by Sophie Stern
“Were?”
“Yep.” He sits up again and clicks another picture. It’s of a gorgeous young woman. She’s side-by-side with Hope in the picture and they both look happy: thrilled, even. “Meet Margaret Alden. Until recently, she and Hope were inseparable. One month ago, all of their social media chatting stopped.”
“How can you see that?” I ask, knowing it can’t be legal. Micah, as if reading my mind, shakes my head.
“Nothing illegal,” he says. “Look. All their stuff is set to ‘public.’ That means that anyone, even you, can see what they’re saying. A month ago, everything just stops. No more posts from Hope, no more chatting back and forth, nothing, but check this out.” He clicks another picture and suddenly, it’s Margaret and the guy. Hope’s guy. Only the two of them look very cozy together. He’s got his arms wrapped around her and if his hand went any higher, it would be full of her obviously-fake tits.
“The best friend and the boyfriend?”
“That would be my guess.” Micah shrugs. “Sometimes you need to break away from your world, Wyatt. Sometimes you need to go to a place where nobody knows you and you can just be you. You should know that better than anyone. I think something went down and Hope wanted to get as far away from Holbrook, Missouri as she could.”
“What about her parents?” I ask, running my hand through my hair. It’s a nervous habit, one I need to stop.
“Dad is gone. Mom died a few years ago. It’s just her, Wyatt. She’s all alone.” Suddenly, Micah seems concerned, and I can see exactly why my brothers chose her to be the newest addition to our ranch.
“A little human alone in shifter country,” I shake my head. “This girl has no idea what she’s gotten herself into.”
“Bet you wish you could get yourself into her.” Micah chuckles at his joke and starts typing on the computer again, pulling up some work stuff and spreadsheets I don’t particularly care about. I finish my beer and chuck it in his recycling bin, then turn to leave.
“Hey,” I say, looking back. “Thanks, Micah. You didn’t have to help me, but you did. I appreciate it.”
He looks surprised at my gratitude and I have to wonder how long it’s been since someone appreciated Micah – really appreciated him. As far as I know, it’s been years since his last relationship, one-night flings excluded, of course.
“Anytime,” he says after a minute. “Anytime.”
When I leave the cabin, I don’t head for the house. Instead, I decide to walk part of the fence line. It’s something I usually do on the ATV, but the afternoon is quickly fading into evening and I could use a quick way to relax.
Being in nature always does that for me. Maybe it’s because I’m a bear or it might just be that I’m a country boy at heart, but after a long, stressful day, I just want to be outside.
Glancing around to make sure I’m alone, I quickly strip out of my clothes and boots. I stretch, enjoying the feel of the cooling air on my skin, and I start walking. Once I’m a short distance from the cabins, I shift quickly and begin to run.
Immediately, I feel more relaxed and at ease. Being in shifter form always makes me feel better, calmer. Ever since my first shift as a teenager, I’ve needed to regularly get into bear form in order to fully relax. Most shifters can go awhile without changing, but not me. If I don’t shift daily, or at least twice a week, I start to feel itchy.
And grumpy.
As I run along the fence line, I let my thoughts change from Hope to my little lost calf. Where the hell could the damn cow have run off to? Since it’s the second day, I’m starting to worry a little bit, and I realize I need to get an update from Alex. For now, though, I want to make sure there aren’t any other breaks in the fence.
I take a deep breath and keep running. The moon is rising and so are my hopes when it comes to the sweet little human who is currently living in cabin three.
Chapter 13
Hope
Carter doesn’t have anything for me to do until tomorrow, so I pop open a beer and settle on the little porch in front of my cabin. It’s got exactly one chair, so I lean back and prop my feet up on my cooler, happy I thought far enough ahead to pick up some drinks before I came out to the ranch. My fridge is completely empty, so tomorrow I’ll need to head into town and pick up some groceries.
For tonight, though, beer is good.
I can’t stop thinking about Wyatt, and it’s driving me crazy. He’s so different from my first impression. It still baffles me that he apologized to me without prompting. He literally sought me out just to admit he was wrong, and to try again.
Where did he come from?
Seriously, is he some sort of alien god?
He’s not only hot as hell, but sweet and caring, too?
Who would have known?
“How are you settling in?” A voice comes from the dark and I jump, dropping my beer. The bottle doesn’t break, but the contents spill out over the porch.
“Crap!” I cry out, and quickly grab it, trying to salvage as much of the drink as I can.
“Sorry about that,” a man steps from the shadows and I roll my eyes.
“What is with you people and stepping out of the shadows?”
“’You people’?” His eyes narrow, and the super-handsome giant standing next to my porch suddenly looks like he’s about to rip my head from my body.
“Uh, uh, uh….” I stare at him and mouth has gone dry, but not from horniness. From fear. What the hell? Is he going to kill me? Who is he? This guy reminds me of Carter and Micah, but he’s taller, if that’s possible, and narrower. His chest isn’t as broad and he reminds me of a cat, the way he slinked up to the cabin.
“For fuck’s sake, Alex,” another voice sounds, and I hear a cabin door close. “I can smell her fear from here. What are you doing to her?”
“She said ‘you people,’” Alex says with a growl. “What did you mean by that?” He turns back to me, and I’m shaking.
“I meant people in Honeypot,” I whisper. “Not cowboys, or rancher, or something specifically. I have nothing against ranchers,” I insist, stumbling over my words. “I just…you guys keep sneaking up on me, dammit!”
The other man chuckles and comes over. He holds out his hand and I take it, gingerly.
“I’m Micah,” he says. “The third brother.”
“Hope,” I whisper.
“This is Alex,” he nods his head toward the other guy, the tall one, who is still glaring at me. “Don’t mind him. He’s a bit sensitive.”
“Am not,” Alex says, but I think Micah is right. I don’t know what crawled up Alex’s ass and died, but I don’t like the way he’s glaring at me, especially when I didn’t mean anything by my comment.
“So, Hope,” Micah changes the subject. “How do you like your cabin? Everything to your liking?”
“Yeah, it’s really nice,” I say, and Alex rolls his eyes.
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s just great for the city slicker.”
Maybe it’s the beer, the lack of sleep, or the stress, but I’ve finally had enough. I turn back to Alex and glower at him.
“What the fuck is your problem?” I ask. He looks shocked, but Micah starts cracking up. “I’m sorry, but I literally just met you five minutes ago, so if you have a problem with people from other cities, just fucking tell me and I’ll go back inside.”
Alex stutters and starts to say something, but Micah’s laughter overpowers it.
“And for your information, I’m not from a city, I’m from a small town that’s only a little bigger than Honeypot.” I don’t know why I’m explaining myself, but I am. I’m about to turn around and go back inside, but Micah hands me another beer and pats me on the shoulder.
“Okay, Hope, you can calm down now. He’s just not good around new people.”
Alex mutters something beneath his breath, but I take the beer from Micah and drink it. Soon I’m feeling warm and buzzed again, and I start to worry less about the fusser and more about Wyatt.
&
nbsp; “Does Wyatt have a girlfriend?” I blurt out, and immediately slap my hand over my mouth. This time neither man laughs. Both just stare at me like I’ve sprouted a second head.
“He does not,” Alex finally says. “He doesn’t date much.”
“Why not?”
“You ask a lot of questions, you know,” Alex says.
“I’m a curious person.”
“Apparently.” Alex stretches his arms out above his head and once again, he reminds me of a cat. Maybe a big, lazy housecat or even a tiger. I picture him stalking around the farm and I have to laugh. Yeah, I’ve heard all the rumors about shifters or changers, depending on what you want to call them.
I don’t believe they’re true.
I’ve never met anyone who could even sort of be a shifter, but Alex is really jumpy, and he seriously looks like he’s about to start prowling around. For the first time, I have to wonder. Micah seems to catch me staring, and shakes his head at Alex. Alex immediately drops his arms and looks at me again.
“Nice to meet you, Hope,” he says, then he disappears into his cabin and closes the door.
Um, okay?
I look back at Micah, but he just shrugs.
“He’s not really a people person,” he says. “Plus, like I said, he’s not good with new people.”
“But you are,” I comment.
“I’m okay, I guess. Carter is the friendly brother. Wyatt is the one who gets things done. I’m just the tech guy.”
“What’s wrong with that?” I ask. Micah seems sad about his calling in life and I have to wonder why. He’s just as good looking as his brothers and he’s friendly enough, so why does being in IT make him feel bad about himself?
“Nothing, I suppose,” he says. “But going back to your original question, no, Wyatt does not have a girlfriend, and no, there’s nothing wrong with him. He just hasn’t met the right girl yet.”
“I’m surprised he’s single, to be honest. I’m surprised any of you are.”
“Why’s that?” This time his eyes twinkle, and I can tell he knows what I’m going to say.
“Just look at you,” I say, and then I do. “You’re…well, just look at you.”
Chapter 14
Hope
My first day on the job is pretty straightforward. After a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast, I head up to the main house to report for duty. I’m nervous the entire walk over, but try to remember the worst is over. At least I have the job, right? That’s what’s important. The Blair brothers want me here. They need me here. I’m going to help them turn the ranch around. I’m going to help secure their legacy.
At the front door, I’m not sure whether to knock or just barge right on in. The house belongs to the brothers and both Wyatt and Carter live inside. I know they conduct most of their ranch business from the office inside, but does that mean I can just waltz right on in?
Tentatively, I knock. The last thing I want to do is to accidentally see someone roaming around in his boxers or something.
I lick my lips.
Maybe I shouldn’t have knocked.
Carter opens the door after a moment and leans against the frame. All I can do is smile up at him. He’s wearing sweats with no shirt and I can see every rippled muscle.
“Holy dragons,” I groan.
“Like what you see, darling?”
“You have no idea.” Quickly, I slap my hand over my mouth again and cringe. Seriously? What is with me this week? Carter just laughs and motions for me to follow him.
“Beautiful as you are, hon, I have a feeling my brother would claw me to death just for looking twice at you.” He glances over his shoulder at me. “You understand.”
I don’t, but I nod, anyway.
Is he saying Wyatt’s into me?
Really into me?
My emotions have been going crazy for a month now. Sometimes I’m not sure how much of my feelings I can really trust. I feel an incredible connection with Wyatt, which is weird because I barely know him.
“Come on back,” Carter is halfway down the hall and I scurry after him, trying not to gaze at their huge house too much. I always pictured a ranch house as either a giant lodge or a small, white-paneled farmhouse. Their home is neither.
It’s a large, two-story home with plenty of space. I haven’t been upstairs, but I’d guess there are at least four bedrooms. Maybe more. There’s enough room that Carter and Wyatt live pretty comfortably together and don’t seem to have any trouble sharing the space.
When I reach the office at the back of the house, Carter hands me a list.
“Wyatt is around this morning, so we’ll get started without him. This is a tentative list of your duties, at least for now. We’ll adjust it as needed.”
“Feed the chickens,” I read. “Weed the house garden. Answer the phone.” I glance up and raise an eyebrow. “So I’m basically an all-purpose helper?”
“Basically,” his eyes twinkle. “Your job is to make mine and Wyatt’s easier. In the mornings, you can feed the chickens. Their coop is just outside of the kitchen. When they’re bigger, they’ll be able to roam around the yard.”
“Good idea. Don’t chickens eat a lot of bugs?”
“Yes. Free range chickens do a great job keeping down the mosquitoes and ticks.”
“That sounds pretty good.” My body feels itchy just talking about mosquitoes. “So why not let them out now?”
“They’re not quite big enough to roam around on their own. The concern is that they won’t come back to the cage at night. We just moved them from the barn, actually. We kept them in there under heat lamps until they were old enough to go outside. Now we’ll get them used to the coop, then they’ll be able to go out during the day.”
“Do they lay eggs?”
“Not yet. Once they start, you’ll collect those for us, too.”
Carter leads me out of the office and through the kitchen across the hall. I try not to gawk at the incredible countertops or the stove or the fancy cookware hanging from the walls.
“Damn. Can I be your cook instead?”
“No can do, little lady. That’s my job.”
We go out the kitchen door and sure enough, there’s a mid-size chicken coop out there, complete with a run for them to play in. The housing portion of the coop protects the chickens during the evening. No one wants coyotes nabbing their livestock at night. There’s a little ramp leading to an enclosed area where several chickens are walking around. A few are pecking at the ground.
Carter shows me how to feed the chickens, then gives me a quick tour of the garden. Shoots of green are already popping up in the tiny garden and I can’t wait to get my hands dirty in there. I loved having a garden as a kid and I’ve missed the thrill that comes from helping something grow.
As we walk around the house, I ask Carter about the difference between a farm and a ranch. He explains that ranches are usually bigger, but they also tend to be focused on livestock, rather than crops. The Blair brothers run a cattle ranch, but they do have their own little garden for personal use. They don’t sell the crops they grow.
Since they’re so busy with the business side of things, they don’t have a lot of time to tend to their carrots and radishes. That’s where I come in.
Carter leaves me on my own for awhile and I make myself comfortable weeding. My thoughts roam as I work, but I try to stay focused on the task at hand. Just because they hired me and decided to give me a chance doesn’t mean Wyatt and Carter will be patient if I muck it all up.
Noon rolls around before I know it, and Carter invites me to eat with him. Politely declining, I decide to use my lunch hour to run into town and pick up some groceries. I stock my tiny fridge, then make a sandwich. When I’m finished, I head back to the main house.
“Since it’s so hot in the afternoons, it’s best to work indoors, at least during the summer,” Carter tells me. He shows me to the office and points at one of the desks. Yesterday, it had been covered in papers and books. Now it
’s pristine.
“All for me?” I ask, and he nods.
“I’d like you to come up with a plan for online marketing and promotion,” he tells me. “We have nothing right now: no Facebook, no Pinterest, no Twitter. We have a website, but that’s it.”
“So I basically have free reign?” I raise an eyebrow, and he nods.
“You’re the expert,” he says. “Why don’t you come up with a plan for marketing today? Around 4:15, you can tell me what ideas you have before we finish for the day.”
“Sounds good to me.” He leaves and I settle in, ready to get focused on something I know I’m good at. For a brief second, I think about Wyatt. I haven’t seen him all day and I kind of miss that. I’m going to be working here for awhile, if I’m lucky, so I’ll get to see plenty of him, but I’d like to think more about the spark I felt between us.
Maybe I’m over-thinking things. I tend to do that sometimes, especially since the breakup. Part of the problem with Jacob was that I didn’t think things through enough. When he came up with an excuse for canceling at the last second or when he was being weird and secretive about his phone, I ignored it. I rationalized his behavior and now I tend to second-guess everything.
When Wyatt was in my cabin yesterday, it felt great. He made me feel so alive, so feral, so fierce.
He made me feel sexy.
The truth is that he’s way out of my league. Now that I’m thinking about it, actually pondering the situation, I realize that. Maybe that’s why I haven’t seen him today. Maybe he wants to let the new girl down easy.
Wouldn’t that be just my luck?
With a sigh, I realize he’s probably got lots of women after him: women like Savannah and Selena. He’s probably got women after him who are smarter, sexier, and thinner than me.
“Those are some heavy thoughts.”
“Wyatt,” I spin around in my chair and look up at him. He’s standing in the doorway in his jeans, flannel, and boots. He’s muddy and dirty, but he’s so damn sexy that I don’t even notice. “I didn’t hear you come in.”