Chapter 36
I ’ve plotted ten different scenarios where I could slip something into Mandy Spires’ morning matcha to give her a violent case of the shits.
Every day that she lingers on this ranch is another test of my powers to avoid wearing a snarl on my face and to keep my claws sheathed.
Who the fuck does this woman think she is?
Oh, that’s right. She’s legally entitled to half this property, and in the eyes of her hundreds of thousands of followers online, she’s right where she supposedly longs to be—like a besotted wifey.
At her husband’s side.
A ranch that at one time felt so vast, so expansive, has suddenly closed in around me. Everything has changed, and being here feels like the walls are constantly caving in. Mandy arrived with her assistant Zeb and five hundred pounds of luggage in tow, and has set herself up in the main house as if she owns the place.
I didn’t stick around for long after her unexpected arrival. The possibility of making this woman’s acquaintance while looking like a drowned rat is the sort of nightmare I’d rather gnaw off my own foot than endure. Although, I did linger out of sight just long enough to hear Beau damn near lose his shit, in a quietly-through-gritted-teeth sort of way. From the snatches of conversation, I was able to overhear between them, she planned this surprise visitation perfectly.
True to his word, Beau did call me and briefly talked through everything I needed to know. But there isn’t much to say or do at all, other than to accept the cards as they’ve fallen. He checked on me, made sure I was alright, but other than a bruised ego to contend with, there’s nothing that can be done.
We were a one-time-only thing that strayed into territory we both knew we shouldn’t have set foot in. Now, here we are, blinking and disoriented with ringing in our ears, standing amongst the wreckage of what that looks like when it all comes crashing down.
Mandy’s jet is supposedly out of service for maintenance, and the woman had already played her hand by live-streaming her arrival on the ranch for tens of thousands to see. There was no scenario where Beau could march her off his property without causing a painfully public scandal.
It’s a waking nightmare.
In the meantime, I’m keeping to myself as much as possible, because being at the house while she’s there is torture. Not to mention that after I took up Beau’s offer of staying away, when I returned to my cabin, I found a bag left by the rear entrance. He’d filled it with an assortment of my clothes and things I’d left in his room, obviously having done a hurried sweep up to remove any evidence of me .
Why does this feel like the worst kind of breakup, when we weren’t even together in the first place?
But there’s one thing I know, and that’s the need to be in control of my own future. Screw this bitch, I’m not going to shy away from going about my work. Even if it does mean having to put up with being at the main house while working from my laptop.
I’ve been for an extra long run this morning, and as I stand in the kitchen waiting for coffee to brew, I’m busy scrolling for a playlist to keep me dialed in with the type of focus not even Little Miss Country Music can fuck with.
However, it would seem that she’s everywhere, and right on cue, she breezes into the kitchen while taking a video call. She’s dressed only in a skimpy satin robe, with a mane of shiny, golden hair around her shoulders. Legs for days. Flawless skin. A waft of floral perfume drifts in with her like a flutter of petals cascading from the heavens.
If there’s one thing I’ve discovered Mandy Spires excels at, it’s looking a million dollars no matter the time of day. While I don’t judge anyone for being all about their personal style—I shudder to think what this woman might have achieved if she put half of that energy into something beyond her fake tan and makeup.
“—tell James we can go ahead with the collab in studio.” Mandy sweeps past, with one headphone in, holding the phone out in front of her. “But I need him to ditch whatever that god-awful haircut is he’s been trying out lately. It adds at least fifteen pounds to him. And can we not find him a stylist who has half a brain?”
My eyes drill into the coffee, willing it to hurry the hell up.
“Good morning, Sage sweetie.” She coos. “Look, isn’t she just the cutest thing?” Before I realize what’s happening, the phone is shoved in my face, and Mandy clasps me by the shoulders, dragging me against her fake tits so we’re both in the frame. Looking back at us is a woman who appears to be a clone of the one smothering me. Except, she’s got lips that have seen too much filler and a forehead that has clearly encountered one too many rounds of Botox.
“This is my agent, Coco. You two would get on so well.”
Gross. This woman has no sense of personal space and seems to float around thinking that everyone is just a side character in her story.
“Hi.” I rearrange my face into something that seems pleasant enough, and then point at the coffee. “Just gonna…” I slip out of Mandy’s hold. Great, I’ve got her stupid flower-bomb scent all over me now.
“She’s such a hard little worker, that one. Such a cutie-pie.” I hear Mandy say as she wanders to the fridge to pull out a bottle of water. I swear if this woman calls me cute or little one more time, I’m not going to be held responsible for the cutesy little blood bath this kitchen might turn into.
I manage to slip away without being dragged into any more unwanted hugs. Even so, her voice seems to carry through the entire open-plan layout of the house. My noise-canceling headphones are currently charging, and I curse beneath my breath that they’ve abandoned me at the moment when I needed them the most.
“… so wonderful to be back at home.”
My hackles immediately stand on end. What the actual fuck? Surely this woman doesn’t truly believe this place is anywhere where she is concerned. It’s certainly not her home.
“I’ve missed Beau so much. It’s just not the same without him, and you know how much I hate these long tours when we’re spending so much time in different places.”
The way her words roll off her tongue, so serenely, without missing a beat, leaves my stomach turning sour. This woman doesn’t sound at all like someone who is about to wrap up a marriage and finalize a divorce. In fact, the longer I sit here stunned by her boldness, the longer I feel like I’m in a parallel universe.
Did I imagine everything?
Was I mistaken this whole time?
Have all the ways that I’ve been swept off my feet by Beau’s charm and my attraction to him colored my understanding of things between them?
God. I really have been fucking this woman’s husband.
I can’t focus on the screen in front of me, and my fingers grow shaky. Try as I might to continue with the website editing that needs to be finished sooner rather than later, it feels impossible to concentrate. At this rate, I’m going to be struggling to meet my own deadline on this now that all I can think of is them together.
An entirely unwelcome and unwanted wave of images bursts through to occupy my mind. The two of them sleeping here under the same roof while I’m out in my stupid little cabin, none the wiser to whether Mandy Spires is spending her nights in the guest room or has curled up next to her husband, naked and oh so eager to make up for time spent apart.
My eyes scrunch closed. Is this the moment I need to call it quits? Is this the moment I need to pack up my things and haul ass up Devil’s Peak to take up the open offer of a bed at Layla and Colt’s ranch?
I’ve been staring at the images on my computer screen, lost in thought. It’s a compilation of the cattle, with their fluffy tipped ears and wet noses, surrounded by the sort of gorgeous summer morning you can taste on your tongue—crushed grass and a sweet, warm breeze rolling straight off the mountains. Yet all I can think about is the way I felt at the moment I took those photos. How vividly I can recall the way Beau stood at my back with his strong arms wrapped around me, while the horses munched on grass beside us.
When I see these images, I feel him, and that’s a giant goddamn problem I don’t know how to crawl my way out of.
“Ugh, it’s always torture when my agent needs to go over so many different opportunities all at once.” My head snaps up, only to be cursed by the sight of Mandy sliding a chair out on the opposite side of the table from where I’m seated. She has that tone about her, the kind of wishful air to her voice where she’s simply dying for me to ask her about what all these golden opportunities might be.
I don’t take her bait.
“You know, I heard how incredible the job was that you did for that cowboy bar in town just recently.” She bats her eyelashes and leans forward to rest the point of her chin on one hand.
“News must travel fast,” I say. There’s something in this woman’s energy that has my intuition pinging like a deep sea sonar. She doesn’t seem to be at all concerned about my presence here, or at least hasn’t made any mention of the fact I’m the only person on this ranch besides her husband.
I can’t pick whether that’s because she’s used to a world where assistants spend every waking hour with their celebrity employer, or not. Does she truly not see it as strange, or is her indifference due to the fact she’s quietly scheming. Behind the veneer of hugs and saccharin good mornings, like the one we’ve just shared in the kitchen, is this bitch cataloging every tiny detail?
“Tessa couldn’t stop raving about all the ways you’ve been a godsend.” Those blue eyes and blond curls seem ever so very vivid in the sunlight streaming through the window. It’s worse that she’s beautiful in a way that seems such a waste when her personality leaves so much to be desired. Mandy Spires will no doubt skip along a path paved in awards and accolades when far more genuine, talented people will be overlooked. All because they don’t have that bombshell packaging music executives only need to take one look at before they start counting dollar signs.
It leaves an awful taste in my mouth that she’s apparently friendly with Tessa. I didn’t see that one coming.
“Thanks, I guess.” The biggest internal battle I’m waging right this second is to carefully contain my facial reactions.
“She’s the best sister-in-law I could hope for. Lately, she’s done nothing but blow up my texts telling me just how excellent a hire you’ve been. Taking a chance on someone is just such a Tessa thing to do. That woman has the biggest heart. It just goes to show, there is gold to be found regardless of whether someone has the proof of whether they’re actually capable.”
Did this bitch just smile and tell me I was a pity-hire?
There’s an inferno brewing inside me, with vile, hateful words that want to spit at her like poison darts, but instead, I sink my nails into my palms and think of an escape plan. I need to remove myself from this situation right fucking now, or my tongue is about to lash this reptile of a woman and probably say something entirely regrettable.
The embers are glowing ragey-hot, and my fuse is already starting to sizzle, so I need to move.
Before I can speak, Mandy is already pressing forward, carrying on in the way she’s obviously so used to doing. Breezing straight past the part where she just insulted me to my face.
“So, while you’re still here, I can’t wait to have you on board with the album launch…”
This time, I can’t bite my tongue any longer. “The album launch?” I cut across her words.
“It’s going to be perfect. I can already see how we’ll set up the outdoor area, with seating and a stage.” Her wrist, wrapped in a gold charm bracelet, flicks in the direction of the floor-to-ceiling windows. “You’ll be able to coordinate all the influencer welcome packs and get in catering, but make sure it’s not someone from here. We don’t need old-fashioned, sloppy presentation. I’m talking to my manager about live streaming the whole thing, so my fans can pay-per-view it all.”
I’m very rarely left speechless. But faced with such a degree of audacity—in the flesh where this woman is concerned—I can’t do anything but sit blinking rapidly at her.
“You’re doing the album release… here?” Eventually, my mouth starts moving. Surely, I didn’t hear that right. Surely, this woman is about to start laughing like a hyena and tell me it’s all just a massive joke.
“Of course.” She claps her hands together with a giggle that makes her sound even more delusional. “The fans adore it when me and Beau give them a little glimpse into our life away from the spotlight, and they’ll be just so happy for us to share this with them.”
This is like one of those moments when everything goes still. The momentary calm before the storm hits and decimates all that lies in its path.
Husbands never leave their wives.
It’s not my place to pry, or allude to the fact I know details of their marriage. Or, at least, the version of events Beau has told me. If I can believe his side of the story?
“Since that sweet little welcome to the ranch event you’re organizing is coming up, I’d say we should aim for about a month’s time…” Mandy scrolls through her phone calendar, humming to herself.
I’m breathing heavily through my nose, while cursing violently inside my mind.
There are so many ways this is fucked up, none more so than the fact she’s carrying on as if she and Beau are still very much a happily married couple. Then, there’s the way this woman has steamrolled right through any boundaries about who I work for, or the nature of my business contract here.
Somewhere in the background, I hear talk of color schemes and lighting requirements, and that’s when my phone starts ringing.
Cock Ring flashes on screen, and my heart lurches straight into the back of my throat. For about half a second, I consider declining the call. Can I be bothered remaining entangled in this? But then I’m struck by a mental image of Beau’s calm eyes, and I fold.
“Sorry, I’m going to have to take this.” I password lock my computer, then give her a polite smile that thinly disguises the fact I’d like to tear her extensions out and wrap them around her neck, before slipping outside. There’s absolutely no way I’m going to stay anywhere within earshot of the main house.
Once I’ve managed to walk a few paces beyond the threshold, I answer the call, but don’t say anything. I bring it to my ear and wait.
“Sage?”
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t simply block your number?” Keeping my voice quiet and steady, I’m already halfway to the sanctuary of my cabin.
He exhales and curses softly on the other end of the line. “Fuck. Where are you? What has she done?”
“That’s irrelevant.” When I reach the door, I yank it open with a forceful tug and seal myself inside. Once the door clicks shut, I feel the air rush from my lungs.
“Can you come over to meet me at the cattle? I’m in the east paddock.” The way his voice sounds haggard shouldn’t make me feel better about things, but I’m stupidly clinging to a sense of relief that he sounds strung out.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Sage, I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am… hate me forever. It’s the least I deserve.” Even through the phone, I can see the expression that will be creasing his brow. I can picture the way he’s standing with one hand dug into his hair.
“Are you still with her? How am I supposed to feel knowing the two of you are in that house together at night? That she’s planning to live here from the sound of it.” I hiss.
A heavy silence echoes down the line.
“She said what?” He speaks through gritted teeth when the words finally come.
“No. Answer my questions first. Or if you’re not planning to give it to me straight, then I am blocking your lying ass right now.”
“Sage, I know it doesn’t look like it, and I understand why you might never trust what I have to say, but I promise you, we’re over. We have a contract signed with our lawyers and all. It’s just a matter of time?—”
I cut him off. “Well, she certainly seems to think her circus roadshow can stop off here. And while we’re at it, she appears to be under the illusion that I’m her obedient pet to order around.”
“What did she do to you?” His growl rumbles through my ear. I hate the way he sounds ready to gallop in, leap off the back of his horse, and tear throats out for me. I deeply want to trust him, but I’m also too terrified of what it might look like if I allow myself to acknowledge I do trust him—all too easily, it would seem.
Letting out a long sigh, I flop down on my bed. “Nothing. But she seems to be under the illusion that I’ll throw the album party to end all album parties for her right here at the ranch.”
“Not fucking happening.” His reply cracks through the air like a whip. “Please… It’s a lot to ask, but just give me a few days to get rid of her. I know it’s messy as all hell right now, and my life is more goddamn complicated than I could ever expect you to put up with. There’s nothing more I want than to be with you, and to figure things out, just the two of us.”
My throat tightens as he says those words. Sincerity flows out of Beau like the deepest well, rich and nourishing, when I let his voice wash over me.
And even though I say something in agreement, even though I’m vaguely aware that I’m nodding as I speak, I also know the truth in my heart. The lurking unease that comes with the risk of opening myself up to someone else, and the default setting I’m forever giving into.
The need to run. Because surely it can’t be this easy? It can’t be this good? Beau doesn’t truly want someone like me. Those words he’s saying are too tempting to slip under the spell of here and now. But that’s no guarantee he won’t wake up and realize I’m not worth the hassle of keeping around.
Too headstrong.
Too outspoken.
Too driven.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I send up a silent prayer, a desperate wish that it wasn’t this way, that I could learn to fully trust someone for the first time. There’s no other option, considering how Beau’s life is already complex enough without adding me into the picture.
I’ve already made my decision to move forward with my life, to take this next job, and that means it’s only a matter of time until I leave.