“Seems like you got him better.” He grins. “Fuck, I wish I’d been there. Kai’s gonna lose his mind when he hears this.”
“Don’t tell Kai.”
“I’m absolutely telling Kai.”
“Carter.”
“He’s gonna find out anyway. Might as well hear it from me so I can embellish the details.”
I shake my head, but I can’t quite suppress the smirk. “Think I found my scent match last night too.”
Carter’s head whips toward me. “The fuck did you just say?”
“Eyes on the road.”
He corrects the wheel but keeps glancing over at me. “Your scent match? You serious?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I can’t fucking remember.” The frustration boils up. “I’ve got this image of hazel eyes, curly brown hair, thisscent,but I don’t know who she is or where she came from or if she’s even real.”
“What kind of scent?”
“Lemon. Honey. Wildflowers.” Saying it out loud makes it feel more real. “I can still smell it. Even now. Like it’s stuck in my head.”
“Fuck yeah.” Carter grins, punching my shoulder. “That’s what I’m talking about. Pack’s finally gonna be complete. Who is she? She local? She hot?”
“That’s the problem, asshole. I don’t remember.”
“Jesus Christ.” He laughs, shaking his head. “Only you, man. Only fucking you.”
“It’s not funny.”
“It’s fucking hilarious.”
I flip him off, and he just laughs harder.
The road curves, and the ranch comes into view up ahead—Cooper Canyon Guest Ranch, where the three of us have been staying. It’s a two-story wooden structure with a wide wraparound porch, painted white with dark green trim. A big red barn sits off to one side, and beyond that, rolling hills dotted with cattle and horses stretch toward the mountains in the distance. There’s a stable complex to the right, and enough land between them that you could forget the rest of the world exists.
It’s a good setup. Private. Away from my dad, his new wife, and the rest of the circuit crew. A place to decompress when everything else gets too loud.
Vehicles are parked everywhere today, trucks and SUVs crowding the gravel drive. People milling around near the horse pen, where the photography setup is waiting. Twophotographers, lighting equipment, and what looks like half the circuit crew standing around.
My dad is by the fence, arms crossed, talking to someone I don’t recognize. Even from this distance, I can feel his disapproval radiating off him like heat.
“How’s Kai doing this morning?” I ask, changing the subject because I can’t think about mystery women and scent matches anymore without losing my mind.
Carter chuckles. “For once, he’s doing better than you. Which is saying a damn lot.”
“Fuck off.”
He grins. “Don’t forget, there’s the town fair tonight. Give him time, and he’ll outdo both of us. Plus, they have a live band, some dancing.”
“I’m not going.”
“Come on?—”
“Not after last night. Not with whatever the fuck is going on with the deputy situation.”
Carter glances at me but doesn’t push. “Fair enough,” he says. “But if you change your mind?—”
