My Cowboy Prince (*unedited)

Chapter 27

Luke's POV

I've never been outside the state of Texas, much less the whole damn country, but here I am in Jamaica. I'm sittin' in the sand on a private beach in Ocho Rios, sippin' Bob Marley punch from a fancy cocktail glass. It feels a tad bit strange in my hands... it's like I'm holdin' onto someone else's life.

The vast sun kissed horizon in front of me paints the cloudy sky with dark streaks of orange and pink. This view is a far cry from the endless fields back home, where a sunsets mean the day's work comes to an end. It's nice change of atmosphere though. The air is warm, it's the kind that clings to your skin but doesn't suffocate it. The laid-back vibe of it all makes me almost forget why I'm here. Almost.

Tomorrow, we have a meeting at the AC Hotel in Kingston. My father's been dragging me around, introducing me to investors and prominent people over the past few weeks. Basically teachin' me the ropes of his business. This life is supposed to be mine now, but damn if it doesn't feel like a heavy burden on my shoulders. Tonight's our last night in this grand hotel, but all I can think about is how I ended up in this mess.

Signing onto my father's company wasn't something I ever planned on doing, but I didn't have much choice. The ranch--- the place I've helped to pour my blood, sweat, and tears into--- was drowning in decades of debt. I held out as long as I could, trying to fix things on my own, but it became clear that wasn't going to happen. I had to step up and do what was needed to save the only home I've ever known. But that came at a price--- a price I never wanted to pay.

It kills me that I couldn't share any of this with Amelia. Every time I wanted to, I'd stop myself, thinking what's the point. She would have be gone in days anyway. But I was wrong. So damn wrong. Now, with her actually gone, it feels like there's this gaping hole in my chest that nothin' can fill. I tried to ignore it, but the emptiness is constant. It gnaws at me making me feel more lost than I ever have in my life.

And then there's Kimberly... I've known her since we were kids. Our families have always been close--- a bit too close, really. There's this bullshit assumption our mothers made when we dated back in high school. That was before either of us truly knew what love is. And now she's fightin' tooth and nail to make that happen.

I have feel some type of way once but that faded away a long time ago. I've come to see her more as a little sister than anything else but now… now it feels more complicated than ever. Our families are so damning intertwined, they are practically in bed with each other. It truly feels like there's no way out.

As I sit here half naked in the sand, my gaze falls out to the ocean. Hopefully the sound of the waves will drown out these thoughts that plaque my mind. The night is slowly creepin' in now and turnin' the once bright blue sky into a deep velvety one. I'm almost lost in the moment when Kimberly shows up, I can hear the soft sound of her footsteps against the warm sand.

"Luke," the woman calls out, her voice is smooth with that Texan twang that's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. She's wearing this skimpy swimsuit, somethin' that's more about showing off than actually swimming. It barely covers anything. I barely glance at her, but I can feel her eyes on me, tryin' to gauge my mood, tryin' to find a way in.

Kimberly sits down beside me and brushes her shoulder against mine. I can sense the way that she's angling her body. It's all to get my attention but I keep my gaze out on the horizon pretending that I didn't notice. I'm not interested but she's always had a way of gettin' under my skin to push buttons she knows she shouldn't. When she leans even closer I feel warm her breath against my neck. This is all intentional.

"Ain't it beautiful here? Like somethin' straight outta a dream," she murmurs, trying to pull me into a conversation I don't want to have.

"Yeah, it's nice," I keep my voice flat, hoping she'll take the hint and leave.