Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Romy
My family has taken this whole Zander Shaw surprise way too far.
They scheduled a board meeting that everyone else was already in on to talk about the logistics and special requests from Zander’s team while they film on the ranch.
Normally, nothing new gets approved without a majority vote, but this time, they signed the contract behind my back, assuming I’d be thrilled.
And I would have been thrilled. Zander Shaw filming here?
Before everything went down, I’d have popped a bottle of champagne and probably made myself his damn welcoming committee.
That was before he kicked me to the curb and those two pink lines showed up.
A foot nudges me under the table, and I snap back to reality, straightening in my chair as a dozen sets of eyes turn toward me.
Thanks, big sis.
“Sorry, what?”
“What’s going on with you?” Mom asks, her brow furrowing. “You’ve been off all day.”
“Nothing. Just… got a wedding on my mind.”
The fake one Zander’s about to film. The one that will never be my life.
Scarlett leans back in her chair. “I was saying how The Knotted Barn was the most interesting location to Zander when I sent them the pics and videos. He sees it as the focal point—the heart of the video. He wants to keep circling back to it with flashes of the rest of the ranch.”
“Okay.” My voice is flat and emotionless.
Mom zeroes in on me. “Are you going to be able to dial back that attitude with him?”
“Did he deny you backstage access or something?” Emmett throws in, grinning because he has no idea how close he is to the truth. No doubt he’s heard the rumors from someone in the family about the first time I was backstage and got delivered home at six in the morning.
“No,” I say, forcing a shrug. “I just… don’t think he’s all that anymore. I’m allowed to change my mind.”
Emmett’s brows lift, but I don’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
“I’ll put on a nice face.” I grin, big and fake, stretching it wide as if they can’t tell.
Sighs echo around the table. It would be so easy to spit out the news and let the silence descend. I should warn them that their shiny opportunity might implode the second I tell Zander he’s going to be a father. That he’ll run. That this entire video shoot will be over before it begins.
“How long did they say they’d be here?” I ask.
Scarlett pauses, flicking a glance at Lottie. She suspects I’ve told her why I’m like this. She’s right, but Lottie would never breathe a word to her. Lottie just shifts slightly, as though she wants to carry some of this for me.
“For the entire gap we have in the schedule. We’re lucky we had no events booked and could accommodate them when they approached us.
” Scarlett passes papers around the table.
“This is the current plan. I’m still working with Beau, Zander’s manager, to finalize the rest. His team’s coming in tomorrow, so we’ll have a full crew meeting for intros. ”
Jude groans. “I don’t have time for this. The maze is a mess, and the cattle schedule is stacked.”
Ben raises a hand. “I’m in the middle of football season at the high school. Do I really need to be here for all this?”
“We all agreed to do what it would take to make this work,” Scarlett says pointedly. “Well—everyone but Romy.”
“I didn’t think he’d care about the cattle ranch. Now he wants to play cowboy too?” Jude shoves his paper away with a grumble.
He’s always so grumpy—except with his wife, Sadie, and baby girl.
“I’ll do it with him,” Emmett volunteers. “Probably better if Jude doesn’t interact with Zander. Dealing with Romy will be bad enough.”
I snap my gaze toward Emmett, scowling.
He laughs. “Just saying, you’re usually a sweetheart, but you looked ready to throat-punch the guy.”
“I get it,” Lottie cuts in gently. “She’s just protective. The Knotted Barn is hers, and who knows what kind of circus they’re planning to bring into it.”
I offer her a silent thank you.
“She’s taking the brunt of this, and she didn’t get a chance to agree to it,” Poppy adds. “The least the rest of us can do is handle our small parts.”
Emmett puts up his hands in defense. “All right, girl army, calm down. It was just an observation.”
“Anything else?” Uncle Bruce stands from his chair as though we’re already done. He’s never been one for distractions during these meetings. He likes them clear-cut and to the point.
“No, that’s it. You have your itineraries. Just everyone be available tomorrow night. Jensen is going to cook an old west cookout for us all to get to know one another.”
My cousin Jensen has done that for a few of the dude ranches we’ve put on that Emmett and Briar have organized, but never for this many people. My family is pulling out all the stops.
“Thanks, Jensen,” Emmett says. “I hope you’re making that brisket.”
“Not for your sorry ass,” he says, standing to leave as well.
As the room clears, chairs scrape and boots shuffle, and a new weight settles on me. The pressure to pretend. The dread of what’s coming. What will the next meeting look like? I’ll probably have all eyes on me, thinking I ruined it for them.
“Romy, can you stay for a sec?” Scarlett asks.
Lottie pauses, silently asking if I need her. I shake my head.
As they leave, I hear Ben joke, “So what does the big ol’ sheriff think about all this ruckus in his town?”
Scarlett sinks into the chair beside me.
“I’m really sorry, Romy. I shouldn’t have sprung this on you.
I was just so excited when I got the call.
Out of all the ranches, they picked ours.
And you were always such a big fan… I thought I was doing something special, but it was wrong of me to keep you out of the loop and make a big spectacle of it. ”
“I appreciate that, but it’s okay. I was just taken by surprise.” Little does she know the surprise I’m referring to is the one I had before walking out to find Zander in the venue. One day I’ll be able to explain myself. “I’ll be fine. Honestly.”
She looks out the windows that face our iron archway at the gate of our ranch.
It’s been in our family for years. First our great-grandparents, then our grandpa’s, then Uncle Bruce until my mom and Aunt Bette decided to build businesses on their parts of the land.
Now, we’re all fortunate to live together and work together.
Sure, sometimes we don’t all get along, but I love being close to my family and would never want to be anywhere else.
“This is going to be really good for us,” she says, her eyes not leaving the dirt road into our farm. There seems to be more she’s not saying. “Four generations.”
“No worries on my front and thank you for the apology. I just…”
A knock lands on the conference room door.
We turn to see Beau. I should’ve known he was on the ranch. He’s never very far from Zander.
His usually easygoing persona is absent. He seems tense. Beau might be the most attractive male I’ve ever seen, although I like mine a little edgier—like his best friend, unfortunately.
For a moment, I wonder if he’ll be an uncle to my child.
If Zander decides he wants a relationship with his son or daughter, will Beau be the one who gets them juice boxes and sneaks snacks to him or her?
Will he make them laugh, and they’ll come back from visiting their dad telling stories of Uncle Beau?
“Sorry to interrupt,” he says, flashing a smile I want to punch off his face. I don’t want his sympathy.
“I was just leaving,” I say. I hug Scarlett tightly, wishing I could whisper I’m sorry for all the work she put into this only for me to blow it up.
Beau steps in front of me, blocking the door. “What? No hello?” He opens his arms.
“I’m sorry?” I pretend to not know what he’s getting at, but his eyebrows scrunch.
Sure, Beau was the guy who arranged for me to come and go. We stood on the side of the stage together, and I thought we were building a friendship. Back when I was delusional about what was transpiring with Zander.
He pulls me into a hug, and I wonder what Scarlett is thinking. This isn’t good for my secret. “I love the guy, but he can be an asshole.”
I pat his back, hoping he’ll let go, but he hugs me tighter.
“C’mon. You’re making me feel creepy,” he says.
I give him a real squeeze and blink away the sob clawing its way up my throat.
“You were too good for him anyway,” he whispers.
“What am I missing?” Scarlett asks behind me.
I stiffen. Beau looks at me, then her. Realization dawning in his blue eyes.
“Well, shit,” he mutters. “Seems I’m the asshole.”
I circle back around to Scarlett. “I’ll explain later.”
Scarlett’s face goes pale, but she nods.
“I’m sorry,” Beau tells me. “I assumed—”
“Not all women brag about having him.” I give him a caustic smile.
His expression softens, eyes dimming. “I should’ve known.”
“Welcome to Plain Daisy Ranch,” I say, a hollow laugh escaping me.
He smiles. I’m assuming he’s as surprised as the rest of us. He’d never put Zander in this spot. “It’s amazing.”
“I’m sure I’ll see you around.” I squeeze past him.
I go to the bathroom, and on the way back, I have the thought that I need to get that pregnancy test out of The Knotted Barn’s bathroom cabinet.
“You can’t do that,” Scarlett snaps from the conference room.
The door’s cracked open, so I can hear her, and when I hear the edge of panic in her voice, I stop to peek inside. Beau’s leaned back in a chair, hands raised while Scarlett stands across from him, clearly furious.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “He wants out. He’s willing to pay.”
“Pay? You think that fixes this? This ranch was counting on him. On this.” Her usually calm voice is breaking.
Beau sighs. “We’ll make it good. I promise.”
“And where will you even go?” There’s a desperation I’ve never heard from Scarlett before.
“I’m talking to another ranch. The one that was our second choice,” Beau says.
“Who?” she asks. I’m surprised fire isn’t flowing out of her mouth.
“Wild Bull Ranch. I’m not a big fan of the guy we were dealing with, but—”
“You committed to us. We closed our ranch for you. This has been in the works. You cannot do this to us. I’m calling our lawyer.” Scarlett drops into a chair, her fingers pressing against her temples.
“Hey, I tried to change his mind, but he’s the boss. You don’t want to involve lawyers and pay those bills. No one wins in cases like this. We can pay for the expense of closing the ranch, make it worth it to you.”
Her arms fall to the table. “Listen, we’re having our worst year ever. Tourism is down because of the economy. Walker Matthews from Wild Bull Ranch is draining us dry by constantly competing with our businesses. This was our chance to put our ranch on the map. We need this.”
I close my eyes.
Beau grunts, and the back of the chair pops up. They’re about to square off over this.
The knot in my throat sinks to my stomach from Scarlett’s confession.
We’re down this year, and she was banking on this video.
Not only will Zander be paying for his time here, but afterward we’ll be able to advertise the fact that the video was filmed here.
Maybe even increase our event pricing as a result.
I can’t imagine not having this ranch. I’ve seen the downfall of other ranches over the years.
One bad year turns to two then three, and soon enough there’s a For Sale sign up on the fence post. That can’t happen to my family.
Too many of us are counting on this, which leaves only one way to fix it.
Zander always gets his way, so there’s only one way to make him stay.