Saddle up

Chapter One: New Beginnings

"Look, babe, things just haven't been the same lately for us," Cole's voice had trailed off, laden with guilt. "We're both so busy. I hardly have time to see you anymore, and when I do, you're either studying for your next nursing exam or... well... you're busy."

He paused, taking a slow breath, struggling to find the right words.

"Please, don't," I whispered, already feeling the cold dread creeping in. But I knew what was coming.

"I just think we need some space," he finally muttered. "I think it's best if we end things."

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I couldn't stop the words from tumbling out. "I love you, Cole..." My voice cracked. "Please, don't do this."

"I slept with someone," Cole blurted out, cutting through the silence like a knife.

The words hit me like a physical blow. I dropped my phone, the screen shattering on the cold kitchen tile as my heart splintered into a million pieces.

The sound of a man's voice yanked me back to the present.

"Well, no one else has called about the flyer, and you sound pretty desperate, so I suppose I can give you a chance to prove yourself."

"Yes!" I nearly shouted into the phone, causing a few people outside the gas station to glance over in surprise. "Thank you, thank you so much! Um, Mr...?"

"My name's Brant," he said, his tone flat, not at all mirroring my excitement. "You'll start tomorrow. Be here at 8 AM. Don't be late." With that, he hung up, leaving me to absorb the information, my heart pounding in my chest.

I looked down at the flyer I had grabbed from the gas station bulletin board, clutching it tightly to my chest. I couldn't believe I had a shot at this job.

The next morning, I arrived at Saddle Rock Ranch a full 15 minutes early, taking extra care to avoid being late on my first day. The ranch was breathtaking—dozens of acres spread out before me, the land bathed in the warm golden light of the morning sun. I pulled into the gravel driveway, the crunch of the rocks under my tires punctuating the otherwise peaceful atmosphere. Straight ahead was a large building that looked like an indoor arena. To the right, I saw a wide pasture, a group of horses grazing peacefully, their manes swaying gently in the breeze. Adjacent to that were several fenced areas, each containing more horses.

"Jeez, how many horses does this guy have?" I thought, my nerves making it hard to focus. Finally, I parked in front of a small A-frame house that seemed to overlook the entire ranch.

I took a deep breath and checked my appearance in the rearview mirror—my shoulder-length, ebony hair pulled into a high ponytail with a few stray strands framing my face. I looked more like my mother every day—her strong German features were becoming more and more prominent, something I could no longer ignore. My hazel eyes, framed by long, dark lashes, were heavy from lack of sleep, but I tried to ignore that as I focused on the task ahead.

Just as I was about to grab my things and head to the house, the sound of barking dogs caught my attention. Two large German Shepherds came barreling toward me, their paws kicking up dust as they investigated. I recognized them immediately, having owned a Shepherd myself. I greeted them confidently, expecting them to behave like my own dog, Mojo, who was well-behaved and always cautious with strangers. But these dogs were eager, pressing their noses against my jeans, clearly trying to get a whiff of my own dog.

I glanced up to see a tall, well-built man emerging from the house, calling out to the dogs.

"Marley, Chief! Get over here!" His voice was deep, commanding, but not unkind.