Cupcakes and Cowboys (Sunset Plains Romance Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

of all was the fact his mother was right—it was irresponsible to delay production for four months of research. No one loved their job one hundred percent of the time, and he certainly wasn’t exempt from that. This film might just be the one to help him regain his spark. He would throw himself into research, and return to Hollywood when the time came without a backward glance. Time to pony up, cowboy, he thought, and grinned wryly at how country the phrase sounded. He was here to research a role so he could hopefully do a performance worthy of an Oscar win and not just a nomination. Intriguing women like Cassidy weren’t part of the plan.
    The men didn’t say much as they got ready for the day. Jase took a quick shower in one of the empty stalls in the communal bathroom, then made his way to the dining room. The food was spread out buffet-style on the counter. Jase grabbed a plate and eagerly loaded up—hash browns, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, and gravy blended together in a perfect balance of scents that had his mouth watering and stomach rumbling. Dinner last night had been uncomfortable, killing his appetite, despite Sara’s excellent cooking. He’d kept watching Cassidy. Her shoulders had radiated tension, her brow furrowed in agitation.
    Jase sat down at the dining room table, one of the last to arrive. The other men ate in relative silence. A few of them flicked glances his direction. Jase wondered if they were usually this quiet in the morning, or if his presence changed the routine. He turned to the man beside him and stuck out a hand. “I’m Jase.”
    “Brighton.” The man took his hand and shook it firmly. A youthful face suggested he was right out of high school.
    “How long have you been working here?”
    “Only a few months. Trying to save up money so I can go to college in the fall.”
    Jase opened his mouth to respond, but a hand landed on his shoulder. Mason glared down at him.
    “Are you ready for today?” Mason asked, the words a growl.
    Jase glanced at Brighton, who quickly turned back to his plate of food, as though eager to avoid Mason.
    “More than ready,” Jase said. “I can’t wait to dive into ranch life.”
    “It’s hard work that a city boy like you isn’t used to. We’ve got a lot to get through today. I hope you can keep up.”
    Jase blinked, surprised at the accusatory tone. “Don’t worry about me slowing you down.”
    Mason grunted. “That storm last night took out a huge section of fencing and some of the cattle got loose. Some men are already out rustling them up. You and me will be repairing a section of fence in the north field.”
    Jase nodded, excitement thrumming through him like an electric hum. “I didn’t realize a storm could do so much damage.”
    “The weather is a rancher’s worst enemy.” The tone clearly suggested Jase should already know this. “Every time we get a thunderstorm—and there are a lot of them in this part of Oklahoma—we end up spending a few days cleaning up the mess. We’ll head out as soon as you finish eating.”
    In other words, eat quick or get left behind, Jase thought. But no, he was reading too much into it—Mason was just stressed about the storm, and eager to get to work. Which suited Jase just fine.
    He quickly finished his bacon, told Brighton goodbye, and followed Mason outside. He hoped he’d get to do more than just observe today. He needed to be a rancher and immerse himself in this lifestyle.
    I guess a storm is as good a chance as any, he thought. Because he would make this his best performance yet—it wasn’t in him to give anything less than one hundred percent. Besides, while he wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his career, he wanted the decision to be his own, and maintaining his reputation as a professional was part of that.
    “We’ll take the truck.” Mason strode off across the grass toward the back of the bunkhouse.
    “We’re not taking a horse?”
    Mason snorted. “It’d be mighty