Page 28 of Barbed Wire Hearts

“Some ranches do. Some of the others that join us in this drive use side-by-sides rather than horses, and Levi does, but we like to keep things old school as much as we can. We camp out just like the cowboys of old, too. Nowhere better than beneath the stars.”

“That sounds nice,” I murmur, coming up to the horses sticking their heads out for pats. “Which one am I learning on?”

“Oh, you’ll be riding Marey Poppins. She’s the calmest of the mares and is all around an easy ride,” he explains, pointing to a pretty brownish-black mare.

I snort at the name and come over to pet her. I’m starting to get used to the fun names around here but it still surprises me that many of them are named by Dakota. “And which one will you be riding?”

“Oh, Mane of War is mine. Don’t let the name fool you though. He’s as gentle as can be, but he prances like the best war horses,” he says with a grin. “Let me show you how to saddle a horse.”

An hour later, after Wiley shows me how to saddle a horse and then a whole bunch of practice, we’re up on our horses. I’d had to redo my saddle a few times before I got it right, and ultimately, I’m still not confident enough to do it myself, but I feel as if I can learn fast. However, getting settled in the saddle is another thing entirely.

“Marey isn’t a feisty girl. She’ll go where you tell her happily. Just make sure you shift your hips with the movements. Don’t fight them or else you’re gonna be hurting tomorrow,” Wiley warns, climbing onto his own horse and leading the way out of the barn.

Together we ride the horses out past the house and the close pastures, out over the hills. The mountains rise higher around us, like great looming beasts. The fir trees break up some of the scenery but only add to it when we crest hills and take it all in. The mountains might be my favorite part of Steele Mountain. There’s nothing quite like it in New Jersey. It’s so beautiful out here. I could ride along the mountain range for hours.

And we do. We ride the horses out for a few hours, exploring along the pastures, only stopping when we find a good-sized pond. We dismount—Wiley has to help me—and let the horses graze around the pond while we sit on the small dock built on the edge of it. I can see the fish swimming languidly around toward the surface, unconcerned with our presence. It’s not clear by any means but it’s easy to pick them out of the muddy blue.

I lean back on my hands and breathe deep. The air is so much better here, clean, clear. “It’s so beautiful here,” I murmur, enjoying the sunshine on my face.

“You ain’t got mountains where you’re from?” he asks.

I hesitate but figure there’s no harm. There are lots of places without mountains. “No.”

He hums. “You sure do hold your information tightly. I figured you’d trust me by now.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” I counter. “It just won’t do anyone any good to mention it.”

He shrugs. “Keep your secrets, darlin’. I’ve got something else in mind.”

When he stands suddenly, I watch him warily. That is, until he takes his shirt off. Then I watch him a little more intensely. I blink in surprise as he kicks off his boots before tugging his jeans down and leaving only his boxers on.

“Last one in the pond is a rotten egg,” he teases.

“In there?” I ask, eyeing the murky water warily. The horses are happily grazing around us, ignoring our antics.

“Ain’t you ever swam in a pond before?” he asks.

“No,” I admit.

“Well, let me show you how we do it around here then,” he says and then with a “whoop!” he takes off running down the small dock and leaps off the edge. He lands in the water with a big splash that nearly gets me.

I laugh at his antics, giggling as he surfaces and spits water toward me with a grin. The sight of him being so carefree will stick with me forever. It’s maybe the greenest flag I’ve ever seen in a man.

When he reappears at the surface, he grins and gestures for me to follow. “Come on, rotten egg. Live a little.”

I might have said no a few weeks ago, but now, I grin and stand up before pulling my clothing over my head, until I’m standing in only my bra and panties. Then with my own yell of excitement, I run and leap off the edge. I come up sputtering at how cold the water is only to find Wiley howling in excitement and laughing with his full chest. He moves closer, his eyes dancing with laughter, but when they grow heated, the tension between us changes, and I find my own laughter fading away. The tension skyrockets as I tread water, my eyes on the man before me.

When I took off from New Jersey, running from The Crows, I never once thought that I would manage to find a place like this, let alone a man like Wiley. Though there’s been tension between Dakota and I, and though Levi seems to hate my guts, Wiley has been outspoken the entire time. I should be more careful probably. Everything I googled said not to form connections if you’re trying to remain anonymous, but we’re out in the middle of nowhere, on a ranch where no one will think to look for me. Hell, we’re swimming in a murky pond with who knows what swimming around us at the base of the mountains. If that isn’t anonymous, I don’t know what is.

“Why’ve you got that thoughtful look in your eyes?” Wiley says, his voice rough.

I tilt my head toward him, taking in his strong jawline and his bright green eyes. “I was just thinking about what it would be like to kiss you,” I admit.

Something flashes in the green there, and the gentle man I’ve come to know disappears, replaced with something else, something more wild. He eases closer, treading water until I can feel the brush of his hands beneath the surface.

“If you wanted me to kiss you, all you had to do was ask,” he murmurs.

“Thought I just did,” I whisper, reaching up to wrap my arms around his shoulders.

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