Page 14 of Mountain Rancher

Shit.

The party planner is back.

Hunter withdraws his hand carefully, and I quickly readjust my clothing with shaking fingers. He helps me, his movements efficient but still somehow tender. When he’s sure I’m decent, he presses a soft kiss to my forehead.

“This isn’t over, Abby,” he murmurs.

I can’t meet his eyes, embarrassment already creeping in to replace the bliss of moments ago.

“Hunter—”

“Don’t. Don’t pretend this didn’t happen.”

Now I do look at him, startled by the intensity in his voice.

“I’m not pretending.” I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. “But I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m going back to Houston at the end of the week.”

He leans in and kisses me again. “We’ll see about that.”

Chapter Four

HUNTER

“Black Bear Creek, final answer,”Lindsay declares. Her eyes sparkle with competitive fire as she smirks at her fiancé.

Jace grins and flips his card. “Black Bear Creek.”

The crowd erupts in cheers and applause.

I lean against the bar as I nurse my beer and watch as Jace pulls Lindsay in for a celebratory kiss. The guests eat it up, whistling and clapping louder.

“Get a room, you two!” Luke calls out, and everyone laughs.

Jace and Linsday’s couple’s shower is in full swing, the ranch transformed into exactly the magical setting Lindsay envisioned. The chandeliers we installed cast a warm glow over the tables laden with food. Strings of lights wind through trees and along fences, creating a fairytale atmosphere. All the hard work of the past few days has paid off beautifully.

I take another sip and enjoy the perfect vantage point I’ve claimed near the drink station.

“Alright, next question,” Savannah announces as she waves a card with theatrical flair. “Jace, where did you first realize you were in love with Lindsay?”

Jace writes his answer without hesitation. When Lindsay reveals hers, they match perfectly again.

“High school,” they say in unison.

Their friends whoop and holler. I know the story well. Best friends since high school until they got trapped together during a blizzard last winter. After years of dancing around their feelings, Jace finally manned up and told her what everyone else already knew. The man had been in love with her for a decade.

My eyes drift inevitably to Abby across the yard, where she stands chatting with an older couple I don’t recognize.

Even from here, I can see the professional smile on her face, the attentive nod as she listens. But all I can think about is how that composed exterior broke apart in my arms yesterday. The soft sounds she made when my fingers found their target. The way she came undone, trembling and gasping my name.

I’ve relived that moment a hundred times since yesterday. And it’s taking all my self-control to maintain this distance when every cell in my body wants to cross the yard, pull her away from these guests, and finish what we started.

Tonight, I find myself cataloging every glance she throws my way, every subtle adjustment of her dress when our eyes meet across the room. She feels it too, this constant awareness. This hunger.

“Impressive setup,” Wyatt says, appearing at my side with two beers in hand. He offers me one, which I accept with a nod of thanks.

“Glad it all came together.” I take a sip. “Your brother looks happy.”

Wyatt watches Jace pull Lindsay in for a kiss after correctly guessing her childhood pet’s name. “Never thought I’d see the day. That boy was determined to break every heart in Wyoming.”

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