Page 1 of Curvy Girl and the Ex-Military Cowboy

Chapter 1 - Aaron

I pace the length of my bedroom, boots wearing a path in the hardwood floor that's probably been there since my grandfather's time. My watch says she's due at the ranch in two hours, but I've been ready since dawn, unable to sleep, unable to sit still.

I haven't been this nervous since that night outside Fallujah, waiting for the signal to move in. At least then I knew what I was doing. I had training, experience, brothers-in-arms beside me. This? This is uncharted territory.

"This is insane," I mutter to myself, running a hand through my hair for probably the hundredth time today.

The mirror above my dresser reflects a stranger. I barely recognize myself in the crisp blue button-down and dark jeans. I've even polished my boots. For what? A woman I've never met, who I somehow convinced to come to Covington Ranch based on a few emails and video calls.

A mail order bride. The phrase itself makes me cringe a little.

Through the window, I catch sight of Vincent pushing his five-year-old daughter Lily on the tire swing by the old oak. His nanny—well, girlfriend now—Charlotte joins them, and Vincent pulls her close, planting a kiss on her forehead while Lily giggles. The scene twists something inside my chest.

They've been officially together for three weeks, although anyone with eyes could see it coming for the past two months. The way they look at each other, like they've found something precious and unexpected. The way they've become this little family unit that seems so natural, so right.

I turn away from the window, unable to watch anymore.

It's not that I begrudge Vincent his happiness. Hell, after Lily's mother abandoned them, they deserve some joy. But watching them has stirred up something I thought I'd buried deep after my discharge—loneliness. A wanting for something I never expected to need.

"Aaron Covington, mail-order groom," I say to the empty room, testing the words. They sound ridiculous.

On my nightstand sits my phone, the website still open where I finalized everything last month. Silver Star Brides, connecting lonely hearts across borders. It had seemed so practical at the time. I need a partner, not just a date. Someone committed to building something real. Someone who knows from the start what she's getting into with me—the ranch, my brothers, my... issues.

Elena, 28, from Europe. English teacher. Loves horses and wide-open spaces. Wants children someday. Her profile seemed like it was written just for me. During our video calls, she'd been considerate, intelligent, with a quiet strength behind her smile. There was none of the awkwardness I feel around women at the town bar or church socials. Just two adults making a practical arrangement.

But now that she's actually arriving today, I'm questioning everything.

I glance at my phone, tempted to call one of my brothers. But what would I say? Hey, so I ordered a wife online, and she's arriving today. Any advice?

Ethan would laugh himself stupid. Jackson would give me that disappointed older brother look. Cole would probably start planning some elaborate welcoming party that would mortifyus both. And Vincent—well, Vincent might understand, but he's wrapped up in his own happiness right now.

The Covington Cowboys, that's what folks in town call us five brothers—the wild bunch who run the largest cattle ranch in the county. But I haven't felt like a cowboy in years, not since I traded my saddle for body armor and my lasso for an M4. Even now, two years after my discharge, I sometimes feel like I'm still in the desert, isolated and on high alert.

I stop pacing and sit heavily on the edge of my bed, dropping my head into my hands.

"What the hell am I doing?" I ask the empty room.

From downstairs, I hear the front door slam and Jackson's voice calling out. "Aaron! You still hiding up there?"

Great. Just what I need.

"I'm getting dressed," I lie, standing quickly.

"Well, hurry up! Cole needs help with the new bulls, and Ethan's making some fancy lunch for everybody!"

Lunch. With everybody. Today of all days.

I'd planned to meet Elena privately, give us both a chance to adjust before introducing her to the chaos that is my family. But of course, because this is Covington Ranch and privacy is a foreign concept, that plan is shot to hell.

My phone buzzes with a text. It's from the car service I hired to pick her up from the airport.

*Flight landed early. ETA to ranch: 30 minutes.*

My heart nearly stops. Thirty minutes. Not two hours.

I take a deep breath, the way I used to before missions. Assess the situation. Adapt. Execute.

This is happening. There's no backing out now.

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