Page 1 of Big Forbidden Blacksmith

Chapter 1

Lara

Getting lost on a country back road was not in my plan for the day.

Here I am, standing on the side of the road, looking like a damsel in distress. One of my heels is broken, there’s a split in the skirt of my dress from earlier when it caught in the car door, and I am trying to figure out where I am but I can’t because there’s no cell signal out here. Just my luck, but at least the sunset is stunning. The tears crowding my eyes only add a layer of glistening beauty to it.

Take long, deep breaths, Lara.

I’m honest enough to admit that I’m a little scared, but I’m also trying to keep things in perspective. Itcouldbe worse. I’m not sure how, but it could be, I just know it.

I stare down at the broken heel of my shoe—a favorite pair of black suede booties—and choke back a sob. Normally the sight of ruined shoes would not have me fighting the need to bawl like a child but this feels like the last straw. My whole right foot is sore from when I rolled my ankle, which is what made the heel break in the first place.

I’ve been walking along the gravel road for what feels like hours, so of course the heels were going to break off at some point. They’re fine for driving, but they aren’t for hiking on an uneven road like this. When I look over my shoulder, I can still see my car in the distance. Fine, it hasn’t been hours, but it still feels like it.

I wobble around for a few more minutes before letting an annoyed huff. I shouldn’t have listened to my mentor when she told me I needed a change of environment to help deal with my creative block.

“Go out and find your passion again,” she’d said. “You won’t find inspiration locked up in your studio.”

Well, in her defense, she probably meant going to an aquarium or a park, somewhere that didn’t mean getting lost or facing the possibility of getting eaten by a wild animal. But no, I thought visiting my best friend’s ranch was a better option. Against my better judgement, I took a six-hour flight and then rented a car to drive the additional four hours, all to surprise her at her family’s ranch.

I figured I could manage the four-hour drive down an unfamiliar country road if I followed my phone’s GPS directions, but I hadn’t counted on getting lost. And because I got lost, the car ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere. The empty signal bars on my phone are just the cherry on top.

I’m not sure how long it’s been since I officially got lost, but I’m starting to feel uneasy with no sign of civilization in sight. There’s just this road, and there’s no one else on it. It’s like I’m completely alone out here. I had no idea it was possible to feel that way.

Breathe Lara. Deep calming breaths…

I sigh loudly when I realize it’s not working. Along this empty road, there’s nothing but endless fields stretching out on both sides. The grass is tall and golden, swaying gently in the breeze. In the distance, I can see the silhouette of a few trees, but they’re too far away to be of any use to me.

The sky starts to turn a deep shade of orange and pink as the sun sinks lower and lower on the horizon. It’s beautiful how the sunset casts long shadows across the fields. Under different circumstances, I’d be running to grab my canvas and paints, but … well … I’m not exactly in the best position to be documenting my impending doom.

“Don’t be dramatic Lara,” I say to myself with a shaky chuckle. “You’re just stuck … Alone in the middle of nowhere, with the sun setting … Soon it’ll be dark, it’s fine.”

Oh god …No one even knows where I am. My parents who are vacationing in Italy and I haven’t talked to them since they left, and my best friend isn’t even expecting me. This was meant to be a surprise.

Oh, it’ll be a surprise for sure. They’ll find my dead body hugging my ruined shoes to my chest like they were my last hope. It’ll be all over the news. The fragile little city girl who—

My ears perk up as they notice a sound, but when I whirl around, I don’t see anything. Just as I’m beginning to think it was a figment of my imagination, it happens again. This time, I notice a car in the distance, driving up the road. I squint, attempting to make it out and make sure it’s not some large wild animal I need to start running from, but thankfully, it really is a car. And it’s headed in my direction.

I drop my shoes immediately and start waving my arms frantically at the moving vehicle. Even as I wobble on my feet, the pain from rolling my ankle is a distant memory.

My heart pounds heavily in my chest as the truck draws closer and starts to slow down. I can’t help smiling widely as the car slows to a stop nearby. The red pickup truck before me—or at least it was red at some point in history—ishuge. Its engine rumbles deeply and its headlights shine brightly, casting long shadows in the dusk light.

Just as I manage to pry my eyes from the massive wheels and mud-spattered body, my heart stops. The smile on my lips falls when my gaze connects with eyes so dark there’s almost something feral about them. It’s like meeting predator’s gaze as it watches you from the shadows, ready to pounce at any moment.

I take another step back as suddenly, the door to the truck opens and amassiveman climbs out.

I don’t think I have ever seen anyone quite as huge or wild looking. Full beard, ruffled hair, and dark, stormy gray eyes. It’s those dark eyes that have me swallowing hard, rooted to the spot while feeling like I should run away.

I couldn’t run away even if I wanted to.

My fingers start to itch with the need to draw him. I want to draw the lines of his face, sketch the scar on his cheek onto a sheet of paper, and watch those dark eyes come to life as I capture them. I can already picture how my brush would give color to the canvas, how it would form the lines of his shoulders and neck—

“Hi there, do you need help?” the man asks and my cheeks flush hot. His voice is low and rough but comforting all the same. It’s so distracting that it takes me a second to place the events of the day.

City girl. Lost. Damsel in distress.

“Hi,” I murmur back shyly, clearing my throat to get rid of my nerves. “Yeah, my car ran out of gas. Can you help me find the nearest gas station or drop me off at the Blackwell Ranch? I don’t know if you’ve heard of it …”

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