“It’s a steer, Joey,” Kyle groaned. “You see any tits on that cow? Hell no.”
Cole just shook his head with a sigh. “My god,” he said, looking at me. “These guys wouldn’t know a cow titty if it hit them in the face.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at Cole’s exasperation. The guys had been working at the Nelson Ranch for almost two months now, but their cattle knowledge was still... developing. Connor, though—he was a natural, like he’d been born to this life.
“You know,” I said to Cole, “maybe we should have Joey work the chickens instead.”
“Don’t you dare,” Joey called back, somehow hearing me despite the distance. “I’m allergic to those little bastards.”
Connor’s lasso sailed through the air with perfect form, catching the steer around the neck. He pulled it tight with a practiced jerk of his wrist, then wrapped the rope around the fence post to secure it. His muscles flexed beneath his t-shirt, and I felt that familiar flutter in my stomach. Even after two months, watching him work still took my breath away.
“Damn, you’re good at that,” I called out, not bothering to hide the admiration in my voice.
Connor glanced over his shoulder at me, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Had a lot of practice lately.” The look in his eyes told me he wasn’t just talking about roping cattle.
Cole cleared his throat loudly. “If you two are done making eyes at each other, we’ve got twenty more head to process before sundown.”
I felt my cheeks flush but didn’t look away from Connor. We didn’t hide what we were to each other anymore. Not from Cole, not from Jesse, not from anyone. After everything we’d been through, we’d earned that much.
“Sorry, boss,” Connor said, though he didn’t sound sorry at all. “I’ll get back to work.”
Cole shook his head, but I could see the smile he was trying to hide. In the two months since Connor had been released and my father’s ranch had been shut down, Cole and Jesse had given us both a home, jobs, and something I’d never really had before. Acceptance. No judgment, no conditions, just support.
The guys had settled in well too. Joey, Kyle, Greg, and Darius had moved into the bunkhouse on the Nelson property, continuing their parole under Cole’s supervision. It was everything my father’s program should have been but never was. Everything was focused on rehabilitation rather than cheap labor and humiliation. And they were blooming because of it.
I pushed off from the fence and headed toward the barn. We had a big shipment of hay coming in, and I needed to make surewe had room for it. As I walked, I found myself smiling for no particular reason. Just happiness, I guess. The kind that sneaks up on you when you’re not looking, when you realize your life has somehow transformed into something you never thought possible.
My father’s trial was set to begin next month. Larry’s testimony would be crucial, along with the mountain of evidence they’d found about his treatment of parolees over the years. I tried not to think about it too much. That chapter of my life was closed, even if the legal proceedings were still ongoing.
I heard boots on the gravel behind me and turned to find Connor following me, his new black cowboy hat tipped low over his eyes to shield them from the sun.
“Everything okay?” he asked, falling into step beside me.
“Perfect,” I replied, feeling that familiar warmth spread through my chest whenever he was near. “Just checking on the barn space for that hay delivery.”
He nodded, glancing back toward the cattle pens where the others were still working. “Cole’s got them handled for a few minutes. Thought I’d see if you needed help.”
The way he said “help” made my skin tingle. Two months together, and he still had that effect on me. Like I was seventeen with my first crush instead of a grown man.
“I always need your kind of help,” I said with a smirk.
Connor’s eyes darkened as he moved closer, his hand brushing against mine. “Careful what you wish for, pup.”
The pet name still sent shivers down my spine. I loved how easily it rolled off his tongue now, how comfortable he’d become showing affection both in private and, increasingly, in public too.
We reached the barn and stepped inside, the sudden dimness making me blink. The sweet smell of hay and leather filled mynose, along with the earthier scents of the ranch. Connor closed the door behind us, and suddenly the space felt much smaller.
“How much time do we have?” he asked, his voice dropping to that low register that made my knees weak.
“Not enough for what you’re thinking,” I laughed, though I didn’t move away when he stepped closer. “Cole will send a search party if we’re gone too long.”
“Cole can wait,” Connor murmured, his hands finding my hips and backing me against the wall. “I’ve been watching you all morning in those jeans.”
I grinned up at him, looping my arms around his neck. “Just the jeans? And here I thought you liked what was in them.”
“Smartass,” he growled before capturing my lips with his.
The kiss was hungry, desperate almost, like we hadn’t just woken up in the same bed that morning. Like we hadn’t spent the night tangled in each other’s arms. I melted into him, my body responding instantly to his touch.
