Page 120 of Rough Ride

As I looked from one man to the next, I felt all of my doubts falling away. I began nodding, certainty growing with every second.

“Okay,” I said. “I’m in.”

The four of us shared a group hug. Surrounded by their loving arms, I felt certain that I was making the right decision.

For the first time since I could remember, I was excited about my future.

“Are we really doing this?” Eli asked.

“We’re really doing this,” Sawyer agreed.

“What if we disagree about how the ranch should be run?” Johnny asked carefully. “How will we settle disputes? You’re the one ponying up the most cash—does that mean you get the final say?”

Sawyer shook his head. “Fuck that. All decisions have to be unanimous between us. All four of us.”

Eli let out an excited whoop, then took off at a sprint. The rest of us watched in amazement as he hurdled the barbed-wire fence, then took off toward the barn.

“Maybe all decisions have to be unanimous betweenusthree,” Johnny said.

“I second that motion,” Sawyer agreed.

The two of them shared a chuckle, then looked surprised by their agreement.

But I couldn’t stop grinning. The four of them had hated each other two months ago, and were now working together.

And it was all because of the way they cared aboutme.

We drove back to Fort Worth and spent the next few hours signing the paperwork at the real estate office. Once everything was official, we met at my apartment to celebrate. My building technically didn’t allow pets without an animal deposit, but we managed to sneak Dusty inside without anyone noticing. And as soon as he was inside, he ran circles around the living room and then curled into a ball in the corner and went to sleep.

“He’s made himself at home,” Sawyer muttered.

“He likes Sophie’s scent,” Johnny explained while cracking open a beer. “Normally, he paces at night when we’re in a new place. But whenever she’s around, he falls right asleep.”

“Same!” Eli said from the kitchen while mixing cocktails for the rest of us. “I always sleep like a newborn calf when I’m with her.”

“That probably has to do with what we usually dobeforefalling asleep,” I teased.

Eli grinned over at me. “I reckon you’re right.”

“I can’t believe we bought a ranch,” Johnny mused. “A ranch of our very own. I need to tell the owners back at Horseshoe Ranch that I’ll be quitting. I hope it doesn’t blindside them too much.”

“I put in my notice already!” Eli announced.

Sawyer blinked in surprise. “When? We signed the documents half an hour ago.”

“Called them on the drive over here,” Eli explained. “Didn’t want to drag it out.”

“What’s the next step?” I asked.

Sawyer accepted a cocktail from Eli. “I’ll reach out to the cattle breeders I know. There are three in New Mexico who are willing to part ways with the number of head we want to buy. Then it’s just a matter of fixing the property up.”

“My friend Liz, you know, the one from Billy Bob’s? Her husband knows a lot of contractors. Whatever we don’t want to do ourselves, we can hire them for.”

“That’ll speed things up, too,” Johnny agreed.

“Send me their information,” Sawyer told me. He took a sip of his mixed drink, then winced. “The hell is in this?”

“Ginger beer, lemon, bitters, and whiskey,” Eli said. “You don’t like it?”

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