Ride Your Luck

Regan Oakley’s luck ran out. After a stint in rehab, he’s putting his life back together without the booze. What he thinks is an old friend’s charity is really a plea for help. There’s trouble at the Bar RC Ranch and the friend’s son is in the middle of it. Regan takes one look at Wythe Carver and knows that young man isn’t the only one with his world turned upside down.

Wythe Carver’s life took a strange turn. Suspected of murdering the ranch foreman, he’s hanging on, one day at a time. The person who could alibi him has disappeared and Wythe can’t find him. To make matters worse, his prize stallion is loose on the range. Complicating his life even more, his father called an old friend to come help out at the ranch. One look at Regan Oakley is all Wythe needs to know it’s going to get hot at night. 

Regan sets out to find the truth of what happened that night at the Bar RC. He’s sure Wythe is innocent, and he’s just as sure he has no business getting involved with the boss’s son. With no solid proof to clear Wythe, Regan needs to ride his luck to get to the truth and keep Wythe by his side.

* * * * *

I hustled a glowering Wythe out the door. The moment it closed behind us he shook me off.

“I’ll do what I want to do about my horse.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. You need to learn when to smile, nod, and do what you want to do anyway.”

“Is that what you do, hot shot?”

“When necessary, and it was back there in the kitchen. Now what other tricks does Shorty know?”

Wythe smiled broadly and slowly shook his head.

“Smart ass.” I grinned back at him.

We stepped into the dimly lit barn, bumping shoulders and telling each other to grow up back and forth. I stopped at Shorty’s stall and made a kissing noise at the dozing beast.

Wythe froze and the sudden look of yearning on his face brought me up short. I glanced around. We appeared to be alone. I kept my voice low.

“Don’t look at me like that, cowboy. You’re my employer’s son.”

He swallowed, the muscles in his neck moving tightly. He licked his lips and my mouth went dry.

“They told me about you, Regan. And they told me you were particular about who you bedded down with, and not to make a run at you because it would put you in an awkward spot since I am John’s son. But you do want me. I felt it back on the patio.”