Heartbreak Ranch by Anastasia Ryan Read Free Book Online

earlobe, gently tugging at the diamond stud embedded in her flesh. He would glide his knuckles against her jawline and … Slow that horse down cowboy … Colt scratched his head if he were trying to free those thoughts from his mind. He shifted his attention back to the foal.
    Colt kneeled down carefully in the stable. He checked the foal’s dressing, unwrapped its leg carefully, and wrapped the wound in some clean bandages all with Graysen on his mind. He was trying to be patient and bide his time, but he knew with her family only staying for two weeks at the most, he needed to make things happen and make his move now. He left the stable and found himself wandering back to her cabin instead of on the way to his own. He could see one light on in the guest cabin and knew she was still awake.
      
    ***
      
    “Graysen? Graysen, are you alright sweetie? You look like you are still half asleep,” her mom asked, observing her disengagement.
    Under the pretense of gathering up the last bit of maple syrup from her plate, Graysen pushed the last bit of pancake around and stared out the lodge window in the direction of the barn. “Sorry, Mom, I guess I’m just not fully awake yet,” she said, yawning through her response.
    The truth was she was distracted. She kept focusing on the note that sat snugly in the front right pocket of her denim shorts. She’d woken up late that morning. She pulled the curtain back on the window near her bed to see if she could spot Colt. Instead she had found a note scrawled on yellow paper taped to her bedroom window. She was trying to make out what it said when Harper came back from her shower. Graysen pulled the curtain shut and pretended to be calm.
    When Harper finally left, Graysen pulled back the curtain to read the note’s contents. “Iowa – Be at the barn by 3.” It wasn’t signed, but she knew who it was from. Colt was the only one who called her that. What was he thinking? What if her sister had opened the window? And how did he know which room was hers?
    Graysen bolted out of bed and threw on her robe. She made some excuse to her family about wanting to enjoy the crisp morning air and walked outside to free the note from the window. Checking to make sure no one was around, she slipped the small piece of paper into her robe’s pocket before going back inside to get ready for breakfast. Back in her room, she gently unfolded the note as though it were a priceless treasure, to scan it again, making sure the message hadn’t changed in the last two minutes. The note sent an involuntary shiver shimmying up her spine as warmth filled her cheeks.
    “Graysen, wake up and finish your pancakes already,” Carson commanded in his usual domineering manner. “We’re all going on the group mountain hike in a while. All of the ranch guests make the trek. It should be fun.”
    Her heart sank into her stomach. She knew she was becoming the killjoy of this family vacation, she had to be quick on her feet and invent some reason she could give her family about why she wouldn’t be joining them on their adventure today. “A hike up the mountain?” she asked, her face turning pale with fear that her story wouldn’t be believable. Her entire family was staring at her, as though daring her to wriggle her way out of the family activity.
    “We need to meet up at the trail head this afternoon,” her father chimed in after polishing off his bacon.
    “I didn’t sleep a wink last night. My head has been killing me for a couple of days. I think it’s the pillows on my bed. I knew I should have packed my own. I don’t think I am going to go on the hike today.” Graysen thought her excuse sounded believable. After all, it was exactly how she behaved, like a spoiled brat, and more importantly, it was how her family expected her to behave.
    “Okay, pillow snob. You’re always complaining. It seems like you aren’t ever in the mood to spend time with us. Mom wanted this trip so we could all spend