After Jisung and Minho's intense conversation of the night before, I'm too anxious to sleep. I start my chores early.
"Hey, Agusga. Miss me, girl?"
Agusga snorts with excitement and the Bronco does to right along with her.
"Don't worry, bud. I've got a bucket of oats with your name on it, too."
I make my way through the routine of feeding, watering, and cleaning. I'm almost finished when the stable doors open.
"Oh, (Y/N)! Wasn't expectin' to find ya here..."
"What do you mean? I take my job seriously! In fact, I'm almost finished. Just need to give Agusga a special treat to let her know she's still my number one gal."
"Well...sounds like you're gettin' the hang of it. I'm just mighty impressed to see you up and at 'em so early after your first big day. Ranch work can tire you out. The only reason I wake up at all after my first day of hard work was because Frank started clanging the dinner bell over my head."
"And you were giving me hell for being up a minute late that first morning? I swear, Minho, you're full of it and then some."
I slug him in the shoulder but he's smiling.
"If it makes you feel better, I paid for it back then. Clocked my head on the bell, I was so shook up."
"I should thank Frank, then. Where is he, by the way? I'm just realizing I haven't seen him around yet."
"He, uh...well...Frank decided to leave about a year ago."
"What? Frank left? Is he working for another ranch?"
"Don't see how that's any of our business. Sometimes the contract just doesn't work out."
"He wasn't just an employee, Minho. He's been with us for years! Even before Mom and Dad..."
I swallow hard, unable to finish the sentence. Minho nods, a sheen of tears in his eyes.
"I promise, (Y/N), there were no hard feelings or nothin'. Just went our separate ways."
I think back to what I learned at the Saddle Horn the other night. How Minho and Frank had gotten into it, how one or the other had stormed off.
"Well, that's not what I heard. Lucy said--"
"Lucy says all kinds of things. You know better than to listen to gossip, Pip. Let's not waste time talkin' about the past. Aren't you gonna ask me about the Amarillo?"
"Isn't yesterday technically the past?"
"You're such a smartass. Guess I'll keep this highly fascinating intel all to myself..."
"Wait! I didn't mean it! Of course I want to know. Did we get the horse?"
"Well...no. The fella wanted way too much money. It'd be an outrageous sum for anyone, not just us. But I got him talkin' about a deal for stud rights. Could be a real win for us."
"Sounds promisin'...how much was he askin'? If the purchase was that inflated, it's worth thinkin' about whether he'll fleece us on the stud rights too."
"You know you can't put a price on a horse you're crazy about. If we just use him for breedin', he'll keep his horse and earn a profit. He'll be fair."
"Still, if it's a significan't outlay, we need to think it through carefully. Is this stallion really that promisin'?"
"I wouldn't even consider the deal otherwise. I'm always thinkin' about the bottom line, Pip. You should know that by now."
"Speakin' of bottom lines...when can I get a look at our books?"
"You're not plannin' to cook 'em up like some kinda crook, are you?"
"Of course not! But I learned accounting at school. I might be able to find some places we could save money. Plus, it'd be good for me to get a better picture of how this place works."
I wait for Minho to respond, but after several seconds, he still hasn't. When I glance over, he's got a thousand-yard stare.
"Minho? Did you hear what I said?"
"Sorry. Just remembered I didn't pick up the parts to fix the hay feeders in the western pasture. Damn bars rusted through again."
"Sounds important. But about the books--"
"I'm gonna go and handle that before I forget. You can tend to these stalls on your own, right?"
"I can do that...if you tell me why you're actin' so cagey. It almost feels like you're tryin' to keep me at arms' length."
Sorry, Pip. I promise I'm not. There's just so much to keep track of, sometimes my mind skips ahead of me."
"I could takes some of it off your plate, if you'd let me..."
"I will eventually. For now, let's start slow. I want you to have this down pat before we start addin' more tasks."
"That makes sense. But I promise I'm a quick study."
"I don't doubt it."
Minho turns to leave, but stops just inside the door.
"Oh, before I run to town, we should probably talk about that thing at the bar..."
Guilt shoots through me as I think back on everything that's happened in the last few days.
Dammit, he knows Jisung and I kissed, and there's no way he's okay with it...
I'm trying to find the words to forestall his anger when Minho coughs into his hand, eyes fixed intently on me.
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you what I'm referrin' to..."
"I think I've got a pretty good idea... Honestly, Minho...I'm sorry about what happened. The moment got heated, one thing led to another, and well...you have to know I didn't mean for it to happen.
"I figured as much when Jisung told me what had gone down."
"He...told you?"
" 'Course he did. We've known each other since we were kids, (Y/N), there's no way he'd hide this from me."
"Right. I just want you to know, I'd never do anything to hurt you. But I can't help my feelings, Minho. Neither of us can."
"I reckon that's right. Lucky for you, disgust for Colt Monroe is pretty much universal around these parts."
"Wait...you two were talkin' about Colt?"
"Jisung told me what he'd done the minute he got back from the bar. Not that I coulda missed hearin' about it. word to the wise, Pip. This town doesn't get gossip as good as Jisung punchin' out Colt's lights very often."
"I suppose that's true. Are you mad? It probably wasn't good for the ranch."
"To hell with that. The only thing I'm mad about is I didn't get to punch that jackass myself! Anyone lays hands on my kid sister, ever, they deserve what's comin' to them. And a whole heap more."
"Okay, if that's your take, I'm just gonna give Colt a wide berth. We don't need to make enemies of the Monroe's"
"That's mighty wise of you, (Y/N). Maybe we'll fast-track you to management, after all."
I watch him leave, my relief so strong I feel shaky. Soon, though, it's my muscles that give out under the strain of physical labor.
When I was a kid, this was never a solo job. We'd always have at least a couple ranch hands splittin' the chores.
I realize what's been nagging at me since Frank's name came up.
At first I thought they just hadn't come back for the season yet, but I think all of the ranch hands are gone...
I finish up lunging a young horse when Jisung emerges into the rodeo paddock with the bronco. He slings a sheepskin strap around the bronco's middle and pulls himself up. He raises his boots up by the shoulders.
"Time to see what you got, boy. Let's ride!"
The horse bounds forward, nose low to the ground as it bucks its rear--and Jisung--high into the air!
Oh no! Jisung's gonna fall!
But Jisung's torso twists and rolls with every move of the bronco's hips. With every buck, Jisung stays astride, grinning from ear to ear.
"Work those muscles, boy! How high can those hooves get?" he cheers on the bronco.
The bronco bucks once more and Jisung whoops! Then, with a well-timed jump, Jisung dismounts. The horse slows to a stop as Jisung brushes dust off his jeans.
"You're gettin' better at this."
Jisung fondly pats the horses nose and fishes a carrot out of his bag as I approach.
"Didn't realize we had a spectator."
"Really? Then who were you showin' off for?"
"If you think that's me showin' off, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Frisco and I were just practicin'"
"For the rodeo? You used to barrel race. What's your event now?"
"These days, I pretty much stick to what you just saw. Saddle bronc ridin'."
"That's dangerous, even for you."
"Sure, but that's what makes it a damn good time. And Frisco loves it. Gimme another couple months with this fella, and maybe I'll have a chance to show you how it works."
"You're assumin' I want to go and break my neck."
"That'd never happen. Not if you had the right teacher."
Jisung leans closer, lips curling in a sly smirk. His eyes drop to my mouth.
"What exactly are you lookin' to teach me, Han Jisung?"
The cool summer breeze does nothing to stop the heat traveling all over my skin. Jisung sucks in a breath, the takes a quick step back.
"Somethin' that'll have to wait for another day. For today...did Minho take the truck into town?"
"He did, yeah. Said somethin' about pickin' up parts for the hay feeders?"
"Damn. Guess I'm stuck with the four wheeler."
"The four wheeler? What do you need it for?"
"Gotta mend the fence."
"Didn't you just fix that the other day?"
"That was the western side. Today's broken fence is a mile out on the north side. So? Wanna join me?"
"Not particularly..."
"Good thing it wasn't a request, then. You bring that horse back to the stables, I'll bring the four wheeler around."
By the time I've removed the horses tack and gotten him settled, Jisung's pulled up just outside the main paddock fence.
"That's the same four wheeler? Looks like it's seen all the terrain... This thing used to be state-of-the-art! And shiny!"
"It'll get us there. C'mon, hop on behind me."
I reluctantly slide on, wrapping an arm around Jisung's waist. With a cough of exhaust from the four wheeler, we start off across the ranch.
"You can't really think we're gonna make it like this."
"How d'you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious? You're drivin' like a granny! And not just any granny. I mean the one who kicked the bucket before I was born. Does this thing go any faster?"
"Not if you want to keep your teeth in your head. Look, normally we'd take the truck. This is just the backup vehicle."
"I'll keep that in mind next time I let Minho snag the keys..."
The ride is bumpy and long, but eventually, we arrive at the fence in question. When I grip the crossbar, the wood crumbles in my hand.
"Jisung, this fence doesn't just need mendin'. It's completely rotted through!"
"Frank and the other hands usually kept it from gettin' this bad, but...they're not around to help anymore."
"Yeah, about that. Minho said Frank's gone, and I haven't seen another hand since I got home..."
Jisung stares across the field to where it slopes down towards the small pond.
"I can get you up to speed, if you're willin' to help me chop down some of the locust trees near the pond for new fenching."
"In that case...start talkin'. It'll go faster if there's two of us, right? And you said it yourself, Minho's expectin' me to pitch in."
"On top of that, I'll be glad for the company. This way."
He heads to where a grove of locust trees presses up against the edge of a small pond. I'm too focused on the scenery to notice Jisung slip off.
"This would be the perfect spot for a picnic if we weren't so--oh..."
Jisung's bare chest is already glistening with sweat. I watch, transfixed, as a bead of perspiration trickles down over his rippling abs, following a sharp v-line to disappear beneath the band of his jeans. I'm still catching my breath as Jisung swings his axe at the nearest tree trunk. As he pulls out the axe head, he turns to me.
"What are you waitin' for?"
"Right. Sorry...it's just...have you seen yourself? You can't just strip down like that and expect no reaction at all."
Lips curling slight, Jisung takes a step towards me.
"Oh? What sorta reaction are we talkin' about?"
"Do you really want me to go into all that? Because I can, but I definitely won't be getting any work done once I get started..."
"In that case, I suggest you focus on the axe in your hands, 'cause I don't intend to head back in without finishin' the job."
Without another word, Jisung lifts his axe again, taking down a nearby tree in a few blows.
"Why don't you start clearin' the smaller branches off the trees we'll be usin'? We'll cut the trunks to size at the fence."
"Sure thing. So long as you can answer a few questions while we work."
"Told you I would. So shoot."
"Mainly I want to know what's happenin' around this place. How did things get into this state."
Jisung finishes chopping the tree, then whacks the axe into the stump. He folds his forearms across his chest and looks across the pond.
"I'm sure you've noticed how Minho's pared back around here lately. Money's been tight, so he decided to put a few things off."
"Like fixin' the fence, I take it?"
"Oh, yeah. But that's small potatoes compared to lettin' all the ranch hands go at the end of the last season."
"He sacked them? But...why would he do that?"
"He didn't think it was right to ask that they take less pay, and he didn't want 'em to have trouble findin' a new position in the busy months."
I chew on this, carefully stripping the tree trunk of it's smaller branches.
"Jisung, be honest...how bad is it really? "
Jisung's eyes soften at the sight of my pained expression.
"Not as bad as all that, I promise. Minho's just had a few lean years runnin'."
"I just can't believe I was off at school, livin' up, while Minho was stuck here strugglin'.
"That's what Minho wanted. He knew you were this ranch's best shot. He and I are hard workers, but we ain't exactly A students."
"Or C students, if I remember."
Our shared laughter cuts through the heavy mood.
"Things've been tough, I won't lie about that. But Minho'll see it through. He always does."
I take a shaky breath and set a small tree trunk aside.
"So, that's it then. It's just the three of us keepin' this place afloat."
"For now. It's why we've been a little...tough on you. If we don't do the work, it doesn't get done."
"I appreciate you tellin' me, Jisung. And I understand why Minho couldn't. This must be hard for him."
"You see now why I don't want to make it harder, don't you?"
What passes between us isn't the usual spark of desire...it's more intimate than that. It's real understanding. For the first time since coming home, I feel like I'm being treated as an equal.
"I get it. And while we're tellin' tough truths, we should pick up the pace. We're losin' daylight."
For the next few hours, we work together in comfortable silence, exertion and the hot sun overhead making me sweat.
I'd forgotten how hot is gets out here on a summer day...
I quickly peel off my shirt, revealing the bra beneath. Rivulets of sweat stream down my chest and arms.
"Much better. Jisung, will you toss me my water bottle?"
"We can't dawdle, we gotta--"
His next words die on his lips.
"(Y/N)..."
He doesn't seem to know where to look, his eyes devouring me, hungrily lingering over every piece of exposed skin.
"Now, why'd you have to go and do somethin' like that?"
"Like what?"
I put my hands on my waist, cocking my hip to one side, giving Jisung an even better view of the swell of my breasts. Jisung drags his tongue over his lip, sucking in a hard breath.
"I was hot. Decided to shed a layer. Nothin' you haven't seen before, right?"
"I've never seen you this way before, (Y/N)."
"Not even in your wildest dreams?"
I close the distance between us, lifting a hand to his face and tilting his chin upwards.
"Eyes up here, cowboy."
Jisung's chest heaves as he drags his eyes up to mine.
"With you lookin' like this...I can hardly..."
"What's the matter, Jisung? Is this gettin' you...bothered? You look a bit warm yourself."
My sultry tone is like a siren's song, drawing him closer. Though his eyes never leave me, his hand reaches out to grab me roughly by the waist. I gasp.
"Jisung..."
He raises his free hand to my cheek, rubbing a calloused thumb over my skin. I shiver at the delicacy of his touch.
"Please don't stop."
Eyes blazing, Jisung pulls me flush against him. I arch my back just enough to create a slightest friction between our bodies.
"That just ain't fair..."
Breathing heavily, Jisung bends until the tip of his nose skims the soft skin of my neck. I gasp out my reply...
"You're gonna lecture me on fair? "
"You don't know what you're doin' to me."
"Show me, then."
I'm practically panting with anticipation as Jisung's hand grazes over my body again. There's an intensity in his stare I've never seen before. And then the dam breaks. Jisung catches my lips with his, a fierce urgency crackling between us.
"Mmm..."
"You taste so damn good, (Y/N)..."
Jisung's hands begin to roam over my body, lips moving down the graceful line of my throat to linger in the hollow where it meets my collarbone.
"I've wanted this for so long, Jisung."
"What do you want? I wanna hear you say it."
"You. I want all of you."
I can feel the hitch of Jisung's breath against my skin as I start undoing Jisung's belt buckle. Then a stick breaks in the brush nearby, startling us both, and he pulls away suddenly.
"That's enough of that, (Y/N). We don't wanna get carried away."
"Speak for yourself."
"Well, speakin' for myself...I think I need to focus on gettin' this fence done. I don't like leavin' a task unfinished."
With obvious effort, Jisung turns away from me, jaw tense as he works to get himself back under control. Once he's caught his breath, Jisung tosses me an extra t-shirt from a bag on the back of the four wheeler.
"Get dressed. You can't lift fencing like that."
"You're more stubborn than an old bull."
"You're free to think whatever you want about me, (Y/N). Let's just finish the job, okay?"
Jisung turns back to the locust grove and, sighing, I do as I'm told.
The fence isn't the only thing we've started that we'll have to finish someday, Jisung...
With the wood so far gone, mending the fence is harder than I expected. By the time we're finishing up, the sun is low in the sky.
"Dammit! It'll be full dark before we're done with this. And that damn cougar is still on the prowl..."
"Should we be worried about the cougar?"
"Haskell said it got hold of some chickens last week. Made a real mess of things."
"So it's gettin' bolder..."
He appraises the pile of rotted wood I've pulled away.
"This won't keep him out if he's really fixin' to get onto the ranch, but we may as well not ring a dinner bell for him."
"When you're concerned about becomin' a meal is when we should head back to the house in my book."
"Wish we could. The path home is full of pits. Once it gets dark, they're deadly. Even if we left now, we could wreck the four wheeler.
I wrack my brain for a solution when the wisp of a memory returns to me.
"Isn't there an old cabin nearby? Mom and Dad used to take us 'camping' in it when we were kids. It's close to this part of the property line."
"Man, I'd forgotten about that place. If you're up for roughin' it, that'd be our best option. And we could finish the job right."
"then it's a plan... After all, I like 'roughin' it. Personally, I think it can be mighty excitin', at least with the right person."
I can see Jisung's throat working as he stares at me from beneath hooded eyes. He shakes his head once, sharply.
"That's not what I was gettin' at, (Y/N)."
"Of course not. Me neither."
The two of us finish the last of the fence as the sun slips below the horizon. At long last, we hike toward the cabin under a blanket of stars. Jisung starts a fire to stave off the night chill as I poke around in the cupboards. The cabin is sparse, but intimate.
"Found us some sleeping bags and beddin'! Nice and dry, too. Someone sealed 'em up tight in a plastic bin."
Jisung emerges from the pantry, his arms full of cans. He spreads them out on a rickety table.
"We won't be goin' hungry either."
"Canned food for dinner? Yum! Love me some spaghetti O's! These used to be my favorite."
"I remember. Pretty sure they're all you ate the summer between fifth and sixth grade."
"I was a growin' girl! Anyway, I seem to remember you making a healthy dent on our stockpile..."
"Sounds like we're agreed on dinner, then. That's not all I found. I saved the best for last."
"Is that...a full bottle of whiskey?! One of us must be livin' right for you to turn up somethin' as precious as that!"
"I suppose. Maybe we could use it for a drinkin' game? Not like Minho's cheap wifi makes it all the way out here."
"A bottle of whiskey, a cracklin' fireplace, and just the two of us?"
"That, and maybe a few loose lips. Whiskey has a way of gettin' folks talkin', after all."
"When you put it that way...let's play Never Have I Ever! "
"Doesn't that game get a little...risky?"
"That depends on the players. The game's innocent enough. We just say things we've never done."
"With the goal of gettin' each other as drunk as skunks."
"You only gotta drink if you have done the thing."
"That's the thing, (Y/N), there ain't much I haven't done."
"Looks like we're evenly matched, then."
Jisung ceremoniously pours out two glasses of whiskey, places the bottle in front of the fireplace and sits down across from me.
"Alright, me first. Never have I ever cheated on a test."
Jisung raises an eyebrow and takes a swig from his drink, eyes never leaving mine.
"Can't say I'm surprised."
"I could say the same. You were such a goody-two-shoes when it came to school."
"When it came to my grades, you mean. But outside the classroom I wasn't such a good little girl..."
Jisung bites his lip, eyes raking over me slowly...
"I just might believe that."
The intensity of Jisung's stare heats my skin, and i have to look away. The firelight flickers over Jisung's skin, and turns his gaze darker.
"My turn, then. Never have I ever...ridden a horse buck naked."
My eyes widen in disbelief.
"Sounds like I'd better drink."
Jisung slaps the ground, laughing openly as I reach for the whiskey bottle.
"So it is true! Were you drunk? How'd it even happen? "
"Of course I was! It was Marie Tomko's 18th birthday. We were partying in her parent's barn, things got a little crazy... The original dare was to ride the horse shirtless, but I raised the ante to 'totally naked' on myself."
I bury my face in my hands at the memory.
"You're buryin' the lede, (Y/N). You still haven't even told me how it felt."
The air between us begins to thicken. It's getting harder to take a full breath.
"It felt incredible. The moonlight on my skin, the wind moving over every inch of my body, the horse so warm between my bare legs..."
I notice Jisung's gone complete still. I have him hanging on to my every word.
"So you liked it, then. Being...exposed like that.
"I did. Looking back on it the next day I was embarrassed, but in that moment I felt more alive than I probably ever had before."
Jisung clears his throat roughly.
"Your turn, (Y/N)."
"Okay, never have I ever...had sex with someone in this cabin."
The atmosphere in the room shifts, but Jisung doesn't move to drink. I don't, either.
"Is that...somethin' you wanna check off your list?"
As Jisung leans closer, I notice his eyes have dropped to my lips.
"I'm always open to...new experiences."
I hold Jisung's gaze as I take a slow sip of my whiskey, making a show of running my tongue over my lips when I finish.
"It's your turn."
"Alright. Never have I ever..."
Jisung's voice goes husky. He leans closer, until I can almost feel his breath graze my skin. The sentence hangs in the air, an enticement.
"Never have you what, Jisung?"
Jisung's so close I can see his rough five o'clock shadow. He leans ever so slightly closer...
"...Wanted a woman and not had her."
I take another sip of whiskey. Jisung reaches for the bottle to pour another inch in his glass.
"So you have, then? Wanted someone you couldn't have?"
"You know I have. Do you like thinkin' about me wantin' you? Lyin' in my bed alone at night, hot and bothered just imaginin' what it'd feel like to have you touch me..."
Jisung's eyelids grow heavy with desire. When he speaks, his voice is rough, almost a growl.
"And what do you do then? When you're all worked up thinkin' about me?"
"My hands move like this..."
I move my hands over my body, lingering on the outside curve of my breast, dragging it slowly down my stomach and moving my fingers between my legs. I can't help but gasp as I start to move them over myself, the rough fabric over me only heightening the intensity of the sensation.
"What does that make you feel, Jisung? Knowing what the thought of you does to me?"
I'm the spark. Jisung's the match. Together, we ignite. In an instant, he loops his strong arm around my back to pull me onto his lap. He presses his hips up against me, and I can feel his hard length pressing into my leg.
"What are you doin' to me? I want you so bad..."
I moan as he rocks against me again. The friction sets me alight, but it's not enough... As I rest a hand against his chest, I feel Jisung's pulse quicken at my touch. But that's not all.
"Is that for me?"
From my position in Jisung's lap, I feel him harden underneath me. I slide my hand over his bulge, stroking him through the denim of his jeans. He rests his head in the crook of my neck, undone.
"Please, (Y/N)... Don't stop."
With a smirk, I slide out of his lap. He reaches for me, eyes blazing, but I just take a step back, wagging a finger in his face.
"Not so fast. You gotta show me you want it, Jisung."
"I've shown you plenty."
"A woman likes to feel desired."
He watches, captivated, as I slide my hands over my own body.
"So? Do you want me?"
Jisung licks his lips.
"More'n you know."
He reaches out for me again, but I shake my head. A moan escapes his lips.
"Please, you..."
The sound of him begging is almost better than his moan. I crook my finger in a 'come hither' motion."
"Oh, fine. Since you asked so nicely."
In an instant, Jisung's arms around me, his body molding to mine. He presses a feverish kiss to the place where my jaw meets my throat and I gasp at the sensation.
"Jisung..."
"Say it again. My name."
I arch against him and Jisung grits my hips, holding me in place as he grinds against me.
"Oh, Jisung..."
Our kisses grow frenzied, the heat between us start to feel dangerous, like it might spark at any moment. As I reach for his belt buckle, he grabs me by the wrist. With obvious effort, he wrenches himself away, taking a step back for good measure.
"Jisung? What's wrong?"
"Dammit, (Y/N). Why do you have to be so...so damn temptin'?"
He heaves in a shaky breath, expression pained.
"Jisung, we both want this. There's nothin' stoppin' us."
"I'm stoppin' us, (Y/N). For both our own good. And to make sure I stick to that...I think I'll take a walk to get some air."
He heads outside, and I hear his steps crunch by beneath the window. After a few minutes, I curl up in my sleeping bag, the whiskey making me feel deliciously sleepy. I'm just starting to doze when I hear Jisung creep back inside and curl up in his sleeping bag a few feet away. All night, my dreams are filled with Jisung's hands, his mouth, his entire body against mine.
The next day, I awaken to the soft light of early morning. There's no sign of Jisung in the cabin, so I step outside. He glances up when he sees me.
"I already packed the four wheeler. Minho'll be waitin' for us. We should leave as soon as we can."
He can pretend nothing happened last night, but that doesn't change anything. We both know how bad we want this.
I make my way back across the fields without incident and head into the house.
"Mornin', you two. Looks like you didn't sleep a wink."
Jisung winces.
"Listen, Minho...that fence was no match for us. It was in pretty rough shape when we got there, but we're up and runnin' now with new posts."
"That section's fine, but we should do a sweep of the property line. I'd wager there are other spots that need attention. If we don't find them, the horses will." Jisung informs Minho.
"Yeah, yeah, good plan." Minho says.
"Minho, are you with us? You see pretty distracted."
"Never could put one past you, Pip. The fact is...the rancher from Amarillo called back."
"Was it good news?"
"The best. He's ready to set up the contract for stud rights. Now's your chance to prove yourself, Pip. You're gonna help me lock that deal down once and for all."