Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Romy
I stick out my hand toward Zander, forcing myself to keep it there and not recoil. “Nice to meet you.”
“That’s it?” Scarlett murmurs, gaze darting to meet Lottie’s.
Zander’s chin raises slightly, as if he’s questioning why I’m pretending I don’t know him.
Then his large hand slides into mine. His calloused fingertips graze along my palm, and an uninvited memory of those fingers sliding between my legs forces itself front and center. I lock my jaw, willing it back down.
“Scarlett says you’re a really big fan. I love meeting fans.”
It takes everything inside me not to smack that smug smile off his face.
He doesn’t strip his gaze off me. It’s as though he’s daring me to acknowledge our prior relationship, which clearly wasn’t a relationship to him. He opens his mouth to say something else, but Scarlett interrupts.
“He’s going to film his new video here! Can you believe it?” Scarlett is so excited she looks as if she could pop a blood vessel. I’m not sure I would mind if she did, just to have an excuse to stop staring at him.
“Oh?” I press my lips together and nod.
“Yeah, can you believe it?” She grins at me, then lowers her voice. “I thought you’d be more excited.”
I hate the disappointment in her eyes, but I’m doing my best here.
Lottie grips my arm so tightly, I wonder if she knows something.
“We all did,” Emmett says from the back of the room. “I gotta go get Colter. Welcome to Plain Daisy Ranch.” Emmett walks past us, smacking Zander on the shoulder.
DeSoto steps forward, but Zander gives his head a shake, and DeSoto stands down.
That’s the way it goes. It takes me back to the first night when DeSoto put his hand on my elbow and ushered me past the security detail at Zander’s request. It’s the same hand that barred me from entry, eyes apologetic, when he told me I was no longer on the list.
I pull my hand out of Zander’s, and his lingers in the air a beat before he shoves it in his pocket. All easygoing and casual. Annoyingly in control of his emotions.
“Why here?” I ask him.
My mom nudges me in the side with her elbow. “Romy,” she whispers.
“Why not?” Zander shrugs.
“Can’t you make a set like this on some soundstage or something?” My bitterness seeps out before I can rein it in. If I’m not careful, my whole family will piece together the fact that Zander Shaw was my mystery man.
“I want this to feel authentic.”
“Hmm.” My lips press together.
“Well, let me show you around the rest of the ranch. We’ve reserved The Getaway Lodge for you and your entourage.” Scarlett gives me a questioning glare as she holds out her arm to escort Zander away, but he doesn’t turn around.
I raise my eyebrows, afraid to open my mouth because my family are like detectives who will compare notes and swap knowledge until they figure out my secret.
And this one I need to keep so I can wrap my head around it before I have to deal with everyone else’s opinions.
Besides, I need to make sure I tell Lottie before anyone else. She deserves to be the first to know.
“Are you coming?” Zander asks.
“You should go, Romy,” my mom encourages.
“Yeah, we have room in the UTV for you.” Scarlett waits, looking between us.
“Nah, I’m good. I have work to do here.”
Zander’s smile falters. It’s a crack in his rock star facade that makes my chest ache. Reminds me of the man I thought he was.
Get a grip. He’s probably just upset his super fan isn’t starstruck in his presence in front of her family.
“Okkkaayy,” Scarlett says, her gaze searching out Lottie once again. “This was my birthday present to you, so I guess I’ll have to go shopping now. Hope you wanted some wool socks.”
A few of my family members laugh at Scarlett’s rare show of humor.
Dread washes over me—guilt, more precisely—because no one in this room knows my history with this man.
They don’t know how much I thought it was some sign that Zander and I were meant to be the night he had DeSoto pluck me out of the crowd to go backstage.
I inserted myself into the plot of one of the romance books I read, thinking that I was the special one he’d want to keep around.
They turn to leave, and my mom gives me a disappointed look over her shoulder.
“Sorry. I’ll go,” I say before my brain can catch up and ask me what the fuck I’m doing.
Zander circles back around. He holds out his hand for me, and my mom coos as if it’s romantic. I ignore his outstretched hand and unwind myself from Lottie, walking around them toward the door.
“Me too.” Lottie’s playing protective sister although she has no idea what she’s protecting me from. But she obviously must sense that something is up.
DeSoto steps in front of her.
Oh, this isn’t going to be good.
“We don’t have room,” he says in that stern voice he likes to use to intimidate people.
I was never on the other end of it, but I heard it plenty. When he denied me entry, there was a sadness in his eyes and a gentleness in his tone. Hell, he offered to get me a ride back to the airport or wherever I needed to go.
Now it makes me wonder how many times Zander had put him in that position.
“Sorry, big guy, but this here.” Lottie circles her finger in the air.
“This is my family’s ranch. So, I can go wherever I want, and this whole bodyguard act isn’t necessary.
I doubt anyone knows Zander is even in town, and if they did, there’s only one person you would’ve had to protect him from, but she doesn’t seem as interested as she once was.
So why don’t you take the afternoon off and go feed our chickens or something?
” Lottie breezes past him out the door, leaving DeSoto with his mouth hanging open.
Her husband, Brooks, saunters over. “Yeah… she’s gonna do what she wants when she wants. Get used to it, and if you have a problem… well… you can talk to me, but it won’t do you any good. I’m on her side every damn time.” He follows her out.
“I’m good, DeSoto. Why don’t you go settle in at the lodge?” Zander gives him a meaningful look and waits for Scarlett to lead him out.
DeSoto glances at me before he follows.
No chance in hell he’s going to just head off to go chill at the lodge.
The sun hits my eyes, almost blinding me, and the chill of fall lingers in the air.
Sure enough, DeSoto is in his own UTV with my mom as the driver.
God help him. I shoot him a sympathetic smile because she’s going to talk his ear off, and based on my experience, he’s not a talkative guy.
By the time I reach the UTV, only one seat is available. The one right next to Zander. Lottie is in the third row with Brooks. I guess I was wrong about her sisterly intuition.
Scarlett and Poppy are in the front seat, leaving me no choice but to sit next to Zander.
His jean-clad thigh brushes against mine even with me pressing my thighs together to give him as much room as I can.
Scarlett presses the gas, and we all fly back in our seats.
It’s going to be a bumpy ride for more than one reason.