“I didn’t even notice her. Lauren looked nice today though.” Cord shoves a big bite of food into his mouth like he didn’t just wave a red flag in front of a bull.
Beside me, Bronco stiffens and mutters a curse under his breath. “You stay away from her.”
Cord holds up his hands, but there’s no mistaking the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. He was annoying Bronco on purpose. Everyone here knows Bronco has a thing for Lauren, the receptionist at Wildflower.
“They say she’s from out of town,” Flint says, changing the topic back to Bree.
I want to ask if he knows anything else, but before I can, more guys join from the barn.
Ridge tosses extra burgers and hot dogs on the grill as the conversation and beers flow freely. The topic never turns back to Bree again, which means they don’t know anything. Part of me is glad that they don’t, and part of me feels like I wasted my time coming here tonight. I could have gathered better intel by just sitting outside of Bree’s apartment like I do most nights now.
After dinner, I find myself with Bronco in the barn trying to get a tractor running again. It seems something is always breaking down on the ranch, and Bronco says that’s just the way it is.
He tosses me a greasy rag. “Are you doing okay? You haven’t been out here in a while.”
Bronco is the reason I’m in Courage County. We served together for a little while, and when I knew I was getting out, I called him.
I bunked on the ranch for a few months before I bought my cabin in the mountains. Communal living isn’t for me, but I get why a lot of the guys like it. It reminds them of their time in the barracks, of what it feels like to be part of a brotherhood who has your back no matter what.
“Seemed like a good time to stop by,” I hedge, not sure what to tell him or even how to explain what’s happened to me.
He doesn’t answer. He just waits for me to go on like a patient big brother who actually gives a damn about you. I can’t say I’ve ever had anyone care about me like that in my whole life.
Finally, I sigh. “Have you been with anyone since coming stateside?”
Something flickers in his expression, but it’s gone before I can read it. “There are guys that come back home, and then there are guys that come back home.”
He doesn’t have to explain what he means. Some of us reintegrate successfully, while others never really leave the combat zone. Bronco believes he’ll never be more than a soldier haunted by his demons.
If you’d asked me two weeks ago, I probably would have said the same thing about myself. But since meeting Bree, everything is different.
“I’ve found the one. Her name is Bree,” I say her name softly, the way a dying man whispers a prayer. That’s what it feels like. I was nearly gone, lost to the pain that comes from seeing the worst things humanity is capable of. Then she was there, scolding me about the importance of her patients and putting me in my place.
“The new nurse practitioner?” he asks.
I nod, not surprised that he was paying attention during the conversation. There might be a million things happening on this ranch, but Bronco never misses a detail. It’s not in his nature. He was a gunnery sergeant, always on alert, always looking out for ways to protect his men and keep them safe.
“I’m going to marry her. She’s my future wife.” Getting to say those words out loud sends a thrill through me. I know it’s only a matter of time, and I can’t wait until the day I can slide my ring on her finger.
He chuckles. “Does she know you exist yet?”
I can’t help chuckling, too. “Oh, she’ll know I exist soon enough.”
He claps me on the back. “Well, you better claim her before someone else does.”
Chapter 5
Bree
I close the door to my tiny office. It’s more of a utility closet with a window, but I still love it because I love how cozy it is.
I settle behind my desk with my coffee in hand. I still have a few minutes before I have to start my work day.
Lately, I spend my mornings here rereading the love letter while sipping coffee. I’ve read it so many times that I have parts of it memorized.
I’ve searched the text for clues as to the writer’s identity, but so far I’ve found nothing. I’m not sure how to find this secret admirer. They haven’t left me any more notes, and there are moments when I’d almost think that I imagined this letter. Then I feel the crisp paper underneath my fingertips, and I know it’s real.
Someone really did write me a love letter. Someone did take what must have been hours to pour out their heart to me. I only wish that I knew who it was. Why would someone go to all this trouble if they weren’t willing to come forward? I’m still trying to puzzle that out when Lauren bursts into the room.
