Page 1 of Some Cowboys Brave the Flames

1

Michael “Ash” Ashton

Six Years Ago

Save me.

Ash snorted at the text from his best friend. Mason Keagan was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a lady’s man and hated the fact that his younger brother had become one. They’d been friends since before Ash had received his nickname. While Ash didn’t mind hanging out with Liam and the girls he was usually surrounded by, he had other interests—interests similar to Mason.

Sometimes it was nice to find a good book and have a quiet night in.

There weren’t many folks in Copper Creek who liked the Keagan family. They had a reputation, and people preferred to keep their distance. It could have been due to the fact that they were considered rabid children without parents to guide them.Or it could be the fact that all ten Keagan men had grown up and could intimidate a wolf out of its skin with one look.

The Keagans weren’t bad at all. They protected what belonged to them fiercely—and that included their land and their siblings.

Streetlights flickered past his view as he drove along the highway leading to the Keagan property. It still got dark early, even though spring was starting to make an appearance. Ash had little doubt that Liam had already invited several girls out to the house so they could go dancing at the club. It was his birthday, and no one could fault him for wanting to celebrate—not even Mason, who would rather gouge out his eyes than enable his younger brother’s philandering ways.

Ash shoved the gearshift into park as soon as he came to a stop in front of the house. Movement caught his attention. A figure marched back and forth in the shadows of a large tree. She wore a dress and her hands were at her sides, but by the way she paced, he could tell she wasn’t happy.

Had Liam already made a girl mad?

A chuckle escaped his throat as he pulled the keys from the ignition and pushed the door open. No wonder Mason had already pleaded for reinforcements. Ash shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled toward the poor girl, then stopped suddenly.

It wasn’t just some girl.

Charlotte Keagan didn’t look like herself at all. Gone were her braids and the hand-me-down overalls that she usually wore around the ranch. Instead, her hair had been carefully teased and curled. It fell over her shoulders in soft waves, drawing his eyes to the low-cut dress. Off-the-shoulder straps clung to her upper arms, and the dress flared at the waist before ending at her lower thigh—an outfit that Ash knew her brothers hadn’t seen yet or they would have made her change.

He’d never seen her made up like this before. It was almost hard to remember that she was just Charlie—Mason’s kid sister.

She stopped her pacing, a gasp tearing from her throat when she realized he was standing there. The surprise was quickly replaced with a flat look. She folded her arms across her chest. “Mason is inside if you’re looking for him.”

Ash couldn’t tear his eyes from her. His mouth was suddenly dry, and a subtle warmth started in his lower stomach and was spreading throughout his entire body. He wouldn’t say that Charlie wasn’t attractive before. He’d heard her brothers make comments about having to keep guys from asking her out. He wouldn’t even say that she had improved herself with these changes—quite the contrary. She’d merely enhanced what was already there.

“Ash,” Charlie snapped, drawing his attention back to her face. She tapped her foot, and her brows lifted. “What’s your problem?”

He stiffened and motioned to her with a fling of his arm. “I could say the same thing about you.”

Charlie huffed as only a sixteen-year-old could. She was six years his junior, which was only the second most important reason she was off-limits to him. The first was that he was Mason’s friend, and he knew the guy, along with his brothers, would burn the world down if anyone hurt their sister.

Charlie clenched her hands into fists and resumed her pacing. “Boys are so frustrating.”

He smirked, a chuckle escaping his chest. “You’re not wrong.”

In the distance, thunder rumbled through the sky. Lightning flickered, too, matching Charlie’s electric fury.

Charlie spun around to face him. “Why?”

“Why what?” He moved toward the tree and leaned against the trunk. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t ignore the feelingsthat had started churning within him. It felt wrong and, at the same time, addictive to imagine getting to know her on a more personal level. He shrugged that thought aside and forced himself to listen to her rant.

“He’sthe one who asked me out. Not me! Him. He wanted to take me out mini golfing, and I was going to say no.”

Ash’s eyes trailed over her body, and he arched a brow. “You were going to go golfing in that?”

Her cheeks flushed, and she glowered at him. “There’s nothing wrong with what I’m wearing.”

He shrugged, though he knew exactly what she’d been trying to do. She’d dressed for this guy—this idiot who didn’t realize he’d regret bailing on her. Irritation raced through his chest, hating that Charlie had been treated this way. “Your brothers don’t know, do they?”

“Why would they care?” she shot back.

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