“I’m not too busy to show you how to rope, buddy. I’ll teach you when I get home. I promise.”
“Okay, Daddy, I’ll wait for you! I wove you, and kick that bull’s a-s-s tomorrow!”
Grinning, I answered, “I will, buddy. I love you too. Now, don’t give Grams a hard time, you hear me?”
“Yes, sir. I pwomise to be good.”
“That’s my big boy.”
“Bye, Daddy!”
“See ya later, buddy.”
The line went dead, and I stood there in the middle of my hotel room, staring down at my phone. The emptiness in my heart was hard to ignore. Glancing down to my watch, I counted down the hours until I was going to be able to climb onto the back of a bull and feel something again. It seemed to be the only time I was able to forget.
Chapter Two
LINCOLN
“I still can’t believe you’re leaving me for freaking Montana!”
I stepped out of the car, lifted my arms, and stretched. We were only an hour or so away from Hamilton, Montana. I smiled when I looked all around us. Emerald-green pastures were home to cattle roaming freely as they grazed. Pine trees covered the foothills, which gave way to snowcapped mountains where white, puffy clouds danced along the top. My heart felt full for the first time in years.
Any lingering doubt over making this move was completely washed away when my eyes went to the river. I nearly lost my breath. The mountain range was mirrored against the crystal-clear water. Surely something this beautiful couldn’t be real. It looked like a picture. One deep breath and I could smell crisp, clean air.
This was home. A fresh start to a new life. It felt like a beautiful dream finally coming true.
“Kaylee, how can you look around and not see how beautiful it is here?”
She huffed. “Yeah, it’s beautiful. Mountains, rivers, blah, blah, blah. I don’t see why you need to move here. There are plenty of jobs in Georgia. Lots of old mansions you can design up. You made your mama cry, Lincoln. Cry! A well-raised southern woman does not make her mama cry.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know the reasons why I left Atlanta. It’s not about the money. It’s about doing this on my own. Building a life for me on my own terms.”
“Aw yes, those reasons. Leaving the big city for something simple? Leave the disgusting heat of Atlanta for fresh, crisp mountain air? Get out from under the control of Daddy? Start fresh? That crap?”
“Yes, those reasons.”
“I know why you’re really here. You want you some northern country dick.”
It took everything I had not to laugh. “Northern country dick?”
She nodded.
My best friend leaned against my Land Rover Discovery, giving me a matter-of-fact look. We stared each other down, neither willing to budge.
Kaylee sighed. “It’s not fair. I’m going to miss you.”
“Move here! You’re a book editor! You can work from anywhere you want, Kaylee. Think of how much fun it would be.”
Chewing on her lip, she looked to be giving it some serious thought. I knew it would be good for her. A chance for Kaylee to get her own fresh start. Lord knows, with everything she had been through over the last few years, she deserved happiness.
The moment I’d told her I was moving, I’d seen her eyes light up at the possibility of starting over somewhere herself.
“I don’t think I could leave Georgia. It’s all I’ve ever known. I’m a southern kind of girl. I’ve got the twang finally down. I just don’t think I could make it up here.”
I raised a brow. “Did you see the hot guys in those jeans and cowboy hats at the last gas stop?”
A full smile broke out over her face. Her blue eyes lit up, and she nodded. “Heck yes, I saw them. Did you see the one wink at me? Lawrd Almighty, I thought I was gonna pass out!”
Laughing, I shook my head and did a few jumping jacks while Kaylee stretched and moaned about how tight her muscles were.
“Whose idea was it to drive to Montana?” she asked, slipping back into the passenger seat.
“I believe it was yours. ‘It’ll be an adventure,’ you said. ‘The scenery will be amazing,’ you said.”
She rolled her eyes as her seat belt clicked. “Well, scenery is overrated. How many more miles until we get to this little town? And is it safe? I mean, you bought this house because the guy had too many bad memories there. What happened? Was someone murdered in it?”
I paused for a moment, letting her words sink in. Slight panic raced through my veins. I hadn’t asked any real questions about the house. I simply saw pictures of the old place, and the only thing that went through my mind was how I could make this my home.
Holy crap . . . what if someone had been murdered in the house?