Page 37 of Snowed In with the Rancher

Over the last few years, she’d had an influx of brain injury clients, several of whom were veterans, and although most were fairly mild-mannered, a few had aggression issues and were prone to violent outbursts, particularly if they got frustrated or were triggered. This led her to take extra training courses and workshops over the years on how to handle panic attacks, aggression, and violence. Non-violent crises intervention was something she routinely had to take every couple of years in order to maintain her license.

And not that she thought Asher would get violent, but she had to be prepared for it. She had no idea what his triggers were.

Obviously, she’d said something or done something to send him into a panic, but he wasn’t in the right headspace to talk about it.

She made her way into the kitchen and flicked on a light. The wood stove was keeping everything warm, so the only time goosebumps prickled along her legs was when she opened the fridge.

Quietly, alone with her thoughts, she prepared a small plate of cheese, sliced apples and grapes. This was unlike any Christmas Eve she’d ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the worst. Far from it in fact.

Asher and the ranch were the perfect distraction from her chaotic, confused life back in Connecticut.

She was falling more and more in the love with the ranch with each moment, particularly Macklin, Tilly and Carolina. But even Fumble, that rogue goat, was starting to warm up to her and had head-butted her a few times for some head scratched between his horns.

Against Asher’s reluctance, she was the one to lead Mercy out into the corral so that they could muck his stall. And the black Mustang with the shiny mane and intelligent eyes gave her zero problems. He even stuck around her, nuzzling her head with his nose when she stayed in the corral.

Asher called him a jerk. She just called Mercy misunderstood.

Yes, this ranch, the dozens of hearts beating on it, and the piling snow were exactly what she needed. It was the lacquer and gold dust for her Kintsugi heart. She wouldn’t be defined by the damage Lorne had done to her, but rather, she would use it to make herself stronger and more resilient.

After tidying up in the kitchen, with the plate in hand, she was about to shut off the light when a broad, shadowy figure stepped forward from the living room.

“I’m sorry,” he said, wearing nothing but his black boxer briefs and looking mighty delicious, if not a little rattled and disheveled.

She shook her head. “Nothing to apologize for.”

He held her gaze for a long moment, his eye searching hers, confusion and awe mixing in the dark blue.

“Nate saw us,” he finally said.

Her brows scrunched. “Huh?”

“In the barn. He has the camera footage sent to his phone, too, and he and Hannah saw us … you know … yesterday.”

It took her a second to understand what he was saying, but when it finally clicked, her eyes went wide and she nearly dropped the plate of food. Setting it down on the counter, she started to slowly nod. “I see.”

“I don’t care that he saw me, but it was an invasion of your privacy and you have a right to know.”

Was this what had triggered his panic attack?

No, that didn’t add up.

Her head continued to bob. “So … what did they see?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Nate wouldn’t look for long. He’d see what we were doing then turn off the feed. He’s not a pervert like that.” He scratched the back of his neck. “At least I don’t think. And I’m Hannah’s uncle for fuck’s sake, so he wouldn’t let her watch.”

“Okay …”

His chest lifted and fell on a dramatic sigh. “I just needed you to know. That’s not something that should be kept from you.”

Twisting her lips, she mulled over this revelation in her head for a moment.

Did she really care that Asher’s brother—a guy she’d never met before—and her best friend saw her having sex for probably all of thirty seconds? Sure, there was a modicum of embarrassment trickling through her, but for the most part, the idea of it just made her hot.

She wasn’t interested in making a sex tape and posting it on the internet for every Jack to jack-off to, but the idea that they’d been “caught” had its appeal.

Eventually, she lifted her shoulder in a shrug. “Well, at least we gave them a show, huh?”

His eyes went wide. “You’re not mad?”

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