Page 21 of Brand Me, Cowboy's Second Chance

BOOTS AND BITCHING PODCAST

Well,well, well. Did you hear that, friends? That's the sound of a certain cowboy finally pulling his boots out of his mouth and planting them firmly on the ground he thought about leaving all over again.

Pull up a rocking chair, y'all. If it happens in Sagebrush Creek, you better believe I've got boots on the ground and eyes in the barn loft.

Today, we're heading right back to Kingridge Ranch. I wish them boys would leave space for anyone else to get some attention. But they can't help themselves. Being thirsty seems to be genetic in that family.

That's right, folks. Word on the street is that Fallon Kingridge is staying put. He's passing on a chance to join the Southern Knights football empire. He's officially trading touchdowns for tending goats... and this time he seems to be happy about it.

It took one near-miss heartbreak, a whole lotta unresolved sexual tension, and a rendezvous in an old barn, but love wins, y'all. Or maybe Anny Kai just got tired of his nonsense and demanded he grow up or piss off.

Either way? I love to see it.

It doesn't get much more true-Texan than Anny. That girl grew up on the farm, and she's finally taking her seat in Sagebrush Creek's royal court. Seems they're back in love. Some would even say she's glowing, if you know what I mean... But I'm not one for gossip.

And while we're on the subject of things heating up, let me go ahead and stir a little sugar into your sweet tea with two fresh rumors making the rounds this week.

First up, let's head over to the Sagebrush Feed & Supply. Word is someone's been sneaking in after hours. The front door's locked up tight. But someone's been helping themselves to the goat feed and slipping out the back. Now, I'm not sayin' it's Hank Carmichael—who suddenly started "donating" fresh milk to the farmers market—but I ain't not sayin' it either.

Then over at The Biscuit Basket Diner, there's something even spicier than the gravy. Apparently, a certain line cook with a handlebar mustache has been sharing more than his recipe for buttermilk pancakes. The whispers say he's been warming up the walk-in freezer with two waitresses, on different shifts. If that's true, someone's biscuits are about to burn.

Don't get too comfortable, Sagebrush Creek. Because while one Kingridge brother has finally figured it out... another one is teetering on the edge of a scandal so spicy I have to fan myself.

Hello, Danner. I know you're new around here. You don't know me yet, but I sure know you.

You're our West Coast transplant. You came complete with a truck full of oat milk and an accent that makes you feel like you're being therapied. So, what do your woke friends think of you spending time with a twenty-two-year-old? She's a little young, ain't she?

You didn't think anyone would notice the way you disappeared with Becca Bellcourt? Sugar, that's adorable. You whispered like this town doesn't have ears, but we caught it.

But here's something you might have missed. That little girl you're talking to is the mayor's pride and joy. He's already got a bad taste in his mouth for your family's ranch. Rest assured, he hasn't forgotten the way Alex moved in on his ex-wife before the ink dried on the divorce. I can't imagine he's going to take this lying down.

But why don't you just keep playing with fire? From what I hear, most of your brothers are looking for a reason to send you packing anyway.

And I, for one, can't wait to see how Mayor Randolph Bellcourt reacts when his little girl starts playing house with a man who drinks mushroom tea and builds compost bins for fun.

Stay tuned, folks. Danner is about to get a firsthand education on life in a small town. Around here, gossip runs faster than wildfire, and the barns have very thin walls.

Until next time, darlings.

This is your bitch with boots on the ground.

CHAPTER16

EPILOGUE

Fallon

There's a rhythm to life on Kingridge Ranch. Always has been.

Our mornings start before the sun is even up. Choke, our resident rooster, makes the announcement with all the bravado of a Kingridge brother. Makes me proud.

In the stables, someone's always cussing out a piece of broken equipment. No one, and I mean no one, knows where the good wire cutters are because these people would die before they put things back where they belong. This place is loud and dusty. It's organized chaos at all times. But it's also love.

Anny and I have settled into something better than the puppy love we had way back then. My world feels right in a way it hasn't since the moment I left. I'm steady in my commitment to showing her that she's the most important thing in my life.

I fall in love with her over and over again. I pick flowers and tuck them behind her ear. I listen to the absolute worst love songs and sing along because it makes her smile.

Today I pace the space along the split rail in front of the old barn. I wipe my palms on the thighs of my jeans like I haven't already done that a hundred times. I wore the shirt she likes. The one that hugs my arms just enough to make her bite her lip. Danner said I should've picked something more romantic. I told him to fuck right off.

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