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The young woman he saw in Forest’s photos had grown up.

She better keep her distance from him too.

Gracey pointed at the house. “You’ll never be invited in the house.”

“Daddy!”

He didn’t react to Meadow’s outburst. Colton didn’t either.

“The work you’ll be expected to do is all outside. You’re low man on the totem pole, so be prepared to shovel a lot of shit.”

He glanced over at Meadow and saw her grin flash, her teeth dazzling white. She didn’t even bother to hide her amusement. Of course, she’d said the very same thing when she greeted him at the airport.

Gracey turned and struck off in another direction. He pointed out several outbuildings and led him past an empty chicken coop with a flock pecking the grass outside. Finally, he stopped in front of a building that looked one step lower than what the chickens got, though larger.

“This is the bunkhouse where you’ll be living—unless you fuck up and I throw you out. From now on, you’ll take your orders from Zach Webb. He’s in charge around here.”

Colton met his gaze. “Thank you, sir.” Gripping his bag tightly, he ducked under the doorframe and entered the bunkhouse.

A wall of heat blasted him in the face, along with the reek of BO. He’d survived worse conditions.

His eyes adjusted to the interior lighting, and he was looking at a worn wood table piled with bags of potato chips and a jar of pickles set off to one side. Five guys gathered around it.

A big guy who looked as if he’d participated in his fair share of fistfights lounged at the head of the table. His gaze raked over Colton. “Why the fuck are you in my bunkhouse?”

He dropped his bag to the dusty floor. “I gotta say, the greetings around here are warm as hell.”

Behind him, Meadow snickered. Everyone else was dead silent.

Colton leveled his gaze on the cowboy who thought he was big shit when he was barely a fart. “I’m your new ranch hand. Call me Nox.”

* * * * *

Meadow slipped her feet into her Laramie cowgirl boots, the ones she picked up in the expensive outfitter in Bose last time she was there. Straightening, she smoothed her hands over her breasts and the stomach-baring white cotton top she wore, and down to her denim skirt hanging off her hips.

The skirt was a bit too short. So was her top. She angled her body left and right to examine her appearance. She had to admit her tight top made her pushup bra earn its keep.

Friday nights around the ranch were extremely dull, which was why she always headed into Eden to meet her friends for dancing and a round of drinks.

Turning to the full-length mirror in the entryway, she fluffed her long blonde tresses. The ends curled low on her tight abdomen that also drew a lot of attention if she chose to show off her hard work spent training horses five mornings a week and all those disgusting protein shakes she forced herself to suck down to stay fit.

Satisfied that her appearance would catch the attention she was seeking, she left the house and stepped onto the wide front porch. The roof offered a hint of respite from the hot sun. But she had no intention of lingering in the shade.

No, after a full week of trying to catch Colton Nox’s eye, she was through playing cat and mouse. Or in this case, just cat. He hadn’t paid her a bit of attention.

Today, there was no way he’d be able to ignore her when she paraded by.

She strolled down the steps and across the thick grass, angling toward the corral where she’d seen him working at this time every day this week. A free-range chicken skittered out of her path, and she lengthened her strides to reach the corral faster.

Every time she tried to run into Colton or talk to him, he brushed her off.

A few ranch hands were in the training ring, working with horses. As she approached the fence, a cowboy looked up from the filly he was training and thumbed his hat in greeting.

He said something to another guy, who moved to take over with the training. As the ranch hand sauntered her way, he gave her a wide smile. She leaned her arms on the fence and smiled back.

Colton wasn’t in sight, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t around. Any moment, he could walk out of the barn and see her.

“Hi, Dude.”