Chapter 37

These last few months have been a whirlwind. Not only have I learned nearly every part of the ranch by now, but I’ve fallen hard for the three men who run it. Levi with his newfound tenderness hidden beneath his rough exterior has destroyed me. Sure, he’s still gruff and an asshole sometimes, but when he holds me, I’ve never felt more cherished. I never thought I’d be able to get through to him, and yet here we are. He still barely smiles at me, but that’s okay. At least he hugs me. Wiley has remained the same, always happy to help, always happy to be a part of my day. It’s rare to find him not smiling. And Dakota. Stoic, rough Dakota. He spends his days busy, and when he’s around, he remains mostly aloof and in control. But when he kisses me on the forehead and tells me “good girl”, I practically melt into a puddle.

I still haven’t forgotten his warning, though.

Ever since he’d called themselves rattlesnakes, I’ve been searching for signs that he’s right. Levi is easy to see why he’d call him that. He’s usually silent and angry, sometimes highly annoyed. He has no tolerance for bullshit, so I can see him being called a snake. But Wiley and Dakota don’t make sense. What does he mean? The jerk has refused to tell me.

I’m starting to worry that I’m missing red flags. Of course, I’ve had a past of finding assholes with tons of red flags. I mean, look at Josh. Clearly, if I saw a red flag, I painted my nails to match before. Now, I’m trying to be more careful. What secrets are these men hiding? What have I missed? Will it matter by the time I find out if I’ve already started falling for them?

I’ve asked some of the other members of the ranch, but they have nothing but good things to say about the three of them. From what I can see, they’re all good men. But Dakota strikes me as the kind of man who doesn’t speak lightly. If he thinks they’re rattlesnakes, he means that. But is it because of some sort of insecurity, or is it the truth? Everyone is so tightlipped; it’s driving me insane.

Since it’s the last day before the cattle drive with summer threatening in the air and everything is prepared, Dakota lets everyone get off work early. We’ll have to wake up well before the sunrise tomorrow morning, so the celebration we have planned starts at three in the afternoon. Everyone starts drinking the moment they’re able to make sure there’s enough time to sleep it off. I find I can’t really drink since I’m too excited and I don’t want to feel like shit the next morning. Still, I join in the celebration, sitting around the fire with everyone. It feels right, like family. This is it. This is where I’m meant to be.

Even if Naomi said someone came asking about me at the gate this morning.

I fucking hate this tension. The Crows clearly know where I am now. Even though Dakota assures me that they can’t just walk onto the ranch, I know they’re closing in. They may not want me to run, but being a sitting duck doesn’t sound fun either. I don’t understand why The Crows won’t just leave me alone. Surely, I’m not worth all the effort.

“Why the long face, Katie Cat?” Wiley asks. He has a mason jar in his hand full of moonshine. When he offers it to me, I wrinkle up my nose at the distinct oak-flavored rubbing alcohol smell and shake my head.

“I’m not interested in blacking out, thank you,” I say.

“You gotta get your moonshine legs at some point,” he teases with a grin. “Besides, you look like you could use a drink.”

“I have no desire to drink that rubbing alcohol,” I laugh. “I’m just thinking is all.”

“Thinkin’ll get you in trouble,” he says before taking another swig of his moonshine. He makes a face, like he doesn’t particularly enjoy it either, but is saving face. I heard Naomi made it, and I doubt the guys will want to hurt her feelings.

“Interesting. I thought doing things would get you in trouble. I’ve been doing it wrong my whole life,” I say, laughing at the way he tries to force down more of the moonshine. “If you don’t like it, why are you drinking it?”

“Because Naomi made it,” he says, rolling his eyes. “It’s her third attempt.” He drops his voice down to a whisper. “Someone probably needs to tell her it’s not getting any better.”

“Why not right now?” I ask, before looking over and finding Naomi beaming across the campfire. “Hey, Naomi!”

“No!” Wiley hisses. “You stop that, heathen!”

Naomi looks over with a smile. “What’s up?”

Wiley’s eyes go round in terror, and I grin. “Wiley says he loves your moonshine and wants you to keep making it.”

Naomi’s smile brightens. “Aww, thanks, Wiley! I’ve been working on a cherry batch I think you’ll like if you like that one.”

Wiley smiles, his eyes tight. “I can’t wait,” he says, tipping his mason jar to her. To me, he scowls. “You devil.”

He pinches me on the ass, and I giggle. “Cool it, cowboy.”

I’m thoroughly enjoying myself, the way everyone just laughs and talks. They take turns telling stories about previous cattle drives, the antics that Wiley got up to before. Apparently, he once threw a rattlesnake into the camp just to see how everyone would react. Luckily, no one was bitten, but they tell the story fondly now despite how scared they must have been.

This is it. This is what I’ve been searching for my whole life. These people are a family, and when someone brings me a plate of food, I realize I’m a part of it. They accepted me in without hesitation, include me in all the talks, and make me feel like I belong here.

A city girl in the mountains. Out of place, and yet perfectly at home.

I take a deep breath, letting the stress fall away, and smile.