The Darling Brothers

If there’s one thing I don’t need upsetting my quiet and comfortable routine in the small town of Darling, Montana, it’s newcomer Ash Alcott crash landing on my family’s ranch like some sort of blonde angel. I don’t need his flirting. Or his smile. I don’t need the way he makes me question whether or not I’m truly happy being alone at forty. I certainly don’t need to be giving him riding lessons or appreciating the meals he cooks for the ranch.

If asked to list all the folks in Darling, Montana I can’t stand, I’d have a single name. Noah King. He’s the second-best farrier in town (me being the first). A royal pain in my behind. And an all-around smug pest I wouldn’t mind knocking down a peg or two. It’s no surprise after so many years, our animosity has come to a head. I just never in my wildest, hate-fueled fantasies expected Noah’s attack to involve his lips on mine. It was a mistake, no question. But apparently I still have some things to figure out about myself.

Ever since Oakley Beaumont skipped town, it feels as if my life has gone off the rails. Even worse than my divorce and moving back into my childhood bedroom at the Darling Ranch is the fact that I’m learning there’s a whole lot about myself I simply don’t know. Like whether or not I’m straight. And why the sudden absence of my best friend left a hole in my chest I haven’t been able to fill in the three years he’s been gone. First things first: I need to bring Oakley home. Then maybe I can tackle the matter of my love life. After all, I’m ready to get back in the saddle.