Young Millionaire Went Disguised as a Farmhand. He Never Expected to Fall for the Rancher’s Daughter

The Disguised Stranger and the Rancher’s Daughter

James Bennett wiped the sweat from his brow. His muscles burned from hours of hauling hay under the relentless Texas sun. He wasn’t used to this hard labor. There was dirt under his fingernails. The scent of horses and fresh-cut grass clung to his skin.

That was the point. No one here knew that James was a millionaire. No one suspected that he usually wore tailored suits instead of worn-out jeans. No one, especially not the rancher’s daughter, Savannah Blake, had any idea why he had come here.

He had come for reasons far beyond just needing a job. The moment he saw her, he knew he was in trouble. Savannah stood by the fence. Her long golden-brown hair was swept into a loose ponytail. A streak of dirt marked her cheek.

She was arguing with one of the other ranch hands, her hands on her hips. Her brown eyes flashed with fire.

“You can’t just leave the gate open like that, Travis,” she said. “If my dad’s prize stallion gets loose again, it’s on your head.”

James smirked, watching the way she commanded the space around her. She was tough, no doubt about it. But there was something else beneath that fire. It was something softer. It was something she probably didn’t let many people see.

For some reason, he wanted to be the one to see it. Savannah turned and caught him staring. She narrowed her eyes.

“You new guy?” she asked.

James straightened, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Yeah.”

“You know how to fix a fence?” she asked.

He shrugged. He’d never fixed a fence in his life, but how hard could it be? “Sure.”

She tossed a pair of worn gloves at him. “Great. You’re coming with me.”

James followed her without hesitation. He tried to ignore the way his pulse kicked up when she walked beside him. She smelled like wildflowers and sunshine. It was a scent so different from the designer perfume he was used to.

“You got a name, or should I just call you ‘new guy’?” she asked, glancing at him.

“James,” he said. He hesitated for a fraction of a second before adding, “James Bennett.”

She nodded as if she were filing that information away. “Well, James Bennett, let’s see if you’re more useful than the last guy my dad hired.”

They worked side by side in the heat. Savannah showed him how to hammer the boards into place. James was slower than her and less sure of his hands. However, he learned quickly.

“So, what’s your story?” she asked after a while. She paused to wipe her forehead with the back of her hand. “You don’t look like a ranch hand.”

James’s heart pounded. If she knew the truth, she’d never treat him the same. He was the owner of Bennett Enterprises. He had more money in his bank account than this ranch would probably ever see.

So he lied. “Just needed a change,” he said, keeping his voice casual. “Wanted to get away from the city for a while.”

Savannah studied him for a long moment. She seemed to be trying to decide if he was being honest. Then she nodded. “Fair enough.”

They finished fixing the fence just as the sun started to set. It cast everything in a golden glow. James leaned against the post, watching Savannah as she stretched her arms over her head. Her shirt lifted just enough to reveal a sliver of tan skin.

He should leave. He should remind himself that this was temporary. Once his reasons for being here were fulfilled, he’d be gone.

But when Savannah turned to him, a small, unexpected smile tugged at her lips. James knew with absolute certainty he was already in way too deep.