Eternally Yours (Rose Lake Ranch #1)

One Sunny

Would you believe me if I told you I am currently on my knees, rubbing a stranger's dick in the middle of my new local coffee shop? No, right? Because normal people don’t do that.

“Shit, I’m so sorry!”

I panic, grabbing some napkins from a nearby table, frantically dabbing and rubbing at this poor man’s t-shirt. Without thinking, my hands move down to his jeans. His very snug, very… oh, God. Nope. Nope. Abort mission.

“Excuse me, sugar?”

A smooth, deep voice cuts through my panic. I glance up, and—oh, fantastic. Of course, he’s gorgeous. Dark chocolate hair peeks out from beneath a weathered cowboy hat, and his golden-brown eyes—God, they look like pools of honey. Warm and inviting, yet somehow intense enough to unravel me in an instant. And those arms. Tattooed. Inked from wrist to shoulder.

For a second, I forget how to breathe. Who is this guy, and why is he making the ground feel a little less steady beneath my… well, knees?

The sound of his voice snaps me back to reality—and the very awkward position I’m in.

I’m still on my knees, staring up at him, while I rub his crotch like an idiot.

Somebody, please put me out of my misery.

“Never thought I’d say this,”

he says with a chuckle, his tone equal parts amused and sinful, “but you might want to stop rubbing my dick before one of the old timers has a heart attack.”

He gently takes my hand and helps me to my feet.

“I mean, I’m not complaining. But we wouldn’t want people to get the wrong impression.”

He smirks.

“It may be hard to accept,”

I say, brushing the floor dust from my knees, “But this isn’t the first time I’ve been in this situation.”

His eyebrows shoot up in mock surprise.

“You mean, I’m not the only one?”

He pauses, placing a hand on his chest for dramatic effect, “Here I am, thinking I’m somethin’ special,” he adds.

I can’t help but laugh. Attractive and funny.

“I’m sorry to disappoint, but I can be a little clumsy sometimes, so you definitely won’t be the last either.”

He chuckles, the sweet sound sending an unexpected warmth through me.

“Can I at least buy you a fresh coffee?”

I ask, looking at his empty cup, the remnants of cream and caramel sauce sticking to the bottom.

“Can you even class that as a coffee?” I laugh.

And just when I thought he couldn’t get any more beautiful. He smiles, showing off his adorable dimples. They cut deep into his cheeks, turning his rugged face into something almost boyish.

“Hey! Don’t knock it til’ you’ve tried it, sugar”

he winks, just as his phone chimes in his pocket. Cock-block.

“I actually have to shoot. But I come here every Monday, so maybe you can owe me one?”

He says, with a dimpled smile, as he walks backwards towards the door.

Before my brain can catch up with my mouth, I blurt out, “I’ll try and keep my hands to myself next time.”

Okay. So, we’re going for it. We’re going to try and flirt.

He chuckles, his eyes twinkling. “I never got your name.”

“Maybe you’ll find out next time I see you.”

I wink, trying, and definitely failing, to flirt.

“Oh, I’m counting on it. Thanks for rubbing my dick!”

he shouts, yes shouts, across the coffee shop as he makes his way out of the door. All eyes turn to me as I feel my cheeks start to heat.

Excellent job, Sunny. Day one in a new town, and you’re already making a spectacle of yourself. Could I be any more of a disaster? God, this is why I can’t have nice things—like a normal meet-cute. Nope, I just have to humiliate myself with a public display of awkwardness. Maybe he’ll forget this ever happened. Hopefully. Unlikely

* * *

My best friend, Paisley, and I are in our final year before graduation, studying equine science. We got ourselves summer jobs in Oakley Creek, a sweet town on the outskirts of Texas. I’ve dreamed of working with horses for as long as I can remember. There’s just something about them—their strength, their grace, the way they seem to understand everything without saying a word. I spent endless summers on my grandpa’s ranch, learning how it runs. How to care for and communicate with animals. Those were the best days of my life, and I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since. Especially now I live in the city. I can't wait to get back into the country lifestyle.

I slide into the driver’s seat as I hand Paisley her coffee, still feeling the heat on my cheeks from my little coffee mishap.

“Skinny caramel latte,”

I say, trying to compose myself.

“What happened?”

Paisley asks instantly, her eyes narrowing as she looks at my pink cheeks.

“Don’t laugh,”

I reply, trying to compose myself.

“I would never!”

She adds, crossing her heart.

She’s absolutely going to laugh.

“I spilt coffee all over an extremely handsome cowboy. Then I panicked, got on my knees, and tried to clean him up.”

Paisley takes a sip of her drink and immediately chokes, “Again, Sunny?”

she manages between laughter, her eyes wide with amusement.

“Yep,”

I say, nodding. “It happened again. Coffee everywhere. On his shirt, his jeans—pretty much all over his… well, you know.”

Paisley’s eyes light up. “No freaking way! What did he say?”

“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

I say, pretending to zip my lips.

Paisley glares at me, “You’re no fun! How am I supposed to fantasise about this if I don’t know the juicy details?”

I shake my head laughing, she’s unbelievable.

“You’ll have to use your imagination, Pais.”

This sort of thing happens to me all the time. I seem to be cursed with the clumsy gene. I mean, it only really happens when I’m out of my comfort zone. And being in a new town is definitely out of my comfort zone. But surely even then, a normal person would learn after the first time they spill coffee on a stranger, don’t grope them. But no, not me, I like to keep things interesting, apparently.

* * *

I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, my nerves bubbling up despite Paisley’s cheerful playlist blaring through the speakers.

“What’s wrong?”

Paisley’s voice cuts through the static in my head, her gaze flicking over to me. She rests her phone in her lap and cocks her head, her dark hair spilling over one shoulder.

“Nothing,”

I lie, forcing a weak smile.

She narrows her eyes like she’s reading my mind.

“Uh-uh. Don’t ‘nothing’ me, Sunny. I can hear the gears in your brain turning all the way over here. Spill it.”

I let out a sigh, my fingers tightening on the wheel. “What if I don’t fit in here, Pais?”

“Fit in?”

She snorts, like I’ve just said the dumbest thing in the world.

“Babe, you were meant to stand out. Trust me, you’ll have those cowboys eating out of your hand in no time.”

I glance at her, arching a skeptical eyebrow. “You make it sound so easy.”

“Because it is easy.”

She leans back in her seat, smirking like she knows some big secret I don’t.

“No risk, no reward, right? You’ve got this, Sun.”

Her words linger, but the knot in my stomach refuses to unwind. I wish I had her confidence—hell, I wish I could believe in myself the way she seems to believe in me. Instead, all I can think about is how many ways this could go wrong.

After a short drive from the town, we arrive at the ranch, which, by the way, is like something out of a movie. The cute arched sign hanging over the entrance, reading ‘Rose Lake Ranch.’

Driving down the long dirt driveway there are rolling fields on either side that seem to go on forever.

Dotted with grazing cattle and framed by tall trees.

As we reach the end of the driveway, to the left stands a big, rustic barn, it’s red paint slightly weathered by time but still standing proud.

Outside the front of the barn, there are several pens set up for training and exercising the horses.

Their circular fences creating perfect little arenas.

And then, standing proud, right there in the heart of the ranch is the farmhouse. It’s big and beautiful, with a classic wrap-around porch that looks like it belongs in a Nicolas Sparks movie. The house itself boasts a warm shade of cream with dark wood accents, and the porch features rocking chairs and hanging flower baskets that overflow with the most beautiful roses.

As we pull up, there’s a group of guys unloading enormous bags of what looks like feed, off the back of a truck.

“Holy crap, Sun,”

paisley whispers, her jaw practically on the floor as she stares out of the window.

“I’m dead, aren’t I? That’s the only reasonable explanation for there to be this many- “

“-This many, what?”

I laugh, raising an eyebrow as she turns to look at me.

“This many walking wet dreams,”

she smirks, wiggling her eyebrows up and down.

I can’t help but laugh. Typical paisley, I love her, but she has a mouth like a sailor.

“Don’t be a perv, Paisley,”

I smirk as she slaps my arm, making me laugh even harder.

I place the truck in park, just as a ridiculously cute blond guy starts jogging towards us with the sweetest smile on his face. Paisley looks at me like she’s in absolute shock, a smile on her face as she mouths, ‘what the fuck.’

I chuckle, shaking my head as we jump out of the truck, closing the doors behind us. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the fresh air, the scent of the roses, mingling with the earthy smell of hay, making every worry and stress from the city disappear.

Looking at this place feels like coming home—like I could belong in a place like this. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? I want to belong, but I don’t know if I can. What if I just end up playing dress-up in cowboy boots? What if I can’t keep up? Grandpa always made this look easy, but what if I let him down?

The cute blond stops in front of us, “Hey, I’m Noah. You ladies must be here for the summer job,”

he says with a warm smile. He has a deep husky voice, but a sweet baby face which makes him look a lot younger than I’m sure he is.

“I’m Sunny, or Sun, whichever you prefer. And this is Paisley,”

I say, shaking his hand with a firm grip. My grandpa always taught me to try and be confident in everything that I do, and a firm handshake is the first step.

“We can’t wait to get started,”

Paisley adds while shaking his hand. Noah smiles as he looks between us, “well, it’s great to meet you both. The ranch lead is out in the fields right now, but let’s introduce you to some guys we’ve got working here.”

He gestures to the group of men still unloading the truck.

“Hey guys, come meet the new members of the family!”

They saunter over, each one just as handsome as the last, with their cowboy hats and blue jeans. But not a single one of them compare to the coffee shop cowboy.

They introduce themselves one by one–The first guy steps forward, extending his hand with a playful smirk. “Hi, I’m Knox,”

his brown eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. “Welcome to the madhouse, ladies.”

“Thanks,”

Paisley and I reply at the same time.

Next up is a guy with dark blond hair that falls into his eyes as he leans toward the taller guy next to him, chuckling at something whispered in his ear. His laugh is warm, infectious. I find a smile tugging at my lips.

“Name’s Hunter,”

he says, his voice rich with that easy, welcoming tone. “Don’t worry, we’ll break you city girls in gently.”

I look down, cheeks burning as Paisley chuckles,

“Break us in? Should we be worried?”

“Only if you can’t keep up,”

he teases, his laughter filling the air and easing a little of the tension in my shoulders.

Then there’s the last one. I glance up as he watches me with a grin that screams mischief. His bright green eyes are playful, but there’s a hint of something deeper in them. He glances down at my feet, his smirk widening.

“Nice shoes,”

he says, nodding towards my white heels. His tone is dripping with amusement, and I can’t help but roll my eyes. They’re my lucky shoes. Yes, I have a pair of lucky heels. What can I say? Everything always goes right for me when I wear these shoes. I mean, I met a cute cowboy in these shoes just earlier today. So, try to convince me otherwise.

And I know it’s crazy to wear heels to a ranch, but I thought it would help me make a good first impression, maybe make me seem like I have my shit together. Plus, they have a bow across the toes which make my feet look cute.

“You sure you’re not too city for the ranch?”

he laughs.

“Play nice, Bodhi,”

Noah adds.

I glance down at my heels, then back at Bodhi with a playful smirk, “Careful Bodhi, you have no idea what a girl is capable of in a good pair of heels.”

The guys burst into laughter, including Bodhi, who nods his head in approval.

Noah grabs our bags from the back seat of my truck, “You ladies are going to fit in just fine around here.”

Paisley and I chuckle as we exchange a look, the kind of look only best friends would understand.

We say goodbye to our new friends and follow Noah into the barn. It’s even more beautiful up close, and the apartment above it has a charming rustic feel. There are enormous windows that let in so much light, two twin beds, a small kitchenette, and a cozy little bathroom with a walk-in shower. It’s simple but so perfect for Paisley and me.

“This place is adorable,”

I exclaim, throwing myself onto one of the beds.

“Thanks for carrying our bags, Noah. You didn’t have to,”

paisley adds.

“No problem at all. Besides, my Momma would have a cow if I wasn’t being the gentleman she raised me to be.”

Noah laughs.

“I’ll let you ladies get settled in. We all meet at the main house just across the yard for coffee in the mornings before work. Levi will be there, so you’ll get a chance to meet him then.”

He adds as he hands paisley the keys.

“Who’s Levi?”

I ask as I sit up.

“He’s the ranch lead,”

Noah chuckles, “he’s going to love you two,” he adds.

I don’t get the chance to ask what he means because he’s already out the door.