Chapter 1

Life on a ranchwas never dull. Something was either seconds away from falling apart or an animal was days away from giving birth. It kept one on their toes, that’s for sure.

As the unofficial general manager of the Coleman Ranch, I had to stay on my p’s and q’s more than the rest of the hands. It was the only way to ensure everything got done. Especially since we were somewhat of a ranch hand destination spot.

We took in all types of people through the years. Runaways, drifters, and even those that simply needed a quiet life. They’d escape the nearby city to find themselves at the gate to the ranch. It wasn’t unusual for us to be welcoming someone new every few months. They’d stay, sometimes for months and others for years, while they worked out their issues.

Today we were welcoming another new hand, though I wasn’t quite sure of this guy’s full story yet. I knew enough to know he would adapt quickly, but not much more.

Arms wrapped around me from behind. I felt a soft kiss press against my neck, then a husky voice whispered, “You ready for this?”

I turned to look him over. Tousled salt and pepper hair, a two-day-old beard he would scratch at all day, and gorgeous hazel eyes made up the face I knew better than my own. He was everything I associated with the word handsome in one package.

“Ready for more help? Always. Ready for the possible growing pains? Not as much.”

He squeezed me as he chuckled. I leaned my head back to bask in the rush of love I felt at the sound. There wasn’t any sound as amazing as Clancy Coleman’s laugh. It was my favorite thing to hear each day.

Grabbing the coffee I’d just made, I passed one to him while I took the other. He took a sip, then leaned down to give me a soft kiss. I wanted to press for more, my body still attuned to his after our morning lovemaking.

“We don’t have time for another round. Besides, I’m a bit too old to recover like you do, babe.” While there weren’t that many years between us, I knew he was right. We’d been together long enough for me to have him figured out.

I huffed as if I was really bothered by the denial. Though really, it wasn’t a flat-out no. Clancy never told me no.

Well, almost never. There was one thing he was very clearly against.

“Come on. We need to get out there before people start wondering,” he said as he turned us toward the back door.

And that right there was the problem.

If people knew we were together like this, they wouldn’t be worried. The ranch hands wouldn’t even bat an eye. I knew it as well as I knew the name of every man and animal on this ranch.

But Clancy wasn’t ready to tell them. He hadn’t been for years.

While I wished he’d let me declare our love from every corner of the Earth, I wasn’t going to push. Outing him would not solve anything. Actually, I was pretty damn sure it would make it worse.

I followed him out the back door, my mind going a million miles an hour over what needed to be done today. It was the only thing that helped me past the hurt his continual need to hide us caused.

“Travis!” Clancy yelled out for the tiny bundle of energy right as we reached the back porch. He’d likely be close enough to hear us, and if he wasn’t, the others who were close by would send him our way.

A squeal hit the air seconds before Travis’s small frame rushed toward us. He skidded to a halt at the bottom step, his gaze wide and eager.

“Please tell me you’re here for playtime,” he whispered, eyes locked on me. “I could use a break.”

I frowned as Clancy glanced around us. While the others knew we had a soft spot for Travis, they weren’t clued in to just how deep our connection ran at times.

Whenever either of us felt overwhelmed, Clancy would let us have a playdate. Oftentimes that involved him and me building something or other. I found it a good way to turn my focus from the negative energy around me. If I was working on a project, I couldn’t drown in despair over whatever had bothered me.

“Not this morning. I need you to head to the bus station to pick up the new hire,” Clancy answered.

His eyes widened. “A new guy?”

“Yep,” I said as I rocked back on my heels. I hadn’t told him anyone new was coming like I usually did. Sometimes it was fun to keep him on his toes.

“Who is he? What’s his story?” He bounced at the bottom of the stairs.

I laughed as Clancy coughed. “Not quite sure. You’ll have to get all the details on the ride. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble,” he told Travis.

His responding nod made him look like those bobblehead dolls my father loved to collect. The dash to his old Cadillac was littered with the things. Funny how something so random could come back to me after I’d spent years working to forget everything about that time.

“What’s his name?” Travis drew me from the flash of memory with his question.

Clancy glanced at the clipboard in my hand to verify once again who was coming. “Holt Morrison.”

“Holt Morrison.” Travis repeated the name slowly, as if testing the sound out to be sure he had it right. In the next second, he was catching the keys Clancy threw his way and taking off for the truck to head into town.

“Think Holt will stick around after a welcome party from little Trav?”

I grinned at Clancy despite still feeling a bit bitter over his earlier words. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Hopefully, he’s cool about it. We all know Trav is basically our mascot.”

Travis madeit back quicker than I expected. Hopefully, that meant he didn’t have any trouble finding and escorting Holt back to the ranch. I saw the truck in the distance while chatting with Lars, one of the ranch hands, beside the barn.

“Another newbie?” He asked when he followed my line of sight.

I nodded. “Name is Holt. Clancy said he comes from a ranching past.”

“That’s good. He’ll blend in quickly then.” Lars grinned. He was a good guy, though I suspected we were a means to an end. He fit in fine, but there was a part of him that didn’t feel rooted in the ranch like some of the rest of us were.

I left him a little while later once I estimated Travis and Holt might have arrived. My timing was perfect, which meant I was there to watch as the pair sat in the truck and shared one of the hottest moments of eye contact I think I’d ever seen.

Holy hell. They were intense.

How long would it take for the two of them to wind up together? And why was I both happy for them and jealous as all get out?

I knew the answer to that, obviously, but I didn’t want to go there. Not when I’d already had a moment of doubt over things this morning.

Putting on my best smile, I finished the journey to meet Holt as Travis took off out of the truck like a rocket. It nearly made me laugh at how obviously flustered he was.

“You must be Holt. I’m Gerald Grimes. We’re excited to have someone with your experience around here.” I held out my hand as I stepped close to the newcomer.

If I had to guess, he was close to my age. Somewhere in his thirties, with a handsome face that did nothing for me, though it obviously did for others — cough, cough Trav.

After our greeting, I took him to the bunkhouse where he chose a room and left his bag there. I gave him a moment to look around before we dove into a tour of where everything was around here. He would have to work hard to get lost since everything was so open. It was still the polite thing to do for someone moving to a new place.

Holt had a fun personality, though I could see a shadow in his gaze. I wondered if it was merely him being tired from the journey, or if he had demons of his own he was battling. Sometimes the men here used the land as a means to recover their old selves after a tough go in life. If that’s the case, then I hoped we could be what he needed.

We were chatting about his experience with cattle when Travis’s panicked cries tore through the air. “Help! Someone help!”

I took off at a run. Holt kept pace; our steps almost synchronized. When I rounded the corner, the sight before me was my worst fear realized.

“What happened?” I tugged Clancy from Travis’s hold to look him over.

“I’m not sure. He was joking with me about helping Rosie. I’d turned to go in but decided not to. When I looked back at him, he was shaking and then he fell.” With the way Travis shook, I knew panic had taken hold. I wanted to address it, but I couldn’t take my focus from Clancy.

The man I loved was unconscious in my arms.

I could hear Holt talking to the paramedics. Before they could even reply, I was easing the limp body in my arms down and jumping up to grab a truck. The EMT service out here was notoriously slow. I didn’t want to risk delaying medical assistance for whatever the hell was happening.

“There’s not enough time. I’ll get the truck. Don’t leave him.” I gave the command over my shoulder as I sprinted away.

It only took minutes for me to get the truck started and backed up to where Clancy was laid out. I rushed around to help Holt secure him in the truck.

While I’d only known the new guy for a very short time, his experience spoke volumes. And with Travis distraught from the incident, I knew Holt would be the best option to do as needed.

“Hold down the fort. I’ll call as soon as I can.”

I took off without another world. The truck revved as my foot pushed the gas pedal down as far as it would go. I clicked the flashers on in case I passed any type of law enforcement on the way. Not that I’d be stopping for one if they tried to catch me anyway. They’d have to follow me all the way to the emergency room in order to issue that ticket.

As focused as I was on the drive, I couldn’t resist looking over at Clancy often along the way. He didn’t move the entire time, though I could see his chest moving, so I knew he was at least breathing. I didn’t know what I’d do if…

The wheel jerked beneath my hands as the tears I’d been holding back fell. I couldn’t think about that scenario. It was the one what if I wouldn’t allow. Not now. Not ever.

At the hospital,they were quick to help. I’d called when I was five minutes out, and true to the nurse”s word, they had a gurney ready and waiting. I parked the truck in the closest spot I could find, then I rushed inside.

A brunette with a harried expression met me at the front. “I told them I’d wait for you. He’s been taken back, but we need someone to fill out forms. What’s your relation to the patient?”

What a fucking complicated question. I could tell her the simple answer — he was my boss. But then there was the other truth — he’s my lover. And the even more complex answer — technically we’re common-law married.

The last was irrelevant for the most part since I couldn’t risk anyone trying to come see him and the staff spilling the beans. Even if he was unconscious, I knew Clancy wouldn’t want this to be the way of things.

“He owns the ranch I work at. He fainted out of nowhere. Paramedics would have taken twice as long.”

She frowned, then nodded. “The unfortunate effects of rural life. Do you know enough to fill this out? Or is there a next of kin we can call?”

Yet another complicated mess. Atticus was the only family Clancy had left, but with the pair of them estranged, I had no clue how to get ahold of the other Coleman.

“There’s no one else,” I told her quickly. “And I know all the information.”

I produced his wallet from my back pocket and withdrew his ID and insurance card. When I flashed them her way, she gave me the stack of paperwork that sat atop a clipboard. I stared at the basic information as I fought not to break down.

Line by line, I filled in the information until the only thing left was a signature from Clancy once he woke up. And he would wake up. He had to. There wasn’t another option.

“Here you go.” I handed her the papers, then leaned forward. “Any word?”

She grimaced. “I’m not technically supposed to tell anyone but family.”

My chest ached at the words. I’m not sure if it was my expression or the fact that she picked up on something else, but she leaned forward to whisper over the counter.

“He’s in surgery. They’re checking some things out.” She paused, biting her lip. “I’m… I’m going to put you down as his son. That will be the easiest way to get you the information. Will that work?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

I mean, it wasn’t ideal, but I’d take whatever I could get. She likely looked at his date of birth and concluded he was old enough to be my father. While that was partially true, since the gap between us was wide, I also knew it wouldn’t hold up forever.

When Clancy woke up, we’d get the paperwork in order so I could handle his medical stuff. It would be the only way if this happened again — heaven forbid — to ensure we wouldn’t need to bend the rules.

He might be my Daddy, but it was definitely not in the biological sense. Guess I’d have to fake it until we could set things to right.