Kissin' Tell (Rough Riders #13)(105)

Such bullshit. But it was hitting the mark.


“Besides, I’m not here as a spectator,” Deck said. He looked at Tell’s vest. Then in his eyes. His lips twisted in a parody of a smile. “Guess Georgia forgot to mention that I’m the second judge today.”


Tell felt every muscle in his body seize up.


Was Deck f*cking serious? He had to work with this *? Tell fumed silently, knowing Georgia had made herself scarce today because she hadn’t wanted to give him the news.


What else was she hiding from him?


Doesn’t matter. Suck it up and do your job.


At least Tell was the senior judge. He gave Deck a once-over. “You’re late. Get your vest on, and then do a quick stock check. Report back here immediately.”


“You’re getting off on bossing me around, ain’t ya?” Deck said.


He offered him a shit-eating grin. “Like you wouldn’t f*ckin’ believe. And it’s a damn cryin’ shame they took away my bullwhip.”


Tell focused on his job and making sure Deck did his part. It surprised him how close their scores were on the rough stock events. It didn’t surprise him that neither of them could contain their mutual hostility when they had to confer.


After the bull riding ended, the prizes were awarded. The crowd was huge this year. How much of that was due to Georgia’s PR efforts? He hung around watching the contestants and the stock contractor loading up. Probably half his family was in the stands, but he didn’t want to deal with them or mingle with his friends. He wasn’t the brooding type very often and he tended to lie low when that personality tic appeared. He didn’t want to do much of anything except talk to Georgia and get to the bottom of why she was acting so distant.


He headed toward committee headquarters.


Deck waylaid him outside the loading chutes. “Where’s Georgia?”


“What do you need from her?”


“Not your concern.” Deck crossed his arms over his chest. “Make you feel like a big man? Getting named most changed at the reunion and acting all hot shit here at the rodeo?”


Tell didn’t want to do this, but Deck had been pushing his buttons for years and he knew this was about to get ugly.


“I’d say you becoming a judge was all about reliving your glory days, but you never had any, did you? All the glory went to your cousin Chase.”


“Does it make you feel like big man again, talkin’ shit to me like you did a decade ago?” Tell leaned in. “Grow the f*ck up, Deck. You’re only embarrassing yourself.”


Deck’s mouth flattened. “No more than you are, trailing after Georgia like a lovesick *.”


Feet scuffled in the dirt around them as people gave them a wide berth.


“What’s going on here?”


Neither Tell nor Deck took his eyes off his opponent to acknowledge Georgia.


About damn time she showed up. When Tell saw her move into his line of vision, he said, “Georgia. Why don’t you head on out to the rodeo grounds. This doesn’t concern you.”


“Or so McKay wants you to think. But it’s always been about you,” Deck said with a sneer.


Tell’s head said don’t take the bait, but his mouth had already engaged. “Is your dick attitude because I have her now?”


“Do you have her? For how long?”


Saying forever seemed cheesy, but he wanted Deck to know what’d grown between him and Georgia this summer was the real deal. So he said, “For keeps.”


Deck broke eye contact and looked at Georgia. “He doesn’t know, does he?”


“Hey, talk to me, *, not her. Know what?”


Deck released a sharp bark of laughter. “The joke is on you, McKay. Georgia is leaving at the end of the summer, as soon as rodeo season slows down. She never intended to stay in Wyoming permanently.”


No. That couldn’t be true. She wouldn’t do that—flat-out lie to him. Tell spun around and faced her, his eyes searching hers as he bridged the short distance between them. So when Tell saw that look on Georgia’s face he hadn’t been able to place before, he finally recognized it: guilt. He wished the hot dirt would just swallow him up right now.


You’ve been played for the fool again. When will you ever learn?


Automatically he started backing up, away from her, tempted to turn tail and run.


But she kept up with him, step for step. “Wait.”


“Why didn’t you tell me?”


“I was scared to.”


“But you could tell your ex-husband?”


“I didn’t tell him. My dad must have. No one was supposed to know.”


“Well, that makes it so much better.” He lowered his voice so only she heard him. “Do you remember when you asked me if I was playin’ a game? Is that what you’ve been doin’ this whole time? Stringing me along so you could watch me unravel when you cut ties here for good?”


“No. God no.”


“Do you feel anything for me, Georgia?”