“Parker and I ran into a pack of buckle bunnies after the show. We figured we’d have more fortune with them than the casino,” he says with a devilish grin. “Man, we tore it up. And by tore it up, I mean we tried to keep up without embarrassing ourselves.” He winks and takes a long pull from his coffee.
“Well, I’m glad you boys are enjoying yourselves. You deserve it. We’ve put in the work to get here, and I appreciate the hell outta y’all.”
Johnny raises his mug in a mock salute. “Yeah, well, you deserve to have some fun too, Denton. Can’t be all work and no play. Plus, how are you gonna get inspiration for new songs if you don't actually live it?”
He’s right. I haven’t let myself have much fun in a long time. I’ve been too focused on making it, but what was the point of it all if I wasn't happy? But damn it, I did deserve to enjoy it. I knew I was approaching burnout and I needed to make a change.
I slam my cup down, coffee spilling onto the counter. “Ya know, you’re fucking right, Johnny,” I say, straightening up. I have an idea—it’s probably a bad idea—but still a grin tugs at my lips. “I think it’s about time I start having a little fun. And I know exactly how to do it.”
Johnny raises a brow, eyes lighting up. “Oh yeah, Dent? Well, what the hell! You know I’m always down for a good time. What’ve you got in mind?”
Last night I tossed and turned in my bunk. I couldn't get Sorrel off my mind. I tried to distract myself by scrolling on my phone, but I ended up on the internet typing into Google “Saxxon Ranch”. Sorrel didn't tell me much about it, but my curiosity got the best of me. The screen loaded, and I clicked on the website for the ranch. The first picture was of a breathtaking mountain range, rivers running through a valley, and little pink flowers in bloom. Montana sure is beautiful. I was about to click on the drop-down to where it said “photos” but something caught my eye—guest ranch. My finger hovered.Click.
“That gal I hung out with last night. Her family owns a ranch.”
“Okay and…?”
I’m not sure why I feel embarrassed to tell him this.
“Well, after she said no to giving me her number?—”
“Wait, what? She said no? Something must be wrong with this girl.”
I shake my head. “Anyways, I looked up the ranch and it turns out they’ve got a guesthouse for rent. I figured you, me, and the boys could head up there, get a little R&R. Says it comes with three home-cooked meals a day, actual ranch life experience, and there’s a little town nearby with a bar that looks like a proper hole in the wall. Thought we might raise some hell, clear our heads for a bit.”
He tilts his head back and lets out a loud laugh. “I get it. You dig the chase. Well, fuck yeah, I’m in! Book it! I’ll round up the guys and we’ll hit the road.”
“Seriously?”
“Hell yeah, this is gonna be awesome! I can’t wait to see her face when we show up.”
Johnny disappears out the door, already fired up before I can give him all the details. We have one more show tonight a few towns over, so we won’t be able to go to the ranch until tomorrow.
I grab my phone off the counter. Pulling the ranch website back up, I click on the phone number listed at the bottom of the page. My stomach feels queasy—partly from the alcohol last night, caffeine this morning, and no food. And I’m not sure who will be on the other line.
Ring, ring, ring.
“This is Clint. What can I do for ya?” a deep and raspy male voice says.
“Yeah, uh, I wanted to inquire about renting out your guesthouse. Is it available?”
“Yeah, it’s available,” Clint says in a short, clipped tone.
“Okay…we could get there as soon as tomorrow morning. Can we get it for a week?”
“Yep, that’ll work. See you tomorrow.”
Click.
“Hello, are you there?” I ask into the phone. Well, all righty then. I guess it’s as simple as that.
A nervous twist hits low in my stomach. The thought of seeing Sorrel again with that long blonde hair, and that fire behind her eyes. It damn near knocks the breath out of me. Yeah...I have it bad already.
The rest of the band comes barreling into the trailer along with Johnny. Where the hell did they all sleep last night? The only one who rolls out of their bunk is Grady, our bass player.
Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he asks, “What’s going on?”
“We’re going to a dude ranch, yeehaw!” Johnny says, jumping up and down, twirling an invisible rope in the air.
