How To Rope A Rich Cowboy (Silver Springs Ranch #2) - Anya Summers Page 0,1

overnight gear with him as well. That way, they could spend the night beneath the stars. He shrugged. If they got caught up, he had at least had the foresight to pack extra grain for Tank. They’d make do.

It was warm enough that, realistically, he could go without the bedroll, and simply use Tank’s saddle and blanket. He’d brought along matches for a fire, and had his shotgun to ward off predators. He didn’t go riding into high country without it.

Horse and rider moved as one over the hills and dales of the route as the evergreens thickened around bends, past crystal-clear creek beds of rushing snow melt from nearby glaciers. He lost track of time, enjoying the easy ride and open air. Colt wasn’t ready to end the day outdoors too soon.

And it became startlingly clear the further they rode, that this was what had been missing in his life.

Colt needed to ensure he took more time away from the monotony of the job. It didn’t matter how much he loved the ranch, but day in and out, nothing ever changed, not even the selection of available female company. It was no wonder he was courting burnout like a lover. And it was high time he found some companionship of the female variety. There were a few women in town who—if he was chomping at the bit—would do in a pinch for a Dom like him. And then the occasional tourist would cast her gaze in his direction during her stay.

He liked women, enjoyed the hell out of them when he was of a mind to. But the problem with women in town and the tourists was that they looked at him, and all they saw were dollar signs. It was one of the reasons why, when the new doctor, Grace O’Neal, had moved to town and taken over her deceased grandfather’s medical practice, Colt had made a play for her. But in the end, the good doc had fallen for one of his best buds, and Emmett, the ornery son of a bitch, had taken one look at Grace and fallen spurs over Stetson.

In the end, when it came to it, Grace was now more like a sister than anything else. Which left Colt with the women who knew he had a sizeable bank account.

It was both a blessing and a curse. Colt understood how fortunate he and his family had been with their ranch, the ingenious additions each generation had made that kept it a thriving, successful business. He never wanted for a roof over his head or food, and could afford first-class vacations to exotic locales, if he ever stopped to take them.

But it also left him having to question every woman’s interest, since most wanted him purely for his pocketbook. He hated to admit that it bruised his ego and made him unsure if he turned a woman’s head because of his looks or his wallet. Truth was, it was likely a combination of the two. And Colt wasn’t being egotistical when it came to his looks—women had always chased after him and flirted with him, as far back as his teen years.

Part of his hang ups over women seeing dollar signs and how they could make it work to their advantage were echoes of the number Carly had done on Colt’s self-esteem. They had met shortly after he was made head of the company, and she had tried to change him into some slick city businessman, used the prestige of his money and position to open doors for her, and demanded he keep her in luxury she deemed essential to her wellbeing and their relationship. He’d gone along with it for a while because he had convinced himself he was in love with her.

And she had only been in love with his bank account.

Tank snorted and tossed his head, breaking Colt out of his somber reverie.

“What’s up, boy? Smell something?” That’s when he noticed that the daylight had darkened considerably.

The wind that had been a gentle, humid, summer breeze now whipped tumultuously through the trees. He glanced up and his stomach dropped. Shit.

Dark clouds advanced on a warpath across the sky. Bright flashes of lightning arced across the heavens. And a deep rumble of thunder crashed, increasing in sound and tenor as the storm barreled into the area.

A midafternoon squall was common at this time of year. They could also be deadly this high up. There was a cabin nearby, one of the higher