Sitting on the porch swing with a fluffy blanket wrapped around me and a fresh cup of coffee, I listen to the rain. It’s pounding on the pavement like my heart in my chest, reminding me I’m alive.
Why am I here?
Why did I come back?
I’ve dealt with heartbreak on my own before. Why now?
The front door opens, and Momma steps out, already dressed for the day in jeans, a Rojas Ranch t-shirt, and work boots. She’s pulling on a Sherpa trucker denim jacket with a thermos of coffee in her hand.
“I wasn’t sure you would still be here,” she says, hurt still heavy in the lines of her face.
“I’m staying.” The words tumble from my lips before my brain has made that decision.
“Will is looking for a stable hand next door. I’m sure he’ll hire you if you ask.”
And just like that, Momma accepts me at my word. That’s one of the things about living in a small town, everyone takes you at your word.
“Alright. I’ll get dressed and head over.” I nod.
Her brunette braid moves as she walks down the steps to the truck. She sits in the driver’s seat for a minute and looks at me. I nod my head at her, lifting my steaming mug, and she backs out of the driveway.
Even though we’re neighbors, the main house is several miles from our house. You can walk if you want too, but in the rain, in the dark, it’s not the best idea.
I finish my cup of coffee as the sun starts to lighten the night, sending yellows, purples, and pinks across the sky.
Digging through my bag, I find some broken-in jeans and a flannel shirt. Taking them with me into the bathroom, I take a shower and blow dry my hair, brushing my lashes with mascara and shove my Chapstick into my pocket. I grab a Rojas Ranch trucker hat from the peg by the door and pull my hair through the back, find my jacket, and pull on my boots. I may have left this town, but I didn’t leave my roots. I’m a country girl through and through. I wear boots more than anything else.
Dressed and ready to go, I head over to the ranch. Pulling in next to Momma’s truck, I park and take a deep breath. My heart is galloping in my chest. There are so many memories here. I grew up on this land, learned life lessons, fell in love. Before last night, it was the last place I saw Ian. I broke his heart and mine right there at those front steps.
Stepping out of the truck, I walk over to the barn. I figure if Will needs a stable hand, that’s where I’ll find him.
Will is standing with his back to me, much broader than the last time I saw him. Despite the frigid temperature, his t-shirt is stretched tight across his shoulders, the well-worn wranglers cupping his ass and thighs could make a grown woman cry. The muscles he’s gained are from hard work on the ranch, not time spent in some fancy gym. Moving hay bales, carrying bags of feed, digging post holes. This ranching business is a demanding one.
“Well hey there, darlin.” A scruffy face peaks out of a horse stall, his eyes raking over my body. If I had to guess, he’s one of the Curtis boys. I’ve never seen them with facial hair before, so I can’t be sure, but Will was close to them growing up.
With a straight spine, I walk past him.
“I know your momma taught you not to gawk,” I toss over my shoulder, feeling his eyes on my ass.
Will spins around when he hears my voice, a huge grin splitting his handsome face.
“No way!” He hurries toward me, lifting me in a bear hug, and spins me around, though he’s not much taller than my five-foot-nine frame.
“Hey, Will!” I laugh, squeezing him just as tight.
“When did you get back?” He sets me down, the happiness in his face so clear it shines in his dark chocolate eyes.
“Just last night.”
He laughs. “So you were the crazy woman in the street?”
I smile at his laugh. It’s so good to hear it.
“I guess so. They sent Ian after me.”
“I’m not surprised they sent the sheriff. You got purple hair now?” He reaches for my hair and pulls it over my shoulder.
“Ian’s the sheriff?” I vaguely remember him having a hat on with yellow letters across the front.
“You saw him, didn’t you?” His dark hair falls into his eyes when he cocks his head. He always did need a haircut.
“It was raining. Hard to see.” My cheeks heat at my lie, but I’m not admitting to having sex with his brother the first hour I was home. “When did Burt retire? I figured he would be sheriff until he died.”
Will just lifts an eyebrow at me, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “Last year. He’s got a bum ticker. Ester told him if he didn’t retire, he was going to be cooking his own dinner. She got Betty to agree not to feed him. He lasted a week before he announced his retirement.”
I can’t help but laugh. Sounds about right.
“So, I hear you’re looking for a stable hand. I happen to be on the market for a job.”
“You’re sticking around?”
“That’s the plan. For now, I’m staying with Momma, but I’m sure she’ll get tired of me soon enough and tell me to find my own place.” I smirk at him.
“Alright, I could definitely use an experienced hand. What have you been doing for work since you left?” He leans against a horse stall, a long black face comes into view, looking to see what’s going on.
“Is that Bandit?” My heart is pounding, tears springing to my eyes at the sight of the last colt I helped bring into the world. I loved him from the first second I set eyes on him.
“Yeah,” Will says with a smile. “He’s an ornery bastard, but he works hard.”
Stepping up to him, I run my hand down his long face. “Hey, baby.”
He snorts at me, nudging me in the stomach with his nose.
“You got a mint?” I ask Will, not taking my eyes off the black quarter horse.
“Yeah.”
I open my palm and wait for it before offering it to Bandit. His soft lips take the treat from the flat of my hand, and I smile, stepping up to hug him.
“Aw, shit. I know that look.” The Curtis brother steps up next to Will, leaning his arm on Will’s shoulder. “She just fell in love.”
I can hear Will chuckle, but I don’t pay them any mind. That boy is right. I’ve fallen in love.
Will eventually pulls me away from the black beauty and goes over what my responsibilities will be: mucking stalls, feeding, exercising, and taking care of the horses. All normal duties for the job.
Will is in charge of the stables and all the horses, so I’ll be working pretty close to him and Johnny Curtis.
“So, when was the last time you were in the saddle?” Will leans his forearm against the wall the raises an eyebrow at me.
“Too long,” I say, turning around to look down the aisle of the barn. “You got a horse that needs a workout?”
“As a matter of fact, Bandit needs to go out.”
I smile over my shoulder at him before racing for the tack room. His laugh follows me, the warm chuckle like a blanket on a chilly night. Will is three years younger than Ian and me, so while Ian rarely wanted him around, he always was. He was my buddy.
Moving away from everything and everyone I knew was the hardest thing I’ve done. Then to get stuck in a town only two hours away was devastating. I was finally free to explore the world, to see and do and be and experience, but my car broke down and I didn’t have the money to fix it. Hell, I had barely any money at all.