Page 6 of Rope Me, Cowboys

It was after midnight when we pulled up at the ranch. I had passed the last hour in a semi-conscious state, somewhere between awake and asleep. It was so dark here that it was hard to see anything out the windows, and I was tired after flying across the country.

Finally, the truck stopped and Sawyer threw it into park. “You awake?” he asked, giving me a gentle shake. Heat sank into my shoulder from his touch, and I had to resist the urge to sleepily crawl into his lap and curl up there.

“Let’s get you inside,” he said with a smile. “You look like you could use a good night’s rest.”

“Thanks,” I said, smiling through a yawn. “If you’ll just show me where to sleep, I’ll grab my bags and crash. I’m beat.”

“I’ll bring your bags up,” Sawyer said. “Don’t worry about a thing.”

With that, he hopped out of the truck. A whistling wind slammed his door for him. As I climbed out, the wind tore at me like a wild animal. There were no buildings to block the wind here. A big lodge loomed over the drive, but it was dark inside, and I couldn’t make out much detail.

“Go on in,” Sawyer called from the back, where he was unloading my bags.

When I turned towards the house, a giant loomed out of the darkness at me.

I screamed.

“Whoa, Nelly,” he said in a soft voice.

I almost screamed again when a huge paw reached out for me.

“Don’t go scaring the girl,” Sawyer said, coming around with two of my bags.

“Sorry,” said the giant. He switched on a headlamp, which pretty well blinded me. I threw up a hand to shield my eyes.

“You know this guy?” I asked, huddling against Sawyer.

“This is Holden,” he said. “He’s my—our—brother.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Holden said, holding out a hand.

Awkwardly, I took it. His huge, hot hand engulfed mine, firm but gentle, and a feeling of comfort immediately settled my nerves. Instead of snapping at him, my words came out teasing. “Well, Holden, you should really think twice about sneaking up on girls in the dark. You’re lucky I didn’t have out my pepper spray. That would probably not have fostered the warm and cozy feelings our parents are aiming for.”

“Probably not,” Sawyer agreed with an easy smile.

“I apologize,” Holden rumbled, holding out an arm like he was going to escort me to a royal ball. “Can I make it up to you by welcoming you to the Coyote Ranch?”

“You may,” I said, slipping my hand into the crook of his elbow. Let me just say, if Sawyer’s muscles were nice, this guy’s were world-class. He could do some serious damage if he ever decided to punch someone. A cheating, pussy-eating ex-boyfriend, for instance.

We climbed the wooden steps and crossed the wooden porch. I felt like a dainty fairy next to the giant as we stepped inside a large room with polished hardwood floors, rough wooden walls, and high ceilings with exposed wooden beams. A fireplace glowed gently at one side of the room, topped by an empty mantel and a rack of antlers. Three leather chairs and a matching sofa formed a semi-circle around a bearskin rug in front of the fireplace. Otherwise, the room was bare, making it feel cavernous rather than cozy.

“Your room is upstairs,” he said, nodding at a set of stairs set against the far wall. He led me up the wide wooden staircase that turned at a sharp angle before reaching the second floor. A long railing stretched along one side of the landing, which looked over the main floor of the lodge below. Holden led me along the hall to the last room, which he opened to usher me inside. The large room was warm and spacious and obviously empty. Like the rest of the house, it had no decorations and showed no personality.

“Is this mine?” I asked, turning around in the empty space at the bottom of the king bed. A bathroom door stood open to one side, a huge closet to the other. “Did you give me the master suite?”

Holden cleared his throat and scuffed his toe against the floor. “You’re the only girl,” he said in his deep, soft voice. “We figured you’d be more comfortable having your own bathroom.”

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or the huge upheaval in my life, but suddenly, emotion choked up my throat. I had to stop myself from throwing my arms around this soft-spoken giant. In truth, I kind of wanted to, if only to see what a mountain of solid muscle would actually feel like. I wondered if he was as hard as he looked.

Naughty Am, I scolded myself. This is your brother!

I’d come out here to have a break from partying, to slow down and relax and enjoy the scenery…outside the house. But I couldn’t help but look over Holden as he flicked the switches in the bathroom and closet, showing me everything in the room I’d be sleeping in for the next three months. He was huge, easily six-and-a-half feet tall, and equally big in every other way, with a massive chest, arms, and shoulders. His brown hair was cut short and neat, though he had sideburns and a shade more than five-o’clock shadow on his strong jaw.

“Make yourself at home,” he said. His phone rang just then, and he checked it before slipping it back into his pocket without answering. “We don’t have a lot of company, so if there’s anything you’re missing, just let us know, and we’ll do our best to help you out.”

“Thanks,” I said, my eyes straying to the bed.

“This is your house now, too, so you don’t have to ask to use anything or go anywhere. We got a couple hundred acres, so walk around and get acquainted with how it all works. Be careful of the electric fences, and don’t wander onto the neighbor’s property, but otherwise, you’ll be fine here.”