Whiskey and Wildfire - Sagebrush Cowboys #2 - E-Book

Logan
I never thought I’d set foot in Sagebrush, Texas, again. After leaving for New York City a decade ago, I promised myself I’d never look back. But when my so-called perfect life crumbled, the family ranch was the only place left to go. Now, I’m back in a town that feels more foreign than familiar, surrounded by suspicious stares and an overwhelming sense of failure. The debt hanging over the ranch isn’t making things any easier.

And then there’s Dakota Parker.

The first time I saw him, he took my breath away. A Cherokee cowboy with a quiet strength and eyes that seemed to see right through me, Dakota wasn’t like anyone I’d ever met. At first, he kept his distance, but the tension between us was impossible to ignore. One night, under the dim light of the barn, everything boiled over. That first kiss was like wildfire—hot, consuming, and impossible to put out.

But nothing’s ever simple, is it?

Dakota’s trust is something I never expected, and it’s the last thing I want to lose. But how do I balance my family’s legacy with the love I’ve found in him? Every choice I make feels like a betrayal—of him, of the ranch, and of the man I’m trying to become.

Dakota
I’ve spent my whole life keeping things simple—family, the land, and doing my part to protect my heritage. Love? That’s never been in the cards for me. People always want something from me, and I’ve learned it’s safer to stay guarded.

Then Logan Baker showed up, looking lost and determined all at once. He’s nothing like the men I’ve known—big-city sharp but with a vulnerability that pulls at something deep inside me. Against my better judgment, I let him in. The way he looks at me makes me want to believe in something more, but I’ve learned the hard way that hope can be dangerous.

When Logan’s desperation to save the ranch leads him to a group of investors with big ideas, my fears are realized. They want to turn this land into a spectacle, and me into their token Cherokee cowboy. I thought Logan understood what this place means to me, but now I’m not so sure.

Logan’s trying to fix everything, but he doesn’t see that some things can’t be bought or sold. I’ve spent my whole life fighting for the things that matter—my people, my land, my dignity. Now, I have to ask myself if I’m willing to fight for him too.

Together, we have to find another way—one that doesn’t sacrifice who we are or what we love. With the ranch’s survival on the line and our hearts hanging in the balance, we’ll have to trust in each other and believe that love, like the land, is worth fighting for.

Whiskey and Wildfire is a raw, steamy, and deeply emotional journey about vulnerability, redemption, and discovering home in each other’s arms. It’s a love that burned hot, weathered the storm, and came out stronger than ever under the endless Texas sky.

Chapter Two: Dakota
The rattlesnake and I were eye to eye, and I didn’t dare to even breathe. All around me was endless Texas prairie, the tall grass blocking me from anyone’s view. My horse had run off already after she threw me, spooked by the snake in the first place. Something about that rattle filling my ears and that black forked tongue made my blood run cold. The snake was pissed, and rightfully so, after nearly being trampled by my horse. I just hoped it didn’t try to take out its anger on my face.
I slowly inched my hand toward the knife at my belt, praying the snake wouldn’t strike. Maybe if I tossed it, the snake would strike at it instead of my face. My fingers trembled as they grasped the handle, and I fought to keep my breathing steady. The rattler’s eyes never left mine, its coiled body tensed and ready to deliver a fatal blow.
Suddenly, a gust of wind rippled through the grass, and the snake’s attention flickered for just a moment. I seized my chance, lunging backward and scrambling to my feet. The rattler struck, but I was already moving. Its fangs caught nothing but air as I stumbled through the grass, my heart pounding in my ears.
I ran blindly, pushing through the sea of green, desperate to put distance between myself and those venomous fangs. The sun beat down mercilessly and sweat stung my eyes as I searched for any sign of my horse or civilization. But all around me stretched nothing but endless Texas prairie. Sighing to myself, I accepted my fate.
I’d have to walk back to the farmhouse. Hell, my horse was probably already halfway there, anyway. Cursing under my breath, I tipped my cowboy hat low to keep the sun out of my eyes as I began to trudge home. Except this time, I kept a close eye on my boots, not wanting to come face to face with another rattler.
The walk back was grueling. The sun beat down relentlessly, and my clothes were soon drenched in sweat. Every rustle in the grass made me jump, my nerves still on edge from the encounter with the rattlesnake. I tried to orient myself using the distant hills, but the rolling landscape all looked the same. After five years on the same ranch, I still had a hard time finding my way back sometimes. It looked so different from the ground instead of the back of a horse.
As the afternoon wore on, my throat grew parched and my legs ached. I started to worry I’d taken a wrong turn somewhere in the endless sea of grass. I was the only hand working on the ranch, so nobody was coming to search for me. Hell, they probably didn’t even know I was missing yet. Just as panic began to set in, I spotted a familiar windmill on the horizon. Relief flooded through me — I was on the right track after all.
I quickened my pace, eager to reach the farmhouse. As I crested a small hill, I finally caught sight of it in the distance. My horse was there too, grazing peacefully in the front paddock as if nothing had happened. I shook my head. That old mare was getting on my last nerve, throwing me and running off like that. I couldn’t blame her for being scared, but why did she have to run all the way home and leave me stranded?
Lifting my hat, I ran a hand through my dark hair, drenched in sweat, before replacing it once more. I reminded myself that my horse was only acting on instinct. At least she had the good sense to run home instead of out into the frontier and get lost. She didn’t move as I approached her. Grabbing her bridle, I lifted her head, forcing her to look me in the eye.
“Sogwili,” I said, getting close. “I wish I could explain to you how close you just came to being turned into glue.”
She just munched peacefully, hardly paying any attention to me. I let out a long sigh, shaking my head.
“Come on. Let’s get out of this sun.”
I led Sogwili to the barn, her hooves clopping lazily against the hard-packed earth. The shade inside was a blessed relief after hours in the scorching sun. As I began to remove her tack, I noticed a small scratch on her flank, likely from her mad dash through the prairie. I’d have to tend to that later.
“You know, girl,” I muttered as I worked, “one of these days, you’re gonna have to learn to keep your head. Can’t be throwing me every time you see a snake.”
Sogwili just blinked at me, her big brown eyes vacant as ever. Sometimes I wondered if there was anything going on in that head of hers besides hay and oats. I just shook my head again. At least she was easy to talk to. It was people that were the problem for me.
With the saddle off, I gave her a good brush down, working out the sweat and dust from her chestnut coat. As I ran the brush over her white blaze, I couldn’t help but smile. For all her faults, Sogwili was still a beautiful horse. And she was mine. She was the only thing I kept when I left home.
As I finished grooming her, I heard footsteps approaching the barn. The ranch owner, Mr. Baker, appeared in the doorway, his weathered face creased with concern.
“There you are, boy,” he said, relief evident in his voice. “When I saw Sogwili come back without you, I feared the worst.”
I nodded, grateful for his concern. He always treated me well, despite the fact that I was an outsider. “Just a close call with a rattler, sir. Sogwili here decided she’d rather not stick around for introductions.”
Mr. Baker chuckled, shaking his head. “That mare’s got more skittish than sense, I swear. You alright though? No bites or anything?”
“No sir, I’m fine. Just a little hot and hungry.”
“Well, I reckon we can do somethin’ about both those things. Come on inside, the missus is just finishin’ up dinner.”
It wasn’t like Mr. Baker to invite me into the main house. Not that I wasn’t welcome, I just preferred my own company, and he respected that.
“I don’t want to impose…”
“Nonsense, boy,” Mr. Baker said, clapping me on the shoulder. “After the day you’ve had, you deserve a hot meal and some company. Besides, Caroline’s been askin’ about you.”
I felt my cheeks flush at the mention of Caroline, Mr. Baker’s daughter. She was a few years older than me and tough as nails, but there was something about her that always made me nervous. Maybe it was the way she could rope a calf faster than any man I’d ever seen, or how she never hesitated to speak her mind. Sometimes I thought she wanted to rope me for herself. Little did she know, she wasn’t my type. No woman was.
“Alright,” I conceded, following Mr. Baker out of the barn. “Thank you, sir.”
As we approached the house, I could smell the aroma of fresh-baked bread and roasting meat. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since dawn. Mr. Baker chuckled at the sound, leading me up the porch steps and into the house.
The kitchen was warm and inviting, filled with the mouthwatering scents of dinner. Mrs. Baker stood at the stove, stirring a large pot of what smelled like beef stew. She turned as we entered, her kind face lighting up with a smile.
“Dakota! Thank goodness you’re alright. We were so worried when Sogwili came back without you.”
I ducked my head, embarrassed by the attention. “I’m fine, ma’am. Just had a bit of excitement with a rattlesnake.”
“A rattlesnake?” Caroline’s voice rang out as she entered the kitchen. Her long dark braid swung behind her as she strode towards me, brown eyes flashing. “Dakota Parker, what in tarnation were you doin’ messin’ with a rattler?”
I flinched at the sight of her, turning my eyes down to the floor. “Sogwili threw me nearly on top of it,” I replied. “Barely got away from it.”
Caroline’s eyes widened, a mix of concern and exasperation crossing her face. “That dang horse,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I swear she’s got less sense than a fence post. You sure you’re alright?”
I nodded, still avoiding her gaze. “Yes ma’am, I’m fine. Just a little shaken up is all.”
“Well, you just sit yourself down and let Mama feed you,” Mrs. Baker said, ushering me to the table. “Nothing cures the nerves like a hot meal.”
I sat obediently, my stomach rumbling again at the prospect of food. Caroline took the seat across from me, her eyes never leaving my face. I could feel her gaze burning into me, making me squirm uncomfortably.
“So, tell us what happened,” Mr. Baker said as he settled into his chair at the head of the table.
I cleared my throat, fidgeting with the napkin in my lap. “Well, I was out checking the fences on the north pasture when Sogwili got spooked by something. Before I knew it, she’d reared up and thrown me. I landed hard and when I looked up, there was this huge rattler coiled up not two feet from my face.”
Caroline let out a low whistle. “That’s a close call if I ever heard one. How’d you get away?”
I recounted the tense standoff with the snake, trying to downplay how terrified I’d been. But Caroline saw right through me.
“You must’ve been scared half to death,” she said, her voice uncharacteristically gentle.
I just shrugged, uncomfortable with the attention. “It’s part of the job, I reckon. Gotta be ready for anything out here.”
Mr. Baker nodded in agreement, but before he could speak, another figure stepped into the room.
“Sorry everyone. I wasn’t watching the time.”
Lifting my gaze, I looked right past Caroline, up at her brother, Logan Baker, and my mouth went dry. He was a gorgeous man from head to toe, his short sandy brown hair perfectly tousled and those green eyes of his dusty and light like the sagebrush that clung to the hills that gave the town its name. He’d been home for nearly two months, and I’d done everything I could to avoid him. He was just too pretty.
“That’s okay, honey,” Mrs. Baker replied, getting up to fetch him a plate. “I figured you were busy still lookin’ through the want ads.”
“The want ads,” Caroline sneered, glancing up at her brother as he took a seat next to her. “Right.”
Logan slid into the chair next to Caroline, his eyes meeting mine briefly before darting away. I felt my heart rate quicken and focused intently on my plate, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach.
“I was looking at job listings,” Logan said defensively. “Just because you don’t approve of my career choices doesn’t mean they’re not valid.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Oh please. You’ve been back for two months and haven’t applied for a single thing. The only thing you’ve done is sit on that roof and drown yourself in cheap whiskey.”
I could feel the tension rising between the siblings and wished I could sink into the floor. Family drama always made me uncomfortable. It brought up too many bad memories.
Mrs. Baker set a steaming bowl of stew in front of Logan, effectively ending the argument. “That’s enough, you two. Let’s just enjoy our meal and maybe behave in front of our guest.”
“You don’t mind, do you Dakota?” Caroline asked, her gaze back on me in an instant. “Why, you’re practically one of the family now.”
Maybe she sounded innocent to everyone else, but not to me. If there was one thing Caroline was not, it was subtle. She’d made her intentions perfectly clear to me over the past five years I’d been working at the Baker ranch. That girl wanted to wife me up so badly she could barely stand it. But she just wasn’t my type. Nobody was. I stole another glance at Logan. Well, almost nobody.
“Either way,” Logan continued, pulling the conversation off me once more. “I’ll be helping with the cattle drive this weekend. I know we’re a bit short on help right now.”
“Sorry about that, Logan,” his father sighed. The smile that usually adorned his face faltered. “Hired help cancelled on us last minute and those cattle need to come in for the winter.”
“It’s not a problem,” Logan said, taking a bite of his stew. “You know me. I love sleeping in the dirt and riding horses for hours on end.”
It was sarcastic, but his father laughed anyway. “Well, it’s no high-rise office, but it’s not a bad life, right?”
Logan looked up, his smile so fake even I noticed it. “Right. Not a bad life at all.”
Once the meal was over, I offered to help Mrs. Baker clean up, but she’d hear nothing of it. I thanked the Bakers for their hospitality and headed out to my small cabin on the edge of the property. The cool night air was a relief after the stuffy kitchen, and I took a deep breath, letting the tension in my shoulders ease. Some people might’ve found the life of a ranch hand lonely, but I loved it. When I was alone under those stars, I was at peace.
As I approached my cabin, I noticed a figure sitting on the porch steps. My heart skipped a beat when I realized it was Logan. Somehow, he’d beaten me out of the house. He stood as I got closer, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. What was he doing there?
“Hey,” he said softly. “I, uh, wanted to make sure you were really okay after that snake incident.”
I nodded, suddenly very aware of how close he was standing. The heat of him seemed to pull at my skin, sending a tingle down my spine. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just another day on the ranch, right?”
Logan chuckled, but it sounded forced. “Right. Listen, I wanted to apologize for Caroline. She can be... intense.”
“It’s alright,” I replied. “I’m used to it.”
“Right. Of course you are.”
I was suddenly aware of how little time Logan and I had spent together. I was hired onto the ranch after he’d left for college. Other than catching a glimpse of him here and there during holidays, we’d never seen one another, much less held a conversation. And yet, there we were, standing awkwardly outside my cabin with nothing but the silence of a Texas night between us.
“So, listen,” Logan began, scratching the back of his head nervously. It was a cute gesture. “Caroline wanted me to ask you something.”
My heart dropped. Talking about Caroline was one of my least favorite subjects. She was a decent woman and a damn good rider, but she wanted more than I was willing to give.
“My answer is no,” I said, before he could get it out.
Logan looked up at me, a surprised grin spreading over his face. “Oh… so this isn’t the first time she’s done this, then?”
I let out a long sigh. “No. And I appreciate her interest, but I don’t want to date her.”
“Why is that?”
It was an innocent enough question, but it made my stomach turn.
“I… uh… have my reasons.”
Logan nodded. “I get it. She’s the boss’s daughter and—”
“It’s not that,” I blurted out.
But then I snapped my mouth shut, knowing I’d made a mistake. Why did I even say it to begin with?
“It’s just that… I’m…” I took a deep breath. “I’m just not interested.”
“Hey,” Logan said, lifting his hands up in mock defeat. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I’ll tell Caroline to back off. She can be a bit overwhelming sometimes and she knows that.”
My chest swelled with relief, but also a strange sense of disappointment. Part of me had hoped Logan might push a little further, might somehow intuit the truth I couldn’t bring myself to say out loud. But of course, he wouldn’t. Why would he?
“Thanks,” I managed, my voice rougher than I intended. “I appreciate that.”
Logan nodded, shoving his hands back in his pockets. He rocked back on his heels, looking up at the star-studded sky. “Beautiful night,” he murmured.
I followed his gaze upward, drinking in the vast expanse of twinkling lights. “Yeah,” I agreed softly. “It’s why I love it out here. You can see every star.”
“Must get lonely though,” Logan said, glancing at me.
I shrugged, not meeting his eyes. “I prefer it this way. People just disappoint you.”
He just sat there, staring. And I realized, once again, I’d given away too much. But then his eyes softened, a look of understanding crossing his face.
“I know what you mean,” he said quietly. “Sometimes it feels like the whole world is just waiting to let you down.”
I nodded, surprised by his empathy. For a moment, we stood in companionable silence, both lost in our own thoughts. The night air was cool and still, broken only by the chirping of crickets and the distant lowing of cattle.
“Listen,” Logan said suddenly, turning to face me. “I know we don’t know each other that well, but... if you ever want to talk, or just have a drink and not talk, I’m here. Sometimes it’s nice to not be alone, even if you’re not saying anything.”
His offer caught me off guard. I searched his face for any sign of insincerity but found only genuine kindness in those green eyes. Something inside me longed to say yes, to ask him to spend some real time with me. But I knew that was a dangerous and slippery road to travel. If I let him close now, pretty soon I’d be wanting more.
“Thanks,” I said at last. “I’ll keep that in mind.” I made a big show of stretching as I turned my face back to the sky. “Well, it’s been a long day. Time to turn in, I guess.”
“Right,” Logan nodded, looking a bit dejected as he headed back toward the house. “Good night, Dakota.”
I watched him go, feeling the guilt twist in my stomach for rejecting him so openly. “Night.”