I smirk, enjoying the fuck out of her. I had no idea she was this funny.
“What’s that old wall over there?” she asks, pointing off to the right.
“Ruins. We don’t know for sure what it used to be. Ryker, Willow, and I used to play around there all the time when we were kids.”
“I’ll come check it out sometime.”
“We can go look now.”
I turn the wheel and steer us over to the old rock building that crumbled a long, long time ago.
Lena hops out and walks over, runs her hand over the wall.
“It makes me wonder who built this. Was it a home for a family? Was it a storage place for food? An outhouse?”
“Little big for an outhouse,” I reply.
“It’s pretty cool.” Shoving her hair off her face, Lena turns back to look at the mountains again.
She’s enamored with them.
“I want to draw them from here. Maybe from everywhere.”
“You can do that.”
We get back in the little vehicle, and I set off for the barn. Aiden’s walking out of it as we approach and waves when he sees us get closer.
“Hey,” he says with a smile. “I saw the pile of loot in there. I didn’t know you liked to shop so much, Gid.”
“It’s cathartic,” I reply and then grin when Aiden laughs. “It’s all for Lena. Where is everyone?”
“Most everyone’s inside,” he says. “Storm’s coming later, so we’re getting ready for it.”
I nod and see Ryker step out to join us.
“Do you need my help?” I ask him.
“Nah, we have it covered.” He turns to Lena and offers her a smile. “I’m Ryker. We didn’t get to meet yesterday.”
“Lena.” She holds her hand out to shake, but I see the way she tenses, as if she’s waiting for Ryker to go on the offensive the way Willow did. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Same,” Ry says.
“Ignore Aunt Wills,” Aiden adds. “She’s just in mama-bear mode, and that can be intense.”
“Oh, it’s fine—” Lena begins, but Ryker shakes his head.
“Welcome to the Triple Creek,” he says, and I can’t help but smile.
This is exactly how she should have been welcomed yesterday.
“All the horses are put away,” Malachi, one of our young ranch hands, says as he comes outside, but when he spots Lena, he blinks, and a slow smile spreads over his handsome face as his eyes travel up and down her body, pausing at the sight of her tight jeans. “Well, hi there.”
“Hello,” Lena says. “I’m—”
“My dream come true,” Malachi says, and before he can reach out and touch her, I step in front of her and pin the man in a hard stare. “Um. Sorry. Didn’t realize—”
“Don’t you have something to do?”
