One
Serena
Wild. Rough and unapologetic. Jagged mountains on the horizon cut into a sky so big and blue it could drown the ocean.
Sheโd never seen anything like it. Photos, sure, but nothing compared to the raw presence of untouched nature. The permanence of something timeless and powerful. It took her breath away, but did nothing to stop a pit from forming in her gut.
This summer was going to be nothing like she planned.
No frat parties, no laid-back job on campus, and certainly no trips to the mall. A long trail of dust churned outside the window as her sister sped across the lonely highway, dirt and bugs smattering across the black paint of their familyโs Audi.
Serena wrinkled her nose and tried to calculate if the car wash would be open by the time her sister got back to the city. Lexi had just gotten her learners permit and was more than eager to get out of the house for a trip out here and back. Unfortunately, their drive had been anything but entertaining. At least the company wasnโt bad.
โHey, I know I said you could go over the speed limit, but keep it below seventy-five, all right?โ Serena eyed her younger sister, who took after her in one too many ways. Honey-blonde hair. Warm chestnut eyes. A rebellious side that meant she was intent to test her limits even when theyโd been all but lifted.
Lexi rolled her eyes. โYou sound like mom.โ
Serena scoffed. Static crackled over the radio, interrupting her second-favorite pop song, and she reached over to turn down the volume. โI got in enough trouble for the both of us. You donโt need to try and pile more on.โ
With an exaggerated exhale, Lexi eased off on the gas. โI canโt believe youโll be stuck out here for a whole month.โ
โI know,โ Serena echoed her little sisterโs sigh. โItโs fucked up.โ
She turned to look out the passenger window, tired of seeing those intimidating mountains tower over miles of nothing but tumbleweeds and dry amber grass. โDo you think they even know what fast food is out here?โ
Lexi shook her head with a laugh. โNot unless by fast, you mean over an hour delivery time.โ
Serena huffed and adjusted her feet on the dash. As they drove into the heart of literal nowhere, fields of open land met with sloping foothills. The only sign of humanity had been a bare wooden fence or two, and even those looked worn and neglected. There were probably more cows out here than people.
For the moment, she tried to enjoy the luxury of air conditioning and patchy radio. Who knew if basic commodities would be too modern for where they were headed. Her first year as an adult away from home was supposed to be filled with shameless college hook-ups and generally not giving a fuck. And sheโd done a pretty good job of doing just that.
Until now.
Instead of relaxing while classes were out, sheโd been saddled with one-hundred hours of court ordered community service, stretched out over four weeks at some ranch in the middle of the desert. It wasnโt even located on the same map as the nearest shopping center. Why the judge had such a hard-on for this place, sheโd never be able to figure out.
She also wasnโt a delinquent. Running a stop sign and getting caught with an open can of beer shouldnโt count as a crime. Not that she was old enough to legally drink, and it wasnโt the only questionable substance sheโd ingested, but no one else cared because she wasnโt a damn shut-in. Everybody bent the rules.
However, sheโd been in the wrong place at the wrong timeโwith the wrong fucking assholeโand ended up paying for it with her last month of summer.
It was better than what her so-called friend got charged with: possession of controlled substances and an ongoing sexual assault case. The drugs she knew about, but assault? Maybe she had turned a blind eye for too long. It wasnโt like the culture on campus made it hard to get whatever you wanted. She would know.
Serena pursed her lips and tried to ignore the nagging thoughts, winding a strand of blonde hair around a manicured fingernailโher last tie to civilization. Okay, so she needed better friends, but from the looks of it, she wasnโt going to find any out here.
โWhatโs the place called again?โ Lexi asked, turning off the radio and adjusting her sunglasses. โI think we lost service, but our GPS said the turn should be coming up soon.โ
โHollow Oak Ranch.โ The words tasted stale on her tongue.
She didnโt need their stupid pamphlet to know what it was all aboutโturning troubled teens into upstanding, model citizens. The promotional material explained that the ranch was a residential treatment program to provide guidance for young adults struggling in school or at home. Looked good on paper, but who knew if anyone went away changed. Maybe all they did was wear people out and call it old fashioned discipline.
Since she wasnโt a youth, she hadnโt been qualified for the program, but the judge pulled some strings and got her in as an extra staff member. Woo-fucking-hoo.They were bullshitting themselves if they thought sheโd be of actual use. She wasnโt made for hard labor, and getting her hands dirty was reserved for things that held her interest, not farm work or whatever they thought she needed. Besides, she didnโt want someone else to tell her how to live or who to be.
โIf you canโt find it, weโll just have to turn around and say we tried our best.โ Serena shrugged and made a face at her sister.
Lexi didnโt look so amused. โWhat was that about not piling on more trouble? Mom and Dad are already pissed at you for the fine.โ
โItโs not like they canโt afford it. Hasnโt dad been working overtime all summer?โ
โThatโs not the point.โ Lexi leaned forward and slowed down. โAh, there it is. Hard to miss the first sign thatโs existed for miles.โ She flicked on the turn signalโto warn the cowsโand they veered onto a long dirt road lined with a barbed wire fence.
Above them, the ranchโs brand was engraved in a sign hanging from a thick, sturdy beam. Serena sat up to inspect her new surroundings. The road took them into a valley backed against a ridge, where a thick grove of trees provided a fair amount of shade for the buildings nestled in the center. True to aesthetic, the main ranch was built out of large round planks, like a cozy cabin but at ten times the scale, and several floor to ceiling windows at the front reflected a panoramic view of the mountain range.
The estate must be huge, because the fence extended as far as she could see, originating at a big barn on the left. Two smaller buildings settled on the right, windows left open and cream curtains flowing out in the breeze.
For such an impressive structure that rose out of untamed ground, it seemed charming. Quaint in an almost nostalgic way, except sheโd never been anywhere that resembled this. At least it looked hospitable enough. She wouldnโt know how to survive if they expected her to brave the wilderness.
But as peaceful as it was, someone else had silently been watching as they pulled in. A man followed them with dark, twinkling eyes, propped against one of the smaller houses like a part of the scenery. He might have looked youthful if it wasnโt for his impressive height and physique. Tan skin glistened in the sun, his throat moving as he brought a water bottle to his lips and swallowed in long gulps. When he finished, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and effortlessly crunched the plastic in his palm.
They made eye contact and he tipped his head down, shoulders hunching as his face disappeared under a dusty brown cowboy hat. She knew itโd be hot outside, but damn, this guy turned up the heat all on his own. There wasnโt a muscle on his body that didnโt look like it could be put to good useโand it wasnโt the kind of bulk that guys could get from going to the gym once or twice a week. No, this was the build of a real man, one whoโd been formed from the rugged outdoors and could toss her around like a ragdoll.
One who could give her the ride of her life.
She chewed her lip. Exactly the kind of man she liked. Maybe this place wouldnโt be so bad. It shouldnโt take too much effort to earn a few favors.
Lexi made a poor attempt at a low whistle. โI think I just found myself a new typeโdo you see that? I guess itโs true they grow โem different out here.โ
โChill, youโre too young to mess around. Much less with guys like him,โ Serena chided. Her sister was off-limits. But for her, it might as well be open season. She smoothed her hair and gave him a small wave as they pulled to a stop.
The cowboy replied with a touch of his fingers to his hat, barely hiding a dimpled grin as he pushed off the wall.
Her lips curled into a smile. โLooks like going to the country wonโt be as bad as I thought.โ
