Camille held Noah’s hand as they walked into Barn Sour, or just “The Barn” as most people called it. The rustic restaurant and bar was popular with the country locals, and the place was already packed on a Friday night. She’d taken Jenny’s suggestion and opted for a lightweight dress with cap sleeves. Noah looked handsome in a navy and gray pearl snap shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.The band on the stage tweaked their equipment as Noah leaned in close to her ear to be heard above the noise. When his breath tickled her ear, she giggled.“Let’s sit there.” He pointed to an empty booth in the back of the main room.She nodded and followed him, holding his hand as they wound their way through the milling patrons.They leaned in close over the table to hear each other above the sound of the band while they waited for their food. She ordered the tater totchos at Noah’s recommendation, and she found herself impressed when they arrived.“You’re right. This is delicious. I coul

Camille’s phone rang on the nightstand beside her bed, startling her from a sound sleep. She lifted her head and squinted into the dark bedroom. The phone continued to ring, but her tired brain hadn’t processed anything beyond the intrusion.Propping up onto her elbow, she leaned over to look at the glowing phone. It was midnight on the dot, and the caller ID read Noah over a photo of him she’d secretly snapped at Blackwater Restoration. He was wearing a sweaty T-shirt and facing away from her with his hands propped on his hips during a break. She hadn’t been able to resist the shameless photo of his backside, and he’d rolled his eyes when she’d shown him later that day.A knock sounded on her window, and her heart stood at attention. What was outside?Camille snatched the phone up and answered before it stopped ringing. “Hey.”“Hey, yourself. Come to the window.”Why was he whispering?She kicked the blankets and sheets from her legs and plodded across the cool floor to her bedroom w

Noah wasn’t kidding when he said sometimes his schedule got hectic. Apparently, summer was hay season, on top of all the other regular duties. After two weeks of scraping for time with him and only seeing him during his volunteer hours at Blackwater Restoration, she decided things had to change. If she wanted to see him, she’d have to go where he went—to the ranch.Camille sat on the open tailgate as Noah filled the tractors with diesel from the tank truck. She’d started trying to help out while she was there. Some things were easier to understand, while other things were just hard labor. By the end of the second day on the ranch, she knew she needed new shoes and that cowboy hats weren’t just a fashion statement.Despite the heat and the dirt, she treasured the time she spent with Noah there. If she thought she enjoyed watching Noah working at Blackwater Restoration, it was nothing compared to seeing him in his element on the ranch. He made sweaty and dirty look good when he pulled w

NOAHNoah nudged his horse, Weston, closer to Camille’s blue roan, Sprite. They’d been riding since just before sunrise, and they hadn’t spoken much. Actually, they’d both remained fairly quiet since Camille’s mother had stopped by the night before. Noah certainly didn’t know what to say, and Camille seemed at a loss for words too.The silence wasn’t tense, but there were things not being said. Instead, they’d kept their conversation generic. She pointed out a patch of wildflowers and several hawks circling overhead between the stretches of horse hooves clopping on the dry dirt. When Noah’s horse fell into step beside Sprite, Camille’s smile told him she was strong enough to handle what was coming.“I’ll figure this out. Don’t worry.” He reached out a hand, and she placed hers in his with a smile.“I know I told you I didn’t want to know what was going on, but I think I figured it out anyway.” She turned her gaze from him to look at the open pasture ahead of them. “This could be bigg

NOAHCamille’s parents’ house was a log and brick monstrosity with wooden columns along the front side thicker than Noah had ever seen. Two stories of walls and windows stretched into a double-decker garage on one side. A twenty-foot-tall statue of angels and cherubs sat imposing in the grassy area along the circular drive.He’d put off coming here for long enough, but it was time to talk. If Nathan wasn’t home, he’d just sit in his truck and wait for him.Noah had always felt small when he came here. The size of the place dwarfed anything around it except the mountains. He knew from days past when he would visit Camille that there was a heated pool in the back along with a fire pit, an outdoor grilling area, and a guest house.The old truck door groaned and creaked as it closed behind him, and Noah threw his cowboy hat back into the cab through the open window. There wasn’t any sense in stirring the pot. His boots thudded loudly against the sturdy boards of the porch as he approached