As the morning sun climbed high in the clear sky, Jeremy and Alexandra ambled back to the mountain ranch. Their morning had been filled with the sweet connection of a shared ride, a somewhat romantic air mingling with the scent of horses and the dust of the trail. The rugged beauty of Jeremy's property served as a picturesque backdrop, and Alexandra was slowly falling in love with the landscape, if not the rancher himself.
Their return coincided with the arrival of Lloyd, Jeremy's friend. His RAM pickup truck pulled up, drawing a horse trailer behind it. A cloud of dust marked his arrival, settling on the rough-hewn logs of the cabin as he clambered out. Lloyd was a man of the earth, his laugh was rich and deep, his hands rough from years of ranch work, and his wit as sharp as a cattle pr
