had been sitting on the edge of town for decades. "Have they considered tearing the damn thing down?"

"And take away Blewit's one claim to fame as the zucchini capital of the US?"

"I suppose it's better to have people think they're coming to visit the world's largest cucumber than to not have anyone come visit at all."

Em wasn't sure she agreed with that, but her mom had to have something to focus on besides taking care of her dad. Time for a change of subject.