Herd That (The Valentine Boys 1)

The first order of business after getting that payout was buying the land on the backside of their property.

And, a few short months after that, Scooby became the most requested bull in the entire professional bull rider’s association.

Now, when we weren’t working the ranch, we were traveling from state to state with Scooby tagging along behind us. Though, that was becoming a thing of the past since we’d passed along control of that part of our business when Banks pointed out that he was already going to be at the events anyway, and it made more sense for him to drive the bull than for us to go as well.

Just last year alone, Scooby made us over five hundred thousand dollars on promotional events only.

That wasn’t even including his extremely high stud fees we were now collecting each time someone wanted to breed their cow with him.

After some smart investing on the large payout that the Valentine boys got, paired with Scooby’s royalties, on top of the income that the ranch got, well, let’s just say we wouldn’t be worrying about money any time soon.

Though I still worked… which was what I had been doing the entire day.

Being called out to a murder scene at two a.m. wasn’t my husband’s favorite thing to do in the world, and it definitely wasn’t his favorite thing not to talk to me all day.

Though Desi was still my bestie, Ace had turned into my lifeline.

The man who I spoke with about my troubles. The man who was there for me when all I wanted to do was binge eat and watch Netflix all day long in my pajamas. The man who was there for me whether I looked like a homeless woman or a model.

The man who still stood up for me when the bitches in town decided that I needed to be reminded that I wasn’t always the town’s little princess.

Though, technically, I’d never been, nor ever would be, the town’s princess.

Marie just liked to give me shit because her life had turned into something she didn’t recognize.

“You’re really worried?” Margay asked.

I shrugged.

“There’s really only two spots they could be. Why don’t you just ride down there and see?” she suggested.

I bit my lip.

I wanted to.

I really, really wanted to.

However, Ace would likely kick my ass.

He didn’t like me riding alone.

Not even a little bit.

“On a scale of one to ten, how badly do you think he’ll beat my ass when I show up?” I asked teasingly.

Margay laughed. “Only one way to find out, honey bee.”

I looked over at where Ace’s son—my little hellion—was asleep on the recliner. “You can watch him for a little bit while I’m gone?”

Margay rolled her eyes. “I have a book to finish. It’s as if you are asking me to do myself a favor and curl up to that little lovebug and read my heart out. Of course, it’s no trouble.”

I grinned. “Okay. I’m going to go.”

“Maybe you should take some cookies,” Margay suggested, pointing to the counter. “You know how that always sweetens him up.”

I grinned, loving the way her mind worked.

“Thanks, friend.” I winked. “I’ll be back.”

It was when I reached the barn that I looked at Poppy, my baby, and grinned. “You’re not going to get a wild hair and buck me off today, are you?”

As if she understood my urgency, she lowered her head and touched her nose to my stomach.

Grinning, I saddled her up, loving that she stayed still instead of making me work for it like she did when I’d first gotten to town.

Poppy had become a great horse. Even more so, she was an even greater friend.

She went everywhere with me, and I loved her almost as much as Ace loved his new dog, Boots.

Speaking of Boots, he was right on our trail, following us around like always.

Ace wouldn’t allow him to come, but he knew I was a sucker for his cute face, and didn’t bother to sneak up behind us. He just trotted alongside us as we made our way deeper and deeper into the land.

My eyes took in the rolling hills, and I grinned widely when I saw the blanket of bluebonnets that were just starting to bloom on the top of one hill.

Last year, I’d begged Ace to plant them, and he’d gone out of his way to do that for me in the middle of winter.

Now, months later, they were finally coming up.

I. Loved. Them.

I couldn’t wait to come back with my camera and my kid to capture the memory forever.

We finally made it over the last rise where I thought Ace might be—which happened to be the most awful dead zone our property had—and there he was.

He was swinging an ax, chopping up a tree, while his brother worked away at the opposite end of the tree—him with an actual chainsaw.