Page 56 of Knot Your Problem, Cowboy (Wild Hearts Ranch #1)

“Is there any legal way to fight this?” Walker demands, his voice hard enough to cut steel.

Jim’s gaze meets ours for a moment. He shakes his head slowly, hat clutched to his chest like a shield. “Afraid not. It’s all legal and above board. Rose’s signature is clear as day. Notarized, witnessed… every box ticked. ”

“You can leave now,” Walker snaps, the words cold enough to frost the air.

But Jim doesn’t take the out. He glances toward the door just as it swings open, and Cash and Ridge step inside, both covered in mud, shoulders squared from a long, grueling cleanup in the barn.

“What’s going on?” Cash asks, eyes scanning the scene, the lawyers, Walker stiff as a board, me on my feet, fighting the tears burning hot in my eyes.

Jim tips his head toward them but keeps his tone matter-of-fact.

“One last thing, ma’am,” he says, staring down at me.

“You can’t sell any assets from the ranch to raise the money.

That’d violate the terms of the agreement.

No sellin’ property, no sellin’ horses, no sellin’ land. Has to be outside capital.”

“Get out,” Walker repeats louder. “We’ve heard enough.”

They take the hint, shuffling toward the door in silence. I don’t even bother reminding them to watch out for Brutus in the yard. If that bull destroys their shiny SUV, I’ll consider it cosmic justice.

The second the door shuts, my body caves in. I collapse into the couch cushions, my vision blurring as the first sob breaks loose. Walker starts talking, filling Cash and Ridge in with clipped, furious words.

“Motherfucker!” Cash snarls, slamming his fist into the wall hard enough to leave a crater.

“That fucking asshole.” Ridge almost growls the words, his voice darker than I’ve ever heard it. “He planned this. Must have moved his assets months ago so the bank couldn’t touch him.”

“Probably hid everything,” Cash mutters, pacing. “Made himself judgment-proof.”

“He knew Rose wouldn’t leave him the ranch,” Walker snaps. “So this way, he made sure whoever did get the place would lose it.”

Their voices are a storm with rage, cursing, threats of retribution, but all I can hear is the pounding rush in my ears.

It’s not my fault. I know it isn’t. Ronan set this trap long before I was even in the picture.

But knowing that doesn’t stop the heat stinging my eyes or the ache building in my chest.

“It’s not fair,” I choke out, my voice cracking. My hands cover my face, trying to hide the tears, the shaking. “He’s taking everything from you. From us. And I can’t stop it.”

Then they’re there, solid and warm, their presence closing in around me like a shield. Strong arms, familiar scents, the grounding weight of them pressing the chaos back.

“Hey,” Cash says firmly, catching my wrists and pulling my hands away so I’m forced to look at him. His eyes burn with the kind of honesty you can’t fake. “This isn’t on you. You didn’t put us here—he did. And all of us will handle it together, okay?”

Walker is there next to me. “This is our home. All of ours. And we’re not letting that dick take it. Plus, I’m reaching out to our lawyers to review the bank contract and also find out exactly what Ronan did with his assets.”

“What are we going to do?” I hiccup, looking between them. “Three million dollars in four weeks? God, I feel sick just thinking about that much money.”

“We have some saved,” Ridge says quietly. “We’ve been putting everything aside to eventually buy the ranch properly.”

“How much, if you don’t mind me asking?” I question.

They exchange glances.

“Two and a half million,” Cash admits.

My heart sinks. “We’re still short by half a million.”

The silence that follows is heavy. We’re so close but still impossibly far. Half a million dollars might as well be ten million.

Then Cash straightens, that determined glint in his eye I’ve come to recognize. “When you’re being stampeded, you can either lie down and get trampled, or you can get up, dust yourself off, and find a way to run faster than the herd.”

We all stare at him.

“That’s…” I start.

“Weirdly applicable?” Walker finishes.

“Wait.” I sit up straighter, an idea forming.

“What if we could raise the money? We can’t sell ranch assets, but we could bring in outside income.

The horse rides, the animal shelter visits.

I could promote on my blog, ask for donations.

I have over fifty thousand followers. If even a fraction donated… ”

“Would it be enough, though?” Ridge asks, but I can see him thinking.

“The blog alone won’t do it,” I admit. “But combined with events? Fundraisers? I’m certain some in town will help.”

Ridge starts pacing. “We need an attraction. Something big that’ll make people need to attend. Something they’ll pay serious money for.”

We all watch him, and even in the middle of this crisis, I can’t help noticing how gorgeous he is when he’s intense like this. The way his jaw sets, how his green eyes go dark with concentration.

“You have an idea, spill it,” Walker states.

He stops pacing, turns to face us, and the serious look on his face makes my blood run cold.

“A rodeo,” he says simply. “Where Ridge Colter returns to the arena for the first and final time. Come see the champion reclaim his eight seconds. ”

I stiffen. “Ridge, no.”

“Absolutely fucking not,” Cash says immediately.

“Hell no,” Walker’s voice is sharp. “You’re still in pain. Still recovering.”

“You almost died,” I say, grabbing his hand and pressing it to my chest so he can feel my racing heart.

“And you haven’t trained. You can’t risk your life.

I would rather be homeless with you alive than lose you trying to save this place.

” I clutch his hand harder, afraid to let him go.

The thought of him riding one of those bulls again terrifies me.

“Listen to me,” Ridge says, crouching in front of us, his voice steady, but my eyes are burning with tears. “A comeback ride from a champion who nearly died? People would pay hundreds for those tickets. Thousands for VIP access.”

“It could be suicide,” Cash shoots back, his jaw flexing. His voice cracks on the last word, and he swallows hard, like he can’t even bear the thought.

“It’s eight seconds,” Ridge counters. “I’ve done it a thousand times.”

“Not in three years,” Walker points out. “And your hip?—”

“It’s been better since Sophia arrived,” Ridge interrupts, glancing at both of them. “I may not be able to scent her, but something about her… it quiets the pain. Makes me feel like I can move the way I used to.”

“That’s not—Ridge, please,” I whisper, my throat tight.

The thought of him climbing onto a bull again makes my stomach knot so hard it hurts.

My mind flashes back to all the ways a ride can go wrong, the crush of hooves, the snap of bone, the impossible stillness that follows.

I grip my knees to stop them from shaking, but it doesn’t help. “You could die.”

He takes my hands in his. “We charge premium prices. Get the arena owners to donate their cut. If they won’t, we do it here on the ranch. Build stands, keep every dollar. We can raise what we need in one night if we make it big enough.”

Cash still looks unconvinced, arms crossed tight, but there’s a flicker in his eyes, calculating. “Publicity would be huge,” he admits reluctantly. “Ridge Colter’s comeback ride to save his family ranch? Press would eat it up. Even the rodeo circuits might want in.”

Walker shakes his head. “Sponsors, maybe. We could reach out to some old contacts. Tie it to the town’s fall festival, get them to donate a cut.”

“Exactly,” Ridge says, turning to them. “We make it impossible for anyone to ignore. This isn’t just a ride; it’s a stand. It’s telling Ronan he can’t take this from us.”

Cash’s jaw loosens as he starts running the numbers out loud. “Tickets plus donations… corporate packages, VIP meet and greets, behind-the-scenes tours…” His tone shifts—less resistance, more momentum.

Walker exhales through his nose. “We’d need security, medical teams, sponsors lined up. But if we pull it off…” He looks at Ridge and then at me. “It could work.”

“This is insane,” I say, my voice breaking. But they’re all exchanging that silent, wordless agreement they’ve perfected over the years. I can feel the tide turning, and it terrifies me.

Ridge pulls me into his arms, holding me so close I feel the thump of his heartbeat against me. I cling to his shirt, inhaling cedar and cinnamon. “I don’t want to lose you,” I whisper, hating how small I sound.

“Sophia, my sweet,” he murmurs, brushing a hand over my hair. “This is our home. I’ll do anything to protect it from that bastard. If it takes eight seconds to keep this place, then that’s what I’ll give.”

Cash rests a hand on my shoulder, his voice low but certain. “We’ll make it massive. You work your magic, reach out to every reader, every follower, every person who’s ever set foot on this ranch. We’re gonna make sure this fight is ours.”

I pull back from Ridge and turn to Cash and Walker, heat prickling my skin. “How are you both okay with this? This is madness. He could get killed.” My voice shakes from the raw, ugly fear that’s clawing its way through my chest.

Cash meets my gaze, leaning in closer. “Sugar, we’re not okay with it,” he says plainly.

“But we know Ridge. He’s the strongest man we’ve ever known, and when he says he can do something, he means it.

If we tell him no, he’ll find a way to do it anyway, without us.

And that’s more dangerous. At least this way, we can help him train, keep him sharp, keep him alive. ”