Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
C aleb Burnett adjusted his tie for the third time, scowling at his reflection in the mirrored elevator doors. The damn thing felt like it was choking him, and he’d already loosened it twice. Whoever thought ties were essential for hiring help clearly didn’t spend much time around ranches.
No self-respecting cowboy wore a tie to work. A cowboy’s work was done under the wide-open sky, with dirt on his boots and sweat on his brow—not buttoned up in a starched shirt and a noose of fabric around his neck. A tie had no place on the back of a horse or while fixing a busted fence. It was as useful as a saddle on a bull.
The elevator dinged, and Caleb stepped into the bustling hotel lobby. Businesspeople moved with purpose, laptops slung over their shoulders and cups of overpriced coffee in hand. Somewhere, a speaker’s voice echoed faintly over the murmur of conversation.
Caleb wasn’t in his element, and it showed. He tugged at the tie again, wishing he’d stuck with his first instinct and worn jeans. But Aunt Rose had insisted he needed to “look like a man who knows his business” if he wanted to make an impression.
“Looking presentable won’t kill you, Caleb,” he muttered as he walked toward the conference hall.
His goal for the day was clear: shake hands, check out who had the best talent, and hire the best to make sure no one forgot the name Burnett Dude Ranch. Simple enough. At least, it would have been if Eugenia’s cryptic warning weren’t rattling around in his head like a pebble in a boot.
“Get ready to open your heart. Soon enough, you’re going to meet your woman.”
Yeah, right. Caleb shook his head. The last thing he needed was a woman. He’d spent years keeping his life tightly sealed, just the way he liked it. No emotional messes, no complications.
Stepping into the convention hall, he surveyed the crowd. Rows of booths lined the room, each promising the latest in digital marketing, guest experience management, and other fancy tools he barely understood. The air smelled faintly of printer ink and fresh coffee, a combination that made him inexplicably tense.
Caleb made a beeline for the coffee station. He hadn’t slept well the night before, his mind milling with Eugenia’s smug voice. He poured himself a cup, adding a splash of cream.
And then he saw her.
Taylor Montgomery.
She stood across the room, chatting with someone at a booth. Her profile was unmistakable: her elegant features, her dark hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, and the way she tilted her head slightly when listening intently.
And those curves—Lord help him—were even more shapely and defined than he remembered. They seemed tailor-made to drive a man out of his mind, the kind of curves that made rational thought impossible. Time had only sharpened their allure, turning memory into something more vivid and dangerous.
For a moment, Caleb’s body froze, his coffee cup halfway to his mouth. His brain scrambled to process what his eyes were seeing.
What the hell is she doing here?
He hadn’t seen Taylor in years—hadn’t expected to see her ever again if he were being honest. But here she was, looking composed and professional like she’d stepped straight out of a lifestyle magazine.
Was she the woman his meddling, grandmotherly ghost had been predicting would turn his life upside down? Caleb scoffed at the thought, his jaw tightening. He’d been there, done that, and had the scars to prove it. No way was he signing up for a second ride on that roller coaster of heartbreak. Not again.
Of course, he’d been the one to end things. What choice had he really had? The situation at home had spiraled out of control, forcing him out of school to wade into the wreckage of his parents’ toxic marriage. He’d needed to step in to try to salvage what little was left, though deep down, he’d known it was a losing battle.
But he hadn’t been about to tell Taylor any of that. The chaos, the shame, the weight of it all—it wasn’t something he could burden her with. So, he’d taken the coward’s way out, cutting things off cleanly and making her think it was his choice. It was easier that way—or so he’d told himself at the time.
His first instinct was to turn around and walk the other way. Unfortunately, he couldn’t very well hide in the middle of the room without spilling hot coffee down his shirt.
As if sensing his panic, Taylor turned her head, her sharp gaze scanning the room. Caleb ducked behind a pillar, nearly colliding with a woman carrying a tray of croissants.
“Sorry,” he muttered, maneuvering further to where no one could see him.
The woman shook her head and placed the croissants on a table next to the coffee. What was he going to do?
They hadn’t parted on the best of terms. A phone call during the worst time of his life was no excuse for how he’d ended things between them. And yet, it was for the best, but he didn’t want to talk to her.
Especially in light of what Eugenia had said to him before he left. No, he was not getting married. That ghost could haunt him the rest of his days, but he would be the one she couldn’t find someone to marry.
Glancing around from behind the pillar, he didn’t see her. But, damn, she was still as gorgeous as the last time he saw her in college.
Think, Caleb. Think. He needed a strategy. If he could just get through the day without running into her?—
Stepping around the other side of the pillar, she stopped in front of him. Her lips twitched, but it wasn’t a smile, more like the start of a smirk on her beautiful face.
“Caleb Burnett” came her familiar voice, low and incredulous, sending tremors racing up his spine.
Damn it.
Taylor stood a few feet away, one eyebrow arched. Her arms were crossed over her blazer, the posture both commanding and unnervingly familiar.
“Taylor. Fancy meeting you here.”
Her brows raised. “Didn’t know if you’d even graduated from college.”
Of course, she didn’t. He’d finished his degree online, having to take over the entire semester due to his parents’ deaths.
What could he say without a long, lengthy explanation that he wouldn’t share with anyone?
“I graduated,” he finally said.
She nodded.
“I assume you’re here for work?”
He shifted his coffee cup to his other hand, unsure what to do with the sudden weight of her gaze. “Yeah. The ranch.”
Taylor nodded once, her expression giving nothing away. Caleb’s eyes darted to the floor, back to her face, and finally to the nearest booth. He couldn’t read her, making him more uncomfortable than he cared to admit.
“Well,” she said, her tone cool but not unkind, “I’m sure you’re busy, so?—”
“Right,” Caleb said quickly, latching onto the out. “Good to see you, Taylor.”
“You too.”
He turned and walked away, his stride purposeful but not hurried. At least not outwardly. His heart, however, had other ideas, thundering against his ribs like a herd of stampeding cattle.
The years had made her only more beautiful. While she had not been mean, she hadn’t been exactly friendly either. Obviously, she wanted nothing to do with him, and that was for the best.
Caleb spent the next hour moving through the convention hall like a man with a target on his back. He lingered too long at some booths and brushed off others entirely, all in an effort to avoid Taylor. He hadn’t expected seeing her to feel like a punch to the gut, but here he was, every nerve on edge.
She looked good—no, better than good. She looked... successful. Grounded. And entirely out of his league in a way she hadn’t back in college.
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. The past wasn’t something he liked to dwell on. He’d made his choices, and they’d brought him here. But seeing Taylor was a reminder of everything he’d walked away from—and everything he hadn’t let himself want.
“You’re brooding.”
The familiar voice made Caleb jump, nearly knocking over a stack of pamphlets. He turned to see Eugenia’s ghost beside a booth featuring virtual reality ranch tours. Her form shimmered faintly under the fluorescent lights, but no one else seemed to notice her.
“What are you doing here?” Caleb hissed under his breath.
She gave him a knowing smile. “Just checking in. I see you’ve found her.”
“I’m not doing this right now.”
“Oh, but you are,” she said, her voice lilting. “You’re so flustered. I half expect you to trip over your own feet.”
“Go haunt someone else,” Caleb muttered, scanning the room for Taylor. Hoping that no one could hear him and think he was a lunatic.
“Not a chance, sweetness. I told you this was coming.” Eugenia tilted her head, her gaze softening. “You can’t avoid her forever, Caleb. Fate doesn’t work like that. Ask her to dinner. You two need to catch up.”
Before he could respond, Eugenia vanished, leaving Caleb alone with his swirling thoughts.
Like hell, that would only open old wounds that were better left with scars covering them. Yes, he’d cared about her so damn much. It had been terrifying and heartbreaking when he told her they were done. And she hadn’t taken it very well.
He slipped around the edge of the room, avoiding Taylor’s vicinity like she was a live wire. Every now and then, he glanced her way, his stomach twisting whenever she laughed or gestured animatedly.
Her confidence was electric, and he hated how easily she managed to pull him in. How easily he had fallen for her in college, and even now, he could feel those stirrings reawakening.
He reached the elevator bank, jabbing the up button with unnecessary force. He’d grab his notes from his room and regroup. Avoid her. Move on. That had always been the plan.
The elevator dinged, the doors sliding open, and Caleb hurried inside. Just as they were closing, a hand shot through the gap, triggering the sensors.
“Hold the door!”
His heart sank as Taylor Montgomery stepped inside.
She didn’t notice him at first, too busy adjusting the strap of her bag and checking her phone. Caleb’s breath caught as the doors closed behind her, trapping them together.
She glanced up, and their eyes locked.
Her expression froze for a split second before morphing into something that looked like shock and annoyance.
“Oh,” she said, her voice clipped. “Sorry, I would have waited.”
“Taylor,” Caleb managed, his throat dry.
The air between them turned thick and heavy. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to think of something—anything—to say.
“You look?—”
“Don’t,” she cut him off, holding up a hand. “Don’t even try.”
Okay, so small talk was off the table.
Taylor jabbed the button for her floor, crossing her arms as she leaned against the opposite wall. Caleb wanted to melt into the paneling.
The elevator jerked to life, the tension inside palpable. He tried to focus on the glowing numbers above the doors, counting down the seconds until freedom.
The lights flickered once.
Then again.
The elevator shuddered to a halt, plunging them into a sudden, jarring silence.
Caleb blinked in the dim emergency lighting, his stomach sinking. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He just knew Eugenia was responsible for this.
Taylor turned slowly, her eyes narrowing. “What did you do?”
“ What did I do ?” Caleb spluttered. “I pushed the button like a normal person. This is not my fault.” Not completely, anyway.
She sighed, rubbing her temples. “Great. Just great. Of all people to be stuck on an elevator with.”
He fumbled for the emergency phone, lifting it with a grimace. “Hello? The elevator’s stuck. Two of us are inside.”
The crackling voice on the other end offered no comfort. “We’re aware of the issue. Maintenance is on the way. It may take a while.”
Caleb hung up and met Taylor’s glare.
“How long is ‘a while’?” she asked, her tone laced with exasperation.
He shrugged helplessly. “Could be five minutes. Could be an hour.”
She groaned, dropping her bag to the floor as she leaned back against the wall. “This day just keeps getting better.”
Caleb ran a hand through his hair, trying to ignore how her presence filled the tiny space.
“So,” he said awkwardly, leaning against the opposite wall. “How’ve you been?”
She gave him a pointed look. “Really? You think now’s the time for small talk?”
“Well, it’s not like we’re going anywhere,” he muttered.
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, looking anywhere but at him.
The silence stretched, heavy and uncomfortable. Caleb shifted, the confined space amplifying his every movement. He cleared his throat, desperate to fill the void.
“Look, Taylor, about?—”
“Don’t,” she said sharply, cutting him off again. Her voice wavered slightly, but her glare was steady. “Whatever you think you’re about to say, don’t. I’ve spent years moving past it. I don’t need an explanation.”
Caleb flinched, her words hitting harder than he expected. “You’re right,” he said quietly. “You don’t. But I want to say it anyway.”
Taylor’s eyes flicked to his, a flash of vulnerability breaking through her guarded exterior. She said nothing, but the tension in her posture softened—just slightly.
“I messed up,” Caleb admitted, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. “Back then, in college. I should’ve handled things differently. I should’ve?—”
The elevator jolted suddenly, cutting him off. As it started moving again, both of them grabbed the railing for balance.
Taylor let out a shaky breath, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “Well, looks like you’re off the hook.”
The doors opened on her floor, and she stepped out without looking back. Caleb watched her go, the weight of everything unsaid pressing against his heart.
Eugenia’s voice echoed in his mind once more, smug and insistent: Don’t blow your last chance at love.
Caleb sighed as the elevator doors slid open, stepping onto his floor with a heaviness he couldn’t shake. Seeing Taylor again stirred everything he thought he had buried—pain from the past, the weight of choosing to let her go, the ache of his parents’ deaths, and the bittersweet memories of how they had lived, so full of contradictions.
He clenched his jaw, pushing the feelings down where they belonged. Confronting how he’d wronged Taylor, facing the hurt he’d caused, felt like walking into a storm he’d spent years avoiding. And yet, the idea of ignoring it forever no longer felt like a victory. It wasn’t forgiveness he sought—not from her, not even from himself. It was distance, space from a love that had already cost him too much.
Marriage? No. That was never going to happen. It wasn’t for him, and it never would be. He had seen what it did, how it had broken his parents, and he’d vowed long ago to be nothing like them.
But running… Maybe it was time to stop. His parents had spent their lives running—from each other, from their problems, from themselves. And as much as he hated to admit it, the thought of following in their footsteps was far more terrifying than standing still.