The Heart’s f*******n Winter

Chapter 3

The next mornin' came too soon for Amelia. The storm had let up by dawn, leavin' behind a crisp, cold silence. The world outside had turned white—snow as far as the eye could see, stretchin' across the ranch like a blanket, not a single footstep breakin' its stillness. A perfect reflection of how she felt inside—quiet, but deep down, churning.

She was alone in the kitchen, the only sound the soft hiss of the stove. Her mother had gone off to manage the day’s affairs, and Elias had gone with his father to the far end of the property to handle business. Amelia preferred the solitude for now, even if it brought with it the weight of her thoughts.

As she stood by the window, lookin’ out over the land, she felt a presence in the room before she heard it. The click of heels echoed behind her—sharp, determined.

“Amelia,” her mother’s voice cut through the silence like a knife, smooth and cold. “You look pale this mornin’.”

Amelia didn’t turn. She kept her gaze on the snow, the world outside still, waiting. “I’m fine, Mama. Just tired, that’s all.”

Caroline Hart didn’t buy it. “Tired? Or is it somethin’ else? I’ve seen you distracted lately. You ain't yourself.”

Amelia’s jaw tightened. She didn't need this right now. “I’m just adjustin’, Mama. It’s been a lot to take in, is all.”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed like she was studyin’ her every move. “I don’t want to hear excuses, Amelia. You’ve been actin’ strange, like you’re somewhere else, not here. This ain't the way you were raised.” There was a pause, her tone softenin’ but no less firm. “And tonight, there's the Whitmore family dinner. Elias will be there, and Mr. Whitmore. You know what’s expected of you.”

Amelia let out a quiet breath, feelin’ the weight of her words as they settled deep in her chest. Her mother’s expectations were suffocatin’—everything she did was always to please others.

“I’ll be there,” Amelia said, her voice a touch distant. She couldn’t even muster the energy to feign excitement anymore. What was there to look forward to? Another evening of polite conversation, another night watchin’ Elias be the perfect gentleman.

“That’s good.” Caroline didn’t linger on the answer. Instead, she looked Amelia over one more time, her sharp eyes catchin' the subtle strain in her daughter’s posture. “Get dressed, then. I’ve already called the dressmaker—don’t want no one sayin’ you’re unprepared.”

Amelia nodded, forcing herself to stand straighter. "I will, Mama." She forced a smile, but it was thin and insincere. As her mother turned to leave, Amelia’s eyes lingered on the horizon once more, where everything still felt far away.

Later that afternoon, Amelia found herself walkin’ toward the barn, the snow crunchin’ beneath her boots with every step. She needed air—needed to escape the silence of the house, and the weight of her own thoughts. The barn was peaceful, though, and the cold felt good against her skin. It was a reprieve, however small.

Her eyes wandered over the ranch—miles and miles of land that felt like they belonged to someone else, someone who wasn’t weighed down by the expectations of their family.

And then, from the corner of her eye, she saw him.

Luke Donovan.

Ridin’ in from the direction of the creek, his figure cut through the snow like a shadow, the horse’s hooves makin’ a slow rhythm against the frozen ground. His coat billowed behind him like he belonged to the wild. Amelia’s heart skipped a beat, and despite herself, she couldn’t look away.

She stood frozen, her breath comin’ faster, her pulse jumpin’ in her chest. He was so different. So wild. And yet, in that moment, he was the only thing that seemed real to her.

He didn’t notice her right away, but when he did, his dark eyes found hers. For a moment, Amelia thought she saw something flicker in his gaze, something almost like recognition. He slowed the horse to a stop just short of the barn, and the wind carried his deep, rough voice across the yard.

“Well, if it ain't Miss Hart herself,” Luke drawled, tipping his hat just enough to show that cocky grin of his. “What you doin’ out here in the cold, sugar? Ain’t no place for a lady like you.”

Amelia wasn’t sure what made her take a step toward him—maybe it was the way his voice cut through the air, or maybe it was the way he made her feel like she was the only thing in the world worth lookin’ at.

“I—” She swallowed the sudden tightness in her throat. “I needed to get some air.”

He chuckled low in his throat. “Well, reckon it don’t get much fresher than this. You sure you’re alright out here alone?”

Amelia hesitated, then nodded, feeling a sudden rush of heat in her chest despite the cold air. “I’m fine. Just… thinkin’.” Her words trailed off, but Luke was lookin’ at her like he knew exactly what she meant, like he could read every thought in her head.

“Thinkin’, huh?” He didn’t move from his spot, still perched on the horse like he belonged in the wilderness. “Not sure a place like this is for thinkin’ too much, Miss Hart. Reckon the whole world’ll start feelin’ a lot smaller if you don’t watch it.”

His words hung in the air between them, like a challenge.

His words hung in the air between them, like a challenge.

Amelia found herself leaning a little closer, drawn to him, but she held herself back. She had to. She had to remember that she didn’t belong to his world. She belonged to the world that had already been chosen for her.

But as she looked into his eyes—dark, stormy, untamed—she felt the strings inside her pull tight. There was something there. Something wild, something dangerous. And for all the reasons she knew she should run from it, Amelia couldn’t find the strength to turn away.

“You’re right,” she whispered, almost to herself. “This world… it ain’t for thinkin’.”

Luke’s smile curled up one side of his lips. “No ma’am. It sure ain’t.”

And just like that, he turned the horse away and rode off, leavin' her alone with the storm inside her heart.

Amelia stood there, rooted to the ground, watchin’ him disappear into the distance. Her breath was shallow, and she could feel that tug in her chest again—the one she couldn’t explain.

She was in deep now, and no matter how hard she tried to pull away, Amelia knew that this, whatever it was between her and Luke Donovan, couldn’t be undone.

Not now. Not ever.The sound of Luke’s horse fading into the distance left Amelia feeling like the air around her had thickened, weighed down by something she couldn’t quite name. Her feet seemed glued to the snow-covered ground as she watched him disappear behind the line of trees. Her thoughts swirled, faster than the snowflakes falling from the grey sky above.

She should go inside. She should forget everything that had just happened—forget the pull, the tension in the air, the way her heart had beat a little too fast when he’d looked at her like that. She didn’t belong in his world. She didn’t belong anywhere near him.

But no matter how hard she tried to make her legs move, her body refused. She stood there, the cold seeping through her coat, her fingers stiff in the gloves, yet it all seemed irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was the way his words hung in the air—like a challenge, an invitation to a world she was too afraid to touch.

“What’s wrong with me?” Amelia whispered to the wind, her voice barely audible. She turned back toward the barn, but everything felt… different. The trees, the animals, the land—everything felt so far away, as if it all belonged to someone else. The life she had been raised to live, the life her mother had planned for her, seemed as distant as the stars now.

She walked toward the stable, her footsteps slow and heavy. As she reached the barn door, she heard the faint sound of hooves again. But this time, it wasn’t Luke.

Amelia turned, her breath catching in her throat. It was Elias.

He was riding in from the direction of the house, his horse steady beneath him. He had a confident air about him, sitting tall in the saddle, his polished boots gleaming even in the dull light. His face was clean-shaven, his hair neatly combed under his hat, and there was a certain nobility in the way he carried himself.

Elias caught sight of Amelia almost immediately, his expression lighting up with that easy smile she had come to expect from him. He urged his horse into a trot, drawing nearer.

“There you are,” he called out warmly, his Texan drawl rich and familiar. “I was startin' to wonder if you’d disappeared into the snow. Thought I might have to come find ya myself.” His voice had that comfortable, affable tone, the one that always put Amelia at ease, at least for a moment.

Amelia offered a smile, but it was strained. Her heart was still racing from the encounter with Luke. “I was just… thinkin’. Needed a break from everything.”

Elias dismounted with a fluid grace, his eyes studying her face with a hint of concern. “You sure you're alright? You seem distant today. I don’t mind tellin’ ya, it worries me a bit, Miss Hart.” His words were soft, gentle, and caring—everything Amelia had been taught to look for in a man.

“I’m fine,” Amelia replied quickly, forcing the words past her lips. “Just tired. It’s been a long few days.”