You Once Series Book 2: You Once Called Me Enemy

“I swear, I’ll never work on this family ranch!”

As a kid, that was my go-to response whenever my folks asked for a hand. I despised the cows, the dirt, and everything else that made up the ranch. I believed that if I resisted my roots hard enough, I could transform myself.

I didn’t want to be the ranch girl who was the butt of all jokes at school. I yearned to be one of the popular girls, the ones who seemed to have the world at their feet. I wanted boys to see me as a potential date, not as a helping hand.

So, I kept telling myself that I loathed the ranch and everything associated with it. I kept up this charade until I became a miserable girl, fighting against my true self. I was the tomboy who loved the ranch and the cows.

I just didn’t want to be teased anymore. My two best friends, Erica and McKenzie, would stand up for me. But I had reached a point where I wouldn’t even defend myself.

I let people think whatever they wanted about me. What could I have done to change their minds anyway? Then, my cousin Zane had a heart-to-heart with me.

He told me that regardless of what others thought, I should stay true to myself. At first, I didn’t get it until he explained that everyone has something unique about them. It was up to each individual to accept or reject that uniqueness.

My uniqueness wasn’t a flaw. It made me shine brighter than the sun. His love for the ranch was something he understood and cherished more than anything.

That conversation changed my perspective. All those girls I thought I wanted to emulate had something unique about them too. Sometimes it was good, sometimes not so much.

But ultimately, what they did with it was their choice. I decided to be honest with myself and everyone else. I wanted to work on the family ranch.

Zane’s parents owned it, but my parents worked just as hard there as his. Everyone shared the fruits of their labor. I was going to be the next family member to join in.

If the boys never saw me as date material, so be it. Changing everything about myself in the hopes of catching a boy’s eye wasn’t worth it. After graduation, I started working full-time on the ranch.

I also took some ranch management classes at a nearby community college. Zane wanted me to be involved in all aspects of the ranch. It was challenging, but I loved every minute of it.

Did I ever get a boyfriend? Not really. I had been on a few dates, but nothing serious. I made peace with the idea that if it happens, great, if not, life still has plenty of other wonderful things to offer.

I still loved the ranch and dared anyone to challenge that. I’ve grown into a stronger woman now that I’ve learned to be content with who I am. I’m not saying I never have moments of self-doubt because I do.

But I will stand up for myself and others in a heartbeat. I’ve strived to be the best person I can be, not just for myself but for everyone around me. I don’t want anyone in my life to think I’m miserable because I’m unhappy with my life.

I want to be the person everyone enjoys being around because they like my company.

“I’ve hired another man to work the ranch,” Zane announced.

I looked up from the spreadsheet I was working on, puzzled. He hadn’t mentioned anything about hiring someone new.

“Hold on, what are you talking about? I didn’t think we needed more help?”

Zane grinned at me, and I knew he was up to something.

“Well, I wanted to surprise you. We got the new cattle at a better price than I thought we would, so I doubled the order,” Zane said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

“Are you telling me you bought three hundred head of cattle?” I asked, flabbergasted.

We had the land for that and then some, but that’s a lot of work. We normally only ran at most a hundred head.

Moving to one hundred and fifty seemed like a stretch. Three hundred seemed like a ticking time bomb.

We had planned the extra fifty carefully and already added another new man and his wife to help with them. They were living in a house on the ranch with their children.

Mark and Kayla were a great help, so I was shocked at everything Zane was saying. I’m not against hard work; I actually enjoy staying busy.

But all of this seemed like it was going to be way more than we could handle. Was there some kind of magical ranch fairy that was going to come and make it all perfect for us?

“I did. Now, hear me out. I want our parents to be able to retire soon. They’ve all worked so hard, and I think now is the time to show them we can handle this,” Zane said.

“But three hundred head? Is one more guy going to be that much help? Should we think about it more?” I asked.

“When he’s worked at some of the top ranches in the States, then yeah, he is.”

“Who is this miracle man, then?” I snorted out.

“That would be me, Scott Mitchell, at your service.”

I whipped my head around and saw tall legs clad in jeans. Said legs and the hips that adjoined them were leaned against the doorway to the office Zane and I shared.

My eyes drifted down to his boots then to the legs and landed on the front of his pants. I’m not one to generally notice things, but damn, did I notice some things on this man.

His tight jeans were showing all the best parts of him, and I wasn’t even having to pay for a show! I finally looked up at the rest of his body to see that he was fit.

And not that fit cause I live at the gym fit, the kind you get only from hard physical labor. His arms were full of corded muscle, and I could only imagine what it looked like under that t-shirt he was wearing.

Would he have that delicious v that some men have? You know the one you want to lick whipped cream from just so you have an excuse to lick him there?

God, what I wouldn’t give to have a man like that in my bed. Hell, any man in my bed!

So far, he was absolutely delicious, and I hadn’t even taken in his face yet. I lifted my gaze and couldn’t help but think that maybe God had a particularly good day when he crafted this man.

A chiseled jawline and chin rested beneath a flawlessly straight nose. They were practically begging for kisses and licks until I was either satiated or faint from his sheer magnetism.

His lips may not be large, but they were two perfect cushions that I was dying to press mine against. I was also curious to nibble and tug at them, just to see if it elicited a moan from him.

His eyes were a light hue that reminded me of honey. I could lose myself in those eyes. And crowning his head was short, light brown hair that suggested he’d spent a fair share of time under the sun.

I gulped, struggling to process the sight before me. There he stood in the office doorway, sporting the most self-assured smirk I’d ever seen. He was the man of my dreams.

He was the kind of man I’d always pictured as my husband. But then he opened his mouth and ruined the perfect image.

“Like what you see, sweetheart?”