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1
Mason Keagan
The waves off the shore crashed into the sand, drenching Cornelius with its cold fingers. He sputtered, spewing the salt-laden water from his nose and mouth. Sand clung to his hair and his face.
Where was he?
Cornelius scrambled to his feet and stared wide-eyed at the darkening sky. Four moons stared back. He stumbled a few paces as a deep, unsettling feeling reared its ugly head. His fingers dug into his legs as he hunched over and retched.
His ship was gone, but that wasn’t the worst part.
He was stranded on a planet no one had explored. There was no telling the dangers that awaited him just past the greenery at the edge of the beach.
Mason’s book was ripped from his hand and snapped closed. “Are you seriously reading another one of these books?” Carter turned the book over, a crooked and amused smile touching his lips. “I thought this sort of stuff was just for girls.” He eyed Mason with an irritating smirk. “And nerds. Keagans aren’t nerds, Mason. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”
For years, Mason had heard it all. Most of his brothers felt the same way Carter did. They were all cowboys. They all struggled in school so much that reading was only done when it was absolutely necessary. Fortunately, Mason had managed to find an escape in his books—an escape his brothers never seemed to understand.
Well, no one but Daniel. But no one bothered Daniel about his reading habits—not if they didn’t want to be clobbered.
Mason took a deep, calming breath. “Give me back my book, please.”
Carter stared blankly. Figured. His head was probably empty. Most of the Keagan household, except for the older kids, didn’t seem to understand how the world worked. Not even Lucas seemed to have figured out that manners were what helped make the world go round. He was lucky that he’d found Ella, or he would have been alone for the rest of his life.
There was a reason why the four oldest had managed to snag spouses even with the Keagan name. They had their lives figured out.
“Carter,” Mason muttered evenly, “give me my book. Please.”
“Or what? Is your astronaut gonna jump out of your book and get me?” Carter laughed as he tossed the book at Mason.
Catching the book against his chest, Mason glowered at Carter. Lately, his brother had been especially annoying. More than that—he’d been acting strange. It was like he was looking for any excuse to get off of the property. The second his chores were done, he’d disappear. The fact that he was here at the house on a Saturday afternoon made Mason question if something else was going on.
Mason shook his head as he got to his feet and shoved the book under his arm. It wasn’t just Carter; it was Caleb, too. The twins were always a little on edge. Ever since they graduated, it was as if they didn’t understand how important the family was as a whole. Then again, none of his family except Wade and Annabel seemed to appreciate their family like Mason did. Carter was probably just going through some stuff.
If Mason was honest with himself, he’d admit that, at times, he could understand that sort of mentality. His family had been a scourge on the community until recently. Even now, they still had their struggles. As much as Mason cared about all of them, there was a part of him that wondered if it would be smarter to strike out on his own.
One day, he might meet a girl and want to get married. How would it look if he couldn’t find a way to provide for her or their future? Things weren’t really progressing much around here. He needed to do more.
Mason moved his way through the house that was starting to look like a cozy and inviting home after all the work Brielle had put into it. Wade’s wife was a master at design. No one thought she’d be able to do much with the money they got from Shane Owens. But then, she was a Callahan and Callahans knew their way around money.
The house wasn’t unusually quiet. As far as Saturdays were concerned, they tended to be more peaceful, which was why he’d thought he could find a quiet place to read. With Carter disrupting his sanctuary, Mason had to find somewhere else.
He could take a ride to the outskirts of their property. There was a spot out in the middle of nowhere where the horses liked to graze. None of the Keagan household ventured out that way except to check on the fences they had surrounding their herd. Carter most definitely wouldn’t follow him out that way.
Mason nodded resolutely as he hurried down the wooden steps. They creaked beneath his weight as if saying goodbye. His boots hit the dirt, flinging up a small cloud of dust as he walked. Out on that part of the property, there was a tree that, if it was bigger, he might have thought to put a swing in it. As it stood, he’d get some decent shade. That was all he needed. Some shade, a good book, and some peace and quiet.
* * *
He was stranded on a planet no one had explored. There was no telling the dangers that awaited him just past the greenery at the edge of the beach. Cornelius scanned the tree line, letting his gaze sweep along every shadowed area.
The only weapon he had on him was a dagger strapped to his ankle. That’s all he’d need if he came across something dangerous. The shoreline to his right presented more problems than the woods. He knew better than to believe there weren’t any creatures in that deep, dark ocean. Something told him that he’d been lucky to survive it when his ship came down.
“Whatcha reading?”
Mason flinched and then glanced up. He hadn’t heard the woman approach. Clad in a form-fitting, black tank top and shorts that were bordering on inappropriate, the woman started to climb over the fence that separated them. She wore a pair of black combat boots with loose laces, and her black hair was pulled up into what looked like a rat’s nest on top of her head.
His gaze locked on a small rose tattoo on her forearm. The folks around here didn’t have much in the way of body art. Most people stopped at one piercing and dyeing their hair. But this woman not only had that rose on her arm, she also had something just below her right shoulder peeking from behind the tank top strap. A small nose ring was displayed prominently on her left nostril. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she had a bellybutton ring, too.
What was a girl like that doing in Copper Creek?
