Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
KAREN
T his had to be the eighth circle of hell. The truck my uncle so kindly left for me at the airport was a manual. I didn’t drive a stick shift. Period. Thankfully, some old man in the airport parking lot gave me a tutorial on how to drive. I didn’t think I was doing it right. There was no way in hell I was going to be backing up. Going forward was hard enough.
The passenger window went down on its own halfway to the ranch. It was freezing and I couldn’t get the piece of junk to go back up. The FM radio sucked. I managed to find a station that was in love with Taylor Swift.
My GPS stopped working a few miles back and now I was here.
The two men— hicks , in my humble opinion—stared blankly at me for a moment, like I’d just asked for directions to Mars. Then the taller of the two, a broad-shouldered guy with scruffy brown hair peeking out from under a well-worn cowboy hat, smirked. He stepped forward and I caught a hint of musk combined with an earthy smell. I didn’t know if it was him or actual cologne.
The stubble on his square jaw gave him a devilish, roughneck appearance. His brown eyes flashed with amusement. His thick black lashes made it look like he was wearing eyeliner, but from where I was sitting, I knew it wasn’t makeup. His eyes were just prettier than any man’s eyes had a right to be.
“No, that one’s down the road a bit further. When you hit the Ritz Carlton, you’ll know you’ve gone too far,” he said.
At first, I felt relieved, thinking maybe I had indeed taken a wrong turn and was nowhere near Rocking Horse Ranch. But then it clicked. He was fucking with me. My eyes narrowed and I shot him a glare.
“Very funny,” I said flatly. “I’m looking for Don. Is he around?”
The man nodded toward the lodge up the hill. It was an impressive log cabin-inspired building with a dramatic arch over the front doors, sprawling out into what looked like fifteen rooms, each with its own little balcony. The lodge had that mountain resort look to it—grand and rustic in a way that almost made me forget about everything else.
Almost.
Because the rest of the place? Let’s just say it left a lot to be desired. The road could barely be called a road. It was more like an animal trail. The whole area felt as though it hadn’t seen a proper spring in years. This was ugly and dreary and not at all inviting.
I immediately missed my cozy room back at the house. It had been feminine and soft and comfortable. At least it had been before Rylee’s mixology school started taking over.
I just missed Texas.
Everything felt cold, gray, and a little too outdoorsy for my liking. I could smell shit and mud. I wanted flowers and the aroma of coffee. Hell, I would even be happy with the stench of exhaust on a busy city street.
“Up there?” I said.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said.
Part of me wondered if he was giving me shit again. I didn’t trust him. He seemed to enjoy messing with me. Maybe he had never seen a city girl before. I wasn’t exactly fancy or cosmopolitan, but to him, I probably seemed as sophisticated as the queen of England.
“Fine,” I told him. “Thanks for being so helpful.”
Judging by the smirk on his face, he picked up on my sarcasm. He and his buddy stepped back, but they didn’t move away. They watched as I grabbed the stubborn gearshift and shoved it hard. My legs weren’t quite long enough to get the clutch all the way to the floor. There was a horrific grinding noise.
“Dammit.” I scooted forward, my ass on the edge of the seat as I shoved the pedal to the floor and forced the shifter into first.
It was nerve wracking with them watching me with amused expressions, making me feel like a monkey in a zoo. I silently counted to three like the old man taught me. I gave it gas while letting out on the clutch. But of course, the truck stalled. Shit . I turned the key and tried again, but the engine just made a miserable sputtering noise.
“You know, for someone with such a beautiful truck, you sure don’t know how to drive it,” the other one said.
I shot him a look that could’ve melted steel. “It was the truck Don arranged for me,” I said. “And I would have rented a car, but all they had was tiny ones that wouldn’t fit my luggage.” I pointed out the back window to the three suitcases in the bed of the truck. I had half a mind to floor it and run him over. If only I could get the damn thing to actually go forward.
The two men shared a look, one of those condescending, amused glances that made me want to scream. Like I was a silly, stupid girl that didn’t know shit about shit.
“That’s a lot of luggage for one person,” the tall one said. “Are there bodies in there?”
“Don’t even think about judging me,” I snapped. “One of those bags is for my computer and work supplies.”
“And the other two?” the first man, the one in the cowboy hat, asked, his deep brown eyes filled with infuriating amusement. He had the kind of face you wouldn’t mind staring at for longer than necessary—the cut of his jaw, the way his eyes crinkled slightly when he smiled. And damn it , I hated that he was handsome. Why was he handsome?
“None of your business.” I muttered, trying again to get the truck started. I failed. Again.
Before I could stew in my frustration any longer, the man in the cowboy hat— Mr. Handsome Smirk —stepped forward and opened the door. “Move over,” he said. “I’ll drive you up to the lodge.”
My pride screamed no , but I’d already embarrassed myself enough. I wanted to argue, but that would just make him laugh at me even more. So, saving myself from further embarrassment seemed like the smart thing to do. I begrudgingly scooted over into the passenger seat, muttering curses under my breath. The man climbed into the driver’s seat with an easy, practiced motion and started the truck.
He glanced back at the other man. “You wanna jump in?”
The shorter guy shook his head, grinning. “No thanks. I want no part of this.”
This? What was this supposed to be? Some kind of game to them?
The cowboy used the tip of his finger to push his hat up like half an inch. He easily put the truck into first gear and hit the gas. He didn’t jerk the truck once.
As we started up the gravel road toward the lodge, I sat quietly, my eyes glued out the window. The last thing I wanted to do was admit that this guy was a decent driver—or that I was secretly glad I didn’t have to keep stalling the truck and making a fool of myself.
“I’m Cassidy, by the way.” He draped an arm casually behind the back of my seat, glancing over at me with a faint grin.
“Karen,” I replied stiffly, turning to face him. “Karen Vale.”
One of his eyebrows shot up in recognition. “Don’s niece?”
I nodded, immediately wondering what exactly this Cassidy guy knew about me. And as soon as he started chuckling under his breath, I regretted letting him in the truck at all.
He was too damn cocky. I didn’t like him.
Cassidy parked in front of the lodge, hopped out, and went straight for my luggage like it was the most natural thing in the world. I followed him, the cold biting into me as I stood next to the truck. The wind sent a shiver straight through my coat and right down my spine. I was definitely not in Texas anymore. I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself as I glanced up at the lodge. I couldn’t shake the feeling of what the hell am I doing here?
Cassidy pulled my suitcases out of the truck bed like they weighed nothing. I watched him and couldn’t help but notice the goofy smile on his face.
“What’s so funny?” I asked, trying to sound casual and not like I was freezing my ass off.
“Nothing,” he said, his grin widening as he hefted the last suitcase. “Just picturing you here at the ranch. You seem just a little out of place.”
I frowned, holding my arms tighter around myself. “Well, maybe I am.”
I grabbed my purse from the truck and took the lighter of the three suitcases. Then I followed Cassidy up the stairs, checking out his ass in the tight Wranglers. He was wearing the standard cowboy boots to go with the rest of the look.
He pushed open the heavy wooden door. “Don!” he called out as I stepped inside behind him.
I was thankful for the blast of warmth that greeted me as soon as we stepped into the lodge’s lobby. There was a fire crackling in the large stone fireplace. A small family was playing a board game at a table in front of the hearth. A young couple was playing cards at another one. Despite the dreary outside, the inside was unexpectedly cozy and welcoming, the kind of place you could easily settle in with a hot cup of tea and a good book.
“Kare-Kare!”
I blinked as a man with a gray beard and plaid shirt came around the corner, grinning from ear to ear. It took me a moment to realize who he was—my uncle Don. He looked much older than the last time I had seen him, but just as cheerful.
“Uncle Don!” I managed to say before he swept me into a big bear hug, lifting me off my feet like I was still a little kid.
“It’s been too long!” he boomed, his voice too loud for the intimate space. “Welcome to Rocking Horse Ranch. I just finished getting your room ready. Don’t worry, I checked for spiders.” He winked as he set me down, laughing. “I remember how much you hate those little creepy crawlies.”
I smiled, despite myself. “Thanks, Uncle Don.”
Cassidy was still standing there, all three of my suitcases stacked neatly beside him, watching the exchange with mild amusement.
“The place looks great,” I said. “And so warm.”
“It’s a cold one today,” Uncle Don said. “Hopefully we’re in the last of the cold days. I’m hoping for an early spring.”
“Are we just going to stand here or am I going to take these suitcases up to the room?” Cassidy asked with impatience in his voice.
I shot him a dirty look. It was just a little rude. My uncle and I had earned a two-minute reunion.
“Yeah, I guess we better,” Uncle Don said.
I tried to take the lighter bag, but my uncle took it instead.
Cassidy carried my other two heavy suitcases effortlessly as we climbed the stairs. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, my mind still running through all the reasons why I had decided to come out here in the first place. Uncle Don needed help with the accounting—that was the main reason. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I had hoped a change of scenery might be good for me, too. I needed to shake something loose in my life. If I put on another boring business suit and sat in a boring office another day, I was going to lose my shit. I needed the shakeup. I needed something different than the same old shit day in and day out.
“Here we are,” Uncle Don said, unlocking a door at the end of the hallway and swinging it open. “Your new home for the next little while.”
The room was simple but cozy, with a large bed in the center, a small desk near the window, and, thankfully, no visible spiders. A blanket ladder leaned up against the wall with two colorful quilts neatly folded and hanging perfectly straight. Cassidy put my bags down by the foot of the bed. He looked at me, like he was expecting something. I stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to say.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, giving him a tight-lipped smile.
I hoped he wasn’t expecting a tip. That was a bridge too far.