Hazel Brewster basked in the energy at Grape Seed Ranch. Sure, she’d heard of it. Everyone within a hundred mile radius of Grape Seed Falls had heard of the ranch. They produced some of the best beef in the state of Texas, and when their cowboys came to town…it was all female hands on deck.

Not Hazel, of course. She’d dated enough cowboys to know they came in gorgeous packages, from the boots, to the belt buckles, to the hats, but that most were more interested in their horse than they were in her.

Of course, she knew that was her fault. She wasn’t serious about getting serious with anyone, and most men didn’t just want a first date and then a BFF to laugh with. Some did, sure. Jason Bell, who worked at the ice cream parlor, made a sinfully good grilled cheese sandwich, and Hazel ate one with him at least twice a week.

But Hazel wasn’t good dating material, and she somehow managed to broadcast that message to men within minutes.

Probably because you flirt too much, she told herself as she paused and glanced around the cabin. Three more men sat at a massive dining room table, and a dark-haired woman fluttered around the kitchen. Music played from unseen speakers, and Hazel grinned again.

“Hello, gentlemen,” she said, her voice oozing with so much coyness that her brother would roll his eyes and say, “That, Hazel. That’s why you scare men to death.”

Marshall didn’t have a lot of room to talk, as he was currently single and looking to mingle. Hazel liked her fun, flirty lifestyle, though it did get lonely in the evenings with just her and her two English bulldogs.

But not this evening. Oh, no. Tonight, she had four cowboys with their attention on her. The man from the porch came in behind her, stepping to her side and saying, “This is Hazel Brewster from Texas Parks and Wildlife.”

All three men at the table stood and approached her. None of them stared and scanned the way the blond cowboy on the porch had. So they were married or otherwise taken. The woman turned down the music and gave Hazel a welcoming smile. She liked her immediately and recognized her from town. Her family owned Sotheby’s, a restaurant Hazel had frequented on at least a dozen first dates.

“I’m Dwayne Carver.” The tallest man extended his hand and shook hers. “I own this ranch.” He introduced his co-foremen, Shane and Kurt, and then nodded to the beautiful man with the baby. “That’s Dylan Royal.”

Dylan Royal. Hazel let the name roll around in her head, her attraction to him sparking through her like firecrackers. He handed the baby to the dark haired co-foreman, who passed the girl to the woman. Obviously they were together, and that baby wasn’t Dylan’s. The fact that he might be single and childless had giddiness galloping through her bloodstream.

“So I hear y’all have some issues with a wolf.” She followed them to the table, where Dylan opened a folder and proceeded to push pictures and papers around to the group.

“Our first instance was in March of last year.” He spoke with an easy, rolling voice that Hazel thought would be mighty fine to fall asleep to. She forced herself to look at the pictures, read the charts, and do her job instead of fantasizing about a man she’d just met.

He used his hands enough for her to see that he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, and though the other blonde cowboy wasn’t either, he clearly belonged to someone else.

“These are the pictures from this week.” Dylan collected the pictures he’d passed out and spread out a new set. “Fourteen cows lost in a matter of days, some in an area I’d checked a few days ago. It looked like they’d been dragged there.”

“Coyotes don’t do that,” Dwayne murmured.

“Which is why I think it’s a wolf,” Dylan said, not looking at her. “Or a pack. You can also see the difference in the claw marks in this picture, and this one.” He placed a previous one next to a particularly gruesome photo.

Hazel was glad she hadn’t had that grilled cheese sandwich with Jason yet. The pictures weren’t pleasant, and thankfully, Dylan gathered them and placed them face-down in the folder only a moment later.

“These charts show our loss, and how it’s escalating. We send crews to fix fences, and seemingly overnight, they’re down again.”

Only the low radio provided any sound now, and Hazel pulled out her phone to get the paperwork she needed. “Definitely a wolf,” she declared. “Probably more than one, as you’ve said, Dylan.” She glanced around at the group. “I’ve got a few forms that I’ll need y’all to fill out, and then I can start my case study.”

A frown pulled at Dwayne’s eyebrows, and he exchanged a look with the other men at the table. Hazel was used to the reaction. No one liked how “case study” sounded, because it meant, “boring and will take forever.”

“Wolves are protected in the state of Texas,” she said, her usual spiel. “So I’ll need to go out and see the site for myself, stay out there, see what I can observe about their behavior, and decide if relocation is the best option.”

“Relocation is the best option,” Dwayne said. “They’re killing my cattle. On my property.”

“There are only one hundred and thirteen Mexican wolves in the United States,” Hazel said evenly, her smile still stuck in place on her face. “That pack is in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico. So to have wolves here at all would be very, very interesting.” Her heart jumped at the chance to be involved in this case. “We don’t even know if it is a wolf.”

She looked at Dylan, his ocean-colored eyes locking on hers. “You didn’t see a wolf, right?”

“No, ma’am,” he said quietly. “I was just speculating because of the number killed in such a short time.”

Hazel glanced at her phone. “I just need an email address and I’ll get the forms sent to you. If you decide to fill them out and file, someone will be assigned to the case to come investigate the issue.” She met Dwayne’s eyes. “We don’t want you losing your cattle any more than you do, Mister Carver. The wildlife in Texas needs to stay wild, not depend on domesticated farms or ranches for survival.”

She smiled around the table, noting that only Dylan returned the gesture. He clearly wasn’t in a top position of power like the other three men. He probably worked the fence line where the cattle casualties had been happening, and he obviously kept meticulous records.

The detailed, organized side of Hazel really liked that, and she thought maybe she could get his email address or number before she left. He was definitely worth one date, and Hazel knew it would be a good one.

“I’ll fill them out,” he finally said.

Joy filled her and she typed in his email address and sent the files off. “There you go. Let me know if you need any help with them.”

He frowned at his phone, scanning and swiping quickly. “How do I get in touch with you?”

“My number’s at the bottom there.” She swept the crowd again, finding them all now watching Dylan. “Anything else?”

“Who’ll be assigned?” Dylan asked at the same time Dwayne said, “How long does it take to get started once we file?”

Hazel tucked her hair behind her right ear. “It takes two or three days to process the paperwork and assign a scientist. We have three mammologists on staff, and two of us are specifically trained in large felines and canus.” She nodded like she made the assignments herself. She didn’t. She worked cases assigned to her, and did visits like this one to see if a case was even viable.

She hadn’t wanted to come out here tonight, but now that she was here, she was glad she’d come. And Lesli would be so mad when she learned that she’d missed out on meeting a handsome cowboy. Just another reason Hazel was faithful to a fault with taking vitamins and washing her hands. It could’ve been her home with the stomach flu tonight instead of Lesli, and then she would never have been able to get her phone number to the blond cowboy still watching her with those eyes she wanted to dive into.

“Are you one of them?” Dylan pressed.

Shane coughed, bringing his hand to his mouth to hide his smile. Dwayne leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, halfway between amused and disgruntled. Kurt continued to stare at Dylan.

“I am,” Hazel said. “I’ve never been out to this ranch. It’s nice. Got a great vibe.” She stood and tapped the folder Dylan had presented from. “Make copies of those and send them in, and I’m sure your case will get approved.” She normally didn’t guarantee such things, but she could meet with Alan, push the issue, beg him to let her study the wilderness out here that had largely been ignored in favor of controlling the coyote population closer to Austin.

“I’ll see myself out.”

Dylan jumped to his feet and went with her, the folder tucked under his arm. “You really think I should make copies of all those pictures?”

“Just the charts,” she said. “You keep great records.” She stepped through the door and onto the porch. “You livin’ out here?”

“Right next door.” He pointed north. “I live with my brothers. Shane’s one of ‘em.” He nodded back toward the cabin they’d just left.

“I knew you two were related.” Hazel started down the steps and continued on toward her truck. “I hope I get assigned to the case,” she said. “Let me know if you need any help with the forms.”

Dylan stopped a few paces back and saluted her as she climbed behind the wheel and started her vehicle. She forced herself to back out and drive away, but she did check her rear-view mirror more than entirely necessary for a dirt road with absolutely no vehicular traffic.

She giggled as she went under the carved arch of the ranch, a prayer slipping into her thoughts that she really could be the one assigned to this issue at Grape Seed Falls.

“So I met a man tonight.” Hazel pushed a bit of chocolate ice cream out of the way, going for a chunk of banana covered in melted vanilla and loads of caramel.

Jason’s green eyes came to hers immediately, and McKayla gave a little shriek. “Tonight? Weren’t you working?” Her spoon hovered in midair, where it had frozen with Hazel’s declaration.

“Yeah, I met him at work.”

“Oh, boy.” Jason snagged a big bite of all three ice cream flavors in the banana split the three of them were sharing. The shop had closed a half an hour ago, but they sat inside with all the lights still on.

McKayla slapped Jason’s bicep, and if they weren’t the cutest couple on the planet, Hazel might be jealous of their easy relationship. “Stop it.”

“What?” He looked at his girlfriend. “She won’t go out with him twice.”

Hazel dipped her spoon in for more caramel sauce. She didn’t like strawberry ice cream, preferring hot fudge with chocolate and caramel with vanilla. But Jason insisted on the purity of the banana split, with all three flavors of ice cream, as well as four flavored sauces: butterscotch, caramel, hot fudge, and strawberry.

“I’m thinking I might make an exception with this guy,” Hazel said.

McKayla dropped her spoon this time, the resulting clatter of metal on the table making Hazel jump. “I’m sorry,” she said. “What did you just say?”

Hazel shrugged one shoulder, her attention on the treat in front of her instead of the two people across from her. “He was really good looking. Smart. Organized.” She kept his dancing with the toddler to herself, finding it endearing and special, not something she blabbed to her besties the moment she left the ranch.

“So was Flynn,” Jason said. “He got one date. And Cooper. And Jasper. And—”

“All right,” Hazel said, giving him a glare. “They were nice, sure. Jasper was a great singer.” She remembered their single date to the karaoke bar in nearby Kerrville. “Very low voice. If the Bar J Wranglers hadn’t just picked up a new bass, he could’ve been it.”

“So good singing doesn’t earn a second date.” McKayla picked up her spoon, her auburn hair swishing as she swiveled to look at Jason. “There must be something different about this guy. Better than good singing.”

He looked back and forth between Hazel and McKayla. “Obviously. But what could it possibly be?”

“I haven’t even gone out with him,” Hazel said. “I barely know him. He doesn’t have any personal contact information of mine. It’s all through work.”

“Then why do you think you’d give him two dates when you haven’t done that for anyone in years?” McKayla asked.

“Years?” Hazel scoffed though she couldn’t remember the last guy she’d gone out with more than once.

Oh, but she could. And he’d taken her heart, sliced it up, and served it back to her in tiny pieces when he broke their engagement and left town all within the space of an hour. She didn’t need anyone to see the scars where she’d stitched her most vital organ back together. So she didn’t let anyone in.

“Since Peter,” McKayla said, speaking the unspeakable.

Hazel stood as if someone had strapped a rocket to her back. “Thanks for the ice cream and the company. I’m beat.”

“Hazel,” McKayla called after her as she started for the front door.

“It’s locked,” Jason said, and Hazel did a one-eighty, ignoring her best friend’s doleful brown eyes as she passed.

She made it around the counter and through the kitchen with only several long strides. Why did her breath still stick in her lungs after all these years? Why did Peter get to have that power over her for so stinking long?

She wasn’t getting any younger, and if she wanted a life in a cabin with a cowboy husband and a dark haired baby he danced with on their porch, she only had a few years left to get it.

She made it outside and pressed her back against the metal door. Drawing in a deep breath, she caught the stale smell of the air in the alley, trying to sort through what she wanted, how she felt, and why she couldn’t get the blue-eyed, blond-haired cowboy out of her mind.