I threw him a scowl. Keith and Matty stood next to him, all laughing at my nervous behavior. If they’d invited the hottest girl at Blue River as a date for the homecoming dance, they would’ve been acting the same. It didn’t nearly make up for me skipping town on her, but it was a start.
Hannah had suggested the idea to me yesterday at school. She’d tried to act all innocent about it, but I was pretty sure she was some kind of like a puppet master behind the scenes. I didn’t mind, though. It’d been a good idea. The fact that Ken and Mary had still allowed me to step foot outside of the ranch after the events of Thursday was kind of a miracle. I wasn’t taking any of this for granted.
Never again.
“Come on, Graham, we’re just having a good laugh.” Matty pushed a can of Coke in my hand. “Lighten up.”
I was just about ready to tell him he could shove that can somewhere the sun didn’t shine when Derek Cook walked through the door, with his date scurrying close behind him. He shot daggers at anyone who got in his way. Pausing by the door to pay for his tickets, I got a good look at his face in the light. Two days later and his entire left eye was still a beautiful black and purple. I’d gotten him good with that right hook. Never had something felt so satisfying as seeing Derek collapse to the concrete after trying to attack me for the second time.
Reliving that memory was all I needed to release the tension out of my shoulders.
“Okay, I’m officially lightening up,” I said, lifting my can up in a cheer and then taking a long drink.
The boys all cheered and followed my example. Around us in the darkened cafeteria-turned-dance floor, music pulsed. Several people were already dancing. The mood was high. Our boys had won their football game yesterday, which had left everyone feeling like celebrating.
I’d just finished my drink when I spotted two more girls walking into the school—one with blonde curls falling over her shoulders. This time, it was really her. All the air whooshed from my lungs as I watched Cassidy and Hannah head toward the door to the cafeteria, oblivious that I was just inside. Cassidy wore a shiny green dress with tiny little straps that made her pale skin almost glow. The dress fell just above her knees and she had on a pair of heels that looked like they could be deadly in the right hands. She was drop dead gorgeous.
And she was my date.
“Whoa,” Eric said in a hushed voice beside me. He and the rest of the guys were tracking Cassidy and Hannah’s movement closely. “Hey, Graham. Any chance Cassidy’s friend is single?”
“No idea.”
I shoved the empty can into his hands and abandoned them to their drooling. Striding forward, I tried not to let these new waves of nerves get to me. I wanted to be confident and strong—the kind of man Cassidy deserved. But dang, seeing her like this had my hands shaking a little as I shoved them into the pockets of my jeans.
“Ladies.” I greeted them both, but my eyes were only on Cassidy as she turned to look at me. “Hey, beautiful.”
Her cheeks pinkened and she grinned. “Hey yourself, cowboy.”
“You look fantastic.” I couldn’t stop staring. It was starting to freak even me out. So I laughed nervously and leaned against the nearest wall. “I hope this is okay. I’m not exactly used to dressing up.”
I looked down at my jeans and black button-up shirt. Mary had helped me press it for tonight. She’d insisted that I couldn’t go on a date looking like a wrinkled mess. I’d paired it with the only nice shoes I owned—a pair of cowboy boots with a gray pattern up the sides.
“Believe me, you’re more than okay,” Hannah said, looking at me and then winking at Cassidy. “In fact, I’d say you’re like a fantasy-come-to-life. It’s almost like déjà-vu.”
Cassidy’s eyes grew wide and the pretty pink blush on her cheeks spread to her chest. I tried to maintain my composure as the two of them had a silent battle in front of me, Cassidy visually shushing her friend. I wasn’t sure what that whole thing was about, but I knew enough not to ask.
“I have your ticket,” I said, producing a spare one from my pocket. “Should we go in?”
She nodded. “Yes, but first, I have to show you something.”
Grabbing my hand, she pulled me down the hallway just far enough to get away from the crowd. From her purse, she produced her phone and unlocked the screen.
“Sherry from the City Council just e-mailed me this.” She held it up for me to see. “Read.”
I skimmed over the email, trying to focus on the words in front of me and not the sensation of Cassidy’s hand in mine. Finally, something clicked and I gaped at her.
“We...won?”
She lifted her shoulders and grinned sheepishly. “We won. The council decided to vote down the eminent domain deal five to one. Grandma gets to keep her house. Everyone on Cherry Street is safe.”
Excitement exploded in my chest. All of Cassidy’s hard work, all the stress she’d gone through, had been worth it. She’d saved those people. She was amazing.
I grabbed Cassidy by the waist and spun her around in celebration. She squealed as one of her heels went flying. Pulling her against me, I pressed my lips against hers and kissed her until we were both panting and red-faced. Eventually, I let her go, not wanting to get Cassidy in trouble if a teacher came around the corner.
“So, I can guess who that last vote belonged to,” I said.
Her brow arched. “Yep. I’m sure you’re right. Mr. Cook isn’t having a very good day. You might have to find a new dentist.”
Chuckling, I took her hand in mine once again. So, we’d defeated the big bad monster together and I’d officially found my home in Blue River. If anyone had told me things would turn out this way a few weeks ago, I would’ve laughed in their face. But looking over at Cassidy and seeing her so happy was wonderfully real and more than I could’ve ever hoped for.
“Want to dance with me?” I asked, leading her back toward the cafeteria.
“I want that more than anything.” She smiled guiltily at me, looking shy for the first time since I’d met her. “You know, Hannah actually predicted that we’d be here weeks ago. She put the thought in my head of you—in your tight jeans and cowboy boots—dancing with me at homecoming.”
I grinned, feeling strangely pleased that the girls had been talking about me like that. “Oh, so that’s what she was talking about back there.”
“Yeah.” Cassidy plastered a hand across her face. “She’s my best friend. It’s her duty to embarrass me.”
“Does this meet your expectations?” I cranked my neck around to check my rear end. “Are you sure my jeans are tight enough for you?”
Cassidy threw her head back and laughed, her cheeks turning red. After she found her missing shoe, we walked into the dance like that, totally ready to brush off the stress of the last few weeks and party. And when I took her into my arms on that dance floor, I’d never felt more right.
This was where I was meant to be. Blue River was my home. Cassidy had opened my eyes to how many people in my life cared about me. And now I finally had a place where I belonged.
The sun wasn’t setting anytime soon on this cowboy’s time at Sweet Oak Teen Ranch.
Epilogue
Cassidy
I chewed anxiously on my bottom lip and leaned forward on the fence post. It was a cooler September day than most. Cold enough that I wasn’t sure if my freezing hands were due to the weather or my nerves over seeing Graham test Pipa with the saddle for the first time.
“Are you sure he’ll be safe?” I asked Matty standing next to me.
He nodded, quiet confidence radiating off of him. “Pipa’s been making a lot of strides these past few weeks. Graham’s really gotten through to her. I think she’ll handle this like a champ.”
I hoped he was right. It’d only been a week since Graham had nearly run away. I wasn’t too keen on the thought of having to rush him to the hospital because he’d taken too big of a chance on his horse. I loved Pipa, but she was still a little wild. It w
ould really be amazing to see her finally calm down enough for Graham to ride her.
“It’s now or never,” Graham called from inside the corral.
He’d finished checking the tension on her girth strap and was patting her on the shoulder. Pipa tossed her dark brown mane and snorted, as if to tell him to hurry up with the show. Matty and I both chuckled. I’d convinced Graham to put on a riding helmet for this little experiment. He’d been reluctant at first, but all it took was a little puppy dog pouting and he’d given in. At least his noggin would be protected if Pipa went off the rails.
Graham grabbed ahold of the horn on the Western saddle and lifted himself up, hooking his left foot in the stirrup for extra help. He swung his right leg over the rest of the way and sat still astride Pipa’s back, letting her adjust to the weight of a rider. I held my breath as Pipa tossed her head again. This was a crucial moment. Would she be okay with him riding her? Would she buck him off? But as the seconds dragged by, she seemed to be okay with it. No sign of the horse I’d first met a few weeks ago—the one that had dumped Graham unceremoniously onto his back in the dusty driveway.
“Take her for a walk around the ring,” Matty yelled, cupping his mouth. “Let’s see how she does.”
Graham pressed the heels of his boots gently into Pipa’s sides and clicked with his tongue. She began to move forward, stilted and slow at first. But then she got into a good cadence and started swinging her head back and forth, as if she was starting to enjoy this. Eventually, he was even able to get her to trot short distances. They were both loving every minute of this.
“Now’s the big challenge,” Matty said to me, after we’d watched them go around the ring for several minutes. “Let’s see if she’ll canter for him.”
Graham adjusted his legs against Pipa’s sides and urged her forward once again. She started out on a bumpy trot, Graham holding on desperately with his legs to stay in place. Eventually, with a bit more coaxing, she lengthened her stride and broke into a smooth canter.
Matty and I both cheered from outside the corral. It was amazing to see the two of them together. Rider and horse, working together as one. They’d both overcome their pasts and come back stronger than ever. And both had found a home forever at the Sweet Oak Teen Ranch.
“She’s got a great stride,” Graham said, riding up to us. His face was flushed with excitement. “She was made for this.”
Matty nodded approvingly and adjusted his worn ball cap. “I think you’ve got yourself a quality horse, McGrady.”
A white car turned into the driveway at that moment and we all turned to watch it approach the farmhouse. It rolled to a stop near my Camry and we could hear the engine turn off.
“Are Ken and Mary expecting company?” Graham asked. He slid off of Pipa and led her through the nearby gate. Handing me the reins, he unbuckled his helmet and took it off.
“I don’t think so.” Matty watched the still car with his brow furrowed. “The license plate is from the Wichita area. What are they doing so far east?”
“Maybe they’re lost,” I offered as the rear passenger door opened.
One foot, then two landed on the dusty driveway. And out stepped a figure so familiar I had to do a double and triple take. It was Graham. But it wasn’t Graham. It was his mirror image, standing only yards away from us.
“Nash?” Graham took a step forward, shock washing over his face. “W-what are you doing here?”
“Is that how you say hi to your older brother?” Nash demanded, a grin breaking out across his face.
Graham’s jaw opened and shut a few times before his lips reflected a similar grin. “You’re only older by two minutes, jerk.”
“And yet, still so much wiser,” Nash shot back.
Graham launched forward and wrapped his arms around his twin. Matty and I followed close behind, with me still holding Pipa’s reins. It felt strange, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Nash. He was so similar to Graham. It was like seeing double. I wasn’t sure I could wrap my mind around it.
Pipa bumped her nose against me, searching my pockets for treats. I pet her nose as I waited patiently for Graham and Nash to complete their happy reunion.
“So, is this Cassidy?” Nash asked, breaking apart from the hug to look at me.
I nodded, unsure what to expect. Would Nash be mad I’d helped keep Graham here? Would he even like me? I really hoped he would. I’d heard so much about him from Graham that I felt like I already knew him.
“That’s me,” I answered.
“Thanks for taking care of my baby brother,” he said, his matching amber eyes sparkling as he leaned down toward me. “I owe you big time.”
“It was totally worth it,” I said, putting my hand on Graham’s back and meeting his gaze with a smile. “You don’t owe me anything.”
Nash’s lips quirked in an approving smile. He turned to Matty and shook his hand in greeting. I hadn’t realized until then that a woman with dark braids had stepped out of the driver’s seat of the car. She placed her hands on her hips and watched Ken and Mary exit the farmhouse and walk toward us.
Graham looked at the woman and then back to his brother. “What are you doing here, Nash? I thought you were still out west.”
“Plans change, brother.” Nash reached back into the car and pulled out a large black trash bag. “Can’t expect Cassidy to do all the babysitting, now can I?”
Graham’s chest rose and fell in a quick succession of breaths. “Wait—what?”
“We had a free bed,” Mary offered, going to shake the new woman’s hand. “I contacted Ms. Freeman from family services and she handled the arrangements. Nash is here to stay, as long as he’d like.”
My heart soared to see the look of ecstasy on Graham’s face. He took two strides toward Mary, wrapped her up in a tight hug and lifted her feet off the ground. He ended it with a loud, lip-smacking kiss to her cheek and placed her carefully back down. We all laughed as Mary’s face turned red with pleasure.
Ken harrumphed and joined his wife. “All right, enough of that. Why don’t you all show Nash to his room while we invite Ms. Freeman in for a coffee?”
Ms. Freeman agreed heartily at the suggestion. Matty offered to take Pipa from me and the rest of us all piled into the farmhouse. William, Keith, and Eric were already inside and it became extremely noisy as the news was broken to them about the newcomer and introductions were made. Everyone was ecstatic about Nash joining the ranch. None more than my boyfriend. During the height of the excitement, Graham grabbed my hand and pulled me into the kitchen.
“My brother...” His eyes were bright with emotions as he wordlessly searched my face.
“I know.” I placed my hands on both sides of his head and smiled up at him. “Nash is here and he’s here to stay. I’m so happy for you, Graham.”
It might not have been the family image he’d had months ago. Graham would never totally give up on his mom or the idea that they might someday be together again, but this was as close to perfection as we could get at this time.
He leaned down and captured my lips in a rushed, passionate kiss. We broke apart as soon as we heard footsteps coming up from behind us.
“Do they do that a lot?” Nash asked in a teasing tone as he came into the kitchen.
Eric followed him in and gave us an ornery grin. “All the time. It’s becoming quite a problem. I’m thinking about carrying around a bucket of ice water just so I can douse them and cool them down whenever I see it happening.”
Graham made a face at Eric and I laughed. We probably deserved that, but it wouldn’t stop us anytime soon. It was going to take a lot of getting used to with Graham’s twin brother in the mix now, but I couldn’t have been more grateful.
The boys that came to the Sweet Oak Teen Ranch might have been broken by life, but here, they had a place to grow into men.
This was family. This was home...
...for all the accidental cowboys.
***
Thank you so much
for taking a chance on the first in my brand new series, Sweet Oak Teen Ranch! If you loved it – please, please, please go rate it on Amazon. I’d love to write more in this series, if people enjoy it!
Much love,
Lacy
Excerpt
Have you read Lacy Andersen’s bestselling Dare You To – Rock Valley High series? If not, you’re missing out! Read on to check out the first chapter in Dare You to Kiss the Quarterback:
Chapter One
At Rock Valley High, there was nothing quite so deadly serious as a game of truth or dare. Reputations were built or buried on such things. It was a tradition at the end of summer tryouts for the athletics teams to gather on the beach at the nearby lake. Eventually, once the party got crazy enough, someone would suggest the game and like wildfire it would spread. The brave would take front and center. People like me would usually conveniently disappear in the bathhouse or back to our cars. But not today. Today, I had a target on my back.
I was the only senior in all of history to try out for the Rock Valley cheerleading team.
“All right, skanks, who’s next?” My utterly gorgeous and equally evil cousin, Savannah Keys, strode barefoot in the sand. Her long brunette hair flowed perfectly in the gentle breeze behind her as if she were Beyoncé at Coachella. She had razor sharp talons, blue eyes, red lips, and a spattering of freckles across her nose.
I couldn’t brush off the bit of jealousy I felt whenever we were together. Savannah and my mother had inherited my Grandma Ivy’s good looks. The very same good looks that had made her into a Hollywood starlet back in the day. Me? I got my ruddy brown curls, dark brown eyes, and lack of grace from my dad’s side of the family. My lying, cheating, and newly remarried dad. Lucky me.
“Audrey Black, truth or dare?”
I flinched when I heard my name come out of her mouth. It shouldn’t have been a surprise. She was captain of the cheerleading team and spitting mad that I was encroaching on her territory this year. She’d insisted that I be present at all team events, including this one. Of course, she’d take it out on me at the end of a massively exhausting week of tryouts.
Cowboy Crush : A Small Town, Enemies-to-Lovers YA Romance (Sweet Oak Teen Ranch Book 1) Page 18
