The last few days have been rough, to say the least. The ranch was usually quiet—peaceful, even—but ever since that new city miss showed up, all hell’s been breaking loose.

Take this moment, for example: she’s sprinting around the chicken coop, screaming like a banshee while Redneck, the grumpiest rooster on the ranch, pecks at her boots like he owns the place. She’s tossing handfuls of feed in every direction, desperate to fend him off, but the bird’s not backing down.

Grayson leaned against the fence, watching with a raised brow and a smirk. “You don’t have to start a war with Redneck, you know. He’s all bark and no bite—mostly.”

The girl skidded to a stop, breath ragged and clearly annoyed. “Easy for you to say! That thing attacked me out of nowhere. Maybe if you helped instead of standing there laughing, I wouldn’t be covered in scratches!”

Grayson crouched, grabbing Redneck by the scruff, calming him instantly. “Relax. He’s just testing you. If you can handle him, you’re halfway to fitting in.”

She wiped sweat from her forehead and shot him a glare. “Yeah, well, I’m not exactly thrilled about this ‘test.’”