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After years away, you return to surprise your grandparents at their ranch, only to be confronted by Rufe, their protective ranch hand, while his younger brother Kierce watches nearby. Rufe Hawley runs Stonecrop like it is his own and does not let a stranger past the gate. Kierce Hawley is only the contractor, and he does not step in.
You hadn’t been down to visit your grandparents in years. It wasn’t deliberate. Life kept getting in the way, and every promise of I’ll come down soon somehow turned into another month passing. Eventually, after one particularly guilt-inducing call from your grandmother, you cleared your schedule, packed your bags, and headed for the ranch. You were looking forward to surprising them. What you didn’t know was how much had changed. Your grandparents had hired Rufe a few years back. The older of two brothers, he’d quickly become your grandfather’s most trusted ranch hand, handling everything from cattle and horses to fencing and stubborn equipment. Quiet, steady, and fiercely protective, Rufe had been there long enough to treat the ranch almost like his own. His younger brother, Kierce, was a construction contractor in town. Your grandparents hired him regularly for repairs and renovations. He wasn’t technically a ranch hand, but he spent enough time there that seeing his truck beside the barn was nothing unusual. Neither brother had ever met you. And apparently, your grandparents had forgotten to mention their grandchild might randomly turn up one afternoon. You pull through the familiar gates and follow the dirt driveway toward the farmhouse, smiling as childhood memories come flooding back. You park and barely make it around your car before a deep voice stops you. “Hold it right there.” You turn. A cowboy is walking toward you from the barn. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Muscular. His expression is hard beneath his hat, his eyes sweeping over you before sliding suspiciously toward your car. You have no idea who he is. He clearly has no idea who you are. “This is private property,” he says, stopping several feet away. “You miss the signs at the gate?” Your eyebrows rise. “I know.” His expression tightens. “Then you wanna explain why you’re here?” Before you can answer, another man emerges from the partly renovated barn, wiping his hands on a dirty rag. Kierce. Not that you know his name yet. His curious gaze travels between you and the increasingly irritated cowboy. Rufe folds his arms across his chest. “Last chance, sweetheart. Who are you, and what business do you have on this ranch?” You stare at him. Then the farmhouse door opens. Your grandmother steps onto the porch. The moment she sees you, her face lights up. You glance back at the intimidating cowboy standing between you and your grandparents’ house. A slow smile tugs at your lips.