3. Mila
MILA
"This is kidnapping," I announce from the passenger seat of Sadie's truck. "You know that, right? This is literally a crime."
Sadie doesn't even glance over. Just keeps driving, hands relaxed on the wheel like she hasn't just ambushed me in my own temporary bedroom and physically herded me out the door. "It's not kidnapping if I asked first."
"You asked while blocking the doorway. That's coercion."
"That's persuasion."
"That's felony abduction." I cross my arms, slumping lower in the seat. "I have rights. I could call someone."
"Who?" Now she does look at me, grinning. "Your lawyer?"
"I could get a lawyer."
"With what money? You're freelancing."
"That's a low blow."
She laughs, turning back to the road. We're already halfway to Blackwood Ranch, rolling down the dirt drive that cuts through endless pastures that are turning gold this time of year. Mountains that are massive and create landscapes that don’t feel real.
The sky's so blue it looks fake, like someone cranked the saturation too high in post-production.
I hate how beautiful it is here.
Makes it harder to remember why I'm supposed to leave.
"I told you I had stuff to do today," I try again, gesturing vaguely at nothing. "Important stuff."
"Like what?"
"Like... things. Projects. Very crucial remote work things."
"Your last project ended yesterday. You told me yourself." Sadie's voice is maddeningly patient. "You're literally between jobs right now."
"That doesn't mean I'm available for ranch labor."
"It's not ranch labor. It's office work."
"On a ranch."
"Still counts as office work."
I groan, letting my head fall back against the seat. "I don't know anything about ranching. I don't know how to do... whatever it is Luke needs help with. Bookings? Schedules? I design logos and branding decks, Sadie. I make things look pretty. I don't wrangle cows."
"Nobody's asking you to wrangle cows."
"Then what are they asking me to do?"
"Spreadsheets. Emails. Scheduling. Basic admin stuff." She glances over again, softer this time. "Luke's drowning, Mila. He needs help and he's too stubborn to ask for it. You have the time. You're good with people. And honestly, you've been complaining about being bored for weeks."
That part's true.
Which is annoying.
I've been here for seven months now, and the novelty of "quiet country living" wore off somewhere around month two.
I love Sadie. I love Harper. I even love this ridiculous ranch with its endless sky and its stupid photogenic sunsets.
But there's only so much remote design work a person can do before they start climbing the walls.
Still doesn't mean I want to be voluntold into working for Luke Blackwood.
"He didn't even ask me himself," I point out. "You're just showing up with me like some kind of surprise delivery."
"Because he won't ask. He'll just keep doing everything himself until he collapses from exhaustion." Sadie's jaw tightens slightly. "Someone needs to step in."
"And that someone is me?"
"Why not you?"
"Because..." I trail off, searching for a reason that doesn't sound ridiculous.
Because Luke makes me nervous in a way I don't know how to process.
Because he's quiet and steady and absurdly good-looking and I can't tell if he tolerates me or actively dislikes me.
Because every time I'm around him I start talking too much and making stupid jokes just to fill the silence, and I walk away feeling like I've failed some test I didn't know I was taking.
I don't say any of that.
"Because it's weird," I finish lamely. "Just... showing up unannounced."
"It'll be fine." Sadie pulls into the main yard and parks near the lodge. "Trust me."
"Famous last words."
She kills the engine and hops out, leaving me sitting there like an idiot. I stare through the windshield at the ranch house, all timber and stone and rugged Montana charm. My stomach does this stupid flip thing that I refuse to acknowledge.
It's not nerves.
It's definitely not nerves.
Sadie appears at my window, knocking on the glass. "Come on. Stop sulking."
"I'm not sulking. I'm protesting."
"Protest while walking."
I shove the door open with more force than necessary and slide out of the truck. The air smells like hay and sunshine and something earthy I can't name. A dog barks somewhere in the distance. Chickens cluck near the barn—evil, dinosaur chickens that already hate me.
Sadie's already halfway to the porch, moving with the kind of confidence that comes from growing up adjacent to this world. She belongs here in a way I never will.
I follow because apparently I've lost control of my own life.
"This is a terrible idea," I mutter as we climb the porch steps.
"It's a great idea." Sadie pushes through the front door without knocking. "You're going to be amazing."
"I'm going to be a disaster."
"Same thing."
The inside of the lodge is warm and smells like coffee and wood smoke. Harper's in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a mug in her hands. She looks up when we walk in, eyebrows lifting in surprise.
"Mila. Hey." She smiles. "I didn't know you were coming by today."
"Neither did I," I say pointedly, glaring at Sadie. "Apparently I was abducted."
Harper laughs. "That tracks."
Sadie ignores us both and heads straight for the hallway that leads toward the back of the house. "Where's Luke?"
"Office, I think." Harper tilts her head. "Why?"
"Because Mila's here to help."
"Help with what?"
"Admin work. Bookings. Whatever Luke needs." Sadie's already moving again, waving for me to follow. "Come on."
I shoot Harper a desperate look. She just grins and lifts her mug in a mock salute.
Traitor.
I follow Sadie down the hallway, boots echoing against the hardwood floor. My heart's doing this annoying flutter thing now, which is completely ridiculous because it's just Luke. Calm, steady, perfectly nice Luke who has never done anything to warrant this level of nervous energy.
Except exist.
Which apparently is enough.
Sadie stops outside a door near the back of the house and knocks once before pushing it open. "Luke? Got a minute?"
There's a pause. Then his voice, low and slightly distracted. "Yeah. Come in."
Sadie walks in like she owns the place. I hover in the doorway, suddenly hyper-aware of my oversized sweater and the fact that I didn't bother with makeup this morning because I thought I'd be spending the day on my laptop, not standing in Luke Blackwood's office.
The room's smaller than I expected. Functional. A desk covered in papers and sticky notes, a laptop open to what looks like a spreadsheet, a filing cabinet in the corner. Shelves lined with binders and ranch records. A window overlooking the pasture.
And Luke, sitting behind the desk with his sleeves rolled up and his hair slightly messy like he's been running his hands through it. He looks up when we walk in, brown eyes landing on me for half a second before flicking to Sadie.
He looks tired.
And annoyingly handsome.
"What's up?" he asks, leaning back in his chair.
"I brought you help." Sadie gestures at me like she's presenting a prize. "Mila's between projects right now and she's got time. She's going to help with admin work for a few weeks."
Luke's expression doesn't change. But something shifts in his eyes—surprise, maybe, or hesitation—and his gaze moves back to me. Slower this time. Like he's trying to figure out if this is a joke.
"Help," he repeats.
"Yep." Sadie grins. "Part-time. Just until you hire someone permanent. She's great with scheduling and organization. You need an extra set of hands. It's perfect."
Luke doesn't respond right away. He just keeps looking at me, silent and unreadable, and I suddenly feel like I'm intruding. Like I've walked into a space I wasn't invited into.
Which, to be fair, I kind of did.
His jaw tightens slightly. "Sadie?—"
"Don't argue." She cuts him off, voice light but firm. "You're drowning in work. Mila has the time. Stop being stubborn."
"I'm not being stubborn."
"You're always stubborn."
"I'm being practical." His eyes flick to me again, and there's something in his expression I can't read. Something that feels a lot like reluctance. "Mila's got her own work. I'm not going to dump ranch admin on her."
And just like that, I know.
He doesn't want this.
He doesn't want me here.
The realization settles somewhere uncomfortable in my chest, sharp and unwelcome.
I don't know why it bothers me. Luke and I are friendly enough—cordial, at least—but we're not close.
He's always polite when I'm around, always patient when I ask too many questions or ramble about nothing.
But that's just Luke. He's polite with everyone.
It doesn't mean he actually likes having me around.
And apparently, he doesn't want me in his office either.
Which is fine.
Totally fine.
Except it's not, actually, because now Sadie's standing here trying to force the issue and I'm the awkward third wheel in a conversation I didn't ask to be part of, and Luke's looking at me like I'm a problem he didn't sign up to solve.
I should leave.
Walk away, tell Sadie this was a bad idea, go back to her place and bury myself in freelance applications until something sticks.
But the words that come out of my mouth are completely different.
"I'm here to help." My voice comes out steadier than I feel. "Sadie mentioned you were swamped with bookings and admin work. I'm great at that stuff. Spreadsheets, scheduling, emails—I can handle it. Just for a few weeks. Until you find someone permanent."
Luke's eyes narrow slightly. Not hostile. Just... cautious. Like he's weighing whether to believe me.
"It's really not necessary?—"
"It is, though." I step further into the room, crossing my arms. "Sadie said you've been working yourself into the ground.
And I know I complain about ranch life a lot, but I'm not completely useless.
I can organize things. I can answer emails.
I can make your spreadsheets color-coded and beautiful. "
His mouth twitches. Almost a smile. But not quite.
"I don't need beautiful spreadsheets."
"Everyone needs beautiful spreadsheets. You just don't know it yet."
Sadie laughs. "See? She's perfect for this."
Luke looks between us, jaw working like he's trying to find the right words to shut this down without being rude. His gaze lands on me again, and for a second I think he's going to say no. Just flat-out refuse and send me packing.
But then he exhales slowly, scrubbing a hand over his face. "It's really just a few weeks?"
"Just until you hire someone permanent," I confirm. "I'm between projects right now anyway. My last client just wrapped. So I've got the time."
He's quiet for a long moment. Then he glances at Sadie, who's grinning like she's already won.
"Part-time?" he asks.
"Part-time," I agree. "Whatever hours work for you."
Another pause. Longer this time. I can see him turning it over in his head, weighing the pros and cons, probably coming up with a dozen reasons why this is a terrible idea.
I kind of agree with him, honestly.
But I also don't want to back down now. Not when he's looking at me like I'm temporary and unreliable and not worth the effort of training.
"Fine." The word comes out reluctant, like he's forcing it through clenched teeth. "A few weeks. Part-time. We'll see how it goes."
Sadie beams. "Perfect. I'll leave you two to figure out the details."
And then she's gone.
Just walks out of the room like she didn't just orchestrate this entire disaster, leaving me standing in Luke Blackwood's office with no plan and no idea what I've just agreed to.
Luke stares at the empty doorway for a second. Then he looks back at me, expression unreadable.
"You really don't have to do this," he says quietly.
"I know."
"Sadie's... persistent. But if you're not actually interested?—"
"I am." The words come out more defensive than I intended. "I mean, I wouldn't have agreed if I wasn't. I'm not just... doing this because Sadie forced me. I actually want to help."
That's not entirely true.
But it's not entirely false either.
Luke studies me for another moment, brown eyes warm but guarded. Then he nods slowly. "Alright. Let's figure out what you'll be working on."