Three

GIT ALONG, LITTLE DOGIES

A CROW DARTED ACROSS THE periwinkle horizon, its sharp cry bouncing off the valley, and I looked up, squinting my eyes against the morning sun. Then I took a deep, cleansing breath. The quiet that surrounded Bullwinkle Ranch was like a Band-Aid to my soul. I could kiss Cali for suggesting we come here. The ranch was isolated in a valley that was bordered by rolling hills and mountains. This was God’s country. Peaceful. Serene. The only noise that could be heard was the intermittent cry of a cow, chicken, or horse. It was as if time stood still in this little pocket of heaven.

The main house at Bullwinkle Ranch was a sprawling log cabin, complete with a front porch that twenty people could easily sit back and relax on. It faced the mountain range—which rivaled any view in the world—and a small lake on the border. Windmills dotted the property, which brought water to the ranch as well as the livestock, adding to the impression of having stepped back in time. Their mute presence guarded over the ranch like silent sentries.

And everywhere I looked, there were animals . . . and men.

In every shape and size.

Every age.

Young, old, and in-between.

Unfortunately, not one of them held a candle to Bo Strawn, and that was my dilemma. How was I supposed to get over my attraction to the man if everywhere I looked I saw examples of why he was my ideal?

Poppy and I had arrived the night before. After the day we’d had, I decided I didn’t want to wait, so she and I headed out early evening and arrived close to midnight.

We’d called ahead, so Boris and Natasha had kept the home fires burning, waiting for us to arrive. They’d stood on the front porch, arm in arm as we pulled up, greeting us with warm smiles, bear hugs, and warm apple cobbler.

For this overworked, overstressed city girl, it was much-needed medicine.

Boris was big, bold, and fatherly, with a high and tight haircut reminiscent of a man who’d spent years in the military and hadn’t let go.

Natasha . . . Well, Natasha was a plump woman with silver hair and skin the texture of leather. She clearly had worked the ranch right alongside Boris and didn’t believe in sunscreen. She also wore the pants, and Boris loved it, and her. I guessed their age around late sixties, since, according to Boris, they’d been married almost forty years, spending only five days apart in all that time.

I’d wanted to adopt them instantly as my very own grandparents.

“Why does that horse look like he wants to take a bite out of me?” Poppy whispered as I took in the glorious day.

Turning my head, I peered at the impressive animal. I’d ridden a horse exactly twice, so I knew nothing about them. This particular one was big, black, and staring at us through the split rail fence surrounding the corral. We were feeding the chickens in a coop bordering his enclosure, tossing seed on the ground as the hens darted around our feet.

“He’s just curious, I suppose. Maybe he’s hoping you have an apple?”

A loud bang caused us both to jump, and we directed our attention to the horse stalls. By eight a.m. the ranch was in full swing, and one of the ranch hands had thrown open a door and was currently hauling a bale of hay inside.

“Is it just me or is the sight of a sweaty man throwin’ around hay a turn-on?” Poppy whispered.

I crinkled my nose and snorted. Then I pictured Bo as the man hauling the hay around, his muscles bulging as he easily hoisted the bale into a stall, and my opinion changed. “Definitely,” I answered, then frowned.

Will I ever get the man out of my head?

“Hey, you two,” Natasha shouted. “Quit your lollygaggin’, or you’ll miss out when Boris checks the herd.”

Poppy turned back and looked at the horse currently watching our every move. “He’s all yours,” she mumbled, jerking her head in the horse’s direction.

“You’re bein’ silly,” I replied, tossing out my final handful of seed. “I’ll prove it to you.”

Dusting off my hands, I moved to the beast and put out my hand, intending to scratch him between the eyes. The horse jerked his head back before I could pet him, then opened his gaping mouth and bit me.

Snatching my hand back, I glared at the satanic animal. “See if I bring you an apple anytime soon,” I snapped.

“Goliath,” Natasha shouted, “quit bein’ an ass.”

“Told ya he wanted to bite us,” Poppy snorted.

I glared at her, too.

“Please tell me we won’t have to ride him,” I asked Natasha.

“Not unless you’re an experienced horsewoman. Goliath can be…” She bobbled her head back and forth like a bobblehead doll, looking for the right word.

“An ass,” I supplied.

“I was gonna say stubborn, arrogant, and full of himself. Only the most experienced riders can handle him, and he prefers men.”

“So he’s a typical male, is what you’re sayin’,” Poppy laughed.

“Exactly,” Natasha said. “Are you girls ready for a nice long ride?”

Poppy and I looked at each other. “I’m game if you are,” I stated.

“Count me in.”

Natasha jerked her head toward a group of horses that were saddled. Boris was climbing on top of a stunning snow-white horse that seemed to bear his weight with ease as we walked up. He settled a cowboy hat on his head, then looked back at us and winked.

“You ladies ready for some fun after milkin’ cows and feedin’ the hens?”

Natasha pointed to a pretty little speckled mare for me, and a buckskinned mare for Poppy. They were both handsome creatures and a little more my speed. The speckled mare was much smaller than Goliath and not near as intimidating.

“What’s her name?” I asked, running my hand down the center of her long head.

“This here is Tiny Dancer,” Natasha said. “And the buckskin is called Harriet.”

“Harriet?” Poppy chuckled.

“She’s named after my dear departed mother,” Boris called out. “On account she looks just like her. Those big brown eyes and long snout, it’s like lookin’ at her, I tell ya.”

Natasha leaned in with a smirk and mumbled low so he couldn’t hear her, “He’s not lyin’. His mother was as sweet as they come, but, Lord, was she homely.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I smiled and grabbed hold of the horn to pull myself up into the saddle. I put my foot in the stirrup, then tried unsuccessfully to get on top of Tiny Dancer. On the third try, a pair of strong hands grabbed me by the waist and pushed me up. I looked down as I tucked my right foot into the stirrup and found one of the ranch hands smiling up at me.

“Thanks,” I said, smiling in return.

He tipped the brim of his hat at me, mumbling, “Ma’am,” before winking and turning to leave.

“That’s another stud to steer clear of,” Natasha informed me. “Duke’s a good seasonal hand, but he’s what your generation calls a player.”

“All right. Let’s head out,” Boris called out.

I looked around and found it was just Boris, Poppy, and me who were on horseback.

“It’s just the three of us?”

“Yep. You’re our only customers right now.”

“Where are we headed?”

“Boris is goin’ to check on the herd. We have them up in the high country grazing. He’ll bring them back down in a couple of days. You’ll have fun with that. Nothin’ like herdin’ cattle to get your juices flowin’.”

I could think of a few other things that would get my juices flowing more than rounding up cows. A good romance novel being at the top of my list.

With a, “Yee-haw,” that had to be for their guests’ benefit—though I will admit Tiny Dancer perked right up at the exclamation—we took off in a cloud of dust.

We made it halfway down the trail that led to the foothills before Tiny Dancer broke into a canter. That’s when I realized I wasn’t a very good horsewoman, nor was Poppy. We bounced and bobbled all over the seat, holding on for dear life to the horn.

“I should have worn a sports bra,” I told Poppy, wishing I could let go of the reins to adjust my bra. My boobs were getting a workout. If Tiny Dancer went any faster, they’d knock me out.

“Harriet needs a smooth-ride button,” Poppy grumbled. “I’m gonna break a tooth.”

Boris shook his head at our commotion and stopped, so I pulled on my reins.

Looking back at us, he studied our form. “Sit your ass deeper in the saddle so you move with the horse. Right, now bear down with your heels in the stirrups so you don’t bounce your insides out. Heads up. Now straighten your backs, but not too straight.” We complied and then looked at him for more instructions. “Right, that’s right. Now loosen your grip on the reins, and whatever else you do, for God’s sake, don’t fall off.”

“Right. Don’t fall off,” I muttered.

Definitely an order I wanted to follow.

Boris picked up the pace after our instructions, and I was beginning to feel less awkward in the saddle. In fact, I was feeling downright comfortable, like a real cowgirl.

“I think I’m gettin’ the hang of this,” I called out.

“Good. Good,” Boris replied, absentmindedly.

Feeling adventurous, and a little rebellious ‘cause Dad wasn’t paying attention, I kicked Tiny Dancer so she’d trot a little faster, and caught up with Poppy. “Race you,” I chuckled, not really meaning it.

Poppy, who was always one for an adventure, raised a brow at me and kicked her horse into a higher gear with the flick of her reins, shouting out, “First one to that pine tree.”

I should have known better, but my competitive spirit kicked in like a sibling competing for their parents’ attention, and I copied what Poppy had done. That was my first mistake. Tiny Dancer took off like a rocket, and it was then I realized I’d screwed up. Galloping was a whole other level of horsemanship. I made it twenty feet before I started sliding off her side. Rather than hanging on and being dragged to death, I let go. That was my second mistake. I landed hard in the middle of a wild raspberry bush. A raspberry bush with thorns.

“What did I say?” Boris shouted as he pulled up quickly next to me.

“Don’t,” I grumbled, pulling leaves and berries from my hair, “fall off.”

“And did ya listen?”

I wiped blood off my arm and looked up at the man, smiling between clenched jaws. “No, Dad, I didn’t.”

Poppy rode back, clearly having mastered galloping, and looked down at me. “Nice fall. Very graceful.”

“Bite me, snowflake.”

“Girlie, you shouldn’t have worn a white shirt. You’ve got smashed berries all over the front. You look like you’ve been shot,” she chuckled.

I climbed out of the bush, snagging the front of my shirt on the way out, and looked down at my appearance.

Yep. I looked like I’d been in a shootout with a raspberry bush.

This was not my day, which pissed me off ‘cause it had started out so promising.

Tiny Dancer came prancing up, and I swear she had a smirk on her face. “Yeah, I suck at riding. Go easy on me from now on,” I grumbled as I pulled myself onto her back. I made it up but hadn’t swung my leg over when my hand slipped and tugged the reins down. Tiny Dancer started turning in circles as I grabbed the horn and pulled myself up. She was moving too quickly for me to get my leg over and I ended up draped across her back like a sack of flour while she danced in circles. On the second turn, I caught Poppy with her phone out. “What are you doin’?” I asked while trying to pull my leg up.

“Filming your humiliation, of course.”

That was the icing on my shitty week.

“I . . . Want . . . A Wallflower divorce,” I cried out as I held on tight.

“Sorry, no can do,” Poppy chuckled.

“Are you ladies done horsin’ around?” Boris asked as he grabbed hold of Tiny Dancer, stopping my spiral of death.

I pulled myself up, threw my leg over, then pointed at Poppy and bit out, “It’s all her fault.”

Boris looked between the two of us and shook his head, grumbling, “Thank God I had a son.”

Whatever!

After my little mishap, I kept Tiny Dancer on a tight rein. It took us a good hour to make it to the top at the slower pace, but the ride, my fall notwithstanding, was worth it. Looking out onto the valley below, I sighed with contentment. Tall pines rose straight and even, their old needles coloring the ground like a rust-colored carpet. The rolling hills were breathtaking. The different hues of green took on the appearance of a patchwork quilt that touched the clouds.

“Breathtaking,” I whispered.

“You can almost see the ranch,” Poppy said, pointing toward a red-colored roof peeking out between the green.

Boris began circling the herd, so I took the opportunity to slide off Tiny Dancer and rest my legs. Poppy followed suit, and we laughed when we took our first steps.

“Now I know what they mean by cowboy legs.”

“Yeah, it makes sense why women used to ride side saddle,” Poppy added.

“Or rode sitting across a man’s lap.”

“True that. I’ll definitely have a new appreciation for Jamie, Brenna, Judith, and Gillian when I re-read their books. They traveled for days on horseback at a breakneck pace.”

I stretched my back and groaned. “I once wished I lived in their century. The way Julie Garwood wrote their stories made you want to step back in time. Then I remembered they didn’t have epidurals for childbirth, and I changed my mind.” I laughed.

“How many kids do you want?” Poppy asked.

I shrugged. Kids were the last thing on my mind. I’d just be happy to find a good man at this point.

“I’m not sure I want any. If their father left like mine did . . . You know what I mean.” She sighed.

Poppy’s daddy issues were deep-seated. It would take a patient man to break through the wall she’d put up, that much was clear.

“I get it,” I jumped in. “But not all men are like your father,”— or mine, I thought—“so keep an open mind like Cali said.”

Poppy nodded, then scanned the herd. “Maybe Boris has a brother?”

“He has a son,” I reminded her. “But he’s probably our parents’ age.”

The cry of a cow directed our attention up the ridge. We both watched as a heifer called out over the edge, dancing in place as if in distress.

“What’s she looking at?” I asked, then moved behind Tiny Dancer and looked over the edge. Below on a wide outcrop was a calf. “How did you get down there?” I shouted at the baby cow.

Two brown eyes looked up at me, fear radiating from its young face.

“We should get Boris,” Poppy stated, then turned to find him.

I scanned the ridge looking for a way down. There wasn’t one. It was a steep drop except for a few trees that had grown above the ridge line.

“If one of us climbs down there, maybe we could pull her up with a rope?” I mumbled to Tiny Dancer.

She snorted in reply.

“I climbed a tree once,” I argued. The speckled mare jerked her head up and down, and I took that as an agreement I should try.

Only one tree looked like it could hold my weight, so I pulled Tiny Dancer behind me and tied her off, then squatted to my haunches and looked over the edge. “You still with me?” I called out to the calf. She looked up at me with just enough attitude I knew she was thinking, “Where the hell else would I be?”

“Okay, take this one foot at a time,” I whispered.

There was a small ledge about ten feet down, so I sat my ass on the ground, scooted over the edge, and climbed my way to the ledge. Then I reached out until I had a good hold of a branch and said a silent prayer that I didn’t fall and break my neck.

“On three,” I told Tiny Dancer. “One. Two. Three!”

Pushing off with my legs, I was suspended in the air for half a second before my weight shifted. I grabbed hold of the branch with my other hand like an aerial artist, tensing my biceps so I wouldn’t fall. My hands slipped for a moment as gravity tried to pull me down, but I held firm.

Now what?

I looked below, but I was too far from a limb that would hold my weight. I needed to make my way to the trunk of the tree.

I was too afraid to move my hands, so I brought up one of my legs and hoisted it over the limb. Then I followed with the other. I looked back at Tiny Dancer and found her watching me. “Don’t worry. I work for the circus on the weekends,” I huffed out while trying to hang on.

“Sienna?” Poppy called out as I hooked an arm around the branch and pulled myself over until I could sit up.

“Here,” I called out.

Poppy and Boris appeared at the edge of the ridge, their faces saying what neither had. ‘What in tarnation is wrong with you?’

“I’ll climb down. You guys throw me a rope, and we can pull her up.”

They both stared dumbstruck at me for a moment, then Boris moved out of my line of sight.

“And you call me crazy?” Poppy shouted. “Boris has a radio. He’s gonna call down and have some ranch hands come up.”

Well, hell.

“I didn’t know he had a radio,” I called out. “I figured we were on our own, and considerin’ Boris’ size, I knew it would have to be one of us who went down.”

Boris appeared at the edge with a radio at his mouth. “Copy that,” he answered. “How long ago did he leave?”

Static crackled, then Natasha’s voice rang out. “About fifteen minutes after you left. He should be there any minute the way he took off out of here on Goliath.”

“Copy that. I’ll let you know if I need more help gettin’ the calf up and Sienna out of the damn tree.”

“I’m not stuck,” I argued, reaching up to the branch above me. “I just need to make my way—”

A loud snap echoed as I grabbed hold of the limb and felt the branch beneath me give slightly and then bend.

“Oh, fudge,” I mumbled, reaching up with my other hand to take the weight of the branch. “Houston, we have a problem.”

Boris dropped the radio, then got to his knees and reached out to me. “Grab my hand,” he ordered.

I shook my head. “If I release my hold, I’ll put more weight on the branch, and it will break off.”

“Sienna, grab his hand,” Poppy argued as she dropped to her knees and lay down next to Boris. “We won’t let you fall.”

I gauged the distance between us and decided it was too far to risk. “I can’t reach you without lunging. You won’t be able to catch me.”

The branch beneath my feet gave again, so I repeated the move I’d made before and looped my legs on the branch above me. Tipping my head back, I looked at Boris and Poppy. “I’ll make my way to the trunk now and climb down.”

Even with my head upside down, I could see movement on the horizon. There was a man in the distance making his way toward us. He was riding Goliath, who was a huge beast of a horse, yet the rider wasn’t dwarfed by his size.

“Your man is here,” I told Boris, then began to work my way down the limb toward the trunk.

“He’s not my man,” Boris said, huffing with exertion as he got to his feet. “He’s here for you.”

I dropped my head back. “Me?”

“That’s what Natasha said.”

Peering between them as blood rushed to my head, I cocked it sideways so I could get a better look at the man.

“Is that—” Poppy gasped.

“What’s Bo Strawn doin’ here?” I cried out, then lost my hold on the branch.

 

 

Bo pushed the stallion harder as he flew across the meadow. He wouldn’t relax until he saw for himself that Sienna was safe. That her free spirit hadn’t landed her at the bottom of a gully. Scanning the herd, a group of three horses came into view, so Bo headed in their direction. Within fifty feet of their location, Bo’s heart began to race. Poppy was lying on the ground next to a larger, older man, and both were looking over the edge. He scanned the area for Sienna but didn’t see her, and knew instantly what they were looking at.

“Bo! Help!” Poppy shouted as he pulled the stallion to a stop.

Bo bailed off the horse, ran to the edge, looked over the side, afraid of what he’d see, then bit out, “Why am I not surprised?” Sienna was hanging upside down from a tree limb. “Move. Give me some room.”

Poppy moved immediately, and Bo took her place.

“What are you doin’ here?” Sienna snapped.

“Savin’ your ass, it looks like.”

“I don’t need savin’. The calf does.”

Sienna pointed toward the edge of the outcrop, indicating a young calf. Ignoring her, Bo scooted over the side and climbed down onto a narrow ledge. “Crawl toward me,” he ordered.

Sienna dropped her head back and looked at him through narrowed eyes. “I’m goin’ down, not back up. You can either help me or keep quiet.”

“You’ll break your fuckin’ neck,” Bo bit back, then he noticed her shirt was covered in blood. “Jesus, don’t move, you’re already bleedin’.”

Sienna ignored him, which didn’t surprise Bo, and started making her way slowly toward the trunk. “It’s raspberry juice, not blood.”

“Goddamnit, Sienna,” Bo shouted, scanning the tree for a way to reach her before she fell. The limb closest to him was bent, and Sienna was on the one above. He could climb lower or jump for the trunk. When she lost her foothold and struggled to wrap her leg around the limb, Bo took a deep breath and lunged for the trunk. He smashed into the pine and slid a short distance, stopping himself with his armpits on the lower limbs, then began making his way up toward her.

“Show-off,” Sienna huffed as she finally found her footing.

Bo kept his mouth shut. If he said anything now, he was liable to shout her out of the tree. He’d tear into her once he got her on the ground.

He reached Sienna just as she made it to the trunk, hooking his arm around her waist as she lowered her legs. When she wrapped her arm around his neck and reached for the trunk, Bo growled, with as much control as he could muster, “Don’t say another word until we’re on the ground or so help me God . . .”

She opened her mouth to argue, then got a good look at his expression and shut it, rolling her lips between her teeth to keep from popping off.

“Smart move,” he snapped. “Now follow me down and step exactly where I step. Understand?”

“You girls are gonna be the death of me,” Boris grumbled. “I swear I can feel my blood pressure risin’. First, you fall off a perfectly good horse, and now you’re tryin’ to break your neck.”

Bo had started down, but stopped when he heard Sienna had been unseated by her horse.

“Don’t forget about her graceful dance laid out across the horse’s back,” Poppy laughed. “That was priceless.”

Bo’s head began to pound.

“Sienna?” Bo said, pinching the bridge of his nose. Visions of her being thrown from a horse and breaking her gorgeous neck battled with his need to roar at her.

Tipping her head over her arm, she looked down at him. “What?”

“You better be worth the heartburn you’re undoubtedly gonna cause me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ll tell ya when we reach the ground,” he sighed.

He knew she would turn his world upside down; he just didn’t know she would do it hanging from a tree.

With less than three feet to go, Bo jumped to the ground, then turned and lowered Sienna safely to her feet. He opened his mouth to lecture her about using her head, but stopped when her brown eyes hit him with a questioning look.

“Why are you here? Is Cali ok?”

Sweet almonds invaded his senses, waylaying his anger and replacing it with lust. He’d driven all night to get to Sienna, to apologize for being an ass, but the words wouldn’t come.

“Bo? Why are you here?”

Rather than explain his reasons for coming, Bo grabbed her by the neck, jerked her to his body, and slammed his mouth over hers. There was a time to argue, and there was time to take matters into your own hands. Bo wasn’t good with words, so he’d let his actions do the talking.

Heat sparked to life the moment their mouths met, and any lasting reservation he may have had about Sienna melted away. Wrapping his hand in Sienna’s hair, Bo tilted her head to the side and deepened the kiss until she melted into him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He ignored the shouts from above asking if they’d made it down safely. He didn’t want to pause long enough to answer them. He wanted to savor the moment. Drink it into his soul to remember for the rest of his days. Because he knew from the sweet whimpering sound she made, to the way her body arched into his, this was the last first kiss either would have. Sienna belonged to him now. And God help any man who tried to take her from him.

Sienna broke from his embrace with a shove to his chest and stumbled back. Her eyes were heavy with lust, so Bo started to reach for her again. She narrowed her eyes at him, rather than respond, then drew back her arm and swung for his head. He dodged the punch with ease and smiled.

His woman was feisty.

“You can’t kiss me like that after you were a jerk the day before,” Sienna shouted, raising her fist again for a second try. Before she could attempt punch number two, Bo wrapped her up tightly and claimed her mouth again.

Lifting Sienna off her feet, Bo backed her into the tree, leaning his weight into her so she couldn’t move. “You’ve had me in knots since the moment I laid eyes on you,” Bo whispered against her mouth. “You got under my skin the minute you opened your mouth.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” she gasped. “You hated me yesterday.”

“I never hated you,” Bo returned. “I was just bein’ an ass.”

“Yes, you—”

He captured her lips a third time, hoping to delay her questions until they could be alone. Sienna melted into him again, so he deepened the kiss. He was determined to show her with his mouth she could trust what he said.

She responded with equal vigor, then seemed to remember herself and pushed him back yet again. “If you care so much, then why did you humiliate me the way you did with Chase?”

“You weren’t supposed to see that,” Bo sighed.

“If it wasn’t to humiliate me, then why did you go after him?”

“Because I wanted to rip his fuckin’ head off for kissin’ your cheek,” Bo growled.

Her eyes grew wider at his admission.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Bo said. “In my heart you were already mine, and I don’t like when another man touches my woman. I don’t share, and Chase crossed that line.”

“If you felt that way, then why did you push me away?”

“I’d had little sleep after Calla’s case, and I hadn’t had time to work through my feelin’s,” he admitted because that much was true. Chase had escalated matters, then their brush with death had brought him full circle until he could see clearly.

“But you said a man would have to be nuts to get involved with a woman like me.”

“He would,” Bo agreed, then leaned in and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Good thing I’m nuts.”

“Helloooo down there! Did you die or what?” Poppy shouted.

Bo looked up and gritted his teeth. He needed more time to make up for the hurt he’d caused her.

“Not yet. But the day isn’t over,” he shouted.

Sienna rolled her eyes. “I was never in danger.”

Bo raised a brow.

“Okay, maybe a little, but you know you would have done the same thing. That calf needed my help.”

Shaking his head, Bo pulled back and brought Sienna with him. “I’ll deal with the calf. You’re gonna stand right here where it’s safe.”

“Wait,” Sienna said, throwing up her hands to stall him.

“What?”

“Did you really come all the way out here for me?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Yes. But why?”

“Why?”

“Don’t parrot me. Why are you here?”

“I thought I made that clear.”

“You came all the way out here to kiss me and tell me you don’t hate me?” she asked suspiciously. “Why not wait until I got home?”

“Because you two together, unprotected, after the week we’ve lived through?” Bo shook his head. “Nothin’ but double trouble. You’ll end up ridin’ off a cliff or climbin’ down a fuckin’ tree and break your gorgeous neck.”

Her eyes softened. “You think I have a gorgeous neck?”

Pulling her closer, Bo leaned in slowly like he had that day on the beach. At the last moment, before he could brush his lips across hers, he detoured to her ear and whispered, “Every part of you is gorgeous. Your eyes, your hair, your great fuckin’ rack, but most especially, your heart.”

She shivered from his warm breath against her ear. “I’ll let the ‘great rack’ comment go,” she whispered, “since you brought up my heart.”

“Good. Now let’s get the calf and get the hell out of here.”

“One more thing,” she said, clutching his arms to keep him from moving back.

“Now what?”

“I still don’t understand why you were confused. If you say you wanted me from the moment you laid eyes on me, then what held you back?”

“You guys ready? Boris fashioned a harness out of a rope,” Poppy shouted.

“I’ll tell you, but not now,” Bo promised, then pushed away from the tree.

“Toss it down,” he instructed, then waited with his back to Sienna to try to discourage more questions.

“Bo?”

“Yeah?”

“Whatever it is, I can handle it.”

He closed his eyes. The urge to lie so she wouldn’t take offense was strong, but Bo believed in being truthful, and starting a relationship on a lie would only mean disaster.

“Please tell me,” she asked softly.

He dropped his head in defeat. One sweetly spoken plea, and he was ready to tell her anything she wanted. His future didn’t bode well if she used that tone on him whenever she wanted something.

“Can you handle the fact you reminded me of my mother?”

“Yes.”

Bo took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “She was beautiful,” he began, to soften the sting. “Had the voice of an angel, and hair the same color as yours. But she was headstrong, never listened to reason. She always did what she wanted no matter what my dad said . . . just like you.”

“Being an independent woman who knows what she wants and how to achieve it is not a negative in my book,” she bit out, incensed.

Bo closed his eyes and waited a beat before he answered. He’d spent the whole drive up trying to figure out the best way to explain his mother to her. In the end, it had to be the truth.

“It is when you put your own wants and needs over those of a ten-year-old boy and then leave him behind.”

“Are you sayin’ your mother left you behind?” she whispered.

“I am.”

“So, what you’re sayin’ is, you think I’m the kind of woman who would neglect a ten-year-old boy?” He could hear the hurt in her words and turned back to look at her. Her face had paled, and the pain reflected in her expression almost brought him to his knees. Shaking his head, Bo responded with conviction. “I wouldn’t be standin’ here right now if I thought you would.”

“But you said—”

“I said you reminded me of her. Not that you were like her. Your loyalty to your friends, the way you rush in without any fear to help those you love? That’s not like my mother. Devin was right when he said Calla was fearless. It’s a trait all three of you Wallflowers share.”

Her bottom lip began to tremble, and it cut like a hot knife through his gut. He started to take a step toward her, but she lowered her head and asked, “Do you have a relationship with your mother now?”

The knot that always seemed to constrict his throat at the mention of his mother threatened to choke him. Swallowing hard to clear his voice, he started to answer her, but Poppy shouted, “Incoming,” a few feet further up the ridge. She’d found a spot where she could easily toss the harness while avoiding the trees.

He stared at the harness, then turned back and looked at Sienna. He’d come this far, and he needed to finish it no matter the outcome. Whatever her reaction to the truth was, he wouldn’t sleep until he’d made up for the damage he’d caused.

“My mother is dead,” he finally said, then prayed to God he’d made the right decision. “She left me behind because her need for drugs was greater than her love for me. She overdosed.”

Sienna’s eyes grew wider, then brightened with moisture. When a single tear fell, he hissed, “Fuck,” and turned to pick up the harness to avoid seeing the pain he’d brought about.

He needed to get the calf up to its mother so he could concentrate on repairing the damage, but before he could turn back to Sienna and attempt an apology, there was a shriek from above. Bo turned toward the ridge line and looked up just as Poppy emerged and screamed, “Bo! Please, help me. Boris collapsed, and he isn’t breathing.”