Read Online Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity (Meet Your Match, book 3) by Rachael Anderson - Free Book Online Page B

was in his blood, just like the property and houses were in his blood. Nothing could change that. He didn’t want anything to change that.
    “I plan to eventually take over, but I don’t want to move back into the big house. We have a lot of property here, and I’d prefer to build my own place someday.” At least that’s what Colton hoped would happen. But maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe he’d never marry or have a family of his own. Maybe he’d stay here, in this shack, for a good long while. Who knew what life held in store for him? He’d worry about it when the time came.
    Samantha nodded. Then her gaze drifted out the tiny kitchen window, to where Nutmeg stood grazing. Her brow furrowed. “Why did Nutmeg jump the fence but the mustang didn’t?”
    Colton held out his hand and pulled her up, leading her out of the house. He yanked the door closed behind him and said, “Back in the day, Nutmeg was a jumper—a really good one—until she tore a major tendon. That kind of injury takes a year or more to heal, and Nutmeg was close to retirement anyway, so the owners cut their losses and sold her to us. Now she’s one of the best riding horses we have. But that doesn’t mean she’s given up her jumping days. Every once in a while we find her outside the pasture, trotting down the road like she owns the place.” He smiled as he helped her on the horse, noticing she didn’t wince as much this time.
    “She’s definitely earned my allegiance,” said Samantha. “Though I’d rather not be riding her the next time she decides to relive her glory days.”
    Colton swung up behind her and guided Nutmeg back toward the road. “Your hat is back on my four-wheeler. Other than a little dirt, it’s still good as new.”
    “Thank you,” she said. “I’m going to need it a lot during the next seven days to cover up this beautiful hair of mine.”
    “You can always cross off the part about keeping it purple for a week.”
    “I will not,” said Samantha. “What’s the point of having a bucket list if I’m allowed to revise it?”
    “You revised the part about having a fling with a cowboy.”
    “That was before I finished the list. Now that it’s finished, it’s set in stone.”
    Colton nodded, not liking the idea of her dating someone else. Maybe he’d been too hasty in saying he didn’t do flings.
    Wait, what was he thinking? Not only were flings a waste of time, but they created awkward messes in the future. They weren’t worth the long-term consequences no matter how fun or gorgeous the girl. Colton wanted a relationship with the potential to go beyond summer and into the rest of his life. He wanted someone who would be happy settling down with him on this ranch in that poor excuse for a cabin and find the lifestyle as invigorating as he did.
    Samantha Kinsey would never be happy here. Would she? Who was she, really? What sort of life did she see herself living? She came across as the type of person who bounced from one adventure to the next, refusing to put down any roots. The type of person who was okay with dyeing her hair purple, sculpting ice, and having flings because it was all temporary.
    Maybe she feared permanence.
    The house came into sight, and moments later, Samantha’s body stiffened between his arms. Colton followed her gaze out to the pasture and gripped the reins hard. His first instinct was to yell out Kajsa’s name and spur Nutmeg into a run, but Sam’s gentle touch on his arm kept him quiet and steady.
    “Wait,” she whispered.
     
     

 
    Growing up on a ranch, Colton had experienced many things he considered to be sacred. Like the day he’d helped bring his first foal into the world, the time he’d known just where to find Spencer, who’d gotten lost in the mountains during an overnight camping trip, and the awe he felt every time he rode high into the mountains and looked over what had become of the Colorado Springs valley.
    Colton was no stranger to miracles. So when he saw