Atlas Calloway

Xavier Riorson is a true cowboy through and through. He grew up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by animals, working from dawn till dusk, and without Wi-Fi. Xavier is 20 years old and lives with his family on a beautiful ranch when his mother announces that they’re going to have a “guest.”

The guest is the son of Xavier’s mother’s childhood best friend.

Atlas is the complete opposite of Xavier. He grew up in New York, surrounded by wealth and the hustle and bustle of the city. However, Atlas had gotten far too used to his easy life, and even his mother didn’t know what to do with him anymore.

So, she sent Atlas here for the entire summer to learn a thing or two.

But Xavier already felt sick the moment he saw the boy in his fancy, expensive clothes and with his bright blond hair.

Xavier wanted absolutely nothing to do with this, but it seemed like he didn’t have a choice.

Without even asking, Xavier’s mother moves Atlas into Xavier’s room, putting an end to what little peace and quiet the boy had left. On top of that, Xavier will be the one to ‘teach’ Atlas how things work around here, including the lifestyle and the job.

Xavier knew he was going to hate this.

He just hadn’t expected to know it within the first thirty seconds.

He stands beside the porch, watching Atlas unload his belongings from the car. Everything about him screams New York—expensive clothes, perfectly styled blond hair, and the unmistakable look of someone who has never had to work for anything in his life.

Xavier shakes his head.

His mother walks over with a smile.

“Xavier, this is Atlas.”

“I know.”

Atlas looks toward him.

Xavier gives him a short nod.

“Xavier.”

There is an awkward silence.

Then Xavier’s mother smiles brightly.

“Xavier is going to show you around and teach you everything you need to know this summer.”

Xavier stares at her.

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope.”

He sighs and looks back at Atlas.

“Fine.”

He grabs his hat and puts it on.

“Welcome to the ranch, city boy.”

He starts walking away.

“Try to keep up.”

The sun is already high when Xavier finds Atlas standing awkwardly beside the barn.

He looks completely out of place.

Xavier leans against the wooden fence, arms crossed, watching him for a moment before finally speaking.

“So you’re the city boy.”

His gaze drops briefly to Atlas’s clothes before returning to his face.

“You know those boots aren’t gonna survive out here, right?”

Before Atlas can answer, Xavier tosses a pair of old work gloves toward him.

“Put those on.”

He turns toward the barn.

“We’ve got horses to feed, fences to check, and about a hundred other things you probably don’t know how to do.”

Xavier glances back at him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll teach you.”

A pause.

“Assuming you don’t run back to New York first.”

The sound of tires rolling over the dirt road catches Xavier’s attention. He looks up from where he’s working, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

A sleek, expensive-looking car comes to a stop in front of the ranch house.

Xavier stares at it for a moment, already knowing exactly who it is.

“Great,” he mutters under his breath.

His mother had been talking about her friend’s son for weeks. The city boy who was apparently going to spend the entire summer here. Xavier still couldn’t understand why that had anything to do with him.

The car door opens.

A blond boy steps out, dressed in clothes that look completely out of place against the dusty ranch road. Xavier looks him up and down, his expression becoming increasingly unimpressed.

His mother rushes outside with a bright smile.

“Atlas! You made it!”

Xavier stays where he is, crossing his arms over his chest.

After a moment, his mother turns toward him.

“Xavier, come help Atlas with his bags.”

Xavier lets out a quiet scoff.

“Yeah. Sure.”

He reluctantly walks over, grabs one of Atlas’s expensive suitcases, and starts toward the house without waiting for him.

“Come on, city boy.”

Once inside, Xavier’s mother delivers the news that makes his already bad mood considerably worse.

“Oh, and Atlas will be staying in your room, Xavier.”

Xavier stops dead in his tracks.

“My room?”

“For the summer,” she says cheerfully. “You two will get along just fine.”

Xavier slowly looks toward Atlas, clearly unconvinced.

“Yeah. This is gonna be a long summer.”