Outside, the handsome man and Layla flirt with one another. He is significantly older than Layla and she finds herself attracted to him. However, Layla feels constrained by the knowledge that she is “stuck on hamster wheel of bills to pay, a qualification to finish, and forever feeling older than [her] years” (13). He abruptly drives away without letting her repay him.

When Layla enters Kayce’s address into her map app, she is annoyed to find that the location is far out of town. She wonders if there could be an error so she goes to a nearby cafe to confirm Kayce’s address. A young woman working there confirms that the location is at the top of a mountain and makes suggestive remarks about Kayce, implying he is promiscuous. Annoyed, Layla gets back in her car and begins the drive up the mountain.

To Layla’s surprise, she arrives at a beautiful mountain lodge, with signs reading Devil’s Peak Ranch. She rings the doorbell and is shocked when the handsome man from the gas station opens the door, clad only in a towel.

Before Layla can react, Kayce appears, enthusiastically hugs her, and introduces her to the older man: his father, Colton “Colt” Wilder. Although Kayce introduces Layla as his girlfriend, she quickly corrects him, clarifying that she is his ex. Kayce’s father is strangely cold and makes no acknowledgment of their earlier gas station meeting. He quickly leaves Kayce and Layla alone. 

Kayce explains to Layla that her calls didn’t go through, since internet and cell service are unreliable in the isolated mountain lodge. Kayce speaks disparagingly of both his father and the ranch, explaining that he is only staying at the ranch for the summer because he failed to secure a rodeo sponsor for the season. Determined to be done with the situation, Layla gets Kayce’s boxes from her car, intent on leaving and never seeing either Wilder man again.

The narrative resumes five months later, in early January. Layla is desperately trying to complete the minimum number of work placement hours so that she will be qualified to practice as a vet as soon as her training completes in August. Layla feels the burden of financial pressure: she wants to secure a full time job so that she can earn money for herself and to pay for the medical care that her aunt, Evaline, requires. She secures a new vet apprentice placement at Shipton Stables, which starts in a few days. Layla calculates that she will have just enough money to last until her first paycheck comes in. 

Unexpectedly, Layla receives a call from a company called Gratitude Finance regarding an overdue loan for $2,580. She learns that the fraudulent loan was registered in her name but tied to the Devil’s Peak Ranch address, and pieces together that Kayce must have taken it out using her details. Since Layla is unable to confirm a different permanent address (she has been travelling between different work placements), she is on the hook for paying the loan by January 10. 

Layla leaves a voicemail for her best friend, Sage Maloney, explaining the situation and her planned next steps: She’s going to return to Crimson Ridge to confront Kayce about the loan. The town is somewhat on the way to her new job, so Layla hopes to resolve the situation quickly. After a perilous drive on snowy mountain roads, she reaches Devil’s Peak Ranch. She is surprised by the sight of Colt butchering a deer and offended when Colt asks her if she is looking for Kayce because she’s pregnant. Colt coldly tells her that Kayce isn’t at the ranch. As Layla drives away from the ranch, her car breaks down, leaving her stranded in a rapidly worsening blizzard with no cell service.

Layla walks back to the ranch and asks Colt if she can use his phone to arrange a tow truck. He informs her that a tow truck is impossible in the severe weather and he is unwilling to tow her car himself, meaning she is stranded. The overwhelming stress triggers a severe panic attack in Layla. Colt calmly helps her through it, giving her a paper bag to regulate her breathing and a snack to raise her blood sugar.

Colt is increasingly worried by the intensity of Layla’s desire to find Kayce (he doesn’t know about the loan and still suspects she might be pregnant). He tries to contact his son but gets no response. Colt reflects on his own experience of unexpectedly becoming a father while still a teenager. He contacts a few locals by radio, confirming that due to the storm, it will likely be several weeks before the road reopens, and he can get Layla and her car back into town. He concludes that he could take her on horseback much sooner, if she is willing to abandon her car. 

When Colt presses her for an explanation, Layla explains that she fears losing her new job if she doesn’t show up for the start date and that she needs the money that will come with it. Losing the placement also risks delaying her ability to start practicing in August if she is unable to meet her qualifying hours. She doesn’t mention that Kayce took out a loan in her name, instead fabricating a cover story about a joint account with Kayce from which she needs to withdraw savings to cover unexpected bills. Colt transfers her the money she needs, but this doesn’t resolve the problem of her losing her work placement opportunity. Despite internal misgivings, Colt broaches the idea that she could work at the ranch and use her job there to fulfil some of her work placement hours.

Early the following morning, Layla reflects on her astonishment, gratitude, and escalating attraction to Colt. She asks him if he truly wants her to stay and work at the ranch and he formalizes his job offer: an eight-week vet apprenticeship at Devil’s Peak Ranch, complete with full-time wages and room and board, which Layla accepts.

Colt and Layla spend their first day working together on ranch chores, including clearing snow and feeding the cattle. Colt harshly scolds her for not latching a gate properly, leaving her upset, embarrassed and convinced that he is “short-tempered, growly, and impossible to please” (57). Despite his abrasive manner, Layla finds herself increasingly aware of her physical attraction to him.

After a week of working together, Colt struggles with his growing attraction to Layla. Kayce has only responded with a curt reply that he’ll come back to the ranch when the roads reopen. Colt reflects on his traumatic past with his abusive grandfather and his failures as a young father. Colt had never wanted children, and was overwhelmed when, at age 17, he accidentally got Kayce’s mother, Shawn, pregnant. Colt let Shawn raise their son alone and only learned later that she was struggling with addiction and not parenting well. Colt’s guilt over his absence from his son’s life motivated him to attempt to help Kayce and now he feels guilt about desiring Layla. He frets that “if I even think about going there with this girl, I’ll ruin any hope of ever reconciling with my son” (67). Nonetheless, sexual tension arises whenever they are close to one another.