Chapter One
JOEY
“Mommy, can I go pet the sheep?” Max asks, giving me a big, toothy grin.
“Of course, Baby. Make sure to stay with Poppy, okay?”
“Okay!” He runs off and grabs Poppy’s hand as he leads her over to the petting zoo Kade set up for today.
There’s a cotton candy stand on one side of the sprawling front yard and someone else doing balloon animals. Max’s giggles at the sheep licking his hand can be heard over everything.
Or maybe that’s just my mom ears always on the listen for him.
It’s the perfect day for the reopening of The Lost Spur. With the sun high in the sky and guests’ laughter drifting through the trees, it couldn’t get any better than it is right now.
Until my eyes find those of a certain ranch hand.
Sam Shaw.
Thank God for the sunglasses covering my eyes, because it would be a dead giveaway I’m staring at him.
With Levi’s stretched across his thighs and his flannel shirtrolled up to his elbows, the Stetson cowboy hat completes the look.
Who can resist a sexy cowboy?
Certainly not me.
My eyes track him as he strolls across the grassy front lawn to grab a lemonade.
“You ready?”
I jump a foot in the air as my friend comes up next to me.
“You scared the crap out of me, Presley.”
“I called your name twice,” she says.
“I didn’t hear you.”
“Are you worried about something?”
I shake my head. “No. I want to keep an eye on things in case any guests need assistance.”
“Like I told Kade, everything is going great. No need to worry today.”
“Right.” I turn to give her a smile, clearing all thoughts of sexy cowboys away. “What were you saying?”
“Time for you to get your fortune told,” Presley says, linking her arm through mine.
“What? Why?”
Dread settles low in my belly. This is not how I want to spend the afternoon.
“Because Serena is doing them for free and you need one.”
“I thought you didn’t like them.”
“Hey, don’t knock it until you try it. She was right about me.”
