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more successful than she was?
    “One of them was from Taylor Freaking Swift, Kashley!” He whirled away from her and went to stand at the railing, head bowed.
    Her insides quaked. She didn’t have a prayer with Ridge. She had to get over him. But she wouldn’t abandon him in his time of need either.
    She pressed a palm to his spine. The muscles were taut, at a snapping point. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’ll log into your Twitter and email accounts and kindly decline all the marriage proposals. Except Taylor Swift, if you’re interested.”
    That earned her a crooked smile. She pushed on. “We’ll work on getting your knee into top shape so when you go to Kansas, you’re ready.”
    He looked down at her, his gaze so intense that she felt herself melting. No, she’d never get over this man. “And when I get to Kansas and beat the hell out of someone for mentioning Anna?” His voice grew hoarser on her name.
    Kashley’s hopes went down in a ball of flames, but she smoothed her hand up his back to knead his tense shoulder. “I’ll come with you, Ridge. Keep you steady.”
    “You’ll do that for me, Kashley?”
    She nodded, and he turned. Before she understood his intensions, he enveloped her in his big arms, crushing her face against his muscled chest. He bowed his face into her hair and kissed her head. Tears formed in her eyes at the mere feel of him. She put her arms around him and squeezed back.
    When he withdrew to stare down at her, she tipped her head up, waiting for the kiss that would never come. She was torturing herself and about to live through a hell of a lot more. But Ridge was her friend, and she’d be with him until he told her to go.
    “You kept all those bullies away from me growing up. It’s my turn to run interference for you.”
    This time when he smiled, his eyes reflected happiness.

 
    Chapter 3
     
    The last time he’d been on the road, traveling to a rodeo, Anna had been at his side. Ridge gripped the steering wheel and stared at the flurry of activity in front of him as two of his brothers hitched up the horse trailer. Cameramen scurried between them as if the chore was the most fascinating thing ever.
    Ridge straightened his leg, testing his knee. It seemed a little less angry this morning, and good thing. If he’d awakened with the usual swelling and pain, he never would have gotten out of bed and forfeited the event.
    Then Kashley would have been on the phone, telling him off. She’d been like a drill sergeant for weeks. He’d never put anything past her again—when she gave her word, she kept it.
    Ice and heat therapy, a supplement of turmeric for inflammation and stretching exercises. She’d tried to kill him with one where he was supposed to go into a handstand, resting against the wall for support, and the pained leg bent.
    When he’d collapsed, she’d sat down hard too, laughing her ass off.
    He still said she’d made that move up just to see him act like a fool, but she swore otherwise.
    His mind returned to Anna like a dog worrying a bone. Would she be at this event? She followed the rodeo—it was how they’d met. And no, she wasn’t a Buckle Bunny, one of those girls who sought prestige by sleeping with the cowboys on the circuit. She was sweet, innocent.
    When he thought of her against Kashley, though, Anna came up much more street smart. Anna had known the details of the competitors’ lives and hinted that she knew how to hit them low right before a ride. All it took was a little smack talk, she’d said, and of course he’d never done it. That wasn’t his style—or Anna’s either. She was too nice.
    A heavy weight settled over him. Everything seemed so fucked up right now. He was in the middle of pushing out a big sigh when the truck door opened and Kashley bounced onto the seat, bringing her beachy scent with her.
    She took one look at him and frowned. “Uh-oh.”
    “What?”
    “I know that look. Is your knee hurting you?”
    “You