Page 17 of Sweet Like Whiskey

And then there are the Darling brothers, four of them. Lawson, age forty-two. Jackson, who’s forty. Colton, thirty-seven. And Remington, twenty-eight. All handsome in their own right. All unattached—as I’ve learned—apart from Lawson, who will be soon. They’re a close-knit family, that much is clear.

Jackson, though. He’s the one I’m drawn to. I’d like to say it’s simply a matter of lusting after an attractive man, but I’m fairly certain it’s more than that. There’s something about him that intrigues me. The loyalty he has toward his family and this ranch. The way he’s a little growly and rough around the edgesbut clearly a good man. How he tries so hard to keep his stoic mask in place, which only makes me all the more eager to see it slip.

I can’t help but wonder what it would take to make the man unravel.

As the ranchers start heading off, their plates cleared, I watch Jackson. He takes his own plate and silverware out of the room, seemingly cleaning up after himself, before reappearing with a thermos in hand. Without a word, he steps out onto the back deck. Curious, I follow. It’s still dark, not yet five in the morning, but the big red barn is lit up and the cows in the nearby field are walking that way. Do they know it’s time to be milked?

Jackson approaches the fence line, his voice ringing loud and clear. “Get. Get on, now. Go.”

His tone isn’t mean, just…forceful, and the cows who’d been lying down get up and trot off toward the barn. I shiver, fairly certain it has nothing to do with the morning chill.

Heading back inside, I get started on cleanup. Colton is the only one still sitting at the table, his head in his hand.

“Not a morning person?” I ask.

He swings his gaze my way slowly. “Nope.”

I huff a laugh. “Me neither.”

Although I have a feeling that’s going to change, whether or not I want it to.

I grab the nearly empty coffee carafe and plunk it down in front of Colton, smirking when he jumps. “Buck up, partner. The day has just begun.”

His laughter follows me out of the room.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Ashley, honey. Did you make it to Montana? Are you with Virginia? I still think you’re making a mistake.”

“I’m here,” I tell my mom, ignoring the last part of what she said. “I’m not with Ginnie right now. I got a job, actually. I’m on a ranch.”

My mom is quiet for a moment, clearly digesting that, and I look out over the land from my spot on the back deck. It’s midafternoon, and I just finished cleaning the floors inside the house. I’ve been enjoying the shade since, as well as the view. The sky is bright but dotted with clouds, and I’m fairly sure I can see Jackson far off on horseback. I squint a little harder.

“A ranch,” my mom says after what feels like an eternity. “Ashley…”

“Mom, please,” I cut in, not wanting to hear another diatribe about my choices. My mom made her thoughts perfectly clear before I left. “I don’t need mothering right now, okay? I could use a friend.”

She sighs. “How are you liking it?”

“Honestly? It’s amazinghere. I’m cooking for the employees and staying at the ranch house. They have cows. And actual cowboys.”

“Sounds…quaint,” she says.

I snort. “There’s dirt on the floor. You’d hate it.”

I can practically hear her cringe. “You’re safe? These are good people?”

“They are,” I assure her. I may not know them well, but I know that much. Plus, Virginia vouched for them, and I trust her with my life.

“Do you know when you’re coming home?” my mom asks.

I let out a slow breath, not sure how to tell her I might noteverbe coming back. To visit, sure. But I don’t think Maine is home for me, not anymore. Maybe it never was. I don’t know if Darling could be that, but I want to find out.

“Not sure yet,” I say. “I’ll let you know.”

“Please be careful, Ashley. I’m allowed to say that as a friend, too. I just… I love you,” she says quietly. “I never want harm to come to you. So please, look out for yourself. And don’t forget to listen to your body.”

I nearly roll my eyes. I’m a grown-ass man who’s been taking care of himself for a long time, but I don’t remind my mom of that. “Love you, too, Mom.”

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