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A djusting to life at Cane Creek Ranch is definitely easier than I thought it’d be.

I wasn’t too keen on moving to a new state and living with twin teenage boys and their dad, but it all seems to be working out okay.

What more could a girl ask for? I'm living on a sprawling ranch with a gorgeous view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

My mom is pouring all her efforts into her newest love interest, which means she has less time to harp on me.

I have the freedom to roam around, getting acquainted with my new home and, of course, the horses—my favorite part.

I'm excited to start helping out as much as I can, and from the looks of it, everyone seems to do their fair share of work around here. Especially the guys… I'm not going to lie; whenever I know they’re out doing chores, I haven’t missed a single opportunity to be within viewing distance of them.

There’s nothing hotter than a shirtless man working hard outdoors.

One thing is for sure… Growing up on a ranch certainly does the body good.

The guys are both ripped not only from playing hockey, but from working around the ranch.

Even though they are identical twins, it’s been very easy to tell them apart.

For one, Maverick prefers a shaved head, while Cash keeps his hair long enough that it curls out from beneath the rim of his hat.

Maverick also has several tattoos already, even at the age of seventeen.

Now don’t get me wrong, I'm usually a simp for a man with tattoos, but there’s just something about Cash’s toned, tanned body that causes a flutter low in my belly.

“Are you just going to sit there every day, or are you going to saddle one up and ride?” Cash’s voice interrupts my daydream. Well, damn, I hope I wasn’t staring.

Rolling my eyes to deflect my ogling, I stand from my spot under the large maple tree and march my ass up to the stalls, just as he finishes the last strap on the saddle of his gorgeous spotted Appaloosa stallion.

His beautiful black coat shines under the bright sun, and the leopard-like spots on his hind legs are so unique.

He’s by far the biggest one on the ranch, so I was quite surprised to learn he was Cash’s and not his dad’s.

I approach the stallion’s head, and he nudges me with his nose. “Aw, that’s a good boy,” I say, running my hand along his mane. He bumps my hand once more, looking for treats. “I'm sorry, buddy, I don’t have anything on me.”

Cash is standing nearby with an apple in his open palm.

“Try this. Dom loves apples,” he says, and I take the apple for Dom , but not before I get the chance to admire him in all his cowboy glory.

His dark brown hair is tucked perfectly under his hat and is just long enough to curl at the nape of his neck.

There’s a light stubble that grows along his defined jaw, and his sun-kissed skin highlights the gold flecks in his eyes. He is perfection .

One thing that’s become abundantly clear is that Cash isn’t an overly friendly fella.

Nope, all that charm must’ve gone straight to his brother, Maverick, bypassing him completely.

It's not that he’s rude or disrespectful in any way…

it’s just, he’d rather not engage in meaningless conversation.

Unlike me, who’s uncomfortable with silence and tries to fill those awkward moments.

Probably one of the reasons I’ve always been drawn to horses.

I can talk to them all day and not worry about anyone getting bored or annoyed with my antics.

“Thanks.” I smile, then place my hand right below Dom’s nose and am rewarded with a puff of air and a soft whinny before he takes a bite. The apple is gone in almost an instant, and I let out a light chuckle.

“Saddles are in the back.” Cash’s gruff voice sounds from beside me, and I spin to face him. A beaming smile pulls at my cheeks as the opportunity to ride again fills me with excitement.

I haven’t been on the back of a horse in over a year, not since my precious Jay passed away.

He was my first and only horse I ever owned, and he meant the world to me.

After the devastating loss of him, I couldn’t find it within myself to just ride any random horse.

But I’m happy to admit that being on the ranch has got me itching to be on the saddle again.

I head into the massive barn that’s home to at least a dozen horses, and I can't help but wonder if they’re all theirs.

Turning right, I notice some of the stalls are a little more decorated with awards and picture frames.

I stop in front of an all-white mare, whose mane is expertly braided with ribbons.

She’s absolutely beautiful. Right outside the stall are several frames with a cute cowgirl and the same white mare.

A hand-painted sign with the name Mia scrawled across it is hung just above the photo frames.

The white mare comes to greet me at the door, her head nuzzling into me.

“Such a sweet girl, aren’t you?” I croon to her as I pet her softly.

“Do you want to go for a ride, pretty girl?” I ask aloud, and my eyes search for where the saddles are kept.

“Not that one,” Cash grunts, startling me mid-search, and I step away, glancing in his direction.

“I-I'm sorry, I didn’t realize,” I stammer, his tone indicating I’ve done something wrong. His jaw is set tight, but his eyes are pleading.

Cash juts his chin at the stall next to Mia’s. “That one is Gigi’s. She’s due for a go-around.”

“Oh, okay,” I say and take a few steps toward the brown mare, whose stall indicates her name is June . Right beside her is another quarter horse with the name Johnny.

Johnny this girl looks just like the one I’ve seen in the photos hanging throughout Gigi’s house.

Maybe they’re not all their horses… But deep down, I get a feeling there’s more to it than that.

“Alright, June, let’s get you ready to go, girl.”

I make quick work to get her ready and lead her out of the barn to where Cash is waiting, already on his saddle. It’s hot today, but there are quite a few clouds that give us some reprieve from the summer sun.

Delaying the inevitable, I double-check her harness and her saddle, all while I try to hype myself up to mount June. I peer up at Cash, and his intense stare holds me captive. His eyes tell a story I know his mouth never will. Our gaze remains locked for a few seconds, until he breaks away first.

Deep breath . I can't think about what that was. I need to focus on myself and getting my ass on this horse.

“You good over there?” Cash teases, clearly picking up on my hesitation and ignoring the moment we just had.

Here goes nothing .

I slide my foot into the stirrup, grab onto the pommel, and hoist myself up. A smile takes over my face once I’m fully seated, and I glance over at Cash. “Yeah, I’m good.” Keeping my tone as calm as possible, all I want to do is break out in a victory dance.

Cash starts off, and I quickly follow behind.

Our pace is slow, and it allows me the time I need to re-accustom myself.

Within a few minutes on our path, I notice that we’re taking a full tour of the ranch property.

It’s something I’ve been wanting to do since we got here, but it’s too much ground to cover on foot.

He remains quiet, and I get a strong feeling he’d rather keep it that way, but little does he know, he invited the wrong person out for a ride if he wanted silence.

“It’s really beautiful here,” I say, hoping the compliment is a way to ease him into opening up a little.

“Sure is,” he replies.

“Have you lived here your whole life?”

“Yup. Born and raised.”

“I can only imagine what it would’ve been like growing up here… Do you guys have any other animals?”

“Used to. Now we just breed horses.”

I roll my eyes. Geez, it’s like pulling teeth.

We pass by Gigi’s house and wave hello to Papaw, who’s sitting out on the porch. I didn’t see it the other day at dinner, but there’s a sizeable stream that leads into a pond just beyond their house. I stop June so I can get a better look.

“Can we swim in there, or is it for fishing only?”

“You can swim in it… Actually, Mav mentioned jumping in later after we finish up.”

Holy shit, I can't believe it… Cash Leblanc spoke almost two complete sentences in a row. I blink at him a few times.

His eyes narrow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m sorry, I need a minute,” I say, placing my hand on my chest, and he eyes me suspiciously. Probably confused as hell about my antics.

“You going to tell me what that was all about?” he asks, still gauging my sanity.

“I was just so taken aback by your ability to speak in full sentences, that I didn’t know how to act there for a minute.”

He laughs, a full-blown laugh, and I drink it in. The sound of it settles something inside of me. Damn, he’s handsome.

“Are you always this dramatic?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow. His brown eyes set firmly on me.

“Absolutely,” I beam at him, and he just shakes his head.

“Good to know. Come on, let’s get moving,” he says, and then we’re off again. We’ve veered off our original path a bit and are heading toward the outskirts of the pond.

“Is this where you learned to swim?” I ask.

He pauses for a beat before replying, “We all did.”

“That’s so cool. It must be so refreshing after a day of working outside.” My filthy mind flits to an image of him soaking wet in nothing but swim shorts.

Cash just nods in response, and we continue on the path and head toward a heavily wooded area past the pond. Instead of exploring the clearly worn trails, we skirt along the dense tree line.

“Those look like some great trails,” I say, noticing some even have tread marks in them. “Do you guys have 4-wheelers here? I’d love to go riding.”

My statement seems to catch him off guard, because he pulls on Dom’s reins and stops abruptly.

“No, we don’t. And we don’t go on these trails ever. They’re too dangerous…” Cash snaps at me, and I flinch.

He closes his eyes, as if to compose himself. What happened to cause such a reaction to a simple question? When he opens them again, they’re filled with nothing but pain and remorse. His hands are trembling ever-so-slightly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to?—”

“I’ve got to get back to the stable. I’ll show you the rest another time,” Cash says, turning Dom around and starting to head back. I follow close behind, and for the first time all day, I don’t speak.

Fuck. What did I say that was so wrong and, more importantly, what happened on those trails?

As we approach the stables, I spot my mom sitting on one of the Adirondack chairs perched up on the hill. I head in her direction instead of following Cash into the stalls. My mind is too busy trying to figure out what the hell that was all about. What am I missing?

“Hey there, cowgirl. Good to see you back in the saddle,” my mom chirps once I’m within earshot.

I attempt a smile, because I was truly happy to ride today, but now I feel off.

“Bellamy Ann, what is that face for? Didn’t you have fun?” Mom asks as I dismount and walk toward her.

“I did.”

“But…” she presses, heading tilting as she searches my eyes.

“But… I don’t know… Something was off with Cash. He got all mad when I asked about exploring the trails behind the pond. It was more than just being mad, though. He looked upset. Heartbroken, even.”

“Aw, sweetheart, I thought I told you. They lost their sister in a 4-wheeler accident a year and a half ago.”

A sick feeling twists in my stomach.

“Holy shit.”

“Tragedy, I tell you. Happened right here on the ranch property too.”

My chest tightens as I cover my mouth in shock.

“How could you forget to tell me something so significant?”

“Geez, Bell, I really thought I told you.”

I close my eyes, wrapping my head around this news. That explains so much.

Mia. That was her horse… Cash and Maverick’s sister is the one in the photos. The family portraits at Gigi’s all included a girl who I assumed was a cousin.

I feel so dumb. If I had known, I would’ve never even suggested we go off-roading, let alone on the trails. I feel my frustration bubbling to the surface.

“Are there any other life-changing events that I should know about?” I ask, running my hands down my face.

My mom sighs. “Always so quick to overreact. No, there’s nothing else.”

Jaw clenched, I walk away from her before I say something I regret. The day my mom’s and my life changed, so did she. It’s not that she’s a monster, but she became emotionally shut off to protect herself, and somewhere along the way, she lost some of her empathy for others.

Me, on the other hand, my heart aches with the thought of what the twins and their dad must have gone through over the past year.

A piece of the Cash Leblanc puzzle is now in place. Those painful, soulful eyes have so much to tell.