Page 5 of The Stranger's Code

“Always and never-ending. Joseph Stratton never sleeps.” Shane and I shared a knowing look. Shane was my cousin and he knew firsthand how cutthroat my father was, how impossible his standards were for all of us.

Shane’s glance was apologetic. “Forgive me?”

“Immediately. Also, forgotten.” I snapped my fingers. “Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to work. You know, so we don’t end up on that deathbed. I don’t ever want to hear an ‘I told you so’ from you-know-who.”

“Let me know if you need anything,” Shane said, already standing. “Even if it’s about balancing the budget?—”

“I absolutely won’t! Thanks! Bye!” I waved towards my office door. “See ya!”

* * *

Cameron is on a horse.

I’d stood up from my desk to walk around my office a little bit, giving myself a break. I’d been looking out the window, just to take in the view, letting my mind wander along with the rest of me. But when I passed by it for a third time, I’d spotted Cameron, looking shaky as ever on top of a horse.

He’d been here for a full day by now, doing this or that around the ranch. I hadn’t been keeping up with his whereabouts exactly, only noticing him in passing. I’d been focused on recruiting clients for Big Sky Rescue, working my charm to get people to sign up. The idea was that we’d work as a sort of insurance for riskier trips, a guaranteed rescue if someone got injured while hiking on a mountain or exploring risky terrain?—

Is he about to fall off that horse?

Instinct taking over, I rushed into action. By the time I reached him, he’d righted himself but still seemed unsure. I noticed the way he sat, lopsided in his saddle. My fingers were already pointing it out when I spoke to him. “Is something going on with your saddle?”

“It was my first time putting one on,” he replied, with a slight smile. “I tried to follow what the other ranch hands were doing.”

“Nobody helped you out?”

“It’s not their job to teach me everything. Besides, I’m here to figure things out on my own.”

“Sure, but no one wants you to get hurt.” I motioned for him to come down off the horse. “Here. Let me fix it for you.”

“You don’t need to?—”

“I’ll show you how to put it on the right way.” I motioned again. “Come on, Cam. I’m not going to ask you twice.”

“What are you going to do? Come up here and get me?” Cameron laughed.

But my expression remained stern and unchanging.

“Oh, wow. You really would. You would pull me off this horse.” Cameron laughed again. “You can’t just pull people off horses, Levi.”

“If it stops you from seriously injuring yourself, I’ll do whatever I need to do.”

Cameron’s laughter slowly shifted into silence, his skin blushing a deep red. He then did as he was told, carefully coming down off the horse. I immediately went to work, readjusting the saddle, showing him where and how he’d gone wrong the first time. He listened to my every word, intently, like he was trying to memorize it right then and there. Cameron’s attention on me made me feel like the most interesting person in the world, his green eyes so bright underneath the Paradise Valley sun.

“Okay, there you go. Try it now.” I gently patted the saddle.

Cameron nodded before hopping back on the horse. There was a noticeable difference as he sat on the saddle, his stance secure instead of wonky. When he realized he was safe and sound, he grinned down at me. “Yeehaw! This is so much better!”

“Did you just say yeehaw?”

“Uh, yeah, I did.” Cameron tipped his hat towards me. “Yee, and if I may humbly say so myself, haw.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the moment. Cameron was laughing right along with me, his gaze meeting mine. “Seriously, though, Levi. Thanks for this. I’ll keep it in mind for next time.”

“No problem, Cam. Anytime.”

I headed back to my office, ready to get back to Big Sky and making it the next big thing. But as I sank into my chair, and as I prepared a new list of potential clients to call, even as I looked through a budgeting spreadsheet that my accountant had sent over that morning…

There was one image that kept running through my head.

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