A few vehicles were lined up for the pump. I pulled in, swiping a hand across my eyes. Pushing through to Red Hart tonight had never been a solid plan, especially if Eve needed me to pick up supplies on the way past town tomorrow.
White Cap was two and a bit hours from Red Hart Ranch. If I got some sleep now and didn’t screw around in town I could be there just after lunch as I promised her earlier.
The pump freed up. I filled my thirsty truck—or maybe I’d been too heavy on the gas—and headed into the store to pay and organize a room for the night.
My stomach rumbled.
Even a Ranger had needs he couldn’t ignore. And Eve… Seeing her again was a whole new level of desire. The ghost of her silken chestnut curls itched my palms. I pressed them to my thighs at the memory, a stupid grin spreading over my face.
I stopped behind a man dressed in black, lost in my fantasy of the woman I loved spread naked on my bed, until he turned around. My grin soured and slid from my face.
Eve’s creepy as fuck neighbor stared at me with dislike.
The feeling’s mutual, Black Hill boy.
We hadn't gotten along well the last time I’d been at Red Hart, though it was for a very different reason than I travelled for now.
The tall cowboy had a habit of wearing black and loitering around his father’s ranch. Red Hart and Black Hill shared miles of boundary line that often seemed to have issues with stock staying on their own side of the fence, and the rancher’s son was habitually involved. Plus, I hadn't liked the way he affected Eve.
“Pierce.” I nodded, fixing my gaze at a point between his eyes.
“Archer.” A slow smile stretched his thin lips.
If he’d been in Texas, I would have arrested him for breathing.
“Good to be back in Montana.”
“Is it?” He watched me idly. A rich man’s perk, perhaps. “Are you staying long?” Pierce half turned away, throwing his angular face into sharp relief beneath the flickering fluorescent lights.
“Long enough to become a fixture.” I slipped my hand into my pocket before I punched him for no reason. Pierce had always rang alarm bells for me, and those little tinklers had saved my life fuck knew how many times.
“Enjoy your stay. You might find some things have changed up on the mountain.” Pierce paid the cashier, tipping his black hat. “Have a safe drive back.”
My stomach clenched. Hadn’t Eve said the same thing earlier about change? It wasn’t a concept I liked, but I’d tackle whatever she needed right now. More than anything, I wanted to get up to Red Hart, hold Eve and make sure she was alright. First, look after her and tackled whatever in the hell was wrong at the ranch and with my girl, I needed sleep. Driving in the middle of the night while I was pissed at her neighbor and distracted by Pierce wouldn't do either myself or her any favors.
“Sir?” the cashier called, his gaze darting between me and the doors that swung shut behind the lanky cowboy.
I paid the man, sorting accommodation and a meal to take back to my room. Company didn’t suit me right now. Swallowing the bitter aftertaste that lingered in my mouth, I headed back to my truck with instructions of where to park for the night.
As I neared my truck, my teeth began to grind. A long stripe that shouldn’t have been there was carved into the perfect red paintwork, reaching as deep as bare metal. The edges of the mark were irregular, just like the tip of a key had been dug deep and ripped right along the side of my truck, higher than usual for a good key job too.
But perfect for waist height of a tall man.
I clenched my teeth harder, an instant headache blooming at my temples.
Fucking Black Hill boy.
It looked like I wasn’t going to get a lot of sleep tonight, after all.
Chapter 2
Archer
The lumpy truck stop motel bed did little for my cramped back from sitting in my truck for the last three days, and nothing to ease my sleepless night when the neighboring room housed either a newlywed couple, or a brothel by the hour.
There were just some sounds that I’d never be able to strike from my mind.
I pushed myself upright before the sun crested the horizon through a thin smattering of clouds, my joints popping as I planned out the remaining miles for the day. Four hours should take me to White Cap, then two to three hours after that to reach Red Hart, depending on how well the unsealed roads behaved.
