Surrendered

Two pink lines. That’s all it takes to knock me flat.

I came back to Black Spruce Ranch with my tail between my legs—no job, no law license, no clue what the hell comes next. The plan was simple: keep my head down, survive my old man’s temper, and try not to screw up again.
Then there’s Katie McArthur. The quiet vet I used to give a hard time in high school—except now she’s hot as hell, confident, and doesn’t take an ounce of my bullshit. One night with her was supposed to shut off the noise in my head, not tie me to a future I’m scared to want.
Now she’s carrying my kid, and working near her every day is its own kind of punishment. She’s too good for me—steady where I’m chaos, soft where I’m rough—I’ve already torched one life. I can’t afford to ruin hers too.

But every time she looks at me like I might be worth something, I start to believe it. That’s dangerous—because belief turns into hope.

And hope?
That’s how you get burned.