𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐒, JENSEN ACKLES

𝑻𝑾𝑶

After receiving her buckle for winning first place and talking into several cameras, her father had mentioned eating together back at the ranch instead of going out.

As the Rodeo began emptying out, so did they. Ty grabbed Andi before he could get lost in the bustling crowds and hiked him up on her shoulders, ignoring the ache in her muscles.

Her son proudly sat on top of her and grasped her buckle between his fingers, his giggles ringing out into the air as they walked toward her truck.

"That Bull was massive, mama! One day I want to ride just like you and win a buckle." He sighed, patting the top of her head with his free hand.

She smiled as her hands wrapped around his ankles, Bash laughing from next to her.

"We'll see, sunshine." She muttered once pulling him off of her shoulders and helping him into her truck, his butt planting on his booster seat.

Once shutting the door, she turned to Bash and watched him put his hands on his hips. "You look stressed, Bash. Let's go drink a few beers to take your edge off." She joked, earning a roll of his eyes.

"I'm not stressed, well I am, but not because of you. I just want you to know that I'm proud of you, you deserved that win tonight. Holland would be proud of you." He jabbed his pointer finger into her chest and she glanced down at it, her jaw clenching.

"Thanks, Bash." She muttered, her voice laced with boredom. She was hard on herself and had been ever since she couldn't have her grandfather there with her. Everyone knew it and tried to break that habit of hers but nothing worked, she was simply layered with it.

"I'm serious, Ty. I don't know why you think it's a lie, you're amazing at it and everyone can see it. If that buckle doesn't prove that you rode a good ride then I don't know what does, well, maybe that Championship coming up but I'm sure you'll win that, too." He shrugged, glancing off into the parking lot.

"Let's get going, shall we? I'm hungry and ready to go to bed, haven't gotten nearly enough sleep as I would've liked. Thanks for taking care of Andi." She diverted the conversation like she always did which made him drop his shoulders in annoyance.

But all he did was nod and leave her to walk to his own truck, her eyes following him for a few seconds before she jumped up in her vehicle.

"You buckled in back there, bud?" She questioned, starting the truck up and listening to it roar to life. With fiddling hands, she connected her phone to its charger and clicked her seatbelt over herself.

"Mhm hmm." He hummed from the backseat, her eyes finding him in the rearview mirror as he ran his fingertips over her buckle. She smiled at the sight and reversed out of her parking space, the sound of Chris Stapleton beginning to play on the radio which left them in a comfortable silence while she drove to the ranch.

The sound of gravel grounding under her tires broke her out of the endless thoughts that occupied her mind and she sat up straight in her seat, turning the radio down while following after Kip's truck. Her eyes glanced to her side mirror and watched a black Impala trail behind her.

"Can you believe I'm almost six, mama? I want a big birthday party with all of my friends and have a Spider-Man cake. Ooh, I also want a puppy with the same eyes as me and different color fur. Can I get a dog for my birthday?" Andi rushed out from the backseat, his ADHD rambling making her grin to herself.

"A puppy? Do you even know how to take care of a puppy? It's a lot of responsibility, sunshine." She stated, clicking her seatbelt off as she parked in front of the main house which belonged to her father.