Page 58 of Knot Your Problem, Cowboy
June nudges me with her elbow, her expression gleeful. “Sure you don’t. That’s why you picked him out of all the men in town.”
“He’d make an excellent demon prince,” Loretta declares with authority.
“Can we please talk about the actual book?” I beg, desperately needing to change the subject before I spontaneously combust.
“Of course!” Loretta settles deeper into her throne. “Let’s discuss the themes. Who wants to start?”
Dolly raises her hand, wings catching on the lamp beside her. “The power dynamics are fascinating. Here’s a demon who could destroy her with a thought,but he’s bound by ancient laws to only take what’s freely given?—”
“Speaking of power dynamics,” Karen interrupts, leaning forward conspiratorially, “did anyone else see Mayor Buchanan coming out of the high school at ten p.m. last Thursday?”
Rita gasps, hands flying to her chest. “The drama teacher’s car was still there!”
“That man needs to be more careful,” Loretta says, shaking her head. “His wife has a cousin who’s a private investigator in Billings.”
“Wait, are we talking about the book or—” I try.
“I’m not sure,” June adds, then looks surprised at herself.
Loretta waves a ring-laden hand. “Literature is life, life is literature. We discuss both. Very philosophical. But while on the topic, June, when are you going to let me set you up with Marcus from the feed store? He’s a Beta, you’re a Beta, it’s perfect!”
June’s cheeks pink prettily, and she fidgets with her bag strap. “I’m focused on my career right now.”
“Career schmeer.” Dolly waves dismissively, nearly knocking over her wine with a wing. “That boy has been making moon eyes at you for months. I saw him nearly walk into a door while watching you at the farmers’ market.”
June laughs, but I catch something flickering in her expression. “Shouldn’t we actually discuss chapter eight? That’s why we’re here, right?”
“Chapter eight!” Loretta claps. “Yes! The tail scene. Now, who wants to share their interpretation of the deeper meaning behind the demon’s use of his tail as a method of seduction and penetration?”
The conversation miraculously goes longer than fifteen minutes about the book.
“Wine break!” Loretta announces loudly. “Let’s refill before we dive deeper into demon anatomy.”
During the break for snacks—devil’s food cake and hell cookies that are just regular snickerdoodles with red food coloring—I notice June pulling out a serious-looking camera from her bag. She’s snapping close-ups of the food, of the decorated room.
“That’s quite the equipment,” I say, admiring the professional-grade camera. “You into photography?”
“Hobby of mine,” she says, checking the battery. “I’m trying to put together a book about the town. Show people we’re more than just some rural backward place. We have culture! Drama! Romance!”
She glances around to make sure the others are distracted and not near us, then clicks through photos on the camera’s display.
“Look at this,” she whispers, angling the screen toward me.
I’m expecting something funny, maybe Earl organizing his screws or the mayor sneaking around, as they all seem obsessed with this. Instead, I’m staring at a beautifully composed photo of a couple beneath a tree. They’re wrapped in each other’s arms, faces close,the golden-hour lighting making everything look like a movie still. The intimacy of it makes my chest tight.
“Gorgeous and perfect lighting,” I say carefully, not sure why she’s showing me this.
June snorts. “Forget the lighting. See him? That’s Bryce Waverly. His family owns the second-biggest ranch in the valley. And her? That’s Iris, adopted daughter of the Castillo ranch foreman.”
“And this is significant because…?”
“Because Bryce has been promised to Anastasia Hensley since they were in diapers. Their marriage is supposed to unite the two most powerful Alpha-led ranch families in town. The Hensleys basically founded this place, and the Waverlys own half the valley. Meanwhile, Iris is… well, nobody expected her. She came to town as someone’s girlfriend, got a job at the Castillo ranch, and stayed.”
“Do they know you took this?”
June shakes her head, looking troubled. “I was trying to get a shot of the old oak tree for my book, and they just… appeared. Started kissing like the world was ending. What do I do with it?”
“What do you mean?”
