“Great. I’ll come with you for the introductions. Oh, I should tell Kathy to get the cabin ready. I don’t want the new wrangler and kitchen assistant to sleep in the bunkhouse with the men.”
Kathy and her husband, Shane, live on the ranch and in our house
“I already prepared Briar and Juni’s old rooms for them so they wouldn’t have to trek between the guesthouse, mess hall, and barns every day,” Mama says. “When Landry retires and the chef’s quarters are empty, the new one can move in. Think they’ll be okay living here for the season?”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” I say. “I’d better get breakfast before they get here, or I won’t have enough energy to give them the tour.”
“Don’t forget to take your medicine, too,” he murmurs. “There’ll be lots of new people here today. I don’t want you having a panic attack.”
I’m twenty-six. I can remember to take my own damn meds.
I nearly roll my eyes. “I will.”
“Good. See you soon, June-bug.” After a quick kiss to Mama’s lips, Daddy puts his hat back on his silver-streaked head and clomps out the front door.
He doesn’t fully get my anxiety. I think he thinks it’s the unknown, but that’s not the whole reason. Not entirely. It’s notjustbecause there will be a lot of new people. It’s having to beon. What if they don’t like me? What if they think I’m bad at my job? What if they hate my personality? What if we don’t get along?
Then, I’ll spend the rest of the day analyzing every single word that came out of my mouth to make sure I didn’t say something embarrassing or rude or wrong.
“He means well, Juniper.” Mama pushes my bread down into the toaster. “You know that, right?”
“I know.”
And I do. Daddy’s never been mean or passive-aggressive aboutmy anxiety or depression. He may not understandit, but he’s always believed in me and made sure I had the help I needed. He thinks it all goes away when I take my medicine, which isn’t the case.
“You’ll be okay today?” she asks. “You don’t need my help?”
I crack some fresh pepper on my eggs and sprinkle them with cheese, smiling at Mama. “I’m sure. It’s only four people.”
What could go wrong?
As I shuffle the paperwork around on my desk, Oakley, Rusty, and Briggs introduce themselves. Rusty and Briggs are the new ranch hands, and Oakley is the new assistant chef, so we’re just waiting on our new wrangler, Addison, to show up.
Oakley had arrived in a flurry of fiery red hair, freckles, and southern charm, ready to make me her best friend. I can already tell I’m going to like her. Rusty reminds me of a basset hound with his floppy brown hair and big brown eyes. On the flipside, Briggs, with his piercing blue eyes, cropped black hair, thick beard, tattoos, and bulky frame, reminds me of a cane corso. They seem kind and respectful. No weird vibes. I think they’ll make a great addition to our team.
The office door opens, and Daddy greets the newcomer. My eyes are fixed on the computer screen, ensuring I have my checklist open, so I don’t miss anything. Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone in a denim jacket take the seat behind my monitor.
Clearing my throat, I stand to introduce myself, but my mind goes blank when I meet brown eyes I conjure sometimes when my hand is between my legs. “H-hi. Nice to see you again.”
I search her face for any sign of recognition, and my heart falls to my stomach when I don’t find any. Her pink lips are tilteddown, her arms crossed over her chest, and her jaw is set in a tight line. She scrutinizes the hand I’ve extended.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” she clips, ignoring my offered handshake.
Embarrassment has heat rising up my neck until I can feel the heat in my cheeks. “Right. Uh, sorry. You looked familiar. Um… If you’ll excuse me, I need to… go grab somethin’ from the house. Be right back. Daddy, can you…”
I motion to the folders with the paperwork that needs to be handed out. My vision is blurring, and my palms are starting to sweat.
“Go, June-bug.” Daddy places his hand gently on my shoulder and nudges me toward the door. “I can take it from here.”
I scramble out, heading around the back of the main house and up the trail to the small one-bedroom tiny house Daddy insisted on making mine a few years ago. I’ve never been more grateful to have my own place than I am when hot tears burn behind my eyes.
How embarrassing. Of course, she wouldn't recognize me. It was one night three years ago.
Just because I remember doesn’t mean she does.
Chapter 2
As she speed walks out,I get a whiff of some type of floral scent that takes me back to that night three years ago. My eyes fall closed as memories flash in my mind.
