Page 31 of Wild Lies

I tip my hat, winking at her as she hops out of the truck. “I’m always aiming to please.”

Our first stop will be the big red barn. It’s worn, with its peeling paint and weathered roof. It’s certainly seen better days, but I try to see it through Chloe’s eyes as we head toward it.

She falls into step with me, holding a hand up to shield her face from the sun. I should have got her a hat.

“How long has your family owned this place?” Chloe asks, lifting the camera she brought with her and taking some shots of the surrounding pastures.

“For generations. We can trace it back as far as our five times great-grandparents.” I shove my hands into my pockets as she snaps some pictures, ducking my head when she turns toward me and the click of the shutter sounds.

“Oh, come on, handsome. Let me get a couple of shots for my private collection.”

I step toward her, a grin on my face as I grip her hips. “Don’t you already have enough?”

Somewhere in the distance, a horse neighs, and the sound of the working ranch fills the air, but it all dims when I look at her. It’s been a matter of days, but I think I’m fucked when it comes to Chloe.

“Of you? Never,” she replies, breathlessly.

The air between us is charged, a heated fire of need blazing in her eyes as she looks up at me. If we weren’t standing in the middle of my family’s property with people working hard around us, I’d take her right now.

A sharp whistle bursts our little bubble. “Hey, no fucking in the middle of the ranch.”

Chloe looks away first, before my gaze follows hers, and I catch sight of Wyatt in the training paddock, a grin the size of Montana on his face.

“Did he just say what I think he said?”

“He did,” I reply, shaking my head. “Come, let’s get this tour over with so I can show you my favorite spot.”

Chloe slides her fingers between mine, her touch something I’m starting to get used to. There’s nobody around here to pretend for and so the fact that she’s choosing to hold my hand fills me with warmth as we head for the big red barn.

Inside, I introduce Chloe to the horses. She takes pictures of each of them, but more of my horse, Duke, and I can’t help but chuckle before leading her through a door at the back and showing her where we keep the tools and some of the machinery.

“This place is huge. Much bigger than it looks from the outside.” There’s a hint of awe in her tone as she looks around.

“Yeah, my dad had the old barn knocked down when he took over from his dad. We were expanding then, but nowhere near as much as we have since Grayson, my older brother, took over.”

Chloe leans against the wall, her eyes on me when she says, “So, you’ve told me what Wyatt does around here, but you haven’t told me what you do?”

“You don’t miss a thing, do you?” I tug on the back of my neck. “I do whatever is needed of me. Sometimes that’s breaking in a horse, fixing a piece of equipment, or supporting in meetings. No two days look the same.”

She narrows her eyes, tilting her head before she asks, “But it’s not where your passion lies?”

I move to the door that leads out into one of the pastures, pushing it open as I look around before shifting my focus back to her. She’s leaning against that wall, still watching me with an openness about her that tells me I don’t have to lie to myself when I’m with her.

“No, it’s not,” I admit, the words ripped from me like a confession.

18

KADE

We speed through pastures in one of the ranch’s ATVs, the breeze whipping Chloe’s hair around her face as she smiles up at the sun. Today has been a good day. The type of day I could get used to having.

The ATV bounces as I navigate the terrain, land that I’ve known and worked my entire life. We’re miles from the ranch with nothing in sight but mountains and fields filled with long grass. The furthest point of the property—and my favorite place to hang out as a kid—is about five minutes away, and I can’t wait to show Chloe.

“We’re nearly there,” I holler over the roaring sound of the engine.

“Okay,” she calls back, the word getting lost in the noise.

Chloe didn’t question me further on my confession, and even if she had, it’s not something I can risk talking about when I don’t know who might be listening. Instead, we’ve walked around the barns, the stables and just about every other place I could think of, talking about my family’s history and our plans for the future.