Page 4 of The Rancher's Code

Finally, Cole broke into a smirk. “Funny. Very funny.”

“Thanks.” My tone was clipped.

“Anyway, we should get going!” Amber linked my arm in hers once again. “Dylan and I need to head into town. We need to look at more fabrics and Dylan needs to eat something for lunch. Right, Dylan?”

“Sure. Whatever you say.” Cole and I were still staring at each other, as if we were both trying to get under each other’s skin.

But if Cole Stratton thought that I was going to blink first…

He was dead wrong.

“I’m sorry about my brother,”Amber apologized before she took a sip of her lemon water. “He’s the worst. I mean, he’s also the best. He just doesn’t know how to talk to new people.”

Amber and I were sitting in Canyon Creek Diner, a restaurant that felt like a blast from the past. It was 60’s themed, with red booths and an old school jukebox player tucked away in the corner. The menu was burgers and milkshakes, with the only option for coffee being black and hot. There were rodeo posters lining the walls, but with current dates, as if whoever owned the place allowed the local ranchers to use the place as a community corkboard.

Much like Stratton Ranch, Canyon Creek Diner was a lot more pleasant than I ever would’ve expected.

“Don’t worry about it.” I shook my head. “Cole isn’t the first guy to try to make me feel lesser than because of my job. A lot of guys like him, you know, super over the top masculine types?They just like to cut me down because I’m their polar opposite. It might be some kind of king of the jungle thing.”

“That’s not Cole’s thing at all.” It was Amber’s turn to shake her head. “He’s not like that. Not territorial or whatever. I don’t know. It comes from a good place?—"

“You ready to order, sweetheart?” An older woman stood beside us, paper and pad in hand. She wore a bright, colorful blouse with dark pants, her glasses resting against her upper forehead. “Oh! Amber! Hey!”

“Hey, Jolene!” Amber beamed. “This is Dylan Reid. He’s my wedding planner.”

“God bless you.” Jolene laid a hand on my shoulder. “You must have the patience of a saint, of ten saints. I love Amber, but she’s out of her loving mind. She’s a Stratton, though, so it’s not her fault. It’s in their blood.”

I looked over at Amber, expecting to see anger on her face. Hadn’t this woman just insulted her and her family?

Instead, Amber broke into a laugh. “I’m not even the craziest one in the bunch and you know it, Jolene!”

“You’re a city boy, aren’t you?” Jolene brought her attention back to me. “I can feel it.”

“Actually I’m from?—”

“Oh, you remind me of my ex-husband.” Jolene wistfully sighed. “He was a city boy, just like you. Just an awful, terrible man. Mean, and bitter, and hateful. Really good in the sack, though. And gorgeous in the right light. What a mess.”

“I’m sorry to hear that?—”

“If you try to order a latte, I’ll have one of my line cooks throw you out on your ass. That’s one of the perks of owning this place, I don’t have to put up with anything I don’t like,” she interrupted me again. “But I like you, city boy. And if you’re as good in the sack as my ex-husband, I should warn you to stay away fromthese cowboys out here. They’ll be able to smell it on you. Don’t let them make you stupid, you hear me?”

“Trust me. The only cowboy I’ve met so far doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

“Good! Keep it that way.” Jolene chuckled. “They’re not worth the trouble.”

“Amen.” Amber fist pumped in agreement, before she looked down at the menu. “Do you think we could split a Canyon Creek special?”

2

COLE

“What did Amber want?”Levi asked, as he swayed back and forth in a hammock on the front porch of Dad’s main office. “What was her emergency?”

“She just wanted me to meet her wedding planner.” I scoffed. “I don’t know why she keeps trying to rope me in on all the wedding stuff. It’s not like I need to sign off on anything. Dad already gave her access to her wedding account.”

“You know, it’s wild to me that you’re somehow Amber’s favorite brother.” Levi smirked as he sat up in the hammock. “No offense, but you’re not exactly an open book. I don’t even know why she glommed onto you in the first place.”

“Maybe because I’ve always been honest with her?—”

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