Page 20 of Rope Me

Alex lifts a hand, silently telling the guys in the back to stay put. But they climb out anyway, filing in behind us like a damn wall of muscle. The man finally turns to face us. But he hardly makes the effort of putting his camera down. Instead, his gaze sweeps over our lineup of broad shoulders and clenched jaws. He doesn’t flinch. Something like amusement flickers across his face.

“Wow,” he says, scanning each of us like we’re a puzzle he’s just figured out. “So it’s true. Yeah, I can see it. Interesting.”

One thing is for certain, this dude ain’t from around here. Not with that West Coast accent.

Alex steps forward and his tone goes from neutral to lethal in the span of a breath. “Are you here on behalf of Mayor Randolph Bellcourt? Because if you are, I’ve got a message you can take back to him.”

The man holds up a hand, shaking his head and he lets out an airy chuckle. “No, no. I’m not here on behalf of anyone but myself.” He waves Alex off like he’s unbothered by the way we’re closing in around him.

The sheer nerve of this dude is unreal. If I wasn’t so worried about him being here, I might actually be impressed.

“I’m interested inKingridge Ranch. Not in buying it or anything—just the history, the roots, that kind of thing.”

I cross my arms over my chest, my jaw tightening. “And you are?”

He grins and it’s as casual as can be. Then he extends a hand like we’re at some kind of meet-and-greet. “Oh, I’mDanner. Nice to meet you.”

Behind me, Holden snorts. “Tanner?”

The guy shakes his head. “No—Danner. With aD.” His expression sobers slightly. I see the first inkling of hesitation creeping into his features. “I, uh… I don’t know much about my father. But Idoknow he was insistent that my name start with aD.”

I take a dizzying step backward and shoot a look at Alex.It can’tbe.It isn’tpossible. Holden and Geoffrey use my silence as an opportunity to start peppering Danner with questions, but I can’t hear them anymore. I take him in again. The broad shoulders, the strong jawline, something familiar in his eyes.

The pieces shift into place and it clicks. I feel the ground move beneath me.

Alexander. Bowen. Callum.

Danner?

CHAPTER 16

PODCAST EPISODE- BOOTS AND BITCHING

Well,well, well, y’all come in and pull up a rocker. The tea is sweet today and I’m ready to start pouring.

A little birdy told me that Patty June’s prize-winning peach cobbler may owe its success to her secret baking partner… Pillsbury. Scandalous, I know. I hear she’s been sneaking in a pre-made crust from the general store. If that’s true, well… let’s just say the county fair judges are gonna have some thoughts.

And if it isn’t our very own former Mrs. Mayor Bellcourt and the Kingridge Ranch Royal playing house. And trust me, darlings, they aren’t exactly keeping things low-key. They’ve been spotted canoodling all over the ranch, and I do mean all over. Seems like Cassidy’s milkshake brings all the rich boys to the yard—except this one knows how to rope.

Now, it’d be easy to tie this up with a pretty little lasso, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The boys out at Kingridge Ranch have made an enemy of the mayor, and something tells me he’s not the forgive-and-forget type. And let’s not forget about the mysterious out-of-towner still poking around. I’ve asked, but mum's the word on him… for now.

Who is he? What does he want? Can’t say yet, but you know I’ve got my boots on the ground, and I will find out.

It seems the mysterious drones have made it all the way from the big city to Sagebrush Creek, at least according to the ladies down at Mane Event Hair Salon. One blurry camera phone image can’t convince me. But those gals ain’t known for their brains.

Oh, and I’ve heard the whispers about yours truly, so let me put this to rest. I’m not revealing my identity. There’s a reason I keep my voice disguised, sugar. The best secrets come from the shadows and trust me, you’d rather not know who’s holding the cards.

But let’s shift gears to something a little more fun, shall we?

It seems like Kingridge Ranch is rolling out the red carpet for a very high-profile guest. A professional football player is coming to town, and they’re sparing no expense. We’re talking a Weekend VIP Getaway Package—private horseback rides, gourmet meals, and five-star service. It’s the kind of treatment reserved for royalty and, apparently, quarterbacks. This means the Kingridge boys are gonna have to step up their game if they want to prove who really runs this town.

That’s all for now, darlings, but don’t you worry—I’ll be here, watching. Because there’s always more to the story. Until next time, your bitch with boots on the ground.

EPILOGUE: ALEXANDER

The house is too quiet. Between Connor’s near-constant chatter, the beeps and whirs of his video games, the two little yappers Cassidy still tries to convince me are dogs, and her pop music drifting through the house, silence is rare these days. And if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

After Cassidy and I got married, Randolph decided to drop his request to take my wife to court. My guess is the man didn’t like the idea of a fair fight. He still pokes his nose into our lives from time to time, but Connor’s home is right here with us and that’s all that matters.

---