“Yeah, there’s a storm heading for us. Shouldn’t be too much rain. But I’m expecting lightning and a whole lot of wind. I’m not chancing having the whole town out here.” Alexander points, and I follow his gaze.
I've been too busy admiring the scenery and Holden’s charming smile to pay attention to anything else. But sure enough, thick gray clouds have been building on the horizon.What started as a perfect blue sky is now looking decidedly ominous.
Priya pulls out her phone. "It’s moving in faster than the weather service predicted. We've got maybe an hour before she hits. The lightning storms roll through Texas, and they don't mess around."
“Ooh, sounds menacing.” I look up at Holden.
A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, and the electricity crackles between us. But a distant rumble of thunder echoes across the ranch and it interrupts our moment. Holden and Alexander’s heads snap up toward the sound. They shoot concerned glances at one another. Holden’s jaw tightens.
“Come on, let’s round up the guys.” Alexander springs into action.
“Right.” But Holden hesitates and then turns back toward me. “It was nice to meet you, Zara. Hopefully this thing passes and I’ll catch you later for fireworks.”
“Let’s hope.” But nothing can stop the fireworks already exploding between us.
CHAPTER 2
HOLDEN
Two hourslater the storm is coming in hard and fast. This place is normally bustling with people, animals, and gossip. But with the wind whipping everything in sight, nearly everyone is inside taking cover.
Meanwhile, I got word from my brother Bowen that a pack of dumbass sheep broke out of the barn. It seems that all my brothers are conveniently hunkered down with their wives. So as the only remaining single brother in the Kingridge pack, it’s my job to go find the little assholes.
I won’t lie, I thought about refusing. I’m sick of being assigned all the grunt work just because I can’t figure out a relationship.
But in the end, I didn’t have it in me to let the sheep get sucked up like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz. So I’ve been wrangling them into the barn one at a time. Now I’m walking the back forty of our property to make sure there aren’t any more missing animals.
We’ve got a goat named Thrusty who loves making a break for it. Up here we’ve got a cow named Rump Roast who can’t hardly be bothered to come out of the barn even in nice weather.Then of course Choke the Chicken, but he seems to be in his roost.
It’s a good thing too. With the way the weather is turning on me, I know it’s time to get myself inside and wait this thing out.So much for our annual Fourth of July fireworks show.
Worst part is, these animals ain’t sticking to the path. Can’t get my truck up here so I’m tackling the path on foot. I’ve got to keep a hand on my hat in this wind to keep it from being blown away. I expect to dodge the odd piece of siding flying towards me, but I don’t expect to seeherwhen I round the bend.
I have to blink to make sure I’m not imagining things. But sure enough, when I look in the distance I see Priya’s sister, Zara. All of a sudden I’m not so mad about being out here.
Bowen showed me a few pictures on social media so I knew she’d be attractive. But nothing could have prepared me for the way Zara made my jaw drop earlier. It was like something from a damn movie. It’s no wonder she’s got millions of followers. The woman is magnetic.
Even now in the middle of what might be the worst July storm we’ve seen in years, she’s like a vision. Zara stands peacefully against the split rail with her long dark hair whipping across her face. The long tendrils drape down her back and her curves are heart stopping, even from here. For a moment, I’m mesmerized.
Then a tree branch snaps and it brings me back to the present. Zara looks towards the sound too. But instead of moving, she repositions her camera. She’s holding her phone out toward the highland cattle pasture like she’s on some kind of scenic tour. I head toward her and watch Zara navigate the fenceline in, what have to be, the most impractical shoes ever made for walking on a ranch.
"Are you shitting me right now?” I call out, half to her, half just out of shock.
She turns at the sound of my voice. Even from thirty yards away, I can see her face light up with that megawatt smile. It sends heat rippling through me.
“Those strappy red heels aren’t known for their agility. You’re sinking into the ground with every step and we haven’t even seen rain yet. But I’d bet it’s coming. You need to get inside.”
She responds with an enthusiastic wave. “Right! We never get weather like this. It’s so cool. “Holden, you should be in the photo with me. A mysterious real life rancher. Come on, that’s such a fun storyline.”
On cue, lightning and thunder roll overhead. The sound is closer this time. I can see the sheets of rain marching across the valley toward us. We've got maybe ten minutes before this place turns into a muddy disaster zone, and she's out there posing like she's shooting a magazine spread.
I grab my hat and jog after her, dodging the first few fat raindrops. "Zara, let’s go. This ain’t the city sweetheart. What the hell are you doing?” I close the distance between us, trying not to notice how those tiny shorts she's wearing show off legs that go on for miles.
"Consider me on it, cowboy. I’m almost done here." She waves a dismissive hand in my direction like she isn’t having to shout above the wind. Then she turns back to her phone and angles for another shot with the cattle.
She finally looks up from her phone and I get a real look at her face. She’s beautiful, but it's not the polished, photo-ready beauty I saw earlier. There's something genuine in her dark eyes. It’s a sincerity I don’t expect.
"I’m heading inside in a second. In fact, I was on my way to my sister’s cottage but I couldn’t remember which direction it was since everything on this ranch looks the same. Then I saw the cows and had to come say hi. Why are they out inthis weather? Their barn is open. They should head in. Then I thought, I should head in. Which is what I was doing until this wind started giving me full Beyonce vibes in my photos. From there it was a slippery slope. My followers aren’t going to believe this.”
