Page 1 of Love Me Reckless

Chapter One

SAWYER

Finn River, Idaho

I’ve never believedin love at first sight. It’s a fairy tale. Cute, but fucked up.

Love isn’t something that sprouts overnight, like a weed. It takes time and careful tending. It takes attention.

Something I learned the hard way.

But instant attraction… yes. That I can get behind.

Like the young woman in the blue dress laughing at something her friend says, her fingertips pressed to her lips. I haven’t been able to take my eyes off her since Zach’s swearing-in ceremony. She glances in my direction, as if she’s sensed me watching. I expect her to look away, or scowl—I’m an outsider, after all. Instead, her smile warms.

Earlier, I saw her with a tall guy in a pale gray suit, but she’s been with her friends since our party arrived at the restaurant.

The bartender sets two ice-cold lemonades on the bar, snapping me back to the room. I carry the drinks to the back deck where the party’s in full swing. My best friend Zach is standing at the railing, watching his younger brother William throw the football to one ofhis Finn River Falcon teammates out in the grass. I hand Zach a lemonade and we clink rims.

“Is he nervous about the game tomorrow?” I nod at William who, at that moment, fires off a perfect pass.

Zach sets his lemonade on the railing. “I think so.”

“He’s keeping things inside, huh?”

“You remember how that is,” Zach says.

“So do you,” I reply.

There was a time not too long ago when both Zach and I had a reason to keep our pasts hidden. He’s managed to break free of his, while I’m still outrunning mine.

“We still going riding tomorrow?” I ask while William fires off another machine-like throw.

Zach leans sideways against the railing and squints at me through the bright sunshine. “Of course.”

“Your old boss gave us a day pass for the ranch.”

“Is that so?” Zach sips his lemonade.

From across the crowded deck, Zach looks to Stu Valentine, his former bosscompu and head of security at Finn River Ranch. He’s a big dude and though he’s been friendly, I wouldn’t want to land on his bad side.

Stu gives Zach a subtle lift of his chin, as if the two of them are sharing some secret.

Like I don’t know their plan.

Stu already offered to put in a good word for me with Finn River Ranch’s maintenance department for a job as a ski lift mechanic. I’m sure Zach gave him the idea.

“I told him I’d never seen a chair lift before,” I say. “Let alone ridden on one with a freaking mountain bike.”

“The trails up there are sweet,” Zach says.

I set my glass down on the railing and whip out my phone, pulling up a map of the exclusive and meticulously maintained trail system located inside the members-only Finn River Ranch. “We should start here,” I say, and zoom in. “Then work our way to thebackside. We can probably fit in Sidewinder, then Snowberry, then loop around the back of Glory Basin.”

Zach gives me a fist bump. “I’ve never been on any of those. I’ll go wherever you want.”

I shoot him a look. “You worked at this fancy ranch and never went mountain biking?”

“Nope.” He shrugs, but it’s easy to read between the lines. Zach didn’t have the luxury of riding a bike for fun when he was starting his life over here just over a year ago. “Stu must like you. Those guest passes are like gold.”

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