by Elle Thorpe
I knocked on the door and tried to smile at Mrs. Maxwell. Her smile turned into a grin as she recognized me, and she threw her arms around my shoulders, squeezing me tight.
When she pulled back, she was blushing. “Sorry! I’m just still so excited for the two of you. We’re going to have so much fun planning this wedding. Austin said you were hiring a wedding planner in the city, but honestly, Summer. There’s no need. I can help.”
I blinked. Right, so Austin obviously hadn’t told his mother about the argument we’d had. And what the hell was he talking about with a wedding planner? I didn’t want some stranger forcing flower arches and synchronized dances on me. The thought alone sent a shudder through me. Along with a healthy dose of annoyance.
But none of that was Mrs. Maxwell’s fault. I returned her embrace and mumbled something about having plenty of time to sort out the details.
She agreed and sent me on my way down the hallway to Austin’s bedroom. The door was closed, and normally I would have just waltzed in. But my anger made me feel far away from him. Detached somehow. I just kept thinking over and over that he’d put my life in danger last night, and he hadn’t even cared enough to pick up the phone and apologize.
So I knocked. Like we were strangers who barely knew each other. Not like a couple who had been together for years and had gotten engaged last night.
“Ma, I told you. I don’t want any dinner. I’ve got a headache,” Austin snapped from behind the door.
I narrowed my eyes. “Not your mother.” I nearly added, “And don’t be so fucking rude,” but I didn’t.
The door opened, and I came face-to-face with my fiancé.
“You look better than last time I saw you,” I said by way of greeting, letting myself into his bedroom and dropping down on his bed.
He sat beside me, the mattress dipping beneath his weight. “I’m glad you’re here, I was just about to call you.”
A little spark of hope lit up my chest. “Oh?” Maybe I’d jumped the gun and come too early. Austin was good at holding grudges, but he normally came around eventually. Maybe if I’d waited another night, he would have been the one sitting on my bed right now.
It didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting the two of us back on track.
His eyes glinted, a huge smile stretching across his face. “I got it!”
I frowned. “Got what?”
He rolled his eyes like I was completely ridiculous for not having any idea what he was talking about. “The job! The one in the city. They called me a few hours ago and offered me the position. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Double the pay I’m at now. My own office and secretary. Just wait until you see it, Summer. They showed me when I was there the other day. It’s not huge but it has glass windows that overlook the city, and we’re on the fifteenth floor so it’s a pretty awesome view.”
My stomach plummeted, but I forced a smile. “That’s amazing. I can’t wait.”
He grabbed my hand, hauling me to my feet, and dragged me over to his computer. “And I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes.”
“I don’t want to. I hate surprises.”
“You’ll like this one, I promise.” He nudged me toward his desk chair, and when I sat, he came in behind me, covering my eyes with his left hand and leaning around me to work the computer with his right. There was a tapping of keys, and a clicking of the mouse, and then he moved his hand away. “Ta-da,” he said quietly.
I squinted at the screen. It was a real estate website, with photos of the interior of an apartment on display. “What’s this? Another apartment for rent?”
“For sale. Well, actually, it’s not for sale anymore. It’s ours.”
My mouth fell open. “Say what?”
He laughed like I was a stand-up comedian. “I’ve been waiting all day for that reaction. I bought it! For us. Made them an offer a few hours ago and they accepted.”
I was sure if my eyes got any wider they might explode. “I haven’t even seen it and you bought it?” My words came out only slightly hysterical. Which belied the way I really felt. Because on the inside, I was completely flipping out.
Austin leaned in close to kiss my cheek, and I had to fight the urge to move away from him.
He didn’t seem to notice. “I looked at this place when I was in there for my interview. It’s perfect. Two bedrooms, which we’ll need when we have kids. And it’s almost brand-new, super modern and sleek. It’s so gorgeous. I knew you wouldn’t have time to come into the city to see it, so I just went ahead and did it. I’m going back to the city this weekend, so I’ll see it again, and get measurements so you can start shopping for furniture. You love it, right?”
I started to tell him exactly what I thought of it. That it was nothing like what I wanted at all. Modern and sleek lines wasn’t really my thing. Call me a creature of habit, but I liked the lived-in furniture at my parents’ place. I liked that things squeaked with age and were worn and comfortable. I was the big wooden dining room table sort of girl, not the flashy glass-topped thing that only seated two people. I wanted to be able to have my entire family over for dinner, and for us all to sit around and laugh and joke and to be able to put my feet up on the coffee table if I wanted to. I couldn’t do any of that in the apartment Austin had chosen without even consulting me. We’d be lucky to fit in a dining room table at all, judging by the photos. A panicky heat bloomed beneath my skin, and my chest went tight. I edged out of Austin’s embrace, trying to get some air. He was crowding me, and it was all too much.
He still hadn’t even apologized for last night.
But when I dragged my gaze up to meet his, something shook me.
His pure excitement.
Suddenly, he was the boy I’d fallen in love with as a teenager. The one I’d stayed up all night with on our first date while we shared our big dreams. It had all seemed so exciting back then, with our entire lives ahead of us.
I’d been brought back down to earth after my accident and reminded that dreams didn’t come true. Not for everyone. Not for me. I wasn’t the lucky few.
But Austin was. This was his dream right here. The one he’d told me all about as we’d sat outside under the stars, as seventeen-year-old kids.
So I forced a smile, put my arms around him, and told him I loved the apartment. That I loved him. And that I was going to love our life in the city.
But in that moment, I wasn’t sure that any of them were true.
8
DOMINIC
I didn’t see Summer again for the rest of the weekend. I heard via Lennon that she was spending it at Austin’s place, and despite the fact I’d told Summer I was fine with just being friends, I’d still groaned internally at the thought of her forgiving him so easily for the stunt he’d pulled the other night.
But what Summer did, and more precisely, who she forgave wasn’t my business. So it was probably a good thing she was away from the ranch for a while. It gave me time to remind my facial expressions to quit being so obvious.
By Monday morning, I had a clear head once more. I reported to the shed they used as an office at five to nine, early as always.
I should have known Summer would beat me. She glanced up from a pile of paperwork when I knocked on the door. Her gaze drifted to a clock on the wall. “Hey, you’re early.”
“Always.”
“Yeah, me, too.” She motioned to a seat across the desk from her. “Do you want to push that around here and come sit by me? I’ll show you how to do this invoicing.”
I did as instructed, picking up a simple black metal chair and placing it beside Summer’s padded, more comfortable-looking one. It squeaked beneath my weight as I sat.
She frowned at me. “I’ll get Dad to pick up another chair when he goes to town. You can’t be using that one all the time.”
“No, no, it’s fine. It will only be for a few weeks.”
Summer turned her gaze back to the screen. “Right. Then you can have mine.”
There it was again. The complete lack of excitement over the fact she was leaving.
Austin was going to break her by forcing her out of the country life. I could see it now, but I was helpless to stop it.
Not your business, I reminded myself.
She showed me a few things on the computer, but it was all pretty straightforward, and nothing I hadn’t done before for my own family’s ranch. “I think I have it. Can I have a go?”
“Sure.”
We got out of our chairs to switch, and I edged around her in the cramped space, trying not to breathe in her intoxicating scent. But it was impossible. She had her hair down, an elastic around her wrist for when we’d later move to outside work, I presumed. The scent of her shampoo filled my senses. Her cutoff jeans were frayed at the edges and revealed her tanned, muscular thighs. It was almost a relief when she sat back down and they disappeared beneath the table once more.
Friends. Friends. Friends.
Friends did not check each other out the way I was. Or imagine what those legs might look like wrapped around…
Yeah, nope. Wasn’t going there. She’d set boundaries, and I’d follow them.
Right up until she told me not to.
I really hoped at some point, she’d tell me not to.
The phone rang, and I jumped to answer it, because anything was better than thinking about someone who wasn’t mine. It was only as I put my ear to the phone that I realized we hadn’t even spoken about me taking over that role. “Hunts’ Bull Riding School.”
Summer watched me with a raised eyebrow.
“Sorry,” I mouthed, while trying to listen to the guy on the other end. He mumbled through his request, and I asked him to hold for a moment.
I looked at the phone awkwardly, and Summer leaned across me to hit the mute button.
Fuck, her hair smelled good. Like vanilla and peaches. It sent my brain straight into thinking about what it would be like to lay with her at night and bury my face in her hair while we…
I huffed out a breath and tried to get my mind out of the gutter. “He’s a guy from the WBRA. They’ve got a rodeo in Atlanta on Friday night.”
She frowned. “What does he want?”
“Grave Digger.”
“What?” Her eyes went wide. “Why?”
“One of the other owners pulled out. Family emergency. So they’re scrambling for a replacement.”
She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. “No, tell him we don’t do that.”
I frowned. “Are you sure? It’s the WBRA. They don’t just ask anyone. Having a bull competing is almost as good as being up there yourself.”
She rolled her eyes. “Doubtful. Nothing is like being up there yourself.”
The door cracked back against the wall, and Frost strode into the office, cowboy hat perched on his head. “What all this about the WBRA?”
“They want Grave Digger for the Atlanta rodeo on Friday night,” I told him.
Kai’s eyebrows shot up. “No shit?”
“No shit. The guy is on the phone right now. Summer said no, though.”
Frost motioned for the phone, and I handed it over.
He barked an introduction down the line, listened for a moment, then nodded. “Done. I’ll send him down on Friday with my daughter and our new ranch manager.” He hung up and tossed the phone back to me.
Summer squinted at him. “Since when do we hire out our bulls?”
Frost rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Been meaning to talk to you about that. I’ve been putting feelers out for a while.”
“How long?”
“Ever since your accident.”
Summer gaped at him. “What? Why?”
He sighed. “Because I wanted to give you something more than what you already have. I know teaching isn’t enough for you. You don’t get the rush you get from winning. I can’t make you try to ride again, that’s gotta come from you. But I’ve been there when one of Johnny’s bulls have been named top bull of the year. It was one of the best nights of my life, and I know it was up there for your dad, too, right, Dom?”
I grinned. “Damn straight. We put a lot of work into those animals, breeding them to be the best kickers and spinners, then keeping them healthy and strong. You get a buckle for a championship winning bull, just like you do for riding one.”
Summer didn’t look convinced. She just folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair, eyeing her father. “And you thought if I had a shiny new toy to play with, I might not move to the city?”
Frost didn’t even try to deny it. “Yeah, that, too.” He gave her one of his rare smiles. “Did it work?”
She sighed. “No. You know I have to go. Wouldn’t you have gone for Mom?”
Frost’s eyebrows pulled together. “I would have done anything for your mama. I still would. You know that.”
“So why are you giving me a hard time then?”
Because Austin was a dick, and everyone seemed to be able to see it but her. Not that I could say that out loud, but I knew both Frost and I were thinking it.
“Because your mama would have never asked me to give up something so ingrained in my soul. She would have never asked me to be someone I’m not.”
He brushed a hand over her hair in a fatherly gesture that reeked of him remembering her as a little girl, then left the room before Summer could even argue.
The door swung shut behind him, and Summer let out a growl of annoyance, throwing her pen so hard on the desk that it rebounded straight off and onto the carpet. “He always does this!”
I scooped the pen up and gingerly placed it back down on the table. “He just cares about you.”
“He’s trying to run my life.”
I bit my lip, not sure whether I should say anything.
She threw her hands up in the air. “Jesus, Dom. Say whatever it is you’re thinking. Your poker face sucks.”
I cringed, but hey, she’d asked for it. And if I knew anything about Summer, it was that she didn’t suffer fools. “I think he’s just trying to stop you from making a mistake.”
Our gazes clashed, and I wanted to say so much more. I wanted to say that I thought she was making a mistake. A colossal one.
But I couldn’t.
She pushed to her feet and scraped her hair back into an elastic. “You know what? I don’t even want to talk about it anymore. Let’s go outside, this office is making me claustrophobic.”
I stood and followed her. I didn’t voice the thought that if the office here made her claustrophobic, that feeling was going to be a thousand times worse in the city.
9
DOMINIC
The week rolled on, and I learned Summer was a hard taskmaster. If I’d thought she was going to go easy on me because it was my first week on the job, then I would have been severely shocked. I wasn’t averse to hard work. I wanted to do a good job here, that was the most important thing to me. I wanted Frost and Summer to respect me, and I was eager to show I wasn’t green in either management or teaching.
But something seemed to have flipped a switch in Summer. She’d gone from being protective over her job, to dumping me in the deep end, and trying to pass the entire thing over to me in a matter of days.
I wasn’t the sort to complain, so I just tried to keep up with her, all the while admiring her skill and the ease with which she ran this place. She was a natural leader and teacher, and the young guys all seem to like her. She knew how to joke around and have a good time, but she had their respect, so when she got serious, they listened.
Austin didn’t come by once all week. I didn’t miss him.
Friday morning, I had some cattle to bring in from one of the far pastures, and by the time I got back, Summer was waiting for me. “You ready to load this bull up and get outta here?”
“Yes, ma’am. Been looking forward to it all week.”
Summer held the reins of my horse while I dismounted, patting the mare’s sweaty neck. “You’
ve never tried to load Grave Digger into a truck. You might change your mind once you see how fiery he gets.”
I took the reins back, and our fingers touched in the process. I quickly moved them away, even though all I really wanted to do was hold her hand, just because I could. I’d meant what I’d said in the diner the other day. Despite the fact I knew she could do better than Austin, I respected her decisions. “He’ll be fine. The fiery ones are normally the ones who do the best beneath stadium lights and with a crowd roaring. You wait and see.”
“Hey, Dom!”
I spun around to see Preston hurrying out of the office, tugging his battered baseball cap back on his head. I liked the guy. He was a bit of a cocky show-off, but Summer was good at bringing him down a peg or two. And he did have the talent. Like Summer, he’d had to work hard, but it was there.
“I was just in the office looking for Frost,” he explained.
Summer shook her head. “He’s gone into town.”
“Yeah, I figured when I couldn’t find him. But hey, the phone was ringing while I was in there. Hope you don’t mind, but I answered it.”
From what I understood, Preston had been around this ranch for years, and was here so much he was like part of the furniture. Summer didn’t seem at all bothered he’d answered the phone.
“Who was it?” she asked. “Dom and I are leaving soon, but I can return a call if it’s urgent.”
Preston shook his head. “Wasn’t for you. It was Dom’s brother.”
I raised an eyebrow and pulled my phone from my pocket. It seemed weird that one of my brothers would call me at the ranch, instead of on my cell. There were no missed calls, but maybe I’d had no service and they couldn’t get through. “Which one was it?”
“Felix.”
Summer got in before I could. “Dom doesn’t have a brother named Felix.”
“Oh.” Preston frowned. “Do you have a brother named something like Felix?”
“Theo and Spencer.”
“Yeah, definitely wasn’t one of those.” He took a scrap piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. “He left a number to call him back on.”