Page 70 of Filthy Twisted Devil

“We have thirty minutes until we get to the ranch. You can still take up knitting.”

I spend the rest of the drive quizzing Luke on our story. He fudges some of the timeline details at first, but by the time suburban city centers turn into vast farmland, he’s got everything in the right order. The landscape shifts back and forth between grassy hills and grassy prairies dotted with wildflowers.

“PrairieSmoke,” Luke says. “These fields. That’s where you got the name.”

“It’s where I’m from.”

“I like the looks of it.” He reaches over and puts his hand on my thigh, a casual gesture that feels strangely natural, but also makes my chest feel tight with nerves. As much as I try to pretend this is just a casual trip, the fact is, I still want Luke just as much as I ever did, and he’s going to spend the next few days pretending he wants me, too.

By the time Locke Ranch comes into view—the vast fields, the old barn, the farmhouse where I grew up—the want I feel for him is too big for my body, for the car, even for the vast skies of Sundre.

29

LUKE

From the moment we drive through the gates, Locke Ranch feels like Eden. It's not just that the prairie grass is the same dark gold as her hair. It’s the calm openness of the place, the peaceful brush of the wind, tempered by the underlying wildness of the uncultivated grass. Eden might thrive in the city, but of course this is where she came from.

I drive the Corvette along the winding road to the farmhouse. It’s an old wooden two-story house with a wraparound porch. It’s been freshly painted ivory, with the shutters and front door in a matching forest green. Well-tended flower beds line the porch. The driveway holds three large pickup trucks—black, gray, and red. Eden sighs when she sees them.

“That means my brothers are home,” she says. “Hopefully, they’re still tied up with work.”

As we get closer, I can see a woman sitting on a swing on the front porch, obviously Eden’s mother. She has the same dark blonde hair and long frame. She waves as I park next to the black truck.

Eden shoves her door open practically before I even put the car in park. She rushes up to her mother and envelops her in a hug. Figuring she’s not in a hurry to get our suitcases from the back, I turn the car off and join them.

Mrs. Locke’s pale hazel eyes take me in from head to toe, and I wonder whether I’m dressed appropriately in my white henley and dark jeans.

“Luke, this is my mom. Mom, this is Luke Windsor.”

“It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Locke.” I extend my hand to shake hers, but she scoffs and gets shakily to her feet before giving me a hug instead.

“Please,” she says. “Call me Rose.”

“Thanks for having us. Eden talks so much about this place, it’s exciting to finally see it in person.”

Rose grabs the swing’s wooden frame for support as she slowly lowers herself back down. Eden frowns. “Mom, where’s your chair?”

Rose waves her hand dismissively. “It’s inside. I didn't need to use it today.”

“We’ve talked about this. Even when you're feeling good, you need to use the chair. It keeps you from tiring yourself out and having a flareup and⁠—”

“I'm thirsty,” Rose says, interrupting her. “Why don't you go inside and make Luke and I some tea?”

Eden opens her mouth and closes it again, obviously struggling not to keep arguing. “Fine,” she says finally, walking inside and leaving us alone.

Rose pats the seat on the swing next to her. “Please, sit.”

“Thanks.” The swing creaks under my weight, a reminder of how much lighter Eden’s mom is than me. “The view here is beautiful.”

“Yes,” she says proudly. “Obviously, that's the old barn house in front of us. If you look out in the distance, you can see the industrial barn. That's where we keep the cattle and the horses. I'm sure Eden and the boys will take you out there later.”

“How many animals do you have?”

“We have thirty head of cattle and nine horses at the moment. I know you were talking to Wade about our grain, so I'm sure you know that much more of our business is in farming than in ranching now, but we were more of a livestock farm when Eden was growing up. Do you have much experience with horses?”

“No,” I admit. “I'm a city boy. I hope that doesn't count against me.”

“Of course not, darlin’. I was just wondering if we had any horses you could ride. Rainbow Sprinkles might be able to hold your weight.”