Wild (Wolf Ranch 2)

I beamed at him because I had no idea how much I wanted a pair of dang boots. Or how much I like the way Colton was smiling at me. And we had our clothes on.

Despite the mixed signals from my military cowboy, Montana was soothing to my body and soul. Not just Colton, but this place. It was nothing like LA. When I pictured myself staying here, my whole body hummed with possibility. Kind of like some people pictured themselves on a beach to relax. Or by a waterfall.

For me, it was this. The open range. The broad blue sky. The majestic mountains. I felt like I was… home.

Add to that my very own military cowboy riding beside me—even though I was silly to think he was mine—and it was perfection.

I watched as Colton put a saddle on Lucy and led her outside, then readied a big brown mare with a black mane for himself. “This is Cinnamon. She’s got a little more spirit in her than Lucy, but she’s been well-trained.”

“Who trains the horses?” I asked as Colton beckoned me over to the fence and helped me climb it.

“Rob and all of the ranch hands. You met Johnny, Levi and Clint. Now Boyd, since he quit the rodeo. We breed horses here. Tame wild ones, too.”

“So it’s a horse ranch?” I felt stupid for not even knowing how the ranch made money.

“We have cattle, too.” He pointed to the fields in the distance where I saw black cows dotting the landscape. We’ve got bulls we stud and sell free-range beef.”

I noted that he still said, “we,” even though he hadn’t been here in a dozen years. That boded well for him moving back.

“The ranch is huge.”

“Sure is. Been in the family for generations.”

I studied him. “You’re proud of it.”

He frowned. “Damn straight.”

“Then why do you stay away so long? I mean, you could work here with your brothers, right?”

He nodded as he held my hand to steady me as I swung a leg over Lucy, then adjusted my stirrups and handed me the reins.

“It wasn’t the right time,” he said, then helped me onto Lucy.

But now it might be? Why was I rooting for that outcome? Did I have a horse in this race? No. He’d never said what we were, but it was clear now it had just been a little fun. No one just quit the military, certainly not for me. I’d heard of people being AWOL. He had to go back. There were procedures, surely. Our time was limited, but it was hard to think that on a pretty day as I was about to go for a horseback ride with the hottest guy on the planet.

Yes. I wanted him to leave the military and settle here because unlike the east coast, I would be sure to see him again. I’d visit Audrey for Christmas and soon after, have to visit my new niece or nephew.

Or maybe…

Maybe he’d give me a different reason to visit.

No. God, it felt dangerous to even entertain that thought. I was falling hard for this guy, the guy who’d kissed me on the forehead and pushed me into a separate bedroom the night before. That screamed I’m done.

Maybe he’d decided I was too young after all. I wracked my brain, trying to think if I’d done anything particularly immature last night. I hadn’t been too tipsy at the bar. Or made a college-girl scene. But he’d been hands-off before we went out. I’d gotten the disgruntled vibe from him during dinner.

I patted Lucy’s neck, more for my comfort than hers.

I was getting my hopes up about us turning into a long-term thing. It was totally foolish and unrealistic. I had a year left of school, and long distance relationships were difficult at best. I knew because I’d watched my freshman roommate try to navigate one with her high school sweetheart. It had fallen apart about six months into the game. And it hadn’t been pretty.

Colton wasn’t an eighteen-year-old college freshman. He was thirty and a Green Beret. He’d head back to North Carolina and forget about me and our fling. He was already putting distance between us now. And once he left, I couldn’t compete with other women, especially with out of sight, out of mind.

Colton mounted his mare with far more grace than I would expect from a guy his size, and he clicked his tongue, urging both our horses forward. “You okay, sweetness?” he asked, adjusting his hat low on his head to block the sun. With that, he was an official cowboy. Panty melting.

When my horse lurched into motion, I squealed. I’d think about leaving later. Right now, I wanted to just have some fun.

“Never been better!” I called out as I held the reins and let Lucy take me wherever it was we were going. And it was true. Colton was beside me. I was trusting him in this just like everything else since we first met. I liked it. No, I loved it, and him, too. Despite my attempts to keep it from engaging, my heart was already soaring above us, basking in the warm fingers of the sun and the morning breeze. The smell of earth and grass and leather. Glowing with pleasure at the delicious male attention that kept coming my way.