“Okay, so basically a team of three will ride in. Those thirty cows all have numbers on them—three sets of ten—and the judge is going to call a random number. Then they’re going to separate the three cows with that number out and herd them down into the smaller pen on the opposite side.”

I nod and turn my lips down. “Okay.”

Jasper huffs out a soft chuckle. “It’s the rider’s job to predict how they might slip away. Bet you’re thinking that doesn’t sound so hard. But cows are pretty smart, and they like to stick together. Trickier than they look.”

I laugh at that. The cows look pretty cute to me with their big wide eyes and round wet noses.

“You’ll see them in real action when Cade pulls the cows up in a couple of weeks.”

“Oh?” I tilt my head.

“Yeah. Did Cade not tell you? It’s like a big family get-together at the ranch. We work all the cows. Get them vaccinated, check them over for fall—even though Cade is out there checking on them almost every damn day. Then there’s a big meal. Music.” He shrugs, staring back out over the ring. “It’s fun.”

“That sounds fun. Too bad Beau is away.”

A smile tugs at Jasper’s lips. “Yeah. It’s never quite the same without the class clown. But I think Violet is coming back. I don’t think you’ve met their sister yet. You’ll like her. She’s a fancy racehorse jockey. But it’s a surprise for Harvey, so keep that on the down-low.”

I wink at him. “We’ll unite in our fanciness, then, huh?”

Rhett must have overheard us because he says, “Jesus. You and Summer and Violet all together is going to be terrifying. Toss in Sloane? It’s going to be a mess.”

Jasper freezes for the briefest moment. “Sloane is coming?”

“Yeah, Vi told me the other day. She’s picking her up at the airport.”

Jasper covers whatever that physical reaction was with a chuckle. “Yeah. That’ll be quite the combo.”

“Who is Sloane?”

“Our cousin,” Rhett says right as Jasper says, “Their cousin. My friend.”

“Dude. You’re my brother. She’s our cousin. Don’t be weird about this. We’re too old for that shit.” Rhett shakes his head.

“We’ve stayed in touch in the city. You know that. I’m not related to her. She’s a good friend.”

Rhett rolls his eyes. “I don’t care about your last name, Jas. You’re an Eaton boy, like it or not.”

Jasper’s cheeks flush a little and his lips curve up. “I like it just fine, little Eaton.”

My head flips between them as they snipe back and forth. “Good god. You guys are adorable together.”