Page 9 of Barbed Wire Hearts

“Any particular preference? Do you like sweet or savory?” She taps the flavor list in case I’d missed it.

“Sweet, please. And anything but coconut.”

“Coming right up, Sugar!” she says and turns to immediately start making my drink.

I turn, intending to find a table to sit at, but my eyes catch on a man through the window. He turns and shouts something over his shoulder to someone, a grin on his face, before he reaches for the coffee shop’s door and comes inside. He’s dressed in jeans that hug his ass in just the right way and a button-down plaid shirt rolled up at the sleeves. There’s a black cowboy hat on his head that casts a shadow over his face. When he tips his face up to the light, I get a good look at a clean jawline and bright green eyes.

“Georgia!” he calls, his voice light and cheerful. “You mind if I put up a flyer in the window? Dakota wants us to hire some people to help out at Steele Mountain.” His eyes flicker over to me and hold for a few seconds, before dancing back to Georgia.

“Of course, Sug. That boss of yours got you working overtime?” she calls from where she grinds coffee beans.

“Always,” he answers with a grin as he comes inside fully and pulls a tape dispenser from his back pocket. “You know Dakota don’t know how to relax and have fun.” He tips his hat to me, and I nearly melt. “Ma’am.”

Shit. Cowboys? There aren’t any cowboys back home. If there were, I’d have been in trouble, because this man? He oozes charm. I bet he knows how to treat a girl so nice.

He starts working on taping a piece of paper to the window and I walk over to take a look, both out of curiosity and because I kind of want to smell him. When I get close, vanilla and bay rum tickle my nose. Man. He even smells nice.

“What is it you’re hiring for?” I ask.

He glances over his shoulder at me with a charming smile. “Help on our ranch. Things get a little hectic during the spring and summer and we could use a spare set of hands to wrangle the cattle and feed the horses.”

That sounds like heaven. Mountains, horses, and cowboys with charming smiles? Wyoming doesn’t seem so bad. “And anyone can apply?”

He shrugs. “Anyone willing to work, I suppose. There’s not much need for experience but lodging and meals are provided so there’s a bit of a background check done by Dakota.” He looks me up and down, taking in my back sweatpants and baggy rock band shirt. My hair is tied up in a messy bun and falling out from my drive. I wince at his perusal but he doesn’t seem to mind as he nods appreciatively. “You interested? We don’t get too many city folks out there.”

“I. . .I don’t know,” I answer honestly, worrying my bottom lip. “Maybe.”

He grins. “Well, if you’re interested, just come on out to the address listed here.” He passes me one of the flyers where it was folded up in his back pocket. “Tell them Wiley sent you if I ain’t around.”

He winks at me and my heart thumps wildly at the gesture. The man is pure charm and charisma. He tips his hat one more time to me, and then to Georgia.

“See you, Georgia!” he calls before leaving with one more grin toward me before he’s strolling down the street. I stare after him, noting that I really like cowboy jeans. More men should wear them because … damn.

“He’s something, ain’t he?” Georgia says suddenly from beside me, startling me. “If I were ten years younger, I’d be all over that one. All the men at Steele Mountain Ranch could make a nun sweat.” She passes me a mug with what looks like boobs. They’re lopsided and uneven but it just gives it more character. “You thinkin’ of stickin’ around, Sugar?”

I tilt my head. “I’m certainly thinking,” I murmur before taking a sip. My eyes widen and I glance over at Georgia with wide eyes. “Oh my god. Georgia! How are you not famous? This is fucking amazing!”

Georgia grins. “Them city coffee shops ain’t got nothing on me.” With a wink, she stoops and passes William some cat treats while I look out the window and search for Wiley.

I’m certainly thinking alright. This place feels a little more homey when I think about the cowboys just prancing around on the streets.

The world needs more cowboys, I think, and I’m so tempted to head out to the address and check things out. It can’t be that bad, right?

ChapterEight

WILEY

Iturn to glance over my shoulder, sad when I don’t see the woman from the coffee shop emerge to chase me down. I’d love to be chased down by that city girl. Shoot, she sure was something. I doubt she’ll come down to the ranch looking for a job dressed like that. Goth chicks and cowboys don’t often mix, but man wouldn’t it be something. Plus, I’m betting that little sporty BMW belongs to her. She’s certainly not the type to come looking for work on a ranch. It’s foolish to hope she does.

Still, a fool can’t help but hope. I hadn’t even caught her name, but I’d caught Georgia grinnin’ ear to ear behind the counter when I’d been talking to her. No doubt she knows her name. I’ll have to ask what she knows, if she’s sticking around town or just passing through.

And her cat! She’d been walking a cat on a leash! I ain’t ever seen some shit like that. In my opinion, anyone who can train a cat would be fine with horses. Horses aren’t nearly as difficult as the little beasts. I’ve spent years trying to befriend the barn cats only for them to turn their noses up at my offerings. Of course, they happily run to Levi, the big grumpy bastard. I still don’t know how he does it.

Christ, I’m not gonna be able to get that woman out of my head. I have half a mind to turn around and ask for her number, but when I glance at my watch, I swear. Dakota will kill me if I miss the time slot for the feed shipment. I’m already runnin’ behind. I glance behind me one more time, toward the coffee shop, and sigh. Maybe another time. I send up a prayer to whoever is listening that she comes looking for work on the ranch, no matter how farfetched of an idea that is.

Then I hop in my pickup truck, throw it in reverse, and head for the feed shipment.

Ranch work stops for nothin’, not even cute little city girls.

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