Page 1 of His Wilde Little (Saddle Up #2)

Today was the day and I’d been dreading it for weeks.

The ranch was getting a new rescue horse, a stallion who had problems which my dad, in all of his wisdom claimed we could tame.

He bragged about how they could tame the stallion and sell its seed at a premium.

I kinda stopped listening to him shortly after he said seed.

My older sister, Olivia had the same repulsed look, followed by a retort on keeping him away from the social media accounts.

But it wasn’t what today was about. Today we were getting a new ranch hand, a cowboy all the way from Texas.

Yet again, another one of my dad’s great ideas.

The ranch was doing fine with its goats, chickens, alpacas, and housing the occasional rabbit burrow and duck nest. We didn’t need someone here to train horses because the sole mare we had in the stables was old.

We didn’t need some Texan coming in with their bigger is better attitude and trying to transform us into what they were used to.

In the kitchen, stress baking cookies and bread, in this state, it was best to leave me be, the only person who dared to piss me off was my little brother, Max, he was excited to have someone new on the ranch.

I don’t think he got the same memo as the rest of us, the guy arriving was in his thirties, a Texan, and probably didn’t have the time for a teen who wanted a friend to play video games with.

“Sweetie, are you almost done?” my mom called out from the kitchen doorway. “He’s driving up now, and your father wants us all on the porch when he gets here.”

Pulling out the sheet tray of cookies with a mitten, I rolled my eyes. “We don’t need to perform for him, do we?” I asked.

“Come on, sweetie, those can cool off and you can come stand with us,” she said.

Our kitchen had two large ovens, side by side almost. It was somewhat a commercial kitchen since we sold a lot of baked produce. I dipped down to view the inside of the second oven. “The bread is almost done,” I told her. “I’ll be out in a second.”

“Come on, Jace,” Olivia huffed. “I don’t wanna be left out there with Dad and Max. Also, he made me wear a dress.”

Immediately, I turned my head to her, standing half-hidden by our mom in the doorway.

She pushed out a leg, showing a blue and white gingham dress with her brown cowboy boots on.

“Jeez,” I laughed. “Is he trying to sell you off?” I asked.

“Does Dad know Saddle Up isn’t for another six months, and the last I checked, they don’t allow you to sell family members.

” I smirked. “I should know, I’ve inquired. ”

“Don’t be silly, Olivia, you look gorgeous in your dress,” Mom said. “But you can put jeans on afterwards. Your dad just wants us to put on a bit of a show for the guy. He accepted the job, but it doesn’t mean he’ll stick around. They have real conservative views where he’s from, so—”

Scoffing, I knew her next words. “Don’t you dare.”

“Go on, mom, say it,” Olivia teased.

Glancing around the kitchen, I noticed all the rainbows were hidden.

We had rainbow utensils, rainbow knives, rainbow magnets on the fridge.

I’d turned this place into a subtle pride flag, but I hadn’t noticed it until she’d mentioned being less gay.

My eye twitched, forcing me to lose focus on the bread I was trying my best not to burn, and for who exactly…

a known bigot. My dad had hired a homophobe.

I couldn’t bring the words out to say what I was feeling because any words I did have would’ve brought about some type of vomit with them.

My family, who claimed to know and love me where sterilizing the kitchen for a man they didn’t know.

If he was like that, then this place wasn’t for him, and I couldn’t wait to drive him away.

Usually, I left being a brat to my younger brother, but today, I was going to take the title.

Once the bread was done, my mom rushed me out of the kitchen.

From the front door, where my coat hung on the rack, I yanked at my pride flag pin and placed it on my shirt.

I had some boots with rainbow laces, but they were nowhere to be found, so I stuck my feet into a pair of sandals instead.

My look was unhinged. I donned my Stetson, again, just a regular brown rather than the rainbow rimmed kept in my room.

On the porch, we stood as a family, almost like we were taking a family picture. All that was missing was Daisy the golden labrador, but she was quick to sniff us out, barging between my legs and running around the porch in an excited muddle, wondering what we were all gathered for.

“I give him a week,” Olivia whispered to me.

“I give him a day,” I countered.

“Quiet you two,” Mom said.

Dad had barely picked up on any of the conversation going on between us, too busy staring at the fancy tech watch Olivia had only just taught him to use.

It was like teaching him to use an iPad all over again, the man stared at it like it was going to take over the world in moment.

“This thing is telling me he should be here,” he grumbled.

“Why? Did you AirTag him?” I chuckled.

Olivia snorted. “Oh my god, could you even imagine?”

But he was right, he was here, arriving in a gurgling truck with tarp over the flatbed truck.

It was mostly visible because of all the dust and dirt collected over it.

It left deep hazy plumes of smoke behind.

My eye twitched again, making an image of this man in my mind, someone who would vote against my rights, someone who would have a handful of teeth in a glass jar tucked away in his van as a reminder of the teeth he once had.

A visceral sneer formed on my face and my heart pounded with the anxiety of having to share a space with him.

My dad was first off the porch as the van parked up.

“Smile,” Mom said. “And be nice, your father said he met him at the Saddle Up event last year, and he comes highly recommended. So, please, don’t do anything that will have this all have been a wasted journey.”

Through the sneer, I could only hold on to a smile for a moment, and it was made easier as Olivia cracked jokes about how it was going to be a hard sell to visitors having someone we didn’t like around.

As the smoke settled and he climbed out of the car.

I saw him.

My gaze met his.

Holy fuck.

He was hot.

This was not where I intended on placing my feelings right now, conflicted by an attractive man who would have me question my morals.

Dressed in a cream-white shirt, not a single crease, a pair of pale denim jeans, deep brown Lucchese’s, a bolo hanging snug under his collar.

I couldn’t make out what it was exactly.

And a cream Stetson, matching his shirt.

All of it in contrast with his sun-kissed skin.

He pulled his hat off in a gesture of respect and a nod, staring right into my soul with his thick-pink lipped smile dimpling his cheeks.

“Oh my god,” I whispered in sync with my sister.

“Maybe I’m not opposed to being set up,” she added.

“Listen, he’s here for work,” Mom said. “Now, let’s go meet him, and remember, please be nice. You can let him see your real personalities later.” She snickered. “I’m kidding, of course, you’re all lovely, my children.”

It had been drilled into us how much of a lucrative deal this was going to be from Dad, but they made it seem like we were in dire financial straits and needed this man to bail us out with his skills as a so-called horse whisperer.

“As long as he doesn’t say anything homophobic, I’ll be nice,” I said. I thought it was a pretty good deal, and I hoped he wouldn’t say anything because I couldn’t keep my shut about important issues, even if it meant ruining an opportunity.

Max was seemingly oblivious to our conversation.

He was definitely not going to stick it out on the ranch once he was old enough to leave.

He hated animals, except for the barn cats.

I think it all stems from when he was a kid and all the chickens and goats would chase him around.

He swears to this day he had scars from the chickens pecking at him.

I mostly think it was his way of not being asked to collect eggs.

Dad walked toward us on the porch with the mystery cowboy in tow.

He walked with swagger, exuding confidence in the way his chest was pushed out slightly and a smile I knew girls in his hometown didn’t play around about.

Even Olivia was now under his spell it seemed, swaying around and preening in the sundress she’d been forced into.

“Family,” Dad said. “This is Lorenzo Morales; he’s going to be working with us for a little while. I want you to all make him feel welcome now. It’s going to be a big change for him; he’s come in from Texas where he was handing a herd of cows and a stable of horses.”

Lorenzo tipped his head and hat again, the sound of his boots on the wood were so strong it sent a shiver through me, but in the best possible way.

“Afternoon,” he said. “You can call me, Lolo. I’m excited to work with y’all.

I can’t remember the last time I was this far north, but I’m already loving all the greenery.

” He turned back to my dad with a smile. “You’ve got a lovely family.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Mom said. “This is Olivia, she’s mostly behind the scenes with her spreadsheets and whatnots. This is Jace, you’ll be working with him, although he mostly creates the products we sell now. And the youngest, Max, he’s still in school.”

Leaning against the house, Max nodded. “I’m a sophomore in high school.”

“A real family affair, I love to see it,” Lolo said. “I don’t have much experience with alpacas, which I heard you’ve got two of. In fact, I remember you bidding on one at the livestock show just gone.”

I rolled my eyes. “And we got outbid.” I didn’t want reminding.

The alpacas were my idea. I’d been obsessed with them ever since watching a documentary on them as a kid, and the passion had followed me all the way through to being an adult—and sometimes back to being a little.

I had alpaca stuffies and onesies. Although my favorite alpaca stuffy was a tie-dye yarn one I named Berty.

“That’s a damn shame,” he said. “I was also doing my research on you guys. You make your own goat cheese as well.”

“Of course,” Dad said from behind him. “We’ve got a pasteurization plant and manufacturing facilities on-site. It was a big investment. Huge.”

A loaded comment toward Olivia, but with a smile on his face, the daggers in his eyes didn’t seem to soften at all. It created a moment of silence, followed by Olivia storming off inside, shouting about how he still blamed her for it.

Before I could follow after her, my mom did, and Max slinked inside, leaving me with my dad and Lorenzo on the porch. He looked directly at my pride pin and smirked, but I couldn’t get a read on what type of smirk it was, surprised? Shocked? Disgusted?

“Let’s take you on the grand tour,” Dad said. “And then I can show you to where you’re staying. I trust you looked at the pictures I sent you.”

“I did, yes, and the aerial views of the land,” he said. “Also, is that—” his nose tipped slightly in the air. “Fresh bread.”

“I make it,” I said. “Always fresh bed here.”

“Well then, I look forward to trying some.”

I smiled and nodded, trying to figure out what he was thinking toward the pin. I needed to know what type of person he was so I could adjust my attitude accordingly.

“Come on then, Jace,” Dad said. “Let’s start with the coop.”

He wasn’t as bad as I’d thought, he engaged in conversation with me, asking what my favorite animals were and how long I’d been working full-time on the ranch. As we made it to the barn, I was receiving mixed signals from him as a person and from who I’d expected him to be.

“So, why the change?” I asked. “This is a bit far from Texas. You might be out of your depth.”

“Jace,” Dad scolded. “Lolo is an in-demand horse whisperer, we’re lucky to have him. And luckily too because the rescue is on its way here any day now.”

Lorenzo looked at me, his dimpled smile, I couldn’t tell how old he was because it kinda made him look young. “Maybe in a couple weeks, I’ll tell you why I left, and you can decide if I’m out of my depth by then.”

“I will,” I said, catching my dad’s glare again.

Dad continued showing off the barn. “It’s still nice out, but in the winter, we bring all the animals in here. Not sure what a Texan winter is, but up here, it gets mighty cold. Also, if you need anything buying, we’ve got a town nearby you can get items shipped to.”

“I’m looking forward to the cold the most,” he laughed.

My smile turned once more to a snarl as I couldn’t quite believe someone was choosing to be in the cold, and I couldn’t excuse myself back to the kitchen where I could put all my rainbow utensils out from whichever hole my mom had hidden them in.

Conversation turned back to me, and they both stared, expecting a response to something I hadn’t heard. “Huh?”

“Your dad was just saying that you wake up before everyone in the house, and I told him I’d have you beat, I get up early.

” It was hard to be annoyed at him, because for whatever reason, he was oozing this charismatic charm that nearly had me under its spell.

I didn’t want to find myself down bad for him based on a smile and a wink he may or may not have delivered in my direction.

“It’s peaceful in the morning,” I said.

“It’ll be nice to have the company, I’m sure.”

Dad laughed. “Jace isn’t one for company, I’m surprised he hasn’t slinked off to go bake or to his room already.”

And now, I was visibly flushing. I liked my space, and it wasn’t like a Daddy was going to fall into my space, I had to get that from the internet since I was still living at home—and would be forever it seemed.