Roping the Alien Cowboy (Untamable Alien Cowboys of Surlon Book 1) by Lexi Lunar

Author:Lexi Lunar [Lunar, Lexi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

KIan

I was cleaning my laser rifle when Kate walked into my dwelling, her blonde hair windswept and cheeks flushed from being outside. “Hey, Kian,” she said brightly, “are we still on for that camping trip you mentioned? I know you’ve been busy with sheriff stuff lately, but I was hoping we could get away for a little while.”

I hesitated, racking the rifle with more force than necessary. I’d been avoiding Kate ever since I saw her fiddling with that blasted communicator again. The woman was obsessed with trying to contact her people and get off this planet. Why go on some camping trip together if she was just going to up and leave at the first chance?

“I don’t know if now’s a good time,” I said gruffly. “Rustler activity’s picked up again. I need to keep close to the village.”

Kate’s face fell. “Oh. Yeah, of course.” She scuffed her boot against the floor. “I just thought it would be nice to see more of Surlon’s beauty, like you said. And we haven’t spent much time together lately.”

I felt a pang in my chest at the dejection in her voice. She was right - I had been avoiding her. The truth was I missed her company. Her wild stories about space adventures, her sharp wit, the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed...

No. I couldn’t let myself get drawn in. Not when she was so set on leaving.

Kate turned to go, shoulders slumped. Before I could stop myself, I heard my own voice saying, “Wait. We can still go camping. Wyatt and Lance have patrol well in hand.”

She glanced back, eyebrows raised in surprise. “Really? Are you sure?” At my nod, her face lit up with that radiant smile that always made my heart skip a beat. “Great! Thank you, Kian. This trip means a lot to me.”

I hoped it did. Because I was counting on the stark beauty of Surlon’s canyons and mountains to change her mind about leaving. Out there, away from the village, maybe she would feel the pull of this planet like I did. Understand why I could never imagine living anywhere else.

We left at sunrise the next day, Kate riding behind me on my stallion, Dakari. Her arms wrapped tight around my waist as we galloped across the desert. I tried not to dwell on how perfectly she fit against me.

By midday, we reached the sweeping valley I had chosen for our campsite. Cottonwood trees lined the riverbank, and in the distance, the red rock formations of the Valley of Fangs jutted skyward.

Kate’s eyes widened as she took it all in. “This view is incredible!” She squeezed my arm in excitement. “What should we do first?”

I secured Dakari while Kate unpacked our gear. We spent the afternoon hiking along the rim of the valley, gazing out over the landscape. The wind whipped through Kate’s hair as she leaned against me, both of us quiet with wonder.

When the suns began to set, we made camp beneath the cottonwoods.

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