Wild Thing

Change is hard, but it's inevitable.

Kara Barrett

I lived a high-octane life; I worked hard and played harder. I was a lioness tearing my prey to shreds. One night of passion led to two pink lines. I didn't mind; it was a blessing, an exciting new chapter in my life. But new chapters don't always start the way you expect, and mine started with a small town called Paxton and a grumpy cowboy.

He burst into my cafe and told me to stop changing things that didn't need fixing. I wasn't trying to change anyone or anything. I was trying to find a reason to keep living. I thought it would be the cafe, not a grumpy cowboy who became my new landlord and my reason.

Austin West

When you are born into a dynasty like West Ranch, your choices become minimal. I wanted to run the ranch with my brothers. I wanted to be a cowboy and live with the land. I thought I had it all—the girl, the house, and the ring. It would all fall into place. Then she left for the city and never looked back.

I may never be enough for anyone, but how I felt didn't matter. I had a ranch to run and a legacy to continue. Change in Paxton was uncommon and I avoided it at all costs. But when a red-headed wild woman rolled into this town, she brought change to my front door and a reason to put my barbed wire heart on the line one more time.

Little did I know that my Wild Thing was not the only change coming. She was the one to anchor me for the storm rolling into West Ranch, and none of us had any choice but to brace for impact.