Page 14 of Wild Highway (Runaway 2)

My heart raced as the air whipped in my face. As he picked up speed, my muscles contracted, my core engaging and my thighs warming. I gave Jigsaw another nudge, letting him break to full throttle.

We were both panting when we hit the tree line. I slowed him down and turned, seeing Cash a way back, the truck bouncing through the middle of the field.

“Good boy.” I patted Jigsaw’s neck, his hide sweating. Then I wiped my own sweaty brow with my shirtsleeve.

The lodge stood tall and proud in the distance. I didn’t spend much time there during the day—it had never felt as much like my place as the barn or stables—but it was mine.

I’d be avoiding that building like the damn plague since Gemma was somewhere inside.

Her face, shocked and beautiful, was burned into my brain. Those pink lips looked as soft as I remembered. Her hair was longer now, hanging in artful waves to the middle of her back. Her eyes were that same mesmerizing hazel.

She’d grown into a stunning woman.

Exactly what I didn’t need on this ranch. I wasn’t sure how long she’d planned to stay, but I had enough to deal with on a good day, with the regular ranch and resort workload. We were gearing up to begin winter prep. There was firewood to cut. The cows would need to be brought down to the meadows from where they’d spent their summer grazing in the mountains.

It was not the time to have an old fling show up at my damn front door.

I’d done a fine job of forgetting Gemma Lane.

At least, I thought I’d forgotten her. The knee-jerk reaction and the fact that now I couldn’t stop thinking about her said otherwise.

She needed to go back to wherever she’d come from and remember that she didn’t belong here. Just like she hadn’t belonged here years ago. With any luck, her visit would end before sundown.

Cash pulled up with the truck and rolled down his window. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“You shot out of there like your heels were on fire.”

“Just wanted to give Jigsaw a chance to run.”

“Sure,” he deadpanned. “You know, before I came to the stables, I helped this hot brunette with a kickass car haul her suitcase into the lodge. She looked awfully familiar, and you’re in a lousier than normal mood today. She wouldn’t have anything to do with it, would she?”

I gritted my teeth. “No.”

He chuckled. “Whatever you say, brother.”

Luggage. Fuck. She was staying.

How did Cash even remember Gemma? When she’d worked here before, he’d been away at college in Idaho. He must have remembered her from a trip home for spring break.

Meanwhile, I’d been here when Gemma, Kat and their other friend had arrived, having just graduated from Montana State. I’d been twenty-two, educated and energized with ideas for taking this ranch to the next level.

It had taken me over a decade to implement some of those ideas. Others had died along the way.

“I want to get through this pasture today if we can,” I told Cash, needing to concentrate on work for a few hours. “Hopefully it’s not too bad.”

“Sounds good. I rode out here last week with Kat so she could try out that mare. I didn’t notice any wires down but we didn’t ride down the line.”

“Fingers crossed this won’t take more than a day. I’d like to get the yearlings in here next week.”

Cash’s forehead furrowed. “Dad said we were going to use this as the calving pasture this year and the yearlings were going north of the highway.”

“What? When?”

“Yesterday. Day before. I don’t know. I assumed he told you.”

“No,” I snapped. “He didn’t.”