Page 1 of The Roper & the Author

Chapter

One

Walker Daniel Colevillewas in a funk. Nobody could blame him. Just two weeks ago he’d given up the love of his life, Lily Lillywhite, to his older brother, Sheriff Clint Coleville. It had been the right thing to do. Lily was obviously in love with Clint and Clint deserved every happiness.

Just because it was the right thing to do did not mean that Walker was happy about it or optimistic about his future. A future alone. No love. No happiness.

He scoffed as he rode his horse Tantrum along the exterior fence of Coleville Ranch with his twin brother Easton. The perimeter fence was an impenetrable eight feet of metal and barb wire, electric, and had no weak spots, but they still checked it every day.

If his brother could hear his thoughts, he’d try to tease him out of it. Easton was charming, happy, and lived to joke. Everybody adored his twin, especially the female everybodys. Walker had never been jealous of Easton and they had stuck by the blood pact made as young teenagers to never go after each other’s girls. Walker got plenty of female attention beinga championship steer roper and with his ‘devastating cowboy smile’ and ‘mesmerizing blue eyes’.

Sadly, the one woman he’d always thought was his match was the woman he could never have. His oldest brother’s fiancée. He’d dated other girls, a lot of them, but he’d crushed on Lily for over ten years. Two weeks ago, he’d officially shut down any longing for Lily and put her safely in the future sister-in-law box.

When Lily had been Miles’s girlfriend, it had been obvious to Walker that though they were both loyal to each other, the relationship wasn’t progressing and they wouldn’t end up together. With Clint and Lily, it was easy to see they were perfect for each other, crazy in love, and would be together forever. If that left Walker alone and miserable, so be it. He wanted his brother and Lily to have every happiness.

Easton rode up close. “Papa said to head on back. The rizzy Aiden Porter himself has brought us a new case.”

“Really?” Walker liked Aiden Porter. The infamous retired Marine was the ‘second top security specialist in the world next to Sutton Smith’. The title the charismatic Aiden had given himself probably wasn’t accurate any longer. Walker thought Aiden had passed up even the illustrious Sutton.

Their ranch had been used for various protection details over the years, but the demand had increased lately. They’d both been trained since birth by their former Green Beret father to shoot, fight, track, and pay attention to details to rival most military special ops teams.

“Yes, bruh.” Easton grinned and spurred his horse Baby. “Race ya.”

Walker found himself smiling as Tantrum took up pursuit with minimal nudging and nickering. His horse was fast, mean-tempered, and competitive. His brothers teased that Tantrum was Walker’s opposite, but he thought his everyday horse was his perfect compliment. He and Tantrum won every race.

Within a quarter of a mile, he’d caught Easton. He laughed as he rode on past and heard Easton begging Baby, “Come on, girl! We can’t lose to that bully Tantrum again.”

He hadn’t laughed much in the past two weeks. It felt great.

He raced along the main trail to the ranch and up to his parents’ massive lodge. He, Easton, their brother Miles, and several ranch hands had cabins spread throughout the woods east of the main house and barns.

A black Cadillac Escalade pulled up to the house just as he burst through the trees. Walker had seen this happen a dozen times. A new person in danger coming to their picturesque, remote, and safe ranch to stay for anywhere from a day to a year.

Why did something feel different? Something important was about to happen. His neck tingled as if lightning was going to strike.

“Whoa boy.” He reined in his horse, slowing to a walk to let Tantrum cool down as Aiden Porter and one of his top men, Nick Jacobs, exited the SUV. Aiden turned and opened the rear door. Walker noticed his parents walk out on the porch and heard Easton rein in behind him.

He was only a hundred feet away, Tantrum moseying, as the woman in the back seat popped out of the vehicle. She thanked Aiden and then looked around at her surroundings.

She wasn’t very tall, probably five-four or five-five, a brunette with skin like honey. She wore only a blue sundress even though it was a crisp mid-September morning in the mountains. She shivered, and then she focused in on him.

Her walnut-brown eyes widened and her full lips softened. Their gazes locked, and the world shifted under Tantrum’s hooves.

“Whoa,” Walker murmured. “Whoa there, boy.” He wasn’t sure if he was speaking to himself or the horse. His eyes neverleft the woman’s and she returned the favor, staring at him as if she were soaking him in, as if he were meant to be her future.

“Dibs,” Easton said in a low tone as he and Baby sauntered past Walker and Tantrum.

Walker’s chest tightened and his stomach soured.

No. No way. Easton could have any lady he wanted. His twin couldn’t have ‘dibs’, not on this woman. Ironically, Walker had called dibs on Lily years ago. That hadn’t worked out, and dibs was a stupid term anyway.

Easton reached the group and swung off his horse, taking off his hat and all but bowing to the breathtaking newcomer. Walker’s gut churned. The dark-eyed angel would simply be another conquest in Easton’s quest to forget about Cassie Johnston, his long-lost love. Though he and Easton had honored dibs for years, a teenage term couldn’t factor in when Walker was certain he’d just exchanged glances with his soul mate. That look in her eyes earlier had said she felt the same.

Walker nudged Tantrum and the horse pounded up to the group. Everyone’s gaze focused on him and his magnificent horse. He only cared about one pair of deep-brown eyes framed with long lashes. She was dialed in, locked in, completely enraptured with him. Yes!

He tugged Tantrum to a stop, leaped off as if he were going to take down a steer, and ‘bumped’ Easton out of the way with his shoulder. Sweeping his own hat off, ruffling his hair, and inclining his head, he heard his mama breathe, “Walker,” in a surprised tone. Usually it was Easton who drew attention to himself.

Walker was too focused on the brunette to even apologize to his mama. “Ma’am,” he said. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you. I’m Walker Coleville.”

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