Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
ridge
The scowl twisting Shay’s face as she gets out of my truck and slams the door doesn’t bode well for me. Something about the discussion in the truck set her off… I just don’t have a clue what. I meant what I said. We’re friends. Nothing more.
Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t change that if given half a fucking chance, but she’s as skittish as a newborn foal.
Hell, it’s taken me damn near six years to get her to agree to be friends.
I’m not rockin’ that boat after all the time I’ve put in.
I’m a patient man. I can play the long game here—even if it goes nowhere and my packmates think I have a death wish.
Memphis still recounts the time he offered to give her a ride home from the diner late one night when her bike wouldn’t start.
She’d pulled a pocket knife from Lord only knows where and threatened his manhood if he took a step closer.
Of course, we later found out she’d just barely made it to Darling after escaping Florida, which put her extreme level of skepticism into perspective, but after that, he approached her with a whole lot more caution and a hand over his junk.
That same feisty Omega who smells like peanut butter whiskey—rich and alluring, with a hint of vanilla and a spicy bite—is currently staring out across my pack’s land with her hands in her back pockets.
She’s in her typical bar uniform. The black tank shows off her toned arms and ample chest while her flared blue jeans hug her thick thighs, making it hard not to notice that Old Man Morris was right.
Her ass is pretty perky. Those no-nonsense boots of hers are well worn, as is the trucker hat on the top of her head.
When it comes to Shay Bennett, what you see is what you get.
She’s as prickly as a cactus, but that’s why I like her.
She’s not cozying up to me in the hope of wrangling the Beta whose pack sits just below Callahan and Ford status in this town.
Memphis’ family ties run just as deep, and they have a long history of supporting the ones who founded Darling.
It’s his family’s ranch we took over when his parents decided it was time to retire.
They’re enjoying their downtime at the lakeside cabin they moved to about twenty miles outside of town, which leaves us to run the second-most profitable cattle ranch in all of Arizona.
While we pride ourselves on the many ways we’ve taken his family’s legacy to the next level, cattle ranching is an exhausting business.
Early morning duties, midday meetings, and nighttime checks.
None of that leaves us with much time to find or seriously court anyone, even with the small contingent of employees we’ve started to bring on.
Though maybe with the right motivation, our priorities could realign themselves and we’d make time.
Ain’t that an interesting thought?
“You just gonna stand there staring at my ass all day? Thought we just established we’re friends and nothing more.”
The slight sneer in her tone tells me that I need to tread carefully because one wrong step will make me backslide, losing all of my current progress. She’s looking for an excuse to run, and I’ll be damned if I give her a single thing.
“Sweetheart, I’m not gonna sit here and lie to you. Your ass is damn fine. But much like you say you can appreciate the bull without wanting to ride him, I can admire the perfect roundness of an ass without wanting to fuck it.”
Her eyes widen seconds before she busts out in laughter. I’m not sure if I should be offended or relieved, honestly. Either way, hearing that softness from the woman who’s typically made of mostly sharp edges makes my pulse pick up.
“Glad that amused you.”
She wipes the tears from her pale green eyes. She’s not wearing any makeup, so I can see the light spattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Her hair falls straight down to the middle of her back, and when she turns her wide smile on me, she’s the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.
But I keep that shit to myself.
“This is why we’re friends, Ridge. We get each other.”
Hopefully the hell not, or she’d know that wasn’t quite a truthful statement. I’d fuck her apple-shaped ass in a heartbeat. While I’m still mostly hidden by my truck, I discreetly adjust my dick to avoid any questions, then head for the backseat to grab my camera.
“Alright, friend. Let’s go grab those shots for PackChat before the sun is completely gone.”
“Lead the way, ass man.”
My gaze whips to her face. “Did you really just say that?”
She shrugs, a grin tugging at the corner of her plump lips. “I’m trying some nicknames out. You have one for me. Feels only right I should have one for you.”
“And that’s the one you went with?”
“Like I said, I’m trying some out. Let’s see what sticks.”
Shaking my head, I ignore her stifled chuckle. We head for one of the south fields, near where the cattle pastures are. Luckily, Memphis or Lyon listened for once in their lives, so Poppy is tied up to the post, waiting for us.
The guys know that when Shay is around, they’re to keep themselves busy in the house. She’s not ready to be around my pack, especially Memphis or August, for any length of time yet. If she’s hesitant around Betas, she’s damn near glacial with Alphas.
“Oh my god. That cow is wearing pink boots!” She rushes toward Poppy, the mini Highland that is Memphis’ pet.
Kneeling down, she runs her hands over the cow’s floofy dossan—the long hair that hangs partially over her eyes.
She’s so enamored that she just laughs when Poppy’s tongue sneaks out and licks the entire side of her face.
“Hi, sweetie pie. You are entirely too precious.”
Hearing the somewhat grouchy woman become a puddle of mush over an animal is somewhat unexpected.
“Poppy likes you,” I murmur, lifting the camera and taking some test shots.
“Of course she does. I’m likeable.”
“Mmhmm…”
She shoots me one of her famous glares but doesn’t say a word.
With the sun slipping behind the ridge, its light glow slowly spreading across the landscape, the Omega in front of me is breathtaking.
When she stands, running her hand along the top of Poppy’s head, she’s facing away from me.
She’s almost completely silhouetted in the dying rays of the day, and the shutter goes wild as I just keep snapping shot after shot.
These will go on our socials as well as our website, promoting our ranch, and I might even offer a couple of the better ones up to the council to use for tourism promotion for Darling.
Beautiful women and adorable mini-cows. Marketing gold.
“Go over and stand along the rails with your arms folded along the top and one of your booted feet on the bottom rung. Face toward the mountain.”
She does as I instruct, her curves making my mouth water as her scent flutters along the breeze.
Good thing Memphis isn’t out here. He’d probably come in his pants from that alone.
Despite his reputation for being a party guy with a string of Omegas in his wake, he rarely ends up in any of their beds.
He makes it to the first date, maybe the second, before he’s ultimately disappointed because there’s no spark.
The simple fact of the matter is the dude just really wants to fall in love.
He gives in too easily, then ends up with his heart broken.
We all want an Omega to complete our pack, but none of us more so than Memphis.
He thinks I don’t know about the rabid crush he’s had on Shay since that first night and his quick brush with dick-death, but the dude is as obvious as the sun rising in the morning sky.
“You ever think about moving away from Darling?”
Her question breaks the silence that’s surrounded us as I work the camera from multiple angles. There’s a hint of sadness that leaks into her tone, and I wonder if she’s considering it herself. But that doesn’t make sense. Not if she’s trying to buy the Slick.
“Nah. That’s what vacations are for. When the town gets to be a little too much, we travel. Hawaii to visit my folks, New York to experience big city life, California to have some fun in the sun… Wherever the mood strikes, ya know?”
“I haven’t traveled much. All I’ve ever known is Darling and a coastal town in Florida where we moved when I was little.”
Walking up next to her, I match her stance and stare out at the sunset. I’d prefer to be staring at the beauty of the woman beside me, but I force myself to keep my eyes on the sky instead.
“You thinkin’ about leavin’ us, sweetheart?” I ask to ease the nerves that have twisted my gut.
When she sighs, I want nothing more than to hold her. “No. I’ve got no one and nowhere else to go. Darling is home. Sometimes I think about what else I might be missing out there, but then I remember why I came back here in the first place.”
“Why’s that?”
When her eyes meet mine, I get lost in them. “Because Darling is my second chance. I don’t need money or fancy things. I just want a simple life where I can be myself and maybe one day be happy.”
“You’re not happy?”
She purses her lips, her hand absently stroking Poppy’s head as the cow leans against her.
“I’m not unhappy. Sometimes I just wonder if I’m too closed off.
Should I be opening myself up to new opportunities rather than staying hunkered down in the safety of my little house with its hole in the roof or behind a bar that acts as my shield, only allowing certain people to get close? ”
I swallow hard. This woman is gonna bring me to my knees.
Her scent has gone bitter, the spice heavy and biting, hinting at the loneliness she’s trying to hide.
Memphis checks in through our bond, sensing my shift in mood.
I ignore it though, because I refuse to allow any distractions to interfere in this moment.
It feels… I don’t know. Important, maybe?
“You let me in,” I murmur.