The Girl from Big Sky Country Chapter 2

Dreadful? I thought it was pretty great. We had mountains, streams, and more livestock than you could count. In the distance, the peaks of the Rockies were capped with snow. People from big cities paid a fortune to vacation here, and they always looked like they were in heaven.

Savannah took in my worn jeans and the calluses on my hands, her brow furrowing with guilt. "Cassie, our family is very wealthy. You'll never have to worry about money again."

She was the first person in my entire life to call me poor.

I gently turned her face towards the endless expanse of our ranch. "Ever seen this much land, city slicker?"

"Ever seen herds of cattle, bison, and sheep that stretch to the horizon, city slicker?"

"Ever seen a real log lodge or a working ranch, city slicker?"

"This? This is all mine."

"A single bison goes for ten grand, a good horse for eight, a cow for two, a sheep for a few hundred. You do the math."

Savannah was speechless. A moment ago, all she'd seen was manure. Now, her eyes were taking in the whole scene. It was summer, and the high-country pasture was a sea of green grass and yellow wildflowers.

The sun was starting to set. I didn't have time to entertain them; I had to get the flock into the pen for the night.

"Cassie, I've never herded sheep before! Can I please try?"

Weird. Never thought someone would be begging to do chores. Seeing the sparkle in her eyes, I just waved a hand. "Go for it."

She dug a pair of flip-flops out of her designer handbag, carefully tiptoed around the manure patches, and charged toward the flock.

With her gone, I finally turned to the boy who'd been silent this whole time. He was tall, with the kind of lean, athletic build that suggested he could handle himself. But his skin was so pale and smooth, he was clearly a city kid with no real work experience.

He felt my gaze and looked down at me, his expression cool. "Hello. I'm Landon Hayes."

I nodded. "I know. My so-called fiancé."

His posture stiffened. "I came here to talk to you about that. Miss... er, Cassie... I don't think we're a good match. I hope you'll agree to call off the engage—"

He was cut off by a scream from Savannah's direction.