CHAPTER FIVE

TRAVIS

"A moonlit ride across the Montana wilderness…"

Dinner at Serenity Ranch is an interesting affair. Three of the heirs to Dell Foster's billions have arrived for their contractually obligated year in Guardian Valley, and they are as different as can be.

Addie wears thick cardigans and doesn't say much at the table as the bowl of garlic bread is passed around.

Derek is covered in scars and keeps a sharp eye on me like I'm going to kidnap Brooke at any moment. Okay, so maybe his concern isn't completely unfounded.

And then there's my girl. She's somewhere in the middle, not as shy as Addie and not nearly as cautious as Derek.

"I've heard the story in town about the heirs of Guardian Valley. Do you know who the rest of the heirs are?"

Addie nods and offers a shy smile. "Yes, thanks to Brooke. She was the missing puzzle piece."

"Oh?"

"My brother Ryan is one, obviously, because we both lost our parents. And the last heir is Hope. We became friends during the trial that ultimately didn't do anything but shove us into the spotlight more," Brooke says, shrugging her shoulders. "We've been friends ever since."

I honed into the details about their failed trial. How could five kids lose their parents in a horrific plane crash and not win? Especially when one of the kids was actually on the plane and suffered lasting scars?

"Foster's lawyers found a loophole absolving them of responsibility," Derek explains after I ask the question weighing on my mind. "The company didn't even cover my skin surgeries. Said I shouldn't have been on the plane in the first place, despite my dad getting prior permission, so I could watch his keynote speech. Somehow that particular correspondence was never found. Bastards."

Samantha's palm moves to his back and rubs soothing circles across the man's tense muscles. It's obvious the topic is a difficult one.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up. I understand how some people can be real assholes."

My childhood was full of them.

Livingston is full of them.

I tried talking my mom into moving. To New York. To Guardian Valley. But she refused. It was her hometown, and she wasn't going to let a couple of judgmental jerks run her out of it. Which is admirable, I suppose, but I wish she'd shake off the dust of that old town and move on like me.

Thankfully, the dinner conversation lightens up as we move on to discussing details about Guardian Valley, like the upcoming May Day Parade.

And afterwards, I consider my options for the night. We can retreat to Brooke's cabin, or I can come clean about the other reason it was so easy to find her.

And get away from any more interruptions.

Not wanting secrets between us, I grab Brooke's hand and pull her to a stop outside. "Can I show you something?"

"Now?" Confusion wrinkles her nose as she searches the surrounding area for what I could possibly want to show her.

"If that's okay. I promise it'll be worth it."

Hesitation weighs in the air but eventually Brooke agrees with a nod of her head, so I redirect us to the barn where Derek had me stable my horse, Tenor. It doesn't take long for me to saddle him for a ride back to my place, and the whole time Brooke stares wide-eyed, occasionally asking me questions.

"A moonlit ride across the Montana wilderness isn't exactly what I thought you had in mind."

I chuckle and hug her closer to me, making sure she's secure in my arms after we mount up. "Didn't fit your idea of the New York club owner?"

"Not exactly… Although, you pretty much demolished my first impression after showing up on my doorstep in full cowboy regalia," she says. "Not that I'm complaining."

My chin rests on the side of her head as Tenor carefully walks back to Gibson-Vee Ranch, the name Braden and I settled on after much debate. Rather than cutting through Harper's Landing, I decided to take the longer and technically legal route of following the road back home.

Our breath fogs the air as millions of stars shimmer above us. It's a beautiful, cool night for an evening ride.

"I'm a man of many talents," I joke. "In this business, it pays to be flexible. Adaptable. So, when a situation calls for the sharp businessman, I slip into my three-piece suits and take extra time on my appearance. When I'm in Guardian Valley, where jeans and boots are the norm, I get to dress more casually. But they're both me."

"What are you doing in Guardian Valley, though? It's difficult to believe you bought a new wardrobe and a horse all to find me."

"That's the surprise." We slowly enter Gibson-Vee land and halt in front of my two-story house. Braden's is built a little further down the paved driveway. "Welcome to my home."