Page 4

CALDER

“You stare at him. A lot.”

“What?”

I was minding my own business, standing outside my cabin, waiting for Shane to pick me up in his UTV, a routine I was becoming accustomed to.

He’d dropped off supplies for my cabin earlier in the morning, gently placing things in the middle of the room, setting a meal for me down on the stove.

He’d been so quiet that I hadn’t even heard him come in, and I wondered if that was the point.

Is Shane trying to avoid me?

“You stare at him. Quite a bit.” The stranger squinted at me before a playful grin broke through. “Hi! I’m Virgil Stratton. And you must be Calder.”

“Were you standing there before or—where’d you even come from?—”

“Don’t mind that. I’m everywhere. I’m nowhere.” He shrugged. “But you? You’re here. Isn’t that interesting?”

“Only because I fell off my horse and forgot everything about my life.” I tried to laugh about it.

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“You think I’m faking it?”

“I think something else drew you here. Something even you haven’t figured out yet.”

“Right…” I took a step away from him and leaned against the cabin.

“Why do you stare at Shane so much?” He took a step towards me, closing the distance between us. “Why do you think?”

“I don’t stare at Shane that much,” I said, lying through my teeth.

The old man was right. I had been staring at Shane way too hard lately and I knew it.

Ever since I’d lost my grip on that panel, I couldn’t stop thinking about Shane’s grip on me.

I’d been watching the way he carried himself, the way he moved, the way his muscles worked underneath his clothes.

I’d even been thinking about ways to get into his head, to make him talk to me more, to draw things out of him that he wanted to keep secret.

But I couldn’t make any sense of it. There was a woman in that photo they’d found on me, a woman who it seemed like I knew well. If I was so invested in her, how could I be attracted to?—

What did it mean if I was attracted to?—

“Things can change.” Virgil interrupted my racing thoughts. “Nothing needs to stay the same. No matter how much it might feel necessary that they do.”

“Uh, thanks.” I nodded at his advice. “Wait. Does this mean you’ve been watching me?”

“Don’t take it personally.” He smirked. “I watch everything. It’s the only way to stay one step ahead.”

“One step ahead of what?”

Virgil laughed as he walked away from me. “Eyes ahead, Calder. Eyes ahead.”

What a strange man.

I was tempted to follow him, ask him questions that were burning through my brain. But in that same moment, Shane showed up on his UTV, handsome as ever, cowboy hat firmly on his head. “Hey. You ready to go out?”

“Do you know a guy named Virgil Stratton?” I asked as I walked up to the vehicle. “Because he just magically showed up outside my cabin.”

Shane grinned, a genuine expression. The sight of it made my heart skip a beat. “Sounds like you met Virgil. He’s an acquired taste.”

“I take it you’re a fan?”

“I respect him,” Shane replied. “He does his own thing. Doesn’t give a damn about anyone’s approval. He’s a breath of fresh air.”

“Breath of fresh air? Sure. That’s one way to put it.” I let out a small laugh. “But I’m sure I’ll get used to him, soon enough.”

Is it just because this is all I have?

I watched Shane as we did saddle work, setting equipment up on one of the horses.

He was being particularly kind to the horse, his usual sweetness with them amplified.

He murmured the name Ursula as he continued to work with her, and she was calm as ever.

I was mesmerized by him, unable to look away even if I wanted to.

There was just something about him, something shining all the way through.

Is my mind playing tricks on me?

I couldn’t even remember my damn name. It would make sense that my feelings were all mixed up and wrong, too, with nothing to base them on.

The way I was feeling about Shane was probably a side effect of that.

It was probably the same reason I felt so strangely at home on Stratton Ranch, even though I’d only worked here a few times.

It was like something was settling in my bones about this place, something all too familiar.

“Her name’s Ursula?” I asked, desperate to get out of my head, hoping to make conversation.

“Yep. Ursula.” Shane smiled. “She’s my cousin’s favorite horse. But you want to know a secret?”

“What’s the secret?”

“I think she’s everyone’s favorite horse.” Shane let out a light laugh. “There’s just something about her.”

“You light up around all of them,” I replied. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you light up like that around another person. At least, not yet.”

“People are a little more complicated. But Ursula? She’s nothing but peace.”

I walked up to Ursula, standing next to Shane.

As he gently stroked the horse’s neck, I followed suit, our hands inches away from each other.

I looked over at him, distracted by the look on his face, all serenity and smiles.

I found myself smiling, too. I was so focused on Shane that I didn’t even notice when our fingers crossed each other’s path, fingertips tangled just for a moment.

Warmth.

I’d felt it, then, so close to Shane. There was something between us, something fleeting, a spark of electricity underneath my fingertips, but what if it was all in my head?—

I moved my hand away from his, my heart racing inside my chest. Shane was staring over at me, something unreadable on his face.

But a few seconds later, he went back to work with Ursula, as if I’d faded into the background of the stable.

I was grateful for his lack of attention, barely able to process what’d just happened to me?—

Happened to us?

Had Shane felt it too?

Had Shane felt anything ?

Nothing made sense anymore.

I’d tried and failed to get to sleep, tossing and turning, my brain refusing to settle down.

When I was finally able to get any sleep, I had that same dream again.

The trail, the horse, the cowboy, the silhouette.

This time, I got off my horse, deciding to charge right at the stranger.

I was tired of not knowing who he was, my memories feeling like they were trying to creep into the edges of my mind.

I just didn’t want to be in the dark anymore.

“Hey! Hey!” I called out to the stranger, my feet pumping as fast as they could. “Who are you? What’s your name?”

The stranger said nothing. I continued to run.

The trail felt like it was extending and contracting at random intervals, leaving me unable to tell if I was getting any closer or if the stranger was getting further away. “Hey! Come on! Just tell me your name!”

Again, not a word.

Suddenly, I was close enough to make out his face.

“Shane?” As soon as his name left my mouth, I woke up in my cabin, my sheets stained with sweat.

What the hell?

I searched my useless mind for an explanation, something I could hold onto.

But there was nothing, just blank memories, feelings and connections that I didn’t understand.

It was like I was being tortured, someone playing a twisted game that I’d never agreed to.

I jolted up out of bed, briskly walking to my cabin door, my fingers wrapped around the doorknob.

I needed to talk to Shane. I needed him to explain?—

Wait. Explain what, exactly? How he ended up in my dreams? As if he had any control over it.

What is going on with me?

I moved away from the door, walking backwards until I landed on my mattress.

I just needed to get some sleep. Real sleep.

Everything is going to make sense in the morning.

I pulled the covers over my head, soothing myself with what I knew was a lie, repeating it over and over like it was the only thing I had to hold onto.