Page 2

CHAPTER 1

Barren stared at the rising sun, one boot-clad foot resting on the lowest rung of the wooden fence. It was chilly this morning. When he’d been younger, he’d never felt the cold. But he was now closer to fifty than forty. And it felt like the chill now settled into his bones.

Fuck.

He hated this feeling in his gut. Regret. Worry. Anger. Had he wasted most of his life? Had he spent the best years of his life in love with a woman who, it turned out, hadn’t actually loved him back? Who’d just been with him for his money?

“Good place to watch the sun rise.”

Barren’s lips twitched in amusement as he glanced at Derek Hawkins, the owner of Rawhide Ranch, as the man stepped up beside him, leaning against the fence.

“Do you have cameras out here or something?” He glanced around as though looking for them.

“Why? Are you doing something you need to hide?” Derek asked, sounding amused.

“Not today,” Barren joked. “But either you have cameras or some sort of sixth sense about when you’re needed.”

“You need me?”

“Nope. That sixth sense must be broken,” he told the other man.

“Strange. It hasn’t put me wrong yet,” Derek replied. “Everything all right?”

Barren sighed. He didn’t need to talk about his feelings. He’d done that with Eliot over several days. Several sober days. Yeah, he’d tried to drink away his feelings.

He hadn’t been successful.

After going back with Eliot to his place and meeting his Littles, Barren had decided to take a chance and come to Rawhide Ranch. His friend was ridiculously happy living his dream life with Marcus and Isla. A life where he didn’t have to hide his Dominant side. Where he didn’t have to hold back his need to protect, support, indulge, and discipline.

Barren wanted that.

When those divorce papers had come in, he’d spiralled down into a dark place. If it wasn’t for Eliot, he might not have found his way back out. He might not have made the decision to find his own Little. Someone he could take care of. Who would appreciate his protective, possessive streak and wouldn’t find him smothering, old-fashioned, and controlling.

Krystal’s words.

So he’d come here. Unfortunately, it hadn’t been a successful trip.

You were hoping for too much.

Yep, he’d gotten his hopes up. It was ridiculous and a forty-eight-year-old man should know better. Had he really expected to just find someone? That they would magically be waiting here for him? He had to be patient. Hopefully it would happen.

“I just need more patience,” he said.

“You don’t seem like a man who lacks patience,” Derek replied mildly. “But sometimes it’s when you least expect it that fate steps in and gives you what you were looking for.”

Right. Sure. He just hoped that fate remembered that he wasn’t getting any younger.

“I’m going to head home today,” he told Derek.

“You sure?”

“Yep. I’ve been gone over a week now. I should really get back to work.”

Derek nodded. “Work is important.”

Except it wasn’t anymore, was it? He had more money than he knew what to do with. And he could do a lot of his work from here anyway. However, the longer he stayed here without meeting a Little who suited him, who wanted him, the more depressed he grew. So for his peace of mind he was going. Perhaps he’d come back another time.

Or maybe you won’t.

“I can’t stop you from leaving, but we’ll miss you,” Derek told him.

He raised his eyebrows. “You barely know me.”

“I’m a good judge of character and you’re a good man, Barren. You’ll find her. She’s out there.”

Barren sighed. He wasn’t so sure.

Barren drove out of Rawhide Ranch’s gates, waving at the security guard as he went past. He liked how secure this place was. Derek took the safety of everyone on the Ranch seriously, especially the Littles.

It was too bad that he hadn’t clicked with any of the Littles who currently lived on the Ranch. However, no one had seemed right. And he didn’t want to make another mistake like he had with Krystal. This time he was determined to find the perfect Little. He kept driving. Perhaps he’d come back another time.

About half an hour into his drive, he saw someone on the opposite side of the road. A bright red classic Chevrolet pickup was pulled over without its hazard lights on. There was a woman standing next to the pickup. Suddenly, she kicked one of the tires, before grabbing her foot and nearly falling over as she jumped around.

He quickly turned around and drove up behind the pickup, turning on his hazard lights as he parked his truck. The woman didn’t even notice him as she hopped back and forth, swearing. Annoyance filled him. As a woman alone, she should be aware of her surroundings at all times. What was she thinking?

The urge to scold her was strong, but he held himself in check. This girl wasn’t his. Barren took a quick moment to study her. She definitely looked younger than him. She had her pale blonde hair up in two pigtails with red and white ribbons. She wore a pair of white cut-off shorts, red pantyhose, and sparkly red boots. A cropped white sweater with a red heart stitched on the front completed the outfit.

She was absolutely adorable.

And not dressed for the weather at all. While they had hit spring and the sun was shining, it was only around fifty-eight degrees outside. Not warm enough for tiny shorts.

“Miss? Are you all right?” he asked as he approached her.

She suddenly spun with a cry. He expected her to show fear or worry. To step back, away from him. What he didn’t expect was for her to move toward him, for her to reach out and… hug him? Was she really hugging him? Who was this woman? Was she all right? Maybe she’d hit her head?

“Um, are you all right?” he asked again.

“I’m really, really not,” she told him, stepping back. “But I’m so glad to see you.”

“You are?” he asked slowly. What was going on?

“Uh-huh. I was getting worried that no one was going to drive along this road. And that I was going to have to camp overnight in Cherry.”

“Cherry?” he asked.

She patted the bright red pickup. “This is Cherry.”

“You thought you would spend the night in your vehicle? Do you know how low the temperature gets at night?” Not to mention how unsafe that was for a woman alone.

She held up a finger. “I do not. But, also, I hate camping. And I think I would really hate camping in Cherry in the dark and cold. So that’s why I’m so happy to see you. I mean, not just because I need help. I’m sure I’d be happy to see you anyway.”

“You would be?” he asked, feeling more confused by the moment.

“Sure.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Um, I don’t know. You seem like a nice guy.” She looked him over and nodded. “Yes, I declare that you’re a good guy. Hi, I’m Phoebe.” She held out her hand and he stared down at it.

She had small red hearts painted on her nails.

Dear lord.

Who was this girl? And how had she landed in his path?

Sometimes it’s when you least expect it that fate steps in.

Nope. He wasn’t listening to Derek right now. That was ridiculous and this girl wasn’t for him. She was too young. Too impetuous and lacking in self-preservation. Not for him.

Or maybe she’d be perfect for you, idiot. If you just took a chance. If you let someone in.

Dear lord. He’d only just met her, and he knew nothing about her, other than the fact that she knew nothing about vehicles, couldn’t dress for the weather, and seemed overly friendly.

“You can’t know that just from looking at me.”

“Why not? You’ve got a kind aura.”

“A kind aura?” He frowned and shook his head at her. “That’s not a thing.”

“Sure it is.”

Sighing, he took her hand to shake it and realized how cold it was. “Your hand is like a block of ice.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She tried to tug it free, but he held it tight in his. “I’ve always run cold.”

Run cold?

“Um, can I have it back?”

“What back?”

“My hand.” She glanced down at where he was still holding on to her.

Shit. What was wrong with him? He quickly let go of her hand and turned back toward his truck.

“Oh no, are you leaving?” she asked. “I’m so sorry! You can have it back. Keep it if you like.”

The panic in her voice made him pause and turn back to her slowly, his hands in the air. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m just getting my jacket.”

Her shoulders slumped as she sighed in relief. “Oh, good. That’s a relief.”

Grabbing his jacket from the backseat, he turned and banged right into her. Shit! Reaching out, he grabbed her arms as she wobbled on her high-heeled boots.

“I didn’t even hear you move up behind me,” he said. “Are you all right?”

“Oh, yes. Sorry! Eric always hates when I do that to him.”

“Who is Eric?” he snapped. Then he took a breath. Shit. What was wrong with him? What did it matter who Eric was? And why did he feel a surge of jealousy?

“Oh, he’s one of my dickhead brothers,” she said cheerfully.

He gently guided her back a couple of steps so he could move away from the truck door. Then he swung his jacket around her shoulders.

“You have more than one?” he asked.

“Huh?” She gaped up at him, looking shocked.

“Brothers? You have more than one dickhead brother?” His lips twitched at the description. He had two younger brothers, so he knew how she felt. He loved them, but they could be complete assholes sometimes.

Which reminded him that he should call them. They’d both tried to contact him over the last few months, but he’d been in too much of a dark place to call them back.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Putting my jacket over you. You’re cold. Actually, you should put your arms in the sleeves so it doesn’t slide off.”

When she didn’t move, he took control. That was what he did best. He slid her arms into the jacket. There, that should keep her warmer.

“Why?”

Barren frowned. “Why? Because you’re cold.”

“You gave me your jacket to wear because you thought I was cold?” she asked.

“I didn’t think you were cold; I knew you were. Your skin was freezing.”

“But that’s probably just bad circulation.”

“Maybe. But it’s also fifty-eight out today and you aren’t wearing enough clothes.”

Phoebe glanced down at herself, then up at him, her lower lip dropping into a pout. “You don’t like what I’m wearing.”

He held up his hands, realizing it was a trap. “I never said that. You look gorgeous. But you aren’t wearing enough clothing to keep you warm.” There. Had he worded that carefully enough?

Phoebe huffed out a breath. “I guess not. When I saw the sun shining this morning, I got excited. It doesn’t get this cold in April where I live.”

“Where is that?” he asked.

“I live in Las Vegas. I mean, it gets cooler in December, but it’s spring! So, yeah. I don’t have many warm clothes with me.”

“Did you drive from Las Vegas?” he asked skeptically.

“Uh-huh.” She nodded. “I left yesterday afternoon, stayed in a hotel overnight, then got up this morning to drive some more.”

“That’s a long drive,” he scolded. He didn’t like the thought of her driving all that way on her own.

“Tell me about it. My butt is kind of numb.”

He knew a remedy for that.

Nope.

Do not offer to spank her.

No matter how much she seemed to need it.

“You drove all that way alone?” he asked.

“Yep! Didn’t I do well? I didn’t crash or get one speeding ticket. Well, that I know about, anyway.”

He sighed.

“You sigh a lot. Is that normal for you?” she asked him, curiously.

“Not really. It seems to be a new affliction.”

“Huh. You might want to get that looked at.”

“I’ll take it under consideration,” he said dryly. “I have a feeling I know what will cure it.”

“That’s good then!” she said cheerfully, bouncing up and down on her toes.

“Uh, please don’t do that.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because you’ll fall over and hurt yourself and that’s unacceptable.”

Shit. He probably shouldn’t have said that. He was coming on too strong. Being too bossy. He didn’t even know her.

“Aww, that’s so sweet.”

It was? Barren was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with this girl. She seemed so positive and happy.

Was that normal? Or had he become too used to people being angry and emotional? Was his compass on what was normal behavior skewed?

Perhaps.

Or perhaps she was hiding something behind all that positivity.

“It is?”

“Yeah. I can’t remember the last time someone was concerned that I would hurt myself. Or was worried about me getting cold.”

“Not even your brother?”

“Which one? Oh, it doesn’t matter. None of them would care.”

Really?

“How many do you have?”

“Seven,” she told him with a smile.

“Seven?”

“I know. It’s a lot. I told them that they’re like the seven dwarfs. I even gave them all nicknames. They didn’t appreciate that. It took me a lot of time to come up with those nicknames. They were Bossy, Bumbly, Grunty, Flappy, Mumbly, Sneaky, and Joe.”

“You have seven brothers and not one of them stopped you from driving all this way alone? Are they all younger than you?” That might explain things. “Wait. And Joe?”

“Yeah. His name is Joseph. Honestly, I just got tired of thinking up nicknames. Besides, he’s kind of the nicest out of all of them. And no, they’re all older than me. I’m the baby. Apparently, Mama wanted a girl and was determined to keep trying until she got one.”

“She must have been pleased to get you,” he said.

“Maybe? My Uncle Tim said she was, but she died soon after I was born so she never got to enjoy me. I think that might be why my older brothers hate me. They blame me for her death. Do you know how far away Rawhide Ranch is?”

He didn’t even know where to start with everything she’d just told him. Opening his mouth, he closed it again abruptly.

Shit.

“Sweetheart,” he whispered. “You think your brothers blame you for your mother’s death? Even though you were just a baby? One it sounds like she wanted a lot?”

She blinked up at him, those big blue eyes filled with wonder. They shone and he wondered for a moment if she was going to cry. Instead of feeling panic at the thought of having caused her tears, he almost wished she would cry. So he could hold her tight and hug her.

“You called me sweetheart,” she said quietly.

“I’m sorry.” He felt a surge of panic. “That was inappropriate.”

“Oh.” A look of dejection filled her face. “It was? I liked it. But Paul will tell you that I’m often inappropriate.”

“Paul?”

“Another dickhead brother. Seven of them, remember? And they do blame me for her death. I heard them talking about it once. Well, some of them. The older ones. The younger three weren’t in the room. They don’t have much of a memory of Mama. Uncle Tim used to tell me stories about her, though. He was her older brother and he adored her. I often wished one of my brothers would adore me. But my dad did, so that was enough. Until he died, too. And now it’s just me with my dickhead brothers.”

Jesus.

“Your Uncle Tim?”

“He’s living in Hawaii now. He told me to come live with him. I’m thinking about it. Do you think I’d like Hawaii?”

“I suppose so. It’s hard to say.”

Phoebe nodded. “Well, I figured if I was going to go for a change of scenery, I’d go for something completely different and come to Montana.” She breathed in deep. “I already feel better. Well, except for Cherry breaking down and my phone dying, and no one driving along this road. Except for you. My hero.”

He snorted. “I’m no one’s hero, sweetheart.” And he really shouldn’t call her sweetheart.

“You are to me.” She clasped her hands together. “Do you think I could use your phone to call roadside assistance?”

Great.

He should have offered to do that as soon as he got out of his truck.

“Of course.” He went back to his truck to grab his phone. “Wait, did you ask if I knew where Rawhide Ranch was?”

“Yep! That’s where I’m headed. Do you know of it?”

“You were headed to Rawhide Ranch?” Actually, that kind of made sense. “You’re a Little.”

It wasn’t a question. And as soon as he said it, he wished the words back.