Chapter 27
OLIVIA
Twenty minutes early for our meeting, I arrived at the bougie restaurant I’d chosen for lunch. Last night, I’d spent some time scouring the internet for a place Charlie definitely would not have been to before. As soon as I’d come across this place, I’d known it was the one.
If I was my father, I’d have chosen a good old steakhouse or a barbecue joint, but I wasn’t him. I didn’t want this particular client to be too comfortable, especially because I knew he was already looking down on me.
So, no. Charlie didn’t get to be schmoozed, wined, and dined in the usual manner we treated our clients.
We were, once again, meeting on my terms, on as close to neutral ground as I was going to get around here.
Maybe I was being a bit of a brat, but I didn’t really care.
I’d been playing by his rules since I’d met him and he still thought having me around was a nightmare.
All I was really doing was living up to his opinion of me.
The restaurant was French-themed, designed to make the diners feel like we were in a cafe in Champagne with deep blue walls and treated wooden cafe-style tables. The walls were lined with bottle upon bottle of wine, hundreds of them resting on their sides amid abstract art and landscapes.
The iconic music of Edith Piaf and other French singers flowed softly through the speakers and a quick glance at the menu told me that my choice couldn’t have been more perfect.
There was no way this was Charlie’s territory.
I ordered a glass of champagne—from the region it was named after, no less—to celebrate.
Precisely five minutes before the appointed time of our meeting, the door burst open and Charlie and Colt appeared. Charlie walked in first, blue eyes drifting from one side of the restaurant to the other. I could practically see the words What. The. Fuck? appear in a thought bubble above his head.
Colt, on the other hand, loped past his brother, coming directly toward me with a big, friendly smile.
I’d spent more time with the younger two Anderson brothers so far, but a quick comparison of their social media profiles had revealed Colt as a surprising choice as an Anderson who might actually be useful to our marketing strategy.
Like Charlie, he had dark hair, blue eyes, and their father’s handsome, regally rugged features, but for reasons I would never be able to fathom, he just didn’t have the same effect on me as his brother.
When I looked at Charlie, I instantly felt that undeniable pull. The chemistry. The attraction. It was all there and it only took one glance.
As hard as I stared at Colt as he approached, I just couldn’t get my insides to replicate that feeling. I still smiled when he reached the table, though.
“Hey, you,” I said, my voice polite and easy. “Thanks for joining us. I know you’d rather be back on the ranch.”
“So would I,” Charlie grumbled as he came to stand beside his brother. Irritation shimmered in his eyes as he glanced at the dining area in general.
Clearly, he was as annoyed about bringing his brother as he was about where we were, and I loved it. Especially when I saw the trepidation in his eyes as he looked me over now, wearing a pencil skirt and a suit jacket, and remembered how he’d looked at me in that cowboy hat.
What’s that old saying about nightmares dressed like daydreams?
Colt ignored him, gaze twinkling with something I could only describe as devilishness.
He took my hand and brought it to his lips.
He brushed the barest of kisses across my knuckles, grinning as his eyes held mine.
“You look beautiful today, Liv. I like the badass, big city boss look on you. It works.”
Surprise trickled through me. I would have expected something like this from Cody or Wyatt, but it looked like they and Charlie weren’t the only flirty Andersons in the bunch. I smiled, amused and wondering what he was up to, but Charlie pushed him away.
“Knock it off, Colt. You’re not here on a date and I’m not a chaperone.”
“No, really,” I said, leaning into whatever Colt had been trying to do. “It’s okay. I do love a gentleman.”
Charlie’s feathers ruffled visibly, his nostrils flaring and his jaw starting to tick. Slight tinges of red appeared at the tops of his high cheekbones. The corners of his eyes tightened. “Let’s just get this over with.”
I turned a polite smile on him, inclined my chin, and pulled out my chair before either of them could get any ideas. A tiny bit of disappointment still surged through me when Charlie didn’t even try, though.
Sitting down for the meeting, I decided to keep my focus primarily on Colt. This was why I’d wanted another of the brothers as a contact, after all, so I would have someone to talk to who wasn’t him.
“You surprised me.” I picked up my champagne flute. “You have over a thousand followers, Colt Anderson. How did that happen?”
He shrugged. “I’ve definitely gained a few more recently, so thank you for those.”
Charlie squinted at his brother. “How?”
Colt shrugged again but followed it up with a smirk. “Some of us do live in this decade, Charlie.”
“Don’t look at me like that,” he objected with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “I have accounts on social media. I’m just not going to let uploading pictures to those accounts take over my life.”
“You didn’t even know I do it.” Colt chuckled. “How has it taken over my life?”
I cleared my throat gently, my attention now back on Colt. “You’re welcome for the followers.” I smiled. “However, we’d like to get you a few more by taking advantage of the current buzz on social media surrounding the ranch.”
He held my gaze. “That makes sense, but, uh, how do we do that?”
“I’m glad you asked.” I took a quick sip of my champagne to fortify myself against Charlie’s reaction. “I want long form content. We’ve had plenty of flashes and snippets, and those have been gaining traction steadily, but people want more.”
“Long form content?” Charlie frowned. Hard. “What does that mean?”
“The plan is to do a twenty-four-hour visit at the ranch.” I didn’t even look at him, content with seeing his displeasure in my periphery. “With a camera crew.”
“No,” Charlie said immediately and vehemently. “I don’t want a camera crew.”
“I don’t care.” I held his brother’s gaze for another moment before finally sparing him a quick glance. “This idea has already been run past your father and he likes it. It’ll be titled Twenty Four Hours on the Anderson Ranch.”
Looking into those blues felt like someone was taking a hot curling iron to my aching heart, and I quickly averted my gaze back to his brother’s.
“We’ll have a training session before the filming on how to be authentic in the content, but it’d be great if you could prepare a few things for us to do that day that would really show life on the ranch. ”
Colt didn’t seem to love the idea, but I could see intrigue on his features too. He might not love it, but he certainly didn’t hate it either. “Is there any other way of getting the long form content you need?”
I shook my head. “None as good as this. For you guys, a day on the ranch is just life, but many of your customers and especially those who aren’t part of your immediate community have never set foot on a farm.
They want to live vicariously through you, without the sweat and blood that go along with doing chores in real life. ”
“Twenty-four hours, huh?” Colt’s eyes lost focus for a moment before he looked back at me, nodding slowly. “We can do that. We’re definitely going to need your training, but I’ll rally the troops.”
“Excellent.” I finally looked back at Charlie. “Anything to add?”
“Does it matter?”
“No.”
“Then I won’t waste anybody’s time.” He pulled a menu closer, opened it, scowled at the available options, and shut it again. “I’ll just make a sandwich when we get home.”
Colt winked at me as he stood up. “Olivia, it was a pleasure as always. Just let us know when you’re bringing your people and we’ll be ready for you.”
He grabbed my champagne, drained the rest of the glass, wrinkled his nose, and sighed once he’d swallowed. “I still don’t get what the big deal is about this stuff.”
With that, he set the glass down and walked away, leaving me alone with his brother. Charlie looked so deep into my eyes that I felt like he was trying to see into my head. His head tilted slightly as he stood up as well.
“When is this pouting going to end, Liv?”
“You don’t know me, Charlie Anderson.” I opened my menu and studied my options, intent on getting something to eat even if I did it alone.
He let out a quiet sigh before he spun on his heels and followed his brother out of the restaurant without so much as a backward glance.
Thankfully, I’d been prepared for him to walk out after hearing what I had to say, and I’d brought my laptop along so I could get back to work once they were gone.
I pulled it out, ordering some more champagne and an entree, and then I logged in.
Back at the office after a delicious lunch, I gave my team the final go-ahead for the filming and made the necessary practical arrangements for the training and the day on which the crew would join us. All the while, Charlie lingered in the back of my mind.
On my way home that evening, I was determined to put my feelings for him behind me. I stopped at the grocery store, thinking about the promises I’d made him about their family’s privacy and the new plan of bringing a camera crew to their home.
He had said I was pouting, though, which made it easier to stay angry with him. I wasn’t pouting. I was pissed. He had talked trash about me behind my back. I had every right to treat him like the asshole he was.
On my way out of the store, I found myself walking behind a little old lady struggling with her groceries. The wheels of her cart seemed to keep getting stuck and I picked up my pace, momentarily putting the cowboy out of my mind.
“May I help you to get those to your car?” I asked as I came up beside her.
She turned her head to face me, her cheeks flushed with exertion. “I would be eternally grateful if you would, my dear.”
I happily took the cart from her and pushed it to an old car she directed me to at the far end of the lot. After I helped her put the bags away, she looked at me through slightly watery hazel eyes. The lines around her mouth deepened as she smiled.
“There aren’t many kids these days who would take the time to help the elderly. Thank you, darling.”
I chuckled. “Some of us were raised right, and those who were will make sure that there will always at least be some kids in the world who will take the time. Besides, I’m pretty sure that cart was just a dud.”
Laughter lit those soft, kind eyes. “Sure, blame it on the cart, kiddo. Not the seventy-seven years this old body has on it. Its owner put it through the wringer.”
“Through the wringer, huh?” I shook my head at her. “You’re still looking pretty good to me.”
I wasn’t just saying it either. Her spine was straight and proud, her shoulders pulled back, and her head held high.
She grinned at me and jerked her chin at the cafe next to the store. “Will you let me buy you dinner to thank you for your help? None of my stuff is perishable.”
“Oh, that’s really not necessary.”
She stared up at me. “It’s getting late, and since you’re here, I think it’s safe to assume that you were just going to throw something together to eat once you got home. I won’t take no for an answer. You and me? We’re not cooking tonight.”
Wow. Southern hospitality absolutely is a thing—so long as you’re not Charlie.
“Thank you,” I finally said, accepting that this was going to happen whether it was necessary or not. “I’ve never been to this cafe before. Anything good here?”
“Everything,” she said, leading me to a small table outside on the sidewalk. “My husband and I used to eat here all the time. Every Tuesday after we did our shopping.”
“Where is he now?”
She glanced up at the sky. “He earned his wings last year.”
Tears welled in my eyes, but I blinked them away and urged her to tell me more about her life. In return, I told her about the cafe I always used to go to with my gran as a little girl. She regaled me with hilarious tales of her husband, keeping me laughing all throughout our meal.
“Are you in a relationship?” she asked as we were wrapping up.
I shook my head, thinking about Charlie and his bull crap. “I don’t have time for anything like that right now.”
“Oh, child. Love is the only thing you should make time for. Promise me you’ll at least try?”
Looking back at her, I found it impossible to say no. “I’ll think about it.”
She chuckled. “I guess that’s all I can ask for.”
On our way out, I was surprised by how much I’d enjoyed my time with her. I felt like I’d just had dinner with my grandmother, who’d passed when I was young. I reached into my purse as we left the cafe, pulling out a business card and handing it to her.
“Call me if you ever need anything,” I said. “It was so nice to meet you. Thank you for dinner, Ms.?”
“Ms. Burl,” she replied as she took the card. “You’re welcome, darling. See you around.”
“See you around.” I gave her a wave and walked to my car as she went to hers, but I waited until I saw her climb in and drive away before I did the same thing.
As I left the parking lot, it occurred to me how very different Texas was from New York.
I’d just had dinner with a complete stranger, whose name I hadn’t even known until after, but it had felt like a meal with family.
I chuckled as I shook my head, deciding that despite the cowboy’s crap, I was still happy that I’d moved down here after all.