Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Clint
I’m out on the far side of the ranch, trying to wrap my head around the mess at the west fence. Busted posts, broken wire, and a few too many signs that someone did this on purpose.
My jaw’s clenched tighter than a saddle cinch, and I can’t seem to shake the frustration building up in my chest. Whoever did this wanted to cause trouble. And trouble’s the last thing we need right now.
The heat’s suffocating today. The kind that sticks to your skin, makes you burn. My shirt’s plastered to my back, sweat running down my face as I kick rocks and try to think through the next steps.
We need supplies, more fencing, maybe even a way to catch whoever thinks they can just stroll in and mess with what’s ours. My mind’s racing through a hundred ways I could fix this, but it all feels too damn much.
That’s when I see something.
Or rather, someone.
At the edge of the pasture, near the trees where the old fence line used to be. I pause, tension immediately flooding my chest. What the hell are they doing here?
My stomach twists with that knot of irritation. First the fence, now some trespasser. It’s the last thing I need right now.
I squint against the sun, the light sharp, but there’s something about the figure that catches my eye. At first, I can’t make them out clearly. Just the outline of someone sitting in the dirt, writing something.
I keep my gaze locked on them as I move closer. Every step I take makes my blood simmer more. Whoever this is, better have a damn good explanation.
My hand twitches toward the gun on my belt. Just in case.
But then I get closer.
And I freeze.
It’s her.
Dakota.
And Charlie, too.
The way she’s hunched over that sketchpad, her concentration so deep, the soft breeze playing with her hair, I almost didn’t see the familiar curve of her profile. She’s sitting there, lost in her art, completely unaware of me.
I stop dead in my tracks, my heart hammering against my ribs, trying to escape. The irritation fades.
And something else takes its place.
Something more… complicated.
I watch as she lightly taps her pencil against the paper, biting her lip as she sketches a line. Her fingers move with a delicate rhythm that makes her appear to be in a world of her own. And for some reason, I can’t look away.
I feel the heat of the sun pressing down on me, but it’s not the sun that’s making my skin feel tight. It’s the tension in my chest, the rush of emotions I wasn’t ready for.
I stand there for a few seconds, frozen, the anger from earlier replaced by a mix of confusion and something I can’t quite name. A knot in my chest that won’t loosen, and I can feel all the things I’ve been avoiding coming back in full force.
I know I should turn around, walk away, and not let myself get tangled up in whatever this is. But my legs don’t move. Instead, I find myself watching her. And then, a switch flips, and she looks up.
Her eyes meet mine, and for a split second, everything goes still.
All that tension, all that damn awkwardness. It’s right there, in the space between us. I can feel it.
Her lips press into a tight line. She’s not sure how to react. I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Words are stuck in my throat, and instead of breaking the silence, I just stand there.
Watching her.
My heart is beating harder than it has all day. There’s this weight, a heavy kind of pull, that keeps me rooted to the spot. My gaze keeps flicking from her eyes to the way the light catches her hair, to the way her lips tighten in that way she does when she’s nervous or frustrated.
And I don’t know what the hell to say. I can’t shake the feeling that everything between us has shifted, that we’re standing on the edge of something neither of us is ready to face.
She opens her mouth to speak, but before a single word escapes, I hear the unmistakable sound of hooves pounding against the dry earth.
Reid.
I can’t help the groan that escapes me, not that anyone would hear it over the thunder of Maxie’s hooves. I glance over my shoulder, just in time to see Reid coming around the corner, riding in as if he’s auditioning for a damn western movie.
I swear, the guy’s got this air about him that makes him look born in a saddle. The way he’s sitting up there makes my gut tighten.
And then, to top it off, he’s wearing that grin that seems to charm everyone.
He pulls Maxie to a halt right in front of us, the horse snorting, almost laughing at me, too. I feel my hands ball into fists, my jaw tightening all over again.
Reid hops down, landing lightly on his boots before flashing one of those too-wide grins at Dakota.
“Hey there,” he says, full of easy charm. “Fancy seeing you out here. Did Clint drag you into the wilds of High Ridge, or were you just looking for some fresh air?”
His eyes sparkle as they flick from her to me, then back to her with that knowing look, aware of everything.
I feel the jealousy flaring up like a sudden wildfire. It doesn’t help that he’s standing there, full of that easy confidence that comes from being Reid.
It doesn’t help that I know he likes her.
That scares me way more than it should.
Dakota’s smile is polite, but there’s a flicker of something in her eyes that I can’t decipher. She glances at me, then back at Reid, before replying with a small shrug.
“Actually, I came out here with Charlie to sketch for a bit. Looks like I picked a nice spot.”
Reid’s eyes linger on her for a second too long, his grin turning just a little more mischievous. “Well, it is a great spot. High Ridge is the best ranch in town.”
“Yes!” Charlie yells excitedly. “I love the horses here.”
Reid’s grin widens at Charlie’s enthusiasm. He looks down at the boy, eyes lighting up.
“Well, in that case,” he says, dropping to a playful tone, “how’d you like to take one for a spin? I teach kids your age to ride all the time.”
Dakota’s gaze flicks to Reid, eyebrows slightly raised, a silent question in her eyes. But before she can say anything, Charlie’s face lights up.
He looks up at his mom with pleading eyes, and his voice is practically bursting with excitement. “Please, Mom! Can I? I’ve always wanted to ride a horse, please!”
It’s hard to say no to that kind of enthusiasm. Dakota hesitates, her brow furrowing, weighing the risks against the excitement Charlie’s radiating.
I’m watching her closely, feeling the tension build again. She’s caught in that place between wanting to protect Charlie, wanting to keep him safe, and knowing how much he wants this.
Finally, she sighs, her shoulders dropping in resignation.
“Okay, Charlie,” she says, but there’s a slight reluctance. “But you listen to Reid, alright? He’s got a good head on him when it comes to horses.”
Charlie bounces on his feet, practically jumping with joy, his excitement palpable. “Yes! Yes! Thank you, thank you!”
Reid’s smile turns into a soft chuckle as he watches Charlie’s reaction.
“You’re welcome, buddy.” Then his attention shifts back to Dakota, and there’s something almost reassuring in the way his voice softens. “I’ll take good care of him, I promise.”
Dakota doesn’t look entirely convinced, but she nods, still holding a bit of tension in her shoulders. “Just… be careful, alright?”
Her eyes flick to me, and then she quickly looks away, clearly unsure of how to handle this, especially with me standing here, hovering as some silent, unwanted presence.
I clear my throat, a little awkwardness creeping in. “Just make sure he’s not going too fast, Reid. You know how I feel about that.”
Reid flashes me that damn grin again, the one that says “don’t worry, I’ve got this.” He nods, but there’s a slight teasing edge in his tone.
“No problem, Clint. I know my way around horses. And I know how to take care of kids, too.”
Charlie’s already racing toward the fence, and Reid follows, easily mounting the horse as if he’s done it a thousand times.
My eyes linger on Dakota, trying to catch her gaze, but she’s focused on Charlie, watching him climb up beside Reid with the kind of intense care I know she reserves only for him.
She doesn’t seem to notice the awkwardness growing between us as we watch Reid take Charlie for a ride.