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ANDREW
“So, you want me to spy on your women?” I ran a hand through my hair. What the fuck was happening right now?
Scott glanced at Declan, then returned to me. “No, we want you to go to the bar and have a good time like you were going to do anyway.Andmaybe check in on them.”
Declan, Gavin, Ty, and Mikel all nod their heads behind Scott.Every one of these guys lived and worked on the ranch and had a woman at the bar tonight. Declan Kingston owned the ranch, along with his brother, Thomas. Scott and Ty were cattle wranglers. Mikel was the ranch attorney, and Gavin was my older brother and barn manager.
“Right. Because that’s how you show a woman you love them.” I rolled my eyes. I’d been away at school for far too long. The ranch had changed a lot while my twin, Caleb, and I had been gone.
There were three new women at King’s Ranch and all were in relationships. Who would have thought Gavin would have found a woman of his own? Well, not only his. He shared Blake with his best friend, Travis.
“Whatever. I’m going to the bar. Caleb is unpacking, so don’t bother him.” I waved over my shoulder as I left the dining hall. I climbed into the new truck I shared with my twin. Declan and Thomas gave it to us as a graduation present.
I glanced around the ranch. The sky behind the barns was painted with reds and purples. The jumping and dressage arenas were cast in shadows, and in the distance horses meandered around in their paddocks. The quietness of the outdoors and the scents of hay and horses called to me. A feeling of ease settled in my chest. I was home again.
Things might have changed while we were gone, but it was still home. It was the place I planned on settling down and building my life.What made it even more perfect is that Caleb was settling here with me.
The sun was still setting on the horizon when I pulled onto the road and headed into town. The forty-five-minute drive gave me time to think about tomorrow. Caleb and I would be breaking ground as the new vets for the ranch. It was always our dream to grow up and become large animal vets, but our family could never afford it. We had settled for working on a ranch, but we never expected to be so lucky to meet Thomas and Declan Kingston.
When Gavin helped build King’s Ranch, he had introduced us to them, hoping we could find work on the ranch once it was up and running. When the Kingstons discovered our real passion, they offered to send us to college and vet school for free. In exchange, we returned after graduation and became their permanent vets on the ranch. It was an offer we gladly accepted. Now we were fully licensed and ready to work. While Caleb focused on the Equine medicine to help with the horses, I had large livestock under my belt to work with the cattle.
In order to work, we needed to set up our office and tackle the vet records with Alex. It was a good thing Alex, our town’s vet, was also engaged to Declan and Thomas, or it might have been awkward with the transition. Alex would no longer be overseeing the main part of the ranch, but she was staying on board to head the new horse breeding program. Caleb would help her when needed, but that would be her only focus. Alex still had her own practice to run.
My chest tightened. We’d been away so long that we missed the chance of seeing the relationships happen at the ranch. It saddened me knowing I’d missed out on such a milestone in my big brother’s life. I would’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching Gavin squirm as he won over Blake. She was an exceptional woman. I’d only met her a handful of times when we visited, but she was killing it since she took over as the Kingston’s team trainer.Now that we were home, I was determined more than ever to make sure we didn’t miss out on anything else.
I shook off the thought as I pulled into the parking lot ofThe Cotton Jin, the best and only bar in Cottonwood Creek. The music rattled my door the moment I opened it. Thursday night was ladies' night, and I knew it would be packed with women wanting half-priced drinks and men trying to pick up said women.If I hadn’t just arrived in town today, I would have been one of those guys too. But tonight, I just wanted to get a drink, see if there were any familiar faces, and enjoy my hometown.
My eyes slowly adjusted as I made my way to the bar and ordered a beer. A brunette brushed against my left arm, and a petite blonde sidled next to me on my right.
“Hey there, handsome. Wanna buy me a drink?” The brunette ran her perfectly manicured finger up and down my bicep. It sent chills up my arm, and not the good kind.
“Sorry, ma’am. Maybe next time.” I took a sip of my beer and turned to face the dance floor. With a huff, she and her friend moved on to more willing prey.
My eyes roved around the familiar space. After the dinner rush, the tables in the center had been pushed against the walls, and the music was cranked up.A DJ stood in a booth in the corner, playing song after song.
Bodies moved left, then right, as a line dance brought more people to the floor. A stunning blonde in a teal sundress with light brown cowgirl boots came up front and center. When she twirled, her dress lifted slightly, teasing me with a few inches more of her long, toned legs.
Stunned, I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she repeated the pattern. She turned again and then again. When she faced me, I locked eyes with her, and she stumbled a step. She gave me a quick grin before tucking her golden locks behind her ear. She glanced down to focus on regaining the rhythm and footwork and continued like nothing had happened.
I chuckled to myself. She wasn’t the only one thrown off. My heart thundered in my chest and a self-satisfied grin settled on my face.
I finished my drink and placed it on the bar. Tonight was already looking up. Maybe there was a chance I might have more fun than I thought.
I watched her until the song ended. Pushing off the bar, I took a step toward the dance floor, but the familiar sound of a friend’s laughter derailed me.Reluctantly, I tore my gaze from the dance floor and noticed a group of women gathered near the end of the bar. A blonde, two brunettes, and a redhead. They were laughing about something, and then they clinked their shot glasses, toasted, and threw back their drinks. One of the brunettes toasted with a glass of water instead of a shot. I grinned.
The blonde turned and did a double take. A smile spread across Jessie’s face as she recognized me.“Andrew!” she shouted, throwing her hands in the air, and ran to my side.
I fought a laugh as the rest of the group turned.
Blake’s questioning eyes cleared once she realized it was me, and a big smile spread across her face. She immediately jumped up to give me a big hug. Each of the women circled around to pepper me with questions.
When did I arrive? What was I doing at the bar? How was school? How was the move? My eyes bounced from person to person, but I wasn’t given a chance to answer any of them.
“Ladies. I will answer all your questions tomorrow. What I want to know is, does anyone know the gorgeous blonde dancing in the blue dress?” I jerked my head to the right, a sly smile stretching across my face.
The group turned toward the dance floor, and Jessie gave me a mischievous grin.
“You don’t know who she is?” Jessie’s eyebrow raised.
