I walk closer, running a hand down Diesel’s sleek neck. He’s a magnificent creature, all muscle and fire, just like his owner.
“He looks good. You’re doing a great job with him.”
Jasper’s face flushes a bright red. “Thanks, Dr. Archer.”
“Uh, this is my friend, Clara,” I say, gesturing to where Clara is now standing by the car, taking in the scene with wide eyes.
“Hi,” Clara says, her smile warm and friendly.
“Hey,” Jasper mumbles, looking at his boots. “The, uh, the guys have a grill set up out back. By the bunkhouse. They told me to tell you to just head on back when you got here.”
“Thanks, Jasper,” I say, giving Diesel one last pat before turning to follow Clara.
As we walk around the side of the main house, Clara leans in close.
“You weren’t kidding,” she whispers. “Is there something in the water here? Why is everyone so ridiculously hot?”
I let out a small, surprised laugh. “Maybe you should apply for that local schoolteacher position. I hear it’s open.”
She just smiles, a sly, knowing curve of her lips.
Before I can respond, a blue and gray blur launches itself from the porch of the bunkhouse, barking a frantic, joyful welcome. Boone.
I crouch down, my hands outstretched, and he barrels into me, his whole body wiggling with excitement, his tail thumping a frantic beat against my legs.
I scratch behind his ear, his familiar, happy whines filling me with a warmth that almost hurts.
“Hey, boy,” I murmur, burying my face in his fur. “I missed you, too.”
I look up, and my breath catches. Billy. He’s standing on the porch, a dark silhouette against the light spilling from the bunkhouse window.
He’s dressed in all black—a simple T-shirt that stretches across his broad shoulders and worn jeans that hug his long legs. A beer dangles from his fingers, the bottle dark and slick. He’s watching me intently.
I stand up, brushing the dust from my jeans. “Hey.”
“Hi,” he says, a low, neutral rumble. His gaze turns to Clara, and he gives her a short, curt nod. “Seth is out back.”
Then he turns and walks away, toward the main house, without another word. The dismissal is a physical thing, a door slamming shut in my face.
I hate the lump that forms in my throat, the hot sting behind my eyes. But I know I deserve it. Every cold, cutting word.
Clara’s hand finds mine, lacing our fingers together. “Are you okay?”
I force a smile, my throat tight. “Of course. I’m fine.”
I pull her toward the back, where the smell of grilling meat and wood smoke hangs thick and delicious in the air.
Tex is standing by a massive grill, huge tongs in his hand, his back to us. The moment he hears our footsteps, he turns, and a grin breaks across his face, bright and blinding.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in! The superhero herself!”
He strides over, pulling me into a hug that lifts me off my feet. He smells like sweet tobacco and sun-warmed hay, a scent that’s both comforting and dangerous.
He sets me down and turns to Clara, his charm dialed up to maximum. “I’m a hugger, Clara. I hope you don’t mind. Any friend of Sedona’s is a friend of ours.”
He hugs her too, and she laughs, looking a little dazed.
“Hey, Seth,” I say, my voice softer as I greet the third brother.
