Page 2 of Lasso Lovebirds (Rainbow Ranch #4)

sky

Beau was nothing like I’d expected.

When I’d heard about Rainbow Ranch from one of the locals in the town nearby, they talked about Beau like he was an old, tough cowboy. And while he was probably tough and definitely a cowboy, he was also a gorgeous, sun-kissed man with kind hazel eyes and a jawline I envied.

I felt out of place as I got out of my van and waited for him to grab his things.

The farmhouse before us was massive, with a wraparound front porch and weathered paint peeling from the slats.

My head craned back as I looked to the sky, my fingers itching to grab my camera.

Some of the most magical lighting in the world happened after a storm, as if it were some sort of offering of hope after devastating destruction.

It was stupid to go storm chasing alone.

But, after falling out with my assistant last week, I’d taken to the Oklahoma countryside alone in search of storm cells to photograph.

When the radar had promised something good around four a.m., I’d loaded up my single suitcase and hit the road for the ranch, hoping to catch a funnel.

All I’d caught was trouble. Plain and simple. Thankfully, I’d made it to the ranch, and Beau was there to let me in.

“You alright there, Sky?” His sweet timbre drawl made my heart skip a beat.

“Yeah. Just thinking.”

Beau offered a smile and gestured to the house. “Let’s get inside. We’re late and I’m never gonna hear the end of it.”

I followed him up the front steps to the door. It squeaked on its hinges as he opened it, stepping inside.

“Well, well, well. Look who decided to join us.”

A man who looked exactly like Beau materialized in front of us wearing an apron and wielding a wooden spoon. Beau held up his hands.

“There was a storm. Or did you miss that while you were cooking? Also, we have a guest. Boone, this is Sky.” He turned, giving me space to shake the other man’s hand. “Sky, this is Boone, my twin brother.”

“Oh.” Twins. That made sense.

Boone’s attitude warmed immediately. “Hi there, welcome. We got plenty of food on the table. Would you like a cup of coffee? Orange juice? I got some fancy sparkling water in, too?—”

“I can get it for myself,” I said quickly. “You don’t need to make me anything. I’m intruding?—”

“Nonsense.” He waved the spoon like it was a wand and he was a Southern fairy. “I’m the cook here. It’s what I do. And you’re not intruding at all. I’m just here to give my older brother a hard time.”

The door opened quickly behind me and I squeaked as Beau acted fast, yanking me out of the way before it could bump my behind. I turned right as a gorgeous woman stepped inside with a scowl, her denim shirt damp.

I was no better than a man. The way it clung to her body short-circuited my brain. A few natural curls stuck to her face, the rest pulled back into a claw clip. She had warm brown skin and was taller than me by at least a few inches.

Was everyone on Rainbow Ranch this beautiful? Between Beau and her, my little enby bisexual heart was losing it. My pulse thumped wildly, all words failing me.

“Well, well, well,” Boone drawled. “Look who also decided to show up.”

“Oh, don’t even start,” she hissed. “Did you see that damn tornado? I thought we were going to lose the whole ranch for a second there.”

“Everyone else made it to breakfast on time, even with the storm,” Boone said sweetly.

She glowered at him. “You know I’m going to lose my mind if I lose my crops this year. And you best be nice, Boone Adams, since your job as a cook depends on mine as a gardener. Where else are you going to get all the goods?”

Beau let out a hearty laugh, his gaze warm with familiarity. It was clear he’d heard this sort of banter a thousand times before. “Okay, okay. Break it up. Priscilla, this is Sky. Our guest. We just survived that tornado. I’m glad you’re okay, too.”

Her brown eyes flickered to us, her expression melting some. “Hi,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m Priscilla. You can call me Pris. What a hell of a morning to come to Rainbow Ranch, huh?”

“Yeah,” I squeaked.

“Are you a cowboy?” she asked. “Cowgirl? Cow they ?”

That made me snort. “None of the above, though I suppose cowthey would be the one. I’m a storm chaser.”

Pris cocked her head. “Interesting. I thought storm chasers were just a thing in the movies.”

I laughed. “I promise we’re real. I photograph the cells.

There’s still a lot to learn about why tornadoes happen, and getting photographic evidence can make a huge difference.

” My love of storms went all the way back to my childhood.

Out of the rubble of a small dusty town, I’d taken my past and turned it into something good.

“Isn’t that dangerous to be doing alone?” Beau asked quietly.

My cheeks warmed. I became painfully aware of the fact that I was standing between the two of them.

Boone cleared his throat and gave his brother a look I couldn’t read. “I’m gonna go get started on that cup of coffee.” He spun around and started whistling a tune, earning an eye roll from Beau.

Pris shook her head. “They do that a lot. The twin telepathic link. Then there’s Billie and Benny, and when the four of them get going, it’s something else.”

“ Four? ” I echoed.

She smiled. “How about you come sit next to me, storm chaser?”

I glanced up at Beau and he nodded. “Let’s go get some food, and we can talk some more about your stay.”

A weight lifted off my shoulders. Already, this place felt better than Johnson Springs. Traveling alone the last couple weeks had left me feeling especially vulnerable. Even with the close call this morning, I felt ten times safer.

Rainbow Ranch was already living up to its reputation.

Beau and Pris led me through the doorway to the dining room. All eyes swiveled to the three of us. I hadn’t realized just how many people were here.

“This is Sky,” Pris said, gently taking my elbow and guiding me to an empty chair. I appreciated her taking the lead, especially since I was a stranger showing up on their doorstep. “Here, we’ll get seated. Boone will bring some coffee.”

“Hi Sky,” a woman at the end of the table said. She was clearly Boone and Beau’s sister, even if she didn’t have the identical features those two did. Although their vibes were different enough I could tell them apart with ease. “I’m Billie. This is Benny.”

The man sitting next to her offered a kind smile. “Howdy.”

“Hi,” I said.

“I’m Winnie,” a woman said as she entered the dining room with three mugs of coffee. She sat one down in front of me and Pris, then shoved the other one into Beau’s hands.

He sighed happily. “Thanks, Winnie. Also, this is Wylie, Boone’s partner.”

I nodded toward the tough looking man currently biting into one of the biggest cinnamon rolls I’d ever seen. He waved his hand. “Welcome,” he said.

“And then last but not least, this is Pepper, Eren, Tyler, and Jake,” Beau said.

Four teens sat around the massive table with food piled onto their plates.

From what I knew about Rainbow Ranch, which was only what I’d briefly read online while in Johnson Springs, it was a dude ranch, but it was also a place for foster kids to connect in a safe place.

The entire operation made me feel emotional for several reasons, which was why it’d been a no-brainer to at least stop for a visit.

“Beau, do we have to work today if there’s rain?” Pepper asked.

“Yep,” he said. “Ranch life never stops. Maybe we’ll do some fence repairs once the storm passes.”

As if in response, a low rumble echoed through the house, rattling the windows.

“We should go check on the horses,” Wylie said, glancing at Benny.

“You mean, make sure Dennis hasn’t escaped?” Billie asked.

“Yes,” everyone said in agreement.

“Dennis is a menace,” Pris said next to me, grinning. “He’s a mini horse with a personality the size of Texas.”

“Oh,” I said, pulling my coffee mug close.

The heat radiated through the ceramic, grounding me, as everyone started to chat amongst themselves. Wylie and Benny headed out the door despite the weather.

Just like that, I felt . . .

Normal.

No one asked why my hair was green. No one stared at me too long or made rude comments or made wild assumptions about who I was. They didn’t treat me any differently or like I was a little freak.

They just existed.

And I existed alongside them.

My throat burned. Pris glanced over at me and her eyes softened. “Rainbow Ranch is good,” she said. “I felt the same way the first time I came here.”

I drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I don’t know what came over me. Probably the adrenaline wearing off.”

“Well, let’s get some food in you. Sweet or savory or both?”

“Both,” I said, blushing as she grabbed my plate and started to pile food on it. Beau had yet to sit down, his brows furrowed as he chatted in a low tone with one of the teens.

They weren’t afraid of him. I wondered what that was like—being a teen who wasn’t afraid of the very masculine man in the room?

My eyes had a mind of their own, roaming down to his denim-clad ass.

Beau’s ass looked damn good in well-worn Wranglers.

What is wrong with me?!

Pris put my plate down with a wink and then filled hers with food. My mouth watered as I inhaled the homey, comforting scents, a blend that made my stomach growl.

Oh my god. A giant cinnamon roll sat on the edge of my plate. Or maybe it was some other type of bun? The icing on top looked a little different than what I was used to.

Boone swooped back through the dining room, his eyes lighting up when he saw my plate.

“Those are my famous buns,” he said with a broad grin.

One of the teens giggled. “Boone’s buns.”

He clacked a set of tongs he had in his hands. “My famous cinnamon orange buns. Let me know how you like them.”

“They’re the best,” Billie chimed.

I picked up the bun, the bread soft and squishy between my fingers, icing dripping to the plate. I sank my teeth in and moaned as the flavors burst across my tongue.

Boone’s buns were heavenly.

“Good, right?” Pris asked. “I’ll be riding the sugar high all day.”

I would be too.

Between listening to everyone chat about this morning’s storm and eating the delicious food—breakfast flew by. Once I polished my plate, I stood to gather dishes, Pris shook her head.

“I got this, we’ll clean up. Seems like you have some business with Beau.” She raised a brow at him.

I glanced up at the cowboy, meeting his warm gaze and feeling a heated tug in my stomach. Just the feeling of his eyes on me burned like a shot of whiskey. What was it about him? About the two of them? What if they were a couple?

Beau pushed back his chair and rose, taking his cup of coffee with him. “Looks like the rain cleared. Let’s take a walk and talk?”

I nodded. “Okay, but are you sure I can’t help?—”

“We’ve got it, storm chaser,” Pris chided.

“We do,” Billie agreed, stacking dishes on top of each other. The teens were doing the same.

Beau smiled and tilted his head toward the front door. “Come on, Sky.”

God, I was going to melt into the floor if he kept saying my name like that. A blush crept over my cheeks. I stole one last glance at the table, watching how easily everyone worked together, like a well oiled machine, then followed Beau out the door, his boots thumping on the creaky hardwood floor.

The air outside was still. Peaceful. My gaze swept to the distance where lightning danced in dark, swollen clouds—all heading away from us.

With it being storm season, there’d be plenty more like it.

Beau leaned against the porch railing and raised a brow. “So. What can we do for you, Sky?”

Here goes nothing. “Well, I’d like a place to stay for the next three weeks. Just to make it through storm season, then I’ll be out of your hair. I’m happy to pay for lodging.”

“If you’re willing to work around the ranch instead, you don’t need to pay.”

What? That would be ideal. Saving money was never a bad idea. Growing up the way I did taught me to hold onto every penny earned . . . unless I was splurging on a new camera.

The thing was, I’d never worked a ranch. I was a hard worker, but had no idea what I could contribute to make it worth Beau’s time. “I love that idea, but I’ve never worked on a ranch before. And I’d need to be able to leave at a moment’s notice if there’s a storm nearby.”

“Have you ever done any gardening? Cooking? Anything like that?”

“Some gardening. I also take direction very well.” That came out way different than I’d meant it to. Now, I was definitely blushing.

His cheeks were pink too. “I’m sure you do.”

Tension rumbled between us. He rubbed the back of his neck, his breath hitching.

“If you want, you could help Pris out when you have the time. Pris is part of the reason this ranch even makes money. She’s incredibly smart and runs everything to do with agriculture here.

All of that food Beau makes? Rainbow Ranch is very farm-to-table, and we can thank her for that.

She could use the help. I know we’re in storm season and that’s what you’re here for, but you could still go chasing whenever you need to. Is that safe to do alone?”

“Not exactly.” I winced. “I had a falling-out with my assistant and he left.” It was the bare-bones version of what happened, but I’d leave it at that.

“Oh, I see,” he said. “Well . . . I’d offer to help, but I’m usually needed around here.”

The thought of storm chasing with a handsome cowboy like Beau made my heart go pitter-patter.

“Maybe I can take you out at some point,” I said. “If you ever have a spare moment.”

Another easy, sweet smile. “Well, if I got a spare moment, it’ll be yours, Sky.”

A throat cleared, startling both of us. I spun to see Pris standing there, her expression unreadable.

Beau swallowed hard and straightened, his tone hardening. “Sky is gonna be staying for a few weeks, and will help you out when they’re not storm chasing. Can you show them to their room and around the ranch? I need to go . . . do things.”

Pris crossed her arms, but nodded. “You got it, boss.”