Page 1 of Better Together

Chapter1

Colt

Dust and dirt settled over the rodeo arena as Colt closed the catch pen. That was the last of the bronc rides. Judging from the cheers, no one seemed to be bothered by the dropping temperature. Wyoming nights were about to hit the unforgiving freeze-your-nose-hairs-off stage.

Colt rolled his right shoulder and felt the pull on the other side. Before tonight, it had been a few years since he’d dislocated a shoulder, and apparently injuries hurt worse in your late twenties. He should have taken better care of his body in his teens.

Adjusting the strap on the shoulder sling, Colt scanned the crowd. He hadn’t caught a ride with Ridge this morning, but driving was going to be a killer if he had to use his left arm.

Colt spied a glimpse of his roommate through the crowd and made a beeline for him. Normally, Colt would work late on Friday nights after the rodeo, but he was useless thanks to the bronc that had bucked him earlier.

“Colt,” a woman called as he passed.

“Mrs. Hampton.”

The Hamptons had been guests at the ranch all week, and Colt had made fast friends with their son.

Colt swung his good arm out for a side hug. “Did you see Nate’s ride?”

The kids practiced riding the horses with Jess and Remi all week and got the chance to show off their new skills for their parents on Friday nights. It was always the highlight of Colt’s week.

“I did!” the woman squealed as she wrapped an arm around Colt’s waist and squeezed. “He’s had a blast. I guarantee he’ll be talking about this place for months.”

“Good.” Wolf Creek Ranch was one of the last dude ranches in the west that hadn’t succumbed to the luxury industry. They kept things old-fashioned, just the way Colt liked.

Mrs. Hampton released the hug and stood on her tippy toes to scan the crowd. “Have you seen Jeff?”

Colt looked for Mr. Hampton. He spotted the dark-haired man near the catch pen and pointed. “There.”

Mrs. Hampton waved. “Thanks again!”

“Come back next year. We’ll get Nate on a trail ride.” The eight-year-old was a natural on a horse and loved the outdoors.

“We’ll see!” she yelled over her shoulder as she pushed through the crowd toward her husband.

Colt searched again for Ridge and found him not far from where he’d been before. Colt set a course again but stopped to chat with an older couple who hoped to bring their grandkids to the ranch next year.

Jameson Ford, the foreman at Wolf Creek Ranch, announced over the sound system that the show was over, but there were plenty of groups still hanging around chatting by the arena. Colt continued to weave his way through the crowd, trying his best not to bump into anyone with his left side.

“Ridge!”

Colt’s roommate–well, housemate–turned and tipped his chin. “Yeah?”

“Can I bum a ride home?” He jerked his head toward the throbbing shoulder.

Ridge rubbed his jaw and scanned the crowd. “Cheyenne’s mom is staying with her tonight, and she needs help getting settled in the cabin. You can ride with me, but it’ll be a while before I head home.”

Ridge and Cheyenne had recently decided to tie the knot, and her mom and sister had just moved here from Tennessee. With her mom still in a wheelchair after a brutal stroke, she needed all the help she could get.

Colt chanced a roll of his injured shoulder and got nothing but a stab of pain. “Man, I wish I could lend a hand, but I’m no help tonight.”

“Don’t worry about it. Maybe Paul could give you a ride.”

“I’ll do it.”

Colt’s skin tingled at the sound of the sweet feminine voice behind him. Remi had a way of kicking all five of his senses into overdrive whenever she was around.

Always Remi. Only Remi.

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