Page 119 of Rough Ride

I cleared my throat. “Actually, I’ve already been doing some research on that front. And I have some news.”

All three of them stopped in their tracks and looked at me.

“I think I found a place.”

52

Sophie

A week later, the four of us stood on a flat piece of land about twenty miles southwest of Fort Worth. A rusted barbed-wire fence sagged along the border, barely visible by the knee-high prairie grass that whispered in the wind. Beyond it, the skeletal remains of a once-grand barn slumped to one side, its red paint peeled to a dull memory. The ranch house sat half-choked in creeping ivy and dust, its windows gaping like the empty eyes of a skull. The air carried the scent of sunbaked earth and forgotten things, punctuated only by the slow groan of a weathered windmill spinning idly against the endless Texas sky.

“It’s not much to look at now,” I said. “But it’s about a thousand acres. Plenty of grazing land, with a lake on the northern edge of the property. It’s been on the market for over a year, and they’ve dropped the asking price several times.”

“I can see why,” Sawyer muttered.

“It’s a fixer-upper,” I said hopefully. “A starting point. Trust me, I’ve done my research, and this place is a steal. Even with all the work that needs to be done. But if you would rather look at property back in Colorado…”

“Everything’s twice as expensive in Colorado,” Johnny said.

“Three times as expensive.” Sawyer approached the nearest fence post and gave it a wiggle. It immediately snapped in half, dust and wood fragments floating to the ground.

My stomach sank. They hated it. They weren’t going to buy it.

“I LOVE IT!” Eli blurted out.

I gave a start. “Really?”

He swept me into his arms and gave me a quick kiss. “At the price you told us, it’s a steal. And with three of us working on it, we’ll get it fixed up in no time.”

“Four of us,” Sawyer corrected, gaze fixating on me. “I’m only in this if Sophie is.”

I gawked at him. “What do you mean? This is your ranch. The three of you.”

“Bull-fucking-shit,” Sawyer growled. “Two months ago, the three of us hated each other.”

“Hate’s a strong word,” Eli began.

“Ihatedthis man,” Sawyer reiterated, pointing at Eli while still addressing me. “I liked Johnny more, but that’s not saying much. But you brought us together. Helped us become friends.”

“Friends!” Eli exclaimed. “He said it. We all heard.”

“Friends,” Sawyer gritted out, like the admission took something out of him. “Friends who are now pooling our money together to buy a ranch. We wouldn’t even have this opportunity if not for you. So I’m not buying any property unless you’re along for the ride, too. And no, that’s not negotiable.”

I looked at all three of them. “I… I’m flattered. And I’m interested, I think.” I shook my head. “I don’t think. Iknow. Having a ranch, or a homestead, of my own has always beenmy dream. But I don’t have any money to contribute to the purchase.”

“Forget the money,” Johnny said.

“We’ve got the cash taken care of,” Sawyer said. “What we need is someone to keep us together. You’re the glue, Sophie. Without you, none of this works.”

Eli and Johnny nodded in agreement. Hope filled my chest, making me feel lighter than air, but I still hesitated.

“That’s a lot of pressure to put on our relationships, if you can even use that word,” I said. “The four of us have only beentogether, loosely speaking, for two months. Aren’t you worried that we might break up? Or worse, if I decide I don’t like one of you? What happens if I fall madly in love with Eli, and not you two?”

Sawyer gave me one of his incredibly rare smiles. “I’m not worried about that. Are you, Johnny?”

“Not even a little bit,” Johnny replied.

Eli cleared his throat. “As natural as it would be to fall for me instead of these two, I think we’ll be all right. Hell, we’ll be more than all right, darlin’.”

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