No amount of money is worth this, Arianna Ripley thought as she stepped off the plane in Billings, Montana.

But she knew that wasn’t true. The money was the entire reason she was here right now, and she’d been reminding herself of that fact almost every second since she’d gotten the job.

She took a deep breath in and half expected to smell cow manure and fresh cut grass.

Not that the airport in Billings smelled that different from any other small airport, but she had never seen so much undeveloped land in all her life as she had when the plane descended a few minutes earlier.

Maplegrove, Montana.

That was to be her final destination.

God, it still didn’t seem real, but the packet in her bag proved otherwise. Inside were directions to the Heartland Ranch and a key that according to Molly, the woman who hired her, was to a car waiting in spot A4 just outside. Ari huffed a breath and shifted her bag to her other shoulder. She was supposed to drive out to the ranch today. By herself. In no man’s land.

Were there wolves in Montana?

A month; that’s what she told herself as she made her way to the double doors at the end of a very small waiting area. Her limbs still vibrated from the prop plane that had brought her from Billings. If she’d known she was expected to ride in a twelve-seater puddle-hopper she might have declined the job immediately. She hated flying on a good day, but in a plane the size of a city cab?

Still, she’d somehow made it alive and in one piece. She was on solid ground.

For the next month all she had to do was model for the Heartland Ranch’s promotional material and then she could go back home to Boston with a nice chunk of her tuition and rent taken care of. That brought a smile to her face. No matter how outrageous it was to pack up and head to Montana for four weeks, the payoff was worth it. Financial freedom, at least for a little while so that she could pay for the upcoming semester of college without having to work full time.

A fresh start was what she needed, and this was the first step. Yes, she could have stayed in Boston and kept waitressing, but it would have taken a year just to save money for school and also pay her own expenses. No, this was the best of both worlds. Free room and board at the ranch plus a decent chunk of cash to take home.

To think she almost looked past the small blind ad in the Herald for an assistant. It had been so vague that she’d skipped over it initially, at least until she’d exhausted all the other help wanted listings. It was almost an afterthought when she attached her resume and sent it to the email in the ad.

Molly had replied and after a brief conversation, had hired Ari and sent her a plane ticket and the keys to...Ari blinked and double-checked the number next to a beat-up pickup truck with a yellow body and a blue door.

The thing had to be older than her grandfather’s ancient caddy.

There had only been one other person on the plane, a grizzled old man in a huge cowboy hat, and he’d barely said a word to her the forty-minute flight. But now the other passenger pushed out of the airport doors and paused when he saw her looking at the truck. Bushy white eyebrows dipped low over a leathered face.

“That thing yours?” he asked, a slight drawl in his deep voice.

“I guess so,” she said, trying to smile bravely.

The old man’s eyebrows rose. “Good luck with her,” he said. “Think you’re going to need it.” And then he ambled off.

Thanks for the help, she thought, sighing inwardly.

Ari shifted her bag again and stepped to the door, hoping that the key didn’t fit and this was just an honest mistake. The door lock clicked open and she sighed. It really didn’t make sense unless the website for the Heartland Ranch and Day Spa was total bullshit. Judging by everything she’d seen about the ranch on their slick website, they had more than enough money to afford her a decent car.

Ugh.

She didn’t like to think things were getting off on the wrong foot, but here it was. She had to expect some bumps in the road on the way to making all that money.

She climbed in a tossed her bag to the passenger seat. The leather seat was ripped and the inside smelled faintly like wet dog.

Or maybe goat.

She was no animal expert.

Again she questioned the legitimacy of this business. What if it was all a hoax? A ploy to lure her to Montana to...what? Sell her into sexual slavery? A laugh burst from her throat. Maybe she needed to stop watching crime drama TV.

And as if everything so far wasn’t bad enough, the damn truck was a standard on the wheel. Ari had driven a stick exactly three times in her life and they’d all been newer cars with the shifter in a normal place.

As she got ready to drive, she looked out the windshield and noticed the old man actually hadn’t left yet. He was actually standing by his own vehicle and watching her curiously.

She gave a half wave, pressed her foot on the clutch and turned the key. The engine roared to life and actually sounded pretty smooth. She’d expected lots of smoke and maybe a few wheezes.

With a deep breath she shifted into reverse and slowly eased her foot off the clutch while pressing the gas lightly. Like riding a bike, she kept thinking.

The truck crawled from the parking space an inch at a time. When she cleared enough space she pushed down on the brake and then truck jerked and stalled. Shit. Clutch.

She’d never been any good at riding a damned bike.

The old man pulled his hat off, slapped it on his leg and shoved it back on his head before shaking his head before finally getting into his own much newer truck.

Ari gritted her teeth and turned the key and this time managed to drive the truck forward without too many hiccups. Thankfully there was no one coming as she turned out of the airport exit and she didn’t have to stop and start again. Once she got going on the highway and there was no shifting, it was pretty easy.

All she had to do was drive twenty-five miles and then turn right and after another five miles, the ranch was there on the left. Two turns, she could do this. The window was an old crank style and only went down halfway but the moving air felt a lot better than the thick stickiness filling the cab. Of course there wasn’t any A/C.

But Ari couldn’t help but smile. The landscape was beautiful, rolling pastures and cornfields as far as the eye could see. A farmhouse dotted here and there but otherwise it was untouched. She’d never been in an open space so huge before. It was hard to see the sky some days in the city. The sun sat high overhead in a crystal blue sky and it felt like she could keep driving forever, but too soon the first turn came up and she had to slow down and shift, causing the gears to grind when she let up on the clutch too fast.

The only witnesses to her struggles were the cows in the distance, but they didn't seem to mind too much. Another couple of miles later and she saw the sign for Heartland Ranch and Spa. Knots tightened in her stomach.

She turned onto the driveway and drove under a huge arched sign for the ranch. In the distance she could see a whole bunch of buildings and miles of pastures where cows and horses grazed.

So far, so good. It looked just like the website and glossy brochures.

The GPS on her phone told her she’d arrived at her destination, but as she slowed and made her way down the driveway, Ari realized she had no idea where to go. Several buildings were obviously barns, but half dozen others looked like they could be houses.

Molly hadn’t told her exactly which building she needed to go to upon arrival at the ranch.

She made a turn into a short pull-off in front of one of the first buildings she came to, and then halted with a choppy grinding sound again.

Should she call Molly to ask for clarification? Heat burned the back of her neck. What a hell of a first impression, calling from the ranch to ask for directions.

She sucked in a breath. She could do this. Just pull up to what looked like a house and go inside. She put the truck in reverse and stepped lightly on the gas, but the truck didn’t move backwards.

It seemed to be stuck, the wheels were spinning a little.

With a frown she put it in neutral and looked out the window, then tried again. The tires spun again but she still didn’t move more than a few inches.

Shit.

When she got out of the truck to check, she realized that the ground in this area wasn’t dirt, but a large swatch of mud.

She’d managed to already get herself stuck in the mud and it wasn’t but minute one of her grand adventure at the ranch.

And now she was truly sweating, which she hated more than just about anything.

Determined to get out of this with as much dignity intact as possible, she spent the next five minutes alternating between reverse and drive, trying to get the truck unstuck. It didn’t help that every few tries, she let up on the clutch too quick and the truck stalled. God she was going to have to get out and walk because no way was she calling Molly to tell her she was stuck somewhere on the property.

Ari looked down at her open-toed sandals, a stylish choice considering that she had come to the ranch to do some promotional shots.

She’d never done any sort of modeling before, and frankly wouldn’t have thought she was pretty enough for that sort of thing. But Molly had seemed happy with her pics and said they wanted an “ordinary girl.”

Ari supposed that wasn’t a total insult. But anyway, she’d wanted to look nice upon arriving at her new job.

Presenting a professional if not casual first impression had felt important several hours ago. Now? The knee length skirt and short jacket seemed a little out of place in this vast open space.

And damn it, it was hot.

Sweat beaded on her forehead and dripped down into her eyes.

Just as she picked her phone off the seat to call for help, a figure appeared in the distance. A man, riding a black horse got closer and closer. Her phone sat forgotten as she got a good look at him. Holy shit. It wasn’t just that she’d never seen a real cowboy up close, it was more that he had the most incredible body she had ever seen on a real man that wasn’t up on a movie screen.

He reined in the horse about five feet from the truck, and when he tipped his hat back, Ari forgot how to breathe. His rugged square jaw was covered in a five o’clock shadow that she itched to run her fingers over it to see if it would be scratchy under her touch. His deep blue eyes were focused on her and the intensity in his stare made her body heat up in all the right places.

A dark gray t-shirt hugged his chest and arms and she could see the muscles bunch when the horse shifted. He had on thick leather work-gloves, one hand wrapped around the reins and the other resting on his thigh. Her attention shifted to his worn jeans that clung to thick thighs, easing down over his calves and ending to rest on a dusty pair of boots.

He was the whole package. Of course she’d known there would be cowboys on a ranch, she’d just never expected any of them to look like...that. As she watched, he lifted up and swung his leg over the back of the horse then jumped to the ground, boots landing with a thud. He murmured something to the horse, then tipped his hat back even further and sauntered.

He honest-to-god sauntered, toward her.

Not only was he gorgeous, but he radiated sexiness and gruff confidence with every movement.

There wasn’t a drop of moisture left in her mouth by the time he leaned against the side of the truck, so close that she could see darker flecks of blue mixed with shades of dark grey in his eyes.

“Need some help?” he asked, his slow smooth drawl sinking so deep into her bones that she felt like she was melting. Holy god as if looking at him wasn’t enough, but then he had to go and speak and the low timbre of his voice was almost too much. Ari swallowed a sigh and tried to suck air into her lungs.

She was at the ranch for a month. Were there rules about employees getting together?

The mental slap she gave herself didn’t help.

“I think the wheel is stuck,” she managed to croak.

He lifted one eyebrow and heat climbed up the back of her neck. Nothing like stating the obvious.

When he didn’t say anything in response, she continued explaining.

“I tried to rock it out, but didn’t have much luck. I’m not that experienced with a stick.”

The corner of his lips quirked up and it took her a minute to realize what she’d said. Oh god. Now the heat moved to her face, and her cheeks felt like they were on fire.

“A standard,” she explained weakly. “The truck, it’s a standard. With a stick shift.”

His brow furrowed and he seemed amused without smiling, somehow. “I got that,” he replied, drily. “Crank the engine and I’ll see if I can push it while you ease up on the clutch. We’ll rock it and go nice and slow. The more the tires spin, the deeper it gets and then you’ll never get it out.”

Everything he said held an undertone of innuendo, but she wasn’t sure if it was because he was flirting with her or if it was that voice of his. She had a feeling that if he read her weekly grocery list it would sound just as suggestive.

With a fast beating heart, she turned the key and watched in the side mirror as he moved to the back of the truck. He was even more mouthwatering walking away.

His ass was hard and muscular and his jeans cupped it perfectly.

It took her a moment to collect herself enough to push down on the clutch and ease into first. As she let up she felt the truck rock forward, then back again.

“Again,” he shouted over the revving engine.

She tried but the truck stalled.

“Let off the clutch softer,” he shouted.

She tried, she really did, but her nerves were too tight and knowing that she was screwing up in front of The Marlboro Man was making it even worse.

Frustration bubbled in her veins now. This was different than simply shifting into first. Again she let up and the truck rocked, but when it started to go back, she didn’t press down fast enough and the truck went silent.

“For Christ’s sake, I thought you said you’ve driven a stick before.” He appeared at her window, clearly frustrated and covered in mud now. The playfulness was gone, replaced with a steely look that made her incredibly self-conscious.

She hated feeling that way.

“A couple of times,” she snapped. “And never out of a mud pit.”

“Try harder,” he growled.

“I am,” she shot back out at him.

He moved back behind the truck and shouted for her to go. But now his frustration had leached into her and she was even more nervous and pushed down on the gas too hard. She heard the tires spin, heard his curse filled shout and then the truck jumped and died. Again.

“Fucking hell.” The man stomped past her and she saw that he was covered, absolutely covered in mud, from his head down to his boots. He didn’t even look at her, just grabbed the horse’s reins, pulled himself into the saddle and swung around to gallop away.

Ari watched, unable to believe that he was leaving her there.

After he was out of sight, she dragged a breath into her lungs and tried again to somehow get the truck unstuck, but it was worse than useless. Tears of frustration burned her eyes and she slammed her palms into the steering wheel.

“Arianna?”

Ari turned to see a pretty brunette standing a few feet away, holding the reins of a different horse. The woman had on jeans and a soft floral blouse and boots on her feet. She smiled and said something to the horse, which turned and trotted off back down the driveway.

“I’m Molly,” the woman said, as she stepped forward and extended her hand.

Ari shook it awkwardly out the window. “Nice to meet you.” She smiled with humiliation. “Sorry about the mess.”

“Yeah, well Duke said you were having some trouble with the truck.”

“Duke?” Ari asked, though as soon as she said it realized that had to be the man’s name.

“Duke Fallon. He owns all this, pretty much everything you see. I should have warned you about this road. Guests come in by helicopter so the only people who drive all the way out here are the employees. We got a pretty good rain two nights ago and it turns everything into a giant mud bath. Here, scoot over and I’ll drive.”

It was still registering that the man she’d covered in mud and royally ticked off, owned this place.

She couldn’t have screwed up much worse if she’d tried.

Ari gladly gave up the driver’s seat and Molly climbed in. “How was your flight?” Molly asked, turning the key and expertly working the clutch.

“It was good. The view was amazing from the plane as we landed.” She couldn’t quite get past the fact that she had covered her new boss with mud. Crap. She was probably fired.

In just a few tries, the truck jumped forward and they were free.

“Glad you made it,” Molly chuckled.

“By the way, I hope Mr. Fallon wasn’t too mad. I don’t have a lot of experience driving a standard. I tried to tell him that.”

“Don’t worry about him. Do you know our spa charges a thousand dollars to cover people in mud? He got a bargain if you ask me.” Molly laughed and it was so open and warm that Ari couldn’t help but smile.

They pulled up and parked next to one of the smaller buildings that looked like a barn, and Molly hopped out before leaning back in to grab Ari’s bag. The walked up a winding flagstone pathway that led to the front porch of a beautiful farmhouse.

Or at least that’s what Molly called it. Ari thought it looked more like it belonged on the cover of Architectural Digest, country edition. She followed Molly inside and the woman led her up a grand staircase and down a hallway to the left.

“This is where you’ll be staying,” Molly explained as they walked to a door. “I hope you don’t mind if I leave you here, I’ve got a call with a group thinking about having a destination wedding here in the fall.”

Ari looked around as Molly opened the door and then turned to walk away.

“Thank you. I’m fine, I’d love to relax for a bit anyway,” she told the woman.

Molly shook Ari’s hand once again and then Ari found herself alone, in a strange place, with a knot in her stomach the size of, well...Montana.