Page 43 of Ace of Spades
“You do?” she asks, her head whipping towards me. “Dakota never mentioned that.”
“Well, she must have forgotten, but we definitely do. They’re in the northwestern corner of the property, right near my house.”
“Oh,” she says, continuing to lead Casino toward the wash racks.
“Yeah,” I say. “So, what do you say? You come straight there when you get back to Cedar Creek.”
“I don’t know, Weston.”
“I’m not taking no for an answer,” I tell her. “Do you remember that night in Utah? When I wouldn’t budge, and you put your foot down? You refused to leave until I came with you. Well, guess what, Sorrels—now it’s my turn. I’m not going anywhere until you agree.”
A small smile quirks at her lips, and even though I can tell she’s trying to hide it, it makes me feel whole inside once more.
“Say please,” she teases, looking up at me with those amber eyes of hers and repeating my own words right back to me.
A devilish smile blooms across my face as I grab her arm and turn her to face me, stopping right before we reach the wash racks. I lock eyes with her, my gaze intent and unflinching, showing her that I mean every word.
“Move into the ranch, Sorrels. Please.”
Her mouth parts, her face dazed as our eyes remain locked. Neither of us speaks, a charged silence passing between us.
“Sorrels?”
“Yes,” she breathes.
“Don’t start drooling on my account,” I tell her, the corner of my lips quirking into a mischievous smile.
“Oh, you ass,” she mutters, a scowl etching into her face as she breaks away from our moment and leads Casino to an open wash rack.
“I’ll let our foreman know to get the water and electric hookups turned on for your arrival at the ranch,” I yell after her, imagining the eye roll she’s probably giving me. I’m met with a middle finger thrown over her shoulder instead, a laugh slipping out of me. This was going to be fun.
I turn to walk away, pulling my phone out of my pocket and dialing the number for our lead ranch hand before bringing it to my ear. He picks up on the second ring.
“Boss? Everything okay?”
“Yeah, Mike, everything’s fine. Listen, I need you to get some water and electric hookups installed in that clearing behind my house by the time we get back on Sunday. And yes, I know that’s only two days from now. Just get it done, okay?”
Chapter 15
HAILEY
Dust forms like a cloud in front of me, the wheels of Chance and Beau’s trucks kicking up a storm as we pull through the ranch entrance and down the narrow drive. The dirt road was barely wide enough for two trucks to pass each other comfortably.
“I can’t wait for you to see this place,” Dakota tells me from the passenger seat of my truck, Gypsy sticking her head out the window from where she sits on my friend’s lap.
I’d texted Gloria on the drive up here to let her know that I would be leaving the trailer park, thanking her for everything she’d done for me over the last month. She knew about everything that had been going on with the horses, and she said she was genuinely happy that I had decided to move to the ranch.
I still felt a bit uncertain, especially when I thought about the fact that a lot of these people might not like me because of my family. Other than Weston, who had been hot and cold towards me, the rest of the group had been nothing but welcoming at the thought of me staying here.
We pull up to a massive wooden lodge, a beautiful structure with floor-to-ceiling windows taking up the entire front, with exposed wood and tan stone, and steps leading up to double doors.
“This is the main lodge,” Dakota tells me. “It’s where we all come to eat and do laundry. They’ve also got their offices, and they kinda plan on making it the lobby-type area for the guest ranch.”
“It’s beautiful,” I admit, admiring the building.
“Nobody usually parks up here, just keep following the guys. I’m guessing we’re heading straight to the stables to unload the horses, and then Wes will show you where to take your trailer.”
We follow the road curving past the lodge, a massive deck covered with string lights coming into view with a grill and a few picnic-style tables strewn about the space, its height offering stunning mountain views of the cedar trees and pines in the distance, overlooking the rest of the property.
