Dray rang the doorbell and caught sight of herself in the reflection of the glass of the gorgeous double door that she’d always admired. Given the physical and often dirty nature of her job, she rarely gave much thought to her appearance. She wasn’t trying to impress her fellow ranch workers, and the horses certainly didn’t care if she looked rumpled or wasn’t wearing makeup. But as she studied her reflection now, she couldn’t help cataloging all the things about her that looked...wrong.

She was hot, sweaty and dirty. She probably smelled like a horse—not that she noticed anymore. Her old Stetson—a gift from Hank when she’d won her first riding competition—was dented and in need of a good steaming and a scrub. And how could she not have realized that there was a tear in her favorite plaid shirt?

Dray—busy scrubbing smudges of dirt from her face—was startled when the door she’d been staring into swung open. She was at eye level with a man’s broad chest and shoulders. Intoxicating cologne teased her nostrils without overwhelming her. She couldn’t help wanting to press her nose to his chest to get a big whiff of it.

Was there such a thing as love at first scent? Because if so, she was in serious danger.

“Dray?”

She took a step back, tipped her chin and gazed up at the man who’d uttered her nickname in a voice that sounded all too familiar. But it just couldn’t be...

“Kahlil?” She studied the familiar face. His medium brown skin was a bit more weathered than it’d been when she’d last seen it twenty years ago, and he wore his hair cut much lower. But he was more handsome than ever. And the fluttering in her tummy indicated that her attraction to him hadn’t subsided, either. “What on earth are you doing here?”

Andraya had gone to great pains to avoid Kahlil over the past two decades. She’d ensured that she hadn’t been in town for either of his sister’s weddings. Something she still felt guilty about. And he clearly hadn’t been eager to return to Willowvale Springs, either. So what was he doing there now?

“Are you staying at the cabin while you’re in town?” she prodded when he didn’t respond.

“Yes.” He shoved his hands into his pockets.

Obviously still not much of a talker. No worries. She wasn’t here to see him anyway.

“I must’ve misunderstood Antonio. I came to meet the new owner of the horse ranch. He must be staying in the smaller log cabin.” Dray drifted backward, her face hot and her pulse racing. “Well, I’m sure you’re busy with...you know...your life. So I won’t keep you. Goodbye.” Dray hurried toward the stairs, desperate to escape the incredibly awkward meeting.                                   

“I am the new owner,” Kahlil said.                           

Andraya froze, then turned slowly on the worn heels of her favorite cowboy boots. She stared at the boy who’d once been her best friend. The boy who’d boarded a bus to Denver for college, promising to see her at Christmas, and never returned. The man who clearly hadn’t wanted anything to do with her or the little town of Willowvale Springs anymore.                       

This had to be someone’s idea of a cruel joke. There was no way in the world Hank Carson would’ve left his beloved horse ranch to a deserter like Kahlil Anderson.                                   

Would he?                                   

Dray stared at her old friend in disbelief, her heart dropping to her stomach and her throat suddenly dry. She shook her head, taking another step back. “No... I don’t believe it.”

Chapter Two

Kahlil studied the face that had once been so familiar to him. The large, expressive brown eyes, pouty lips, and deep brown skin. The tattered plaid shirt and worn jeans streaked with dust indicated that her sense of style hadn’t evolved much. But everything else about the girl next door who’d once been his best friend had been completely transformed.                                   

Dray’s once-boyish figure—typically drowned in oversized clothing—was soft and curvy. Rather than hiding her body, the shirt and the tank she wore beneath it highlighted full breasts he definitely didn’t remember her having at sixteen. The jeans she wore clung to her tantalizing curves. And the vision of that perfect ass when she’d turned around to leave... Kahlil wasn’t sure it would ever leave his brain.                          

It’d been twenty long years since he’d seen Andraya Walker. But in some ways, it felt like he was seeing her for the first time. Had she always been this beautiful? Or had he just not noticed because Dray had always been one of the guys?                               

Kahlil forced his gaze to meet hers as he leaned against the door frame. “Well, if I can’t convince my old friend I’m the new owner, I’m not off to a very good start today, am I?”