What the hell just happened?
I drag a hand through my damp hair, pushing back the frustration, the confusion. That felt too real. Too good.
I exhale slowly, my mind still spinning, trying to piece everything together. My body is telling me something different than my thoughts.
My muscles ache like I’ve been running for miles, and my mouth is dry, tasting her like she’s still here, still with me.
Every time I close my eyes, I see her. Dakota. That look she gave me. Open, hungry. She wants me.
But it’s a damn mess. Clint might want her, Reid definitely wants her, and hell, I can’t even figure out where I stand in all this. And then there’s the fact that she’s not sticking around.
I should forget it. Forget her. But I can’t. The ache is there, a constant pull in my chest.
I can’t like her. Not when things are already complicated.
With a frustrated sigh, I pull on my boots and grab a shirt off the chair. I force myself to focus, trying to block out the thoughts of her. It won’t be easy, but I’ve got work to do.
The ranch won’t fix itself.
I head out the door, trying to shake the feeling that I’m moving through molasses, every step heavier than the last. The sun’s barely risen, and the whole world is holding its breath.
But then I hear the shouts, and Reid cuts through the calm.
“Sawyer! We need you, now!”
I’m moving before I even realize it, heading toward the sound of his voice. Reid’s rushing toward me, face pale with panic.
“The livestock’s loose. They’re all over the place,” he says, barely catching his breath. “We need every hand on deck. I’ve got some guys on it, but it’s bad, Sawyer.”
I feel my stomach drop. That isn’t a normal mishap.
Someone’s fucking with us.
Still.
I’m really starting to think Clint is right to worry.
I swallow down the knot in my throat. “How the hell did this happen?”
“I don’t know,” Reid says tightly. “But we need help right now. They’re already scattered, and it’s only getting worse. We gotta fix this fast, or we’re gonna lose ’em.”
I don’t need to be told twice. My mind clicks into place as I make my way past the barn, muscles already shifting into work mode. I can feel the sweat on the back of my neck, but it’s not from the heat. This is too much.
We don’t stop moving. Not until we reach the paddock.
When I see it, I know right away this isn’t just some freak accident. The cattle are running wild, scattered in every direction, clearly startled by something.
Fuck.
Reid’s already rounding up the other hands, his face tight with worry, but it doesn’t take a genius to know this is bigger than a few cows breaking out.
This could cost us. And that’s the last thing we need.
I walk over to the broken fence, the destruction more than I expected. The wood is splintered, the posts cracked.
My gut clenches.
As I move to help, all I can think about is Dakota again. The way she looked at me, the way we… connected.
