Chapter 7
For the next two and a half days, Shylo wavered between second-guessing her decision to go to the Triple-R’s barbecue with Seth and actually looking forward to it. She had two reasons for the latter—sexy Seth would be her date, and she would learn more about Shane and the family ranch.
After she finished her second glass of wine the other night, she decided it was time to leave, even though she enjoyed Seth’s company.
He was the complete package—handsome, yes, but also thoughtful, intelligent, and effortlessly funny.
He was flirtatious as well. No doubt about it.
But damn, he did it like a gentleman, which was even more dangerous.
He’d escorted her to her truck, took her hand, and brushed his lips across her knuckles.
Most men made her feel like she owed them something simply because they’d noticed her.
Seth didn’t. There was something in his eyes, though, a kind of softness that said, “I want you”—but only if she wanted him back.
She was almost disappointed he didn’t try to kiss her on the mouth because she yearned to know what he tasted like.
Her thoughts went back to the warning Lane Myers had given her.
Long-term relationships weren’t Seth’s thing, but Shylo wasn’t a love ’em and leave ’em kind of woman.
Hell, she never had a one-night stand in her entire life.
But if he offered her only a single night in his bed, she had a feeling she might say yes.
Her attraction to him was off the charts.
Too bad she wasn’t staying in Hazard for long.
During their conversation at the bar, she skewed the truth a few times, as she’d done before, but tried to keep her answers vague or as close to the facts as possible.
She told him just enough—any more, and she’d risk forgetting what version he knew.
Thankfully, the conversation veered toward topics that weren’t too personal, like what their favorite movies, books, and foods were, and some of the history of Hazard Falls.
The big Rodeo Bonanza would take over the town in a few weeks—it was a three-day event that nearly doubled the local population.
Shylo was shocked by that, since the only rooms available were at the Moody Moon Motel and a few bed-and-breakfasts.
However, she learned that several campgrounds in the area filled up with RVs and tents, while other people stayed in larger nearby towns.
Also, one of the Triple-R’s ranch hands and Shane’s husband, Tucker, competed in the rodeo competitions.
Seth had done his best to convince Shylo to stick around until then, saying it was a fun-filled weekend for all.
Besides the different rodeo events, they also had a parade, a fair with food, rides, and vendors, and an after-party pig roast with a live band and dancing.
Back in Brimley Flats, the most exciting thing the town did was an annual Fourth of July fair with fireworks—and even that wasn’t much fun.
For the rest of the year, it was boring as hell.
The rodeo sounded like a great time, and if she were still in Hazard by then, she would love to check it out. However, that was a big “if.”
Before she left the other night, she and Seth exchanged cell numbers.
Since then, they’d texted each other throughout the day and spoken on the phone twice.
He offered to come into town to pick her up for the barbecue, but she insisted on driving her truck to the ranch.
She wanted a getaway vehicle on hand if anything went wrong, like Shane figuring out who she really was.
Glancing at her phone, she noted it was 1:21 p.m. Seth told her to arrive anytime after one-thirty.
Getting there too early might look desperate.
Too late, disrespectful. She needed the sweet spot in between to make a good impression on Seth and the Wilsons.
On the pretense of befriending the family, she could learn more about Shane.
During the trip to Hazard Falls, she tried to figure out a way to get onto the ranch and snoop around a bit without drawing suspicion.
An invitation was the perfect opportunity, and she would take full advantage of it.
According to the GPS app on her phone, the drive to the Triple-R would take her about twenty minutes.
After collecting her keys, purse, and phone, she checked her appearance in the mirror over the dresser one more time.
She wore a denim skort and a white tank top under a blue-and-white striped blouse that tied at her waist. The fabric was light, and she rolled up her sleeves to stay cool since it was about eighty-seven degrees outside.
Navy-blue canvas shoes, her hair up in a ponytail, eyeliner, and lip gloss finished the casual look.
Satisfied, she left the motel room, double-checked that the door was secure, and then climbed into her truck. Thank goodness the vehicle’s air conditioning still worked well. Otherwise she would’ve melted.
Before heading to the outskirts of town, she stopped at a bakery and bought two dozen assorted cookies, not wanting to arrive empty-handed. That would be rude, and until she figured out how to approach Shane, she didn’t want to draw any negative attention to herself.
It was an easy drive to the ranch with the GPS, but without it, she probably would have gotten lost. She’d taken so many turns, she wasn’t sure she could retrace her steps without help.
Finally, the app announced her destination was up ahead, and she slowed the truck before coming to a stop at the end of a long dirt driveway leading to the ranch.
An overhead, arched wrought-iron sign displayed a logo with back-to-back Rs inside a circle.
She made the right turn and drove over a cattle guard, gaping at the expanse before her.
The Red River Ranch was freaking huge. Seth said it was twenty-seven hundred acres, but Shylo had no concept of what that looked like before now.
And she was sure the land extended farther than she could see.
Green, fenced-in pastures sat on either side of the driveway, and while one was empty, the other had about eight or nine horses grazing in it.
The stunning main dwelling stood proudly about half a mile from the road.
The house stretched wide across the landscape, with a wraparound porch that curved from the front door along the west side—complete with a few rocking chairs that looked ready to welcome company.
That side rose two stories, while the east side remained a single level.
Beyond it stood multiple barns and other buildings, along with a silo.
A surge of anger swept over her. She grew up with her mother and Troy in a cramped apartment overlooking Brimley Flat’s small business district—no backyard, just a shabby park three blocks away where the bullies loitered.
Meanwhile, Shane was raised in a massive home, amid endless lush fields stretching to the horizon, surrounded by horses and who knew what else. Worst of all, the man had a father who bequeathed everything to him in his will. The same father Shylo never knew, who left her nothing.
After parking her dilapidated truck next to a row of much newer ones in a lot beside the main house, she breathed deeply, trying to rein in her outrage.
She still wasn’t sure if Shane even knew she existed.
If he did, he’d almost certainly challenge her claim to what she was rightfully owed.
And if he didn’t... well, the outcome might not be any different.
A tap on the driver’s window startled her. She jumped and squealed, slapping her hand over her chest. “What the... oh.” She exhaled, the tension melting from her body.
Seth gave her a teasing grin as he opened the driver’s door. “Are you going to turn off the engine or sit out here all day?”
“Wise ass. I was just preparing myself to meet everyone. You said a lot of people would be here, and I’m not used to that.”
She killed the engine and took his proffered hand as he helped her out of the truck.
Like the previous times she had seen him, his Wranglers fit perfectly, molding to his body.
This time, he paired with a royal blue T-shirt with the Red River Ranch logo on it, brown cowboy boots, and a tan Tractor Supply Co. baseball cap.
“Don’t worry. Like me, they don’t bite. And I’ll help you with names if you forget them. Trust me—you’ll have a good time. I know I will now that you’re here.”
She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face as she shook her head. “You’re incorrigible.”
“So I’ve been told. I prefer to think of myself as charming.”
“I’m sure you do.”
A horse whinnied, briefly drawing her attention to the enclosed pasture and the sleek, muscular animals. Their tails swished back and forth as they grazed and pawed the ground. “They’re beautiful.”
“That they are. The chestnut-colored mare with the white nose is mine. Her name is Maple. Do you ride?”
“No. I never had an opportunity to learn. In fact, this is the closest I’ve ever been to a horse.”
He stuck his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “Well, I can give you lessons someday if you want.”
“Maybe,” she responded, knowing it was doubtful that would ever happen.
After putting her keys and phone into her purse, she reached over and grabbed the bakery box from the passenger seat.
It was wrapped with twine with the business’s logo sticker affixed to the top.
“I didn’t know what to bring, so I got cookies. ”
“Oh, man! From the Sugar Shed? Everyone will love you for that alone. Gretchen makes the best cookies, donuts, and cakes in the county. I get a sugar high just walking into her bakery and inhaling.”