Chapter 2 #2
He’s perhaps the grumpiest man I’ve ever met, and the kind of handsome that looks like he walked straight out of a magazine.
Which, for me, he kind of did, except the photos are nothing like the real thing.
He’s probably close to six foot five, with broad shoulders, a strong set jaw with dark stubble, and dark brown hair that always looks perfectly windswept when it’s not hidden underneath his ballcap.
From the moment I looked into his mesmerizing blue eyes, I knew he was going to be trouble. Except looking at Kit was like looking out at the horizon at the edge of a cliff. His eyes enthrall you to take a step towards the view, but step too far, and you’ll land on the sharp rocks below.
He didn’t like it when I greeted him every morning or shouted “Goodnight, Cowboy,” as he stood up in a huff from his porch and retreated inside every night… but I couldn’t stop doing it. Flirting and annoying Kit made me feel at ease, and I’ve been on edge the past few days.
When I arrived in Aspen Hollow, it was more rural than I expected, with this old-timey feel and small-town charm I’ve only read about in books.
The streets are lined with silver ornamental streetlights, each with a red bow tied around it.
Lush pine and aspen trees line the walkways, all leading to an incredible view of Silver Lake surrounded by endless forests and mountains.
It seems like the happiest and most surreal town in all of Montana.
But when the sun goes down, it’s darker out here than I anticipated. Even the smallest of noises has me jumping to grab my handgun from my purse.
A defense mechanism I’ve needed for the last year, in case my ex-husband ever found me.
A part of my past I’m trying not to let control me, but I’m still terrified one day he’ll show up with a vengeance that I escaped his abuse.
That I escaped him.
Working at Lone Pine Ranch is the best job I’ve ever had.
The ranch itself spans about 200,000 acres with rolling hills and a mountainous backdrop that will make you swoon.
I expected to arrive and find an old shack with rusty barbed wire, but the cozy cabin that Cole provided for me is perfect.
The exterior is covered in cobblestone siding, topped with a black steel roof that matches the steel barn near Kit’s house.
The interior is rustic, yet modern in all the right ways. It’s a dream come true.
A knock at my door makes me jump.
I set down the bottle of whiskey in my hands and reach for the gun in my purse, peering out the window. My chest eases when I realize it’s only Kit.
After shoving the gun back in my purse, I open the door. He doesn’t look happy, but his striking blue eyes quickly get stuck on my breasts, nearly visible through my silky white lace cami. “Can you turn your damn music down?” he asks.
One of my favorite songs blares through my stereo, “Sin Wagon” by The Chicks, filling my cabin with high-energy country music.
I follow Kit’s distracted gaze to my peeked nipples, and I swear he blushes.
Wearing a bra at home is criminal, nor do I care that I’m not wearing one now, especially since he can’t stop staring.
“What?” I lean in closer, deliberately pushing out my breasts, pretending I can’t hear him.
His throat bobs, and his eyes have trouble focusing on my face before he shakes his head, like he’s clearing away his dirty thoughts. Or so I’m imagining, because let’s be honest. He’s hot, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I like that he can’t focus around me.
“Can you turn your damn music down?” he asks again.
“How about a please, Cowboy?” I insist, playing with him. Taking in his tall and muscular frame hovering over mine. Praise the Lord for creating a man like Kit.
He glares like he’s trying to breathe fire. “Please, can—”
I slam the door in his face.
No one is ever going to tell me what to do again.
He’s just going to have to deal with it.
A little loud music isn’t going to hurt him.
I crank the song up just a bit more, dancing wildly around in my new home.
When I feel the terrors of my past starting to resurface, I turn up my stereo and dance it out.
It’s nearly impossible to feel sad or scared when you’re dancing.
My flip-phone buzzes in my pocket, lighting up Jaxson North’s name, my older brother. “Sergeant North,” I tease, turning down the music a bit so I can hear him.
Jax joined the Army when he was eighteen to make a better life for us. Promising to return and save me from our toxic living situation with our uncle, but then I ended up in an even worse situation with my ex-husband.
“Hey Em—ugh, I mean Sadie,” he almost refers to me as my birth name, but I changed it to ensure my own safety. “I just wanted to check in. Haven’t heard from you yet. Are you moved in okay?” he asks.
It’s just like Jax to worry about me. Something he’s spent too much of his time doing. “Yes, sorry, still unpacking. Everything is great, though. I’m loving it so far in Aspen Hollow.”
“How’s the dream job?” Straight to business, no distractions. My brother never changes.
“The best. Blake has been showing me around the ropes this week.” A very pretty distraction, as well as the dozens of other cowboys on the ranch. Although none of them quite compares to the man next door. “And my boss Cole and his wife Annie have been super accommodating,” I finish.
“Blake’s a nice guy?” He asks with an edge to his voice.
Of course, Jax is stuck on that. But given my track record, I don’t blame him.
“Yes, he is. The best boss I could ask for.” Besides hitting on me that first day, he’s been a complete gentleman.
Treating me with the utmost respect, as he does everyone else on the ranch.
Although Blake is older than me, his banging body is reminiscent of a man in his late twenties, and I enjoy looking at him.
“Just a boss?” he questions.
“Just a boss, Jax.” But I’m sure Blake would be interested in being more if I asked him. Which is an option I’m not ruling out.
“What about the other guys on the ranch?”
“There are too many hot Cowboys to choose from,” I tease, unable to help myself. There are a handful of women on the ranch as well, but Jax knows that rugged cowboy is my favorite flavor.
“Do they know you have a brother who can kick their ass if they step out of line?”
“You’re going to take on all thirty of them?”
“Thirty?” His voice strains.
Technically, it’s twenty-six, but close enough. “Stop worrying, Jax. I’m fine. Everything’s going really well.”
“And what about your neighbors?”
My heart skips a beat.
“There’s just one.” I glance out my front window, with a clear view of Kit, staring into the darkness with a deep frown on his face.
He’s my favorite view on Lone Pine Ranch when he isn’t frowning at me, which is 99% of the time, but he looks good doing it.
He’s probably cursing my name as we speak, considering our last interaction when I slammed my door in his face.
Although something about him tonight looks sad… defeated. Sitting there all alone in the darkness.
“His name?” Jaxson asks with an edge to his voice.
“How do you know it’s not one of the cowgirls?”
Jax sighs into the phone. “His name, smart ass.”
If he were here, I’d stick my tongue out at him. “His name is Ki—Kyle,” I lie, almost saying Kit.
“And Kyle’s last name?”
“You’re not going to cyber-stalk him.”
Jaxson always meant well, but he could be intense. If I gave him his real name, it would be too easy for him to find out his entire background. “He’s grumpy, but decent, I promise. Keeps to himself mostly,” I continue, still watching him from the window.
“Good,” Jax says.
Silence swells with so many unsaid things. My brother has supported my choices for the last year, checking in every month, over-worrying about his little sister, who always seems to find trouble wherever she goes.