1. CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER ONE

DIANE

SIXTEEN YEARS AFTER WESTIN

The morning is golden. The air is soft and warm, with a hint of lingering chill. The sun still sits below the mountains. The reaching shadows of the Ponderosa pines are dusted in light frost.

I turn Reign, my gelding, to head back to the house. We went without the saddle this morning and my legs are bare against his sleek sides. We're working on weight training; he can feel my signals better this way. Reign shakes his head, the bridle jingling, and picks up his pace.

I woke up early again, so I could have some time alone. Westin was still asleep in our room. I crept upstairs and found the kids snoring. It seemed like the perfect time to go for a ride, so I grabbed my boots and fled to the barn.

Everyone is up, I can tell. The faint sound of crashing pans echoes up the valley. I tense my legs and Reign breaks into a canter. Heading down the hill, hooves thundering. The cool breeze digs its fingers into my hair, tugging and whipping it behind me.

We move, totally unencumbered, for a few blissful minutes. Then I turn Reign out into the paddock with his grain and walk barefoot up the walkway. The sapling Westin took from Sovereign Mountain and planted in the front lawn grew fast. Now its branches curve over the walkway at the foot of the steps.

I push open the door. Inside, it smells like coffee and bacon. I follow the scent up the hall and into the kitchen. My husband is in his work pants and faded t-shirt, flipping through a farming magazine. Bacon sizzles. The coffee maker bubbles. He glances up, hazel eyes meeting mine, and sets the magazine aside.

"Come here," he says.

Obediently, I go. His hand cradles my face, turning it up to him so he can kiss me. His mouth tastes faintly of coffee. And Westin.

He's just as handsome as the day we met, except now he's all salt and peppery. I run my fingertips over his temple, over the gray and chestnut hair, down his jaw. He kisses my forehead and the tip of my nose.

Footsteps ring out on the stairs. I step back and smooth my skirt down, pushing him out of the way so I can finish breakfast. He's not a bad cook, I'm just better. He pours me a cup of coffee and sinks down at the table.

Allison rounds the corner and sinks down to sit beside him. She's a willowy, blonde girl of almost fifteen, who prefers books and school over going into town. I see a lot of Eve, Westin's mother, in her. They both have endless patience, sweet temperaments, and little drive to do more than enjoy their lives. I hope that lasts. All I want is for Allison to be happy the way I am.

"Coffee?" I ask.

It was a big discussion in our household when she was old enough to drink coffee. Westin said no, but I saw how important this little thing was for my girl, so I argued her side.

"If this is teenage rebellion, I'm happy it's coffee," I told him. "Just wait until she wants to drink whiskey."

He caved, not just for me. We've both got him wrapped around our little fingers. As soon as I take Allison's side on something, it's over for Westin.

She nods, and I set her favorite tea cup full of coffee in front of her. It's delicate porcelain with little hand painted roses on the rim. She adds cream and sugar until it's more that than actual coffee and takes a sip, sinking back.

Westin shifts, stretching his legs out. "Where's your brother?"

She shrugs. "Who knows?"

He narrows his eyes. "You know."

I set a plate of bacon on the table. Allison's hazel eyes are wide as she takes another sip of coffee. She's no snitch, but she definitely knows where her brother is.

"Snitches get stitches," I say, going back to the stove to start frying eggs.

I've got a pretty good idea where my son is. Westin stands and circles the table, going out the back door. I lean over to peer out the window. There's my son, coming down the hill on one of the unbroken colts. A black streak moving through the field.

"Goddamn it," says Westin from outside.

"Honey, can you make the eggs?" I say, patting Allison on the shoulder. "I'll be right back."

Barefoot, I circle Westin and hop down the porch steps. My son is getting closer, his horse veering as it gets to the fence. There's a second where I think he's in control. Then the colt gives a hearty buck and River Quinn goes sailing into the tall grass.

Westin sighs, coming down the steps. "Isn't a damn shred of sense in that boy," he says under his breath.

"Oh, don't tell me you and Sovereign didn't ride the unbroken colts a few times in your day," I say. "He's fine. He's got a thick skull. Like you."

He makes a grab at me, but I duck.

"I'll make you pay up for that, darling," he says, a ghost of a smile on his face.

I shrug, gathering my skirt to trek up the hill. "I hope you do, sir."

River is already on his feet, climbing over the fence. I stand at the edge of the yard, hands on my hips, waiting on him. Westin has his arms crossed over his chest. His brow is lowered, but I can tell he's more impressed than angry.

River pulls up in front of us, hands behind his back.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey," says Westin. "What are you doing?"

"Not much," River says, squinting back at the hill. "Walking."

"Oh yeah?" Westin says, glancing at me.

There's a long, uncomfortable silence. River shifts. He's got bright hazel eyes and Westin's chestnut hair. I can already tell he'll be the spitting image of his father someday.

"This is the third time you tried to ride the colts," Westin says finally.

River drops his eyes to his father's feet. He squirms for a minute.

"I like the black one with the white socks," he says. "I just want to ride him, dad."

Westin sighs. "Alright," he says. "If your mother says it's alright, you can have that one."

His head jerks up in shock, eyes huge. I whirl, giving Westin a sharp stare.

"Let's discuss that," I say. "Sneaking around and trying to ride them is one thing. Giving him one to break is another."

Westin puts a hand on my waist, leaning down until his mouth is over my ears.

"Trust me on this one," he says.

I take a breath and release it, letting my shoulders sink. "Alright, you two figure it out. But he just got the cast off his arm two months ago, so don't go breaking something else."

Truthfully, I don't mind as long as he's safe. I don't think an opportunity to learn some responsibility would be a bad thing for River. He's flighty, all over the place all the time, and maybe this will ground him. Or he'll forget all about it in a week, which is probably Westin's plan.

Back inside, Allison has breakfast finished. Westin makes River wash up at the spigot outside. Then everyone sits down at the table and I pass the plates around.

"I'm getting a horse," River announces to his sister.

She shrugs. "Okay, I already have a horse."

"An already broken one," he says. "Dad's letting me break one of the colts."

She shrugs again. Nothing gets under her skin, except for one sore subject that I hope River doesn't bring up.

But on cue, he does.

"Are you going to Sovereign Mountain?" he says, a shit-eating grin on his face.

Westin rubs his fingers over his eyes. "Son, I'm gonna beat your ass if you start a fight."

He wouldn't. He's never laid a hand on his children, but he does plenty of threatening that keeps them in line. I pat his knee under the table and he takes my hand. His thumb absently plays with my wedding band.

Allison sniffs at him. "I am, not that it's your business."

"I'll drive up with you," I say. "I've got to return something to Keira."

River opens his mouth and Westin gives him a stern stare that shuts him right up. Allison doesn't say anything for the rest of the meal. I can tell it's eating her up that I offered to go to Sovereign Mountain with her. She'd much rather go alone.

She's too young for a boyfriend. But that isn't stopping her and Cash Sovereign from talking every second they get.

I saw it coming years ago. They started out uncertain of each other. Then they had a few playdates that turned into a steady friendship. They both have even temperaments, Cash is a little wilder than I'd hoped, but he's got a good head on his shoulders.

"Anyway," says Westin. "If you're going to break a colt, you'd better get to fixing up the last open stall in the barn. It needs some repair work."

"I can do it," says River.

"You'd better."

After breakfast is over, Allison and River head upstairs to dress for the day. Westin helps me gather the dishes. Then he follows at my heels as I go into the bedroom to change.

His hands go around my waist. He kisses me at the nape of my neck, right where my discreet collar sits.

"I hope you know what you're doing giving him that colt," I say.

"I do, but I don't want to think about it right now. Give me five minutes, darling."

Heat stirs between my legs. He runs his hand down, gathering up my skirt, and slips his fingers under my panties. A groan sounds in his chest. His cock is hard on my lower back, hips moving as he grinds it against me.

"In the bathroom," I say. "I don't want to be heard."

One second, he's trying to seduce me. The next we're in the bathroom, door locked, and I'm tearing off his belt. He lifts me up, setting me on the sink, and tears my panties down the center. I gasp, but it's swept away by the groan from his mouth as he drops to his knees and pushes his head between my legs.

He's so good at this, and he knows it.

Helpless, I arch my back to give him everything. His fingers dig into my thigh, his head moves as he licks over my pussy. Like it's the best thing he's ever had.

I touch his hair, running my fingers through it. His heavy eyes flick up, locking with mine as his tongue keeps moving. He knows what it takes to get me off fast and he's doing it right now. Pleasure rises quickly. I keep my eyes on his while I come, knowing that gets him going.

He pulls back as I finish, wiping his mouth. "Turn around, bend over the sink."

Obediently, I do as he says. One of his rough hands lifts my skirt and pulls off my torn panties. The other unzips his pants and shoves his cock roughly inside me.

I yelp, and he claps a hand over my mouth.

"Hush, darling," he says, eyes intense.

I grip him hard in response. He thrusts, gritting his jaw, making my stomach swoop at the feeling of him inside me. His mouth brushes the top of my head.

"Goddamn it, you feel like heaven," he pants.

I let my head fall back on his chest. He wraps his hand around my throat. Hazily, I watch him fuck me in the mirror. His eyes are heavy, his neck flushed. I feel him groan, but his jaw clenches and keeps him silent.

His pace picks up. Arousal surges through me, sparked by seeing his orgasm approach. It's one of the sexiest things in the world. His thrusts get harder, more brutal. His breath comes fast. His lids are heavy, and he can't take his eyes off me.

"Come in me," I gasp.

He slams into me, bending me down over the sink. His hand digs into my hair, gripping it. "You call me sir," he grits out, "when I'm this deep in your cunt."

My eyes roll. He tugs my hair, dragging me up to look at his reflection again. I hesitate too long and his hand comes down on my thigh.

"Come in me, sir," I pant.

His thrusts pick up in speed. One hand in my hair, one braced on the sink by my head. He's so close it hurts. But it's only for a fleeting moment before he pushes to the hilt and groans softly. His hips twitch, he pumps twice.

Then he lets his head fall back.

"Fuck," he breathes, pulling from me. His mouth brushes the top of my head. "Good girl."

After all this time, those words shouldn't make me blush as hard as they do. He turns on the shower and starts stripping. I do the same and join him under the water to clean off hastily. We don't have long before River and Allison are back downstairs, yelling for us.

"Sure you don't want to go again?" he says, biting my shoulder.

"Get off," I tease, pushing him back. "You need to help your son with his colt. And I have to be the chaperone for our daughter."

His eyes narrow and he shuts off the water. I stand in the shower while he finds fresh towels. He wraps one around me and I step out, gathering up my makeup and comb. There's a slight frown on his face as he pulls on his clothes, buttoning up his shirt.

"What's got you upset?" I ask.

He sighs, opening the bedroom door and going to get his hat. I slip on my dressing gown and follow him.

"Not upset," he says, "but no dating. Not until she's sixteen."

"I know, we've talked about this," I say.

"And even then, I'll wring that scrawny little shit's neck if he fucks up," Westin says.

I give him a scolding look. "Keira and Sovereign raised Cash and he's a perfect gentleman. He wouldn't disrespect you or our daughter. He's always been polite."

Westin picks up his hat. "Yeah, and I was his age once."

"You were terrible from the get-go," I say. "Cash is a nice boy."

"That's true," he admits. "What the hell, maybe I'm overthinking this."

He takes me by the elbow and pulls me in for a kiss. Then he's gone, calling out for River. Their boots clatter down the hall and the front door slams. I get dressed in a light sundress, one that Westin likes so much. Maybe it'll soften him up when he gets home tonight. Then I put my boots on and grab my truck keys from the hall table.

"You ready, honey?" I call up the stairs.

My daughter appears at the landing. She's in jeans and a blue blouse, her hair neatly braided down her back. I never looked so put together when I was her age. But then I was left to raise myself after Nana passed.

"I can't find my hair tie," she says. "I don't want to wear the pink one, it doesn't match.

"It's on the table," I say, heading back down the hall. Her blue silk tie sits by her chair. I snatch it up and join her by the door. "Turn around, I'll fix it."

She shifts from one foot to the other while I switch out her ties. Then we go down the walkway to my truck, parked by the barn. Westin bought it for me after I got all my papers and documents in order.

Thomas Garrison took my license, my social security and bank card, and they were destroyed after his death. Westin helped me get new versions of everything, and on the day I got my new license, he took me into the city and bought me a little white truck.

We climb in and I start the engine, pulling down the drive. The air is warm. Our hats sit behind us and I know we'll both need them later to keep our hair from bleaching in the sun.

Allison picks at her nail, biting her lip. I glance over.

"You okay?"

"I heard you and dad," she says.

My heart stops. "What?"

"I heard you talking about Cash," she says.

"Oh, thank God," I mumble.

She shifts, brow furrowed. "Dad likes Sovereign and Keira, so why doesn't he like Cash?"

"He does like Cash," I say, unsure how to broach this conversation. "You're just very young and he wants you to be safe."

"I know about being safe," she says primly.

Sometimes, when I have to have difficult parenting conversations with my children, I swear I revert to my teenage self. I'm twisting up with embarrassment inside. But I have to seem confident and calm. So I take a beat and let out a short breath.

"I think he's more concerned about your heart getting broken, honey," I say.

She mutters something under her breath. I give her a look.

"Cash isn't mean," she says. "He's nice."

"I know, but people can still get hurt in relationships," I say. "Even when both people are nice."

She sniffs.

"And you're not allowed to date anybody until you're sixteen," I say.

She sighs, nodding. "I know. We're just talking."

I wish I could tell her that I understand teenage crushes, but truthfully, I never experienced one. Westin is the first man I felt something for. And even though I was young, he definitely wasn't. He walked in knowing what he wanted from day one. If I hadn't married Thomas, I don't doubt that Westin would have left the swimming hole with me that day and brought me to the courthouse the next morning.

I don't talk to Allison much about how Westin and I met. I don't want to give her license to date anyone as wild as her father.

Allison turns on the radio. We drive until the winding driveway to Sovereign Mountain ranch appears. I pull the truck up beside Sovereign's, in front of the barn, and cut the engine.

"I'll leave in an hour or two," I say. "Just be back to the ranch house by noon. And no making out."

Her face goes pink. "Mom, nobody's doing that."

I step out of the truck, circling it to get the box of dishes from the back. She fixes her hair in the mirror and gets out too. The front door of the ranch house opens and Ella, Cash's sister, steps out. She's a few years younger than River and she's got more sass in her little finger than anybody I know.

"Hey," she calls. "Did River come too?"

"No, he's breaking his colt," Allison yells.

"What's that?"

I turn. "Maybe you should just walk up there instead of yelling at each other across the yard," I sigh.

The door opens again and Cash appears. He's a lanky boy, all stretched up, but not filled out. His hair is dark like his father's, with the pale blue eyes to boot. When he sees Allison, he immediately tries to stand up taller. Pretending to casually lean in the doorway. I stifle a smile.

"Cash, you come get this box and bring it to your mother," I say.

Right away, he does as he's told. Allison joins him, and they disappear into the house. Ella follows me up to the porch.

"Do you want to see the baby chicks?" she asks.

"Sure," I say, like I've never seen chicks before. "Where are they?"

"In the barn," she says. "Dad says I have to ask permission to open the cage so we can't do that."

"That's alright," I say, opening the screen door. "Let's say hello to your mother and then we'll see the chicks."

I step into the hall, my eyes adjusting slowly. The ranch is humming with daily life. Wranglers walking through the dining hall to grab the remnants of breakfast. Dogs laying in the hallway. A white cat that Ella convinced her father to give her for her birthday stretched out on the hearth.

We head to the kitchen. Maddie must be out for the day because the only trace of her is her radio playing softly. She's still managing the house, but she's slowing down some. Keira stands by the table, rolling out dough for biscuits. Her hair falls down her back in a messy braid and she's in a blue dress that reaches the floor.

"Brought the bowls back," I say. "I don't know where your son put them."

She looks up, wiping her forehead. "Who knows, I'll find them later. I guess he's run off with Allison."

There's a bucket of blueberries on the table. I take one and sit down.

"I gave her a talking to before we got here," I say. "They both have good heads on their shoulders."

"This is just all new to me," Keira muses.

"We probably should have seen it coming."

She nods. "That's true. Where's Westin today?"

I sigh, watching as she puts two rolled out pieces of dough into pie tins. "He gave River one of the unbroken colts. They're out rounding it up and fixing a stall for it in the barn."

Keira's brow rises. "Really?"

"It's between him and River," I sigh. "I won't be intervening."

"It's best to let them sort it out," Keira says, pushing one of the pans across the table. "Do you mind filling this up with the berries on the stove?"

I get up and start scooping boiled berries with sugar into the pastry laden pans. "Let's let Sovereign and Westin handle it," I say. "Maybe that's what they deserve for all the acting up they've done over the years."

She laughs and pulls open the oven. I slide the pans inside once they're covered with latticed dough. She wipes her hands on her apron and opens the window, letting some of the heat out. Red hair sticks to her neck. When she brushes it aside, her silver necklace flashes.

Keira and I have spoken about it before. It amuses us to no end that Gerard and Westin have never had a real conversation about why their wives wear discreet necklaces that never come off. They've been best friends for three decades, but that's just like them.

"Do you have lemonade?" I ask.

"I do." Keira ducks past me and takes it out of the fridge. "Anything extra?"

"I'll have some if you will."

She pours two glasses over ice and puts a shot of whiskey in each. I take mine and sit on the edge of the table.

"That stallion Sovereign bought off Jensen didn't work out," she says.

Ever since Shadow retired to the back pasture to eat and roll in the grass for the rest of his life, Sovereign has gone through a number of possibilities for his next horse. He had some promising options, but nothing panned out.

"What's wrong with it?" I ask.

She shrugs, sighing. "It's not Shadow. I think that's its worst offense. Sovereign's looking for a horse that can respond to weight signals. He had so many hopefuls, but when it got down to it, they just didn't fit the bill."

"Maybe his expectations are just a little too high," I say.

She lifts a brow. "Really? I can't imagine Sovereign having high expectations for anyone."

We both laugh. At that moment, the door slams open and Ella skips in. She weaves her hand in mine and tugs me towards the door.

"Let go see the baby chicks," she insists.

"Alright," I say, emptying my glass. "I promised, so let's go."

Keira sets the timer to rotate the pies and puts it in her pocket. I keep telling her to get a new oven and she won't have to turn her food to keep it from burning, but she likes the one she has.

We head out the back exit off the kitchen. The morning is warm, the sun slanting over the yard. The barn door is rolled open and Sovereign stands just inside, arms crossed. Deacon Ryder is in the exact same stance, hat pulled low over his face. They go quiet as we walk up.

"What are you doing here, Deacon?" Keira asks.

"I got a bull rider coming up from Texas and he's bringing some horses with him," he says. "I need an extra trailer off Sovereign to transport them to the northern barn."

Ryder Ranch raises cattle, like the surrounding ranches do, but Deacon also prides himself on breeding some of the best barrel racers in the state. He does a lot of business with men from Texas, Wyoming, and even Ohio. It's not uncommon that he needs Sovereign or Westin's help with transportation.

Over the years, Deacon, Westin, and Sovereign have gotten a lot closer. After everything that happened on our wedding night, it's hard not to be friends.

Keira, Ella, and I go to the back of the barn. In the brooder box are two dozen chickens, cuddled up in the pine shavings.

"Are they meat hens?" I ask.

Keira shakes her head. "Laying hens. Maddie wanted them, she ran low on eggs last summer."

Sovereign appears behind her, wrapping an arm absently around her waist. "What's Westin doing? I'm surprised he's not up here with you."

I sigh, hands on my hips. "He gave River one of the colts."

Sovereign's face stays the same, but his brow twitches. "Maybe I'll head down there and have a look at it."

The timer in Keira's apron goes off and she heads into the kitchen with Sovereign. I spend a little time with Ella, holding the chicks. Then we go inside and have lunch together in the main hall. Around the end of our meal, Cash appears through the front door. Allison comes in behind him and takes a plate, sitting down at my side.

"Are you ready to head back after lunch?" I ask.

She nods, cutting a chunk of beef. "Yeah, I should probably get to the chores."

Inside, I want to ask where she went with Cash. But instead, I take a deep breath and let it go. They're both good kids and sometimes it's not my business what they talk about or where they go. Instead, I pat her hand and gather up my dishes to take to the kitchen.

Keira sends us home with a fresh blueberry pie. When we get back, Westin is in the kitchen with a glass of water, sweat dripping down his face. Allison hurries up the stairs, leaving us alone.

He holds out his arm. I rest against his side even though he's sticky with dust.

"How was Sovereign Mountain?" he asks.

I lean my head on his shoulder. For a second, I can't find the words for the feeling that blossoms in my chest. He turns my face up, studying it.

"You okay?"

I nod, offering a small smile. "I'm just happy. Everyone at Sovereign Mountain is happy too."

He presses a kiss to the top of my head. "I'm glad, darling."

He goes back out to the barn to get started on chores. In a little while, Allison joins him. I see them through the window, her standing there in her cowboy hat that's a little too big on her. River loiters by the paddock, staring through the bars at his colt.

I turn on the radio and pull out my crock pot. The air is a little cooler today than yesterday and I'd like to take Reign out for a ride before dinner. I cut up potatoes, snap green beans, and chop beef into chunks to simmer in thick gravy.

When Westin expanded Carter Farms by buying a strip of Sovereign Mountain Ranch, he and Sovereign drew up a contract where they could share employees. That means I never have to cook for the wranglers and hired hands. Westin pays a little more into the communal paychecks and Sovereign makes sure everyone is fed.

All I have to worry about are my husband and children.

I pop the lid onto the crockpot and set the pie in the fridge. Then, I go upstairs and change into jeans and a t-shirt and pull on my boots. The house is peaceful as I move through it and head to the barn where Reign waits for me.

I don't have to ask permission for anything these days. If I want to ride free all afternoon, I can.