Page 71 of Knot Your Problem, Cowboy (Wild Hearts Ranch #1)

SOPHIA

“ H ow do you own this many books? Do you have a hoarding problem?” June teases, dragging another box through the front door. “You could build a furniture set out of these.”

“This is not hoarding, trust me?—”

June arches an eyebrow. “Six boxes, all labeled BOOKS like they’re endangered species. It’s giving romance-librarian-with-light-hoarding-tendency vibes.”

“Well,” I say, grabbing a box from her, “the guys hired a delivery service to bring everything Meredith packed up for me back when I thought I’d only be here for three months. And now… I’m moving in. Funny how the universe works, huh?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Meredith says, entering behind her, already brushing her hands off. “ I packed the boxes, but somehow only now seeing them here am I realizing how absurdly skewed your kitchen logic is.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

June pushes a box aside so she can reach the couch.

“I knew something was off,” Meredith says. “Sophia, you own seventeen coffee mugs, three corkscrews, and two plates. Were you hosting brunch for ghosts?”

“Coffee is essential. Food is… optional.”

June flops onto the couch, grinning. “I see your priorities—caffeine first, basic survival later.”

I toss a cushion at her.

She ducks, chuckling as it flies right over her head.

“I gave up my entire garage corner for this, by the way,” Meredith says. “Packed and labeled and everything. I had to put my kayak in storage to make room for your emotional baggage in paperback form.”

“I love you for it.”

“I know.”

“Okay, Meredith, if you ever decide to stay in Montana, I already have a list of places with bottomless mimosas and one sketchy karaoke bar that will absolutely ruin your life in the best way,” June adds.

“Oh, we’d get arrested together so fast,” Meredith says brightly.

“Bailed out before midnight,” June replies without missing a beat.

I laugh, sinking into the armchair with a happy sigh, watching them bounce off each other like they’ve known each other for years, not just a few days. It’s all warmth and rapid-fire sarcasm, the kind of effortless connection that feels familiar.

And I love it.

I love having them both here. Watching them bond this easily feels like the universe giving me permission to want more.

So now I’m doing what any reasonable woman would do: secretly figuring out how to convince Meredith to move here too.

“Oh my God.” June pulls out a candle from a box. “Why do you have one that smells like Cash? Is this supposed to be cologne-scented?”

“It does?” I go over and sniff it, and instantly my body burns up. My face goes hot. “Wow, it does smell like him.”

Both girls are grinning wickedly now, sniffing the candle. “This is hilarious,” Meredith says. “You bought a candle that smells like your boyfriend before you even met him!”

“The universe was telling me years ago about my scent match,” I add, chuckling.

Meredith laughs. “I’ve missed this. You, I mean. Our chats and banter.”

“You’re staying the whole week, right?” I ask, suddenly worried she’ll leave early.

“Already requested the time off. Told them I was visiting my sister who joined a commune.”

June laughs loudly .

“Well, you’re living with three men on a ranch in Montana. That’s basically a commune with horses.”

“Doubt that,” I answer.

“You share everything, work the land together, and probably have group meetings about feelings.”

“We don’t have—” I pause. “Okay, we had one about feelings, but that was Ridge’s idea, and it was awkward for everyone.”

June cackles. “Please tell me there were talking sticks involved.”

“Walker made a presentation,” I admit, and both of them lose it, laughing so hard that Meredith falls off the couch.

“I’m dead. I’m actually dead. Your boyfriend made a presentation about emotions.”

“Why do I tell you things?” I tease, gripping my hips.

“Because you love me.”

The front door suddenly opens, and all three of my cowboys walk in, looking dusty and pleased with themselves.

“Ladies,” Cash greets, tipping his hat. “How’s the unpacking?”

“Slow,” Meredith says. “Your girlfriend owns every book ever written.”

I shake my head, blowing kisses to my men.

Ridge picks up one of the boxes, checking the label. “This one just says ‘More Books.’?”

“I ran out of creative labels!” Meredith pipes up .

“How many boxes are there?” Walker asks, surveying the chaos.

“Twenty-three,” she announces. “I counted. Twenty-three boxes for someone who claimed she didn’t own much.”

“That’s not that many,” I say weakly.

“I moved here with one backpack,” Cash points out.

“You moved here with the clothes on your back and a bad attitude,” Ridge corrects.

“And look how that turned out.” Cash grins, pulling me against him for a kiss that’s entirely too heated for company.

“Get a room.” Meredith throws a sock at us—where did she even find a sock?

“This is our room,” Cash points out. “Whole house is our room.”

“Gross. Also, Meredith and I are going to the book club with Sophia this week,” June says.

“We are?” Meredith asks.

“We are,” June confirms. “You need to meet these small-town ladies who’ve introduced us to so many interesting books.”

June and I exchange looks and giggle, leaving Meredith slightly perplexed.

“Actually,” Walker says, his expression shifting to something more serious. “We just got some interesting news about our friend Ronan.”

“Is he dead?” Meredith asks hopefully .

“Meredith!” I say.

“What? He’s terrible.”

“Not dead,” Walker continues, fighting a smile. “But possibly wishing he was. Remember how he claimed to have no assets to avoid the bank?”

“Yeah?” I ask.

“Well, he had a girlfriend, the one whose name he put everything in a few months before he took the loan out, so he could then get it all back once he got the ranch? Turns out, she’s disappeared. Took everything and ditched him. The house, the trucks, the investment properties, all of it.”

“Holy shit!” I gasp.

“That’s the beautiful part,” Ridge states, and I’ve never heard him sound so satisfied. “He can’t report her for stealing because he legally transferred everything to her. If he admits it was to avoid the bank, he’s admitting to fraud.”

“So he’s screwed either way,” Cash adds proudly.

“Still, the bank has already filed charges for fraudulent transfer of assets,” Walker continues. “He’s looking at serious legal trouble.”

“Karma really said, Hold my beer and watch this ,” Meredith says appreciatively, and we’re all laughing.

“What about the money we paid the bank?” I finally ask. “The donations everyone gave?”

It still feels surreal, even now. A week after the rodeo, we paid the bank the money and were given official documents that said, in black and white, that the ranch was mine. No debt. No threats. No more countdown. Just… mine.

I still haven’t figured out how to hold that kind of relief in my chest.

“Money stays with the bank. The debt against the ranch is satisfied unless they can somehow get money out of him, but I doubt it.”

“So he loses everything and hopefully goes to jail?” June asks.

“Potentially,” Walker confirms. “Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”

“This calls for celebration drinks,” Meredith declares. “Please tell me you have wine.”

“We have beer, juice, and milk,” Ridge offers.

“Beer works,” Meredith agrees. “June, Sophia, you in?”

“Always,” we answer at the same time and break into giggles.

We all head into the kitchen, and Meredith’s shoulder nudges me. “Girl, you are so lucky. You’ve found the perfect family here for yourself.”

I gush, smiling. “I know. My cowboys mean the world to me.”

“Speaking of family,” Walker says with that dangerous grin. “We should probably start working on expanding it.”

“Not this again,” I groan.

“What again?” Meredith perks up .

“We want babies,” Cash says gleefully, like he’s announcing that we won a raffle.

I nearly choke on my drink.

“Babies, plural?” June says. “Ambitious.”

I laugh too quickly and take the beer she hands me, mostly so I have something to hold. Something to do.

They talk about babies like it’s already decided. Like it’s not this massive , irreversible thing that reshapes everything.

I’ve been trying to slow the guys down. To breathe. To catch up.

They’ve already built the future in their heads, fenced it in, named the horses, hung curtains in the nursery.

And me?

I’m still learning how not to flinch when someone calls this “home.”

So, yeah… babies ?

It’s too fast.

Too big.

“We have the space,” Ridge points out, totally unfazed.

“And the help,” Cash adds with a grin. “Whole ranch to raise them. Plus you two,” he says, nodding toward June and Meredith like he’s just offered them a favor.

June snorts. “You just volunteered us as ranch nannies?”

Meredith raises an eyebrow. “Do I look like I have maternal energy? I own shoes I haven’t even committed to.”

Cash only shrugs, smug. “You’ve got strong auntie vibes.”

“Oh, I’ll be the fun aunt,” June says, cracking a beer. “The one who teaches them to swear in five languages and lets them have cookies for breakfast.”

Meredith leans back dramatically. “And I’ll teach them how to emotionally repress things until they become funny. You’re welcome.”

“But it would be perfect for kids,” Walker adds, softer, but with that spark in his eyes. “Teaching them to ride, to work the land… giving them space to grow up grounded.”

I look at my cowboys all talking so openly, so casually, about this wild, beautiful future like it’s just a few fence posts away.

And my brain?

Fully short-circuiting.

Because somewhere between the guys’ ridiculous baby-planning and their heartfelt vision of little boots in the dirt, something inside me starts melting. Not in a scary way, but in a dangerously tempting one.

Do I want this?

God help me, I might . But I’m also leaving it to see if it happens naturally.