Prologue
. . .
Cage
Then…
“You’re surprisingly skilled for a kid your age,” Butch said, as I shoveled the hay in the stall that I was currently cleaning. I’d gotten hired at Duncan Ranch two weeks ago for a summer job.
“Thank you, sir,” I said, as I reached into the wheelbarrow for a big scoop of fresh grass. It irritated the hell out of me that he kept referring to me as a kid, but Butch was the ranch foreman for the Duncans, so I knew better than to act like a dick to my boss.
I’d interviewed with both the owner of this place, Frank Duncan, and Butch Hall.
The ad had said that I needed to be sixteen years old, but I’d shown up and insisted I was capable of doing the job.
I wanted to start making money this summer so I could afford to buy a car once I got my license.
So, I’d been working hard to prove that I was more than up for the task.
Because I was.
“Finish up in here, and then you can call it a day.”
I nodded as he walked out of the stables, and I lifted my hat and wiped at the sweat running down my forehead. I was meeting some friends at the cove later, and I couldn’t wait to dive into the water and cool off.
“So, are you a real cowboy?” a voice said from behind me, and I whipped around to see the prettiest girl I’d ever laid eyes on.
Blonde waves rolled down her shoulders, and her skin looked like it had been kissed by the sun. She was petite and lean, wearing tan riding pants, boots, and a white top. She looked to be about my age, maybe a little younger.
My mouth went dry at the sight of her.
That had never happened before, and I’d met plenty of pretty girls.
But no one like this one.
“I’m a ranch hand here.”
“Yeah? You work for my dad?” she asked as she strode into the stall and stood across from me.
“Is your dad Butch Hall or Frank Duncan?”
She chuckled and held out her hand. “My dad is Frank. I’m Presley Duncan.”
I wiped my sweaty palm on the leg of my jeans and reached for her small hand. “Hey, I’m Cage Reynolds.”
“So, are you a cowboy, Cage Reynolds?”
“I’m a ranch hand, but I guess it’s not all that different from being a cowboy.
” I shrugged as my stomach wrenched in the weirdest way.
I guessed it was because she was standing so close to me.
I’d made out with Marcy Waters more times than I could count, and my stomach never did this shit.
“How about you? Are you here for the summer?”
I knew the Duncans lived in San Francisco, and they’d just bought this place a few months ago, which I assumed would be a summer home, although they were adding a lot of animals to the barn, and her father had hired on quite a few people to look after the property.
But I’d never seen his daughter here before.
“Yep. I usually spend the summer traveling because I’m a competitive jumper, but I wanted to have a summer off and be a normal teenager for once in my life.
Actually get to spend some time at our new place and have a little fun.
” She smiled, and I swear I felt like I’d suddenly come down with a fever.
She was so damn pretty.
“A jumper? Like high jump and long jump?” I asked as I cleared my throat and tried to keep my shit together.
I’d never been nervous around a girl before. This was definitely new for me.
She chuckled, and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her. Her dark brown eyes locked with mine. “No. I ride horses. I’m guessing you know about equestrian sports, living out here.”
“You’re a horse jumper. That’s cool.”
“How old are you, anyway?”
“Fifteen. I just finished my freshman year of high school. How about you?”
“Same.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Good. I don’t know anyone here, so it looks like you’re my first friend.”
This summer was off to a great start. I’d gotten the job, and now the hottest girl I’d ever seen wanted to be friends with me.
“Well, I’m almost finished up here, but I’m meeting some friends down at the cove later, if you want to go.”
Her eyes widened, and she shoved her hands into her back pockets. “Oh, that sounds like fun. But my mom was not pleased that I decided to spend the summer here, so she’s doing what she can to fill my days with things just to prove a point.”
That was kind of fucked-up. Why wouldn’t her mom want her here for the summer with them?
“What kind of things?” I asked as I spread the hay evenly on the ground before setting the rake in the wheelbarrow.
“I have a riding lesson in a few minutes with my coach, and then I have a math tutor after that.”
“Math tutoring in the summer?” I gaped at her as I gathered the rest of the tools and piled them in the wheelbarrow.
“Yep. It’s ridiculous. She wants me to be prepared for law school in seven years.” She rolled her eyes.
I knew the Duncans were wealthy; I’d heard people in town talking about them. But Presley seemed like a normal girl in the way she talked and acted.
“That’s cool that you already know what you want to be.”
“I thought you wanted to be a cowboy?” She waggled her brows.
“I’d like to do something with animals, and I think I’d love to have a big ranch like this someday. But I’m not sure I can make much money as a cowboy, even if I do look good in the hat.” I smirked. I was normally a fairly cocky guy, but this girl had me acting all sorts of nervous.
Time to get my game face on. Who knew when I’d see her next.
“You do pull off the hat well,” she said, her voice all tease. “But for the record, I’ve never thought about what I want to do when I grow up. That was pretty much decided for me long before I had the chance to decide for myself.”
She followed me out of the stall as I dropped the wheelbarrow off where I’d gotten it, and I took my time hanging the rake and shovels on the wall. I didn’t want to say goodbye to her just yet.
“I wouldn’t let anyone tell me what I’m going to be when I get older. It should be your choice,” I said, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. I sure as hell didn’t want to lose my job, but I liked her, and she’d said I was her only friend here.
“Do you have siblings?” she asked, motioning for me to follow her out of the barn.
“Yes. I’m the oldest of five.” I groaned.
“Oh, wow. I always wished for siblings. I’m an only child.”
“I’ll tell you what.” I stopped when we stepped outside where the sun was shining brightly, and my bike sat a few feet away. “You can borrow mine anytime you want this summer. But you can’t return them. Once you borrow them, you have to keep them.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal.” She laughed and shook her head. “I see Charlie is ready for me out there.”
I glanced in the distance and saw the brown horse trotting around with a man I’d never seen before.
“All right. Have a good lesson.”
“Hey. I don’t have tutoring tomorrow. Are you working again?”
“Yep. Same hours.”
“Would you want to go to the cove tomorrow after I finish my lesson with Charlie?”
My stomach wrenched once again, but I made an effort to keep my face from showing how excited I was. “Yeah. That sounds cool. Give me your number and I’ll text you. If you have any questions, you can just text me back.”
I pulled out my phone and handed it to her.
Had I ever been this nervous to ask a girl for her number?
Definitely not, although I knew everyone in Cottonwood Cove. When you grew up in a small town, you knew almost everyone.
So, there was no need to ever be nervous.
Until right fucking now.
“Presley, let’s go!” the man yelled from the small, fenced training area.
“I’ll be right there!” she shouted back and rolled her eyes again. “He’s not happy that I’m not competing this summer, either.”
She typed her number into my phone before handing it back to me. I quickly shot her a text so she’d have my number and tucked my phone into my back pocket.
She walked backward toward her coach. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Cage Reynolds.”
I held up a hand, and then I walked my bike slowly toward the driveway, taking my time watching her climb onto her horse. I heard the man lecturing her.
“I get it, but not everyone is as talented as you. You had a shot to win it all this summer. You’re ranked now. That’s nothing to take lightly,” he said, but his words weren’t laced with contempt.
He actually seemed like he was in awe of her.
“I know, but sometimes you just want to be a normal teenager. I’m burned out, Charlie. I want to have a summer like other kids my age.”
“I know. And you deserve that. But we can still work on things so you’ll be ready in the fall.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Her head turned, and her dark gaze locked with mine, and I just stood there gaping at her like a fucking idiot.
Because once she started riding, it was impossible to look away. She made jumping over the walls look like it was nothing.
She was moving fast toward the first hurdle. She leaned forward and moved over the first jump with complete ease. The sunlight was shining down on her, creating sparks of light as she jumped through the air, laser-focused on the next jump.
I’d just done a research paper at the end of the school year about ravens and the way they soared and glided with such ease. If Presley Duncan were an animal, she’d definitely be a raven.
I forced myself to look away and get on my bike just as she slowed a few feet from me, and I started pedaling.
“See you later, Cowboy,” she sang out and chuckled when her coach scolded her for not being focused.
I nodded and held up a hand.
See you later, Raven.