CHAPTER 14 #2
In the quiet that followed, more tears flowed, as I imagined with embarrassment how Cole and Lil had likely heard everything.
Shame scorched through me at having anything to do with someone who thought like that, and at having gone along with his bullshit for so long and never having fought back before now.
The door opened, but this time it was Lil that stepped inside, her face pale but determined.
‘He’s gone now, honey,’ she said, coming over to the bed and leaning down.
‘I’m so sorry, Lil,’ I croaked. ‘I can’t believe he said those things about you and your mum.’
She hugged me tight.
‘It’s water off my back, darlin’, don’t worry about that. Your daddy’s not much different to mine, in a lot of ways. I’ve already been through this shit once before, remember?’
I nodded, looking up as Cole came back in, a glass of water in his hand.
He and Lil shared a look.
‘Get some rest, okay? It’ll feel better in the morning.’
Kissing my forehead and squeezing Cole’s arm, she left, closing the door behind her.
He placed the water on my side table, switching on my lamp and turning off the main light before perching on the side of the bed.
The weight of the words that had been spoken outside settled across both of us.
‘I appreciate everything you said out there,’ he said, hands placed on his legs as though he couldn’t risk them being elsewhere.
‘I’m so sorry you had to hear that,’ I whispered. ‘He’s . . . I hate him for saying such awful shit.’
Cole nodded.
‘It’s people like him I feel sorry for. They’ll never know what it’s like to be happy, you know?
But I can’t believe he spoke to you like that.
’ He shook his head. ‘I know he’s your dad, but I swear .
. . I might not be able to hold back next time if he ever treats you like that again in front of me. Breaks my damn heart watching you cry.’
I stared up at him, watching as he stared back, searching my face. This wasn’t how I’d pictured the best date of my life ending, and I felt anger mixed with sadness at how our happy evening had been ruined.
‘You need to get some rest, I’ll—’ he began, as though warding off the inevitable.
‘Don’t go,’ I blurted, reaching out and holding his arm before he could get up. ‘I mean, you don’t have to go, unless you want to.’
The smallest smile flickered as he looked down.
‘I’m not sure . . .’
‘I don’t mean . . . Just . . . stay,’ I said. ‘I just . . . don’t want to be alone.’
He nodded, getting up to walk around to the other side of the bed, and I heard the sound of boots hitting the floor and the creak of the bedframe as he moved in close behind me without actually touching.
I hesitated, then closed the gap between us, my eyelids fluttering shut as his arm wound around my waist, fingers weaving through mine.
We said nothing, my body reacting as it always did to him, but I resisted the temptation to turn over and start something quite different.
I knew it would happen in an instant, the flame just inches from the fuse, but I knew better than to let that happen tonight, after everything that had taken place.
Eventually, as my breathing slowed and the warmth from his body mingled with mine, his steady heart setting the pace of my own, I felt my eyelids flutter shut.
‘Goodnight, Lottie,’ he whispered. ‘I’ll be here.’
‘Thank you,’ I mumbled, squeezing his hand, finally letting myself go.
When I finally stirred, the light filling the room was muted, softened.
I stretched and my leg bumped up against something. Someone.
Awareness flooded over me and I turned to see Cole grinning, sitting up against the headboard, the bed already made on his side, sipping a steaming coffee as he read something on his phone.
‘Morning, Princess. You stretch just like a cat, you know that?’
Temporarily speechless, I took him in, from the fitted plaid shirt, two buttons open at the neck and sleeves rolled up to reveal smooth, tanned skin beneath, to the perfectly fitting Wrangler jeans, hatless dark hair and heartbreaking smile that lit up those warm, deep eyes.
‘You’re here,’ I breathed, instantly feeling stupid. ‘I mean, you stayed.’
‘I said I would,’ he replied, his gaze softening as he looked me over. ‘I’ve been up for a while now, but I wanted to be here when you woke up. You look pretty with your hair like that. And that dress is . . . uh, yeah. You always look this good in the morning?’
I looked at him in horror, hearing only sarcasm.
‘I’ll be right back,’ I said, getting up and escaping to my ensuite, then staring at my chaotic reflection in the mirror to assess the damage.
My hair was . . . wild. An untamed mass of long curls, only somewhat hiding what was threatening to spill out of Bailey’s strapless dress.
Mercifully it hadn’t worked itself down, but the amount of cleavage it did show was a long way from modesty.
Since I had thankfully chosen waterproof mascara, only a little had smudged in the corners of my eyes.
And somehow, the whole effect was more .
. . party girl after a hot night of sex, rather than emotionally wrung out.
So . . . Cole had meant it. He thought I looked pretty like this.
Frowning at my lack of ability to differentiate between sarcasm and sincerity, I stripped off and had a quick shower, aware during every second of it that he was next door.
The door wasn’t locked. The thought of him coming in here .
. . stripped naked like he had been on the moonlit night by the pools . . .
I turned the temperature to cold and stifled a scream before switching it off altogether.
Bundled up in a big bath towel, I let my hair down as I wandered back into the room, half expecting him to have left. Instead, he was in the same position on the bed, a rigid stillness to his whole frame.
But now his eyes burnt as they watched me cross the room. I sat on the edge of the bed, using the corner of the towel to dry the droplets of water that ran down my collarbone to my chest.
‘Time for me to get the day started,’ he said, slowly getting up and clearing his throat. ‘Lil let me have the morning off, but . . . I’m pushing it now.’
He slipped on his boots, still by the side of the bed.
‘Okay,’ I replied, heart falling. I’d had no idea what to expect, but somehow the idea of time apart was not it.
He turned, hearing the change in tone.
‘Lottie, I’d spend the whole day with you, but honestly, Lil would kill me. And I know I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands to myself. I’m just not sure that’s what you need right now.’
I nodded, accepting the words, the thoughtfulness behind them, but my heart fell even further.
‘Well, I’m not sure how much I like you being a gentleman,’ I murmured, earning a gravelled chuckle as he came round to my side of the bed and paused by the door.
‘Don’t you have a job interview today?’ he asked, his voice suddenly quiet.
I groaned.
‘Fuck, yes. Ugh. How did I forget?’ I said, standing too quickly and almost losing my grip on the towel.
He blinked, turning on his heel and opening my door.
‘All right, I’m out. I’ll be down at the barn if you need me, okay?’
‘Okay,’ I replied, watching as he seemed to change his mind and turned and marched back over, my heart fluttering as he pressed a kiss to my forehead before retreating. As he left I felt a tug in my gut, as though a string bound me to him, pulling taut as he walked away.
Sighing, I resolved to pull it together, for the interview. All thoughts of my dad, Cole and Kyle would have to wait – let alone the thoughts that questioned whether I even wanted the job I was interviewing for.
But, true to my conditioning, I got ready anyway, turning from curly-haired bed siren into marketing professional in less than an hour, even rustling up a smarter, non-western shirt from Lil’s wardrobe.
As I prepped for the interview in the home office, resisting the urge to check the ranch’s social accounts to see the ever-growing following, the distant sound of a growling engine approached, wheels crunching to a stop on the gravel outside.
Dad again?
A falling sensation hollowed my stomach as I walked over to the kitchen, peeking out of the window. An insanely ostentatious car had parked, all sleek lines and tinted windows, and a man in a suit and grey cowboy hat emerged from the back as the driver opened his door.
I ran to the front door, pulling on my boots.
‘Can I help you?’ I said, slipping out onto the porch then walking down towards him. My stomach dropped as I realized who he was.
He narrowed his eyes, raking them over me.
‘You’re not Miss Dean, are you?’ he asked, his polished transatlantic accent closer to mine than the Wyoming drawl.
‘No, she’s my cousin. Lottie Wright,’ I said, offering my hand.
He took it, still studying me.
‘Zach Sinclair. You’re not from here, then?’ he asked, leaning on the side of the car as his driver got back inside.
‘London,’ I replied. ‘Can I pass on a message, or—’
‘I’d rather speak directly to her,’ he interrupted, in a manner so reminiscent of Cressida that I felt an instant swirl of anger. ‘But I’m guessing you have no way of getting hold of her or knowing where on earth she might be here. At Elk Creek we are a more . . . efficient operation.’
I stilled, as though a cold hand had laid itself on my shoulder.
‘I see,’ I replied, my clipped British accent intensifying as I crossed into cold, professional mode. ‘Well, considering I don’t know when she might be back, perhaps it’d be more efficient if I just relay your message to her on your behalf.’
He paused, one eyebrow raised at my tone.
‘Well, I’ll get to the point. I was made aware that some of your guests had posted a video on social media. Our marketing manager sent it over. Apparently there’s some kind of health and safety issue here, or maybe it’s just a lack of professionalism. Either way, it hasn’t gone down very well.’
Frozen in place, I waited as he pulled out his phone and pulled up the app, turning the screen towards me.
It was a clip of several riders, one of them falling off, screaming in pain and blaming an unsafe horse. Then a cowboy, face hidden, accusing city folk of having no idea what they were doing, wishing Wyoming had never opened to dude ranching.
A shot of adrenaline ran through me; the voice sounded a little like Jesse’s – and I felt another jolt of horror as a Diamond Back jacket came into shot.
‘The comments are fairly damning,’ Zach continued casually, as though we were talking about the weather, closing his phone and slipping it into the inside pocket of his suit. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if bookings dry up.’
‘I don’t know how . . .’ I started, wracking my brain, trying to remember the guests we’d just had. Jesse had said nothing about any problems, and nor had Lil. ‘I don’t think—’
‘It doesn’t really matter what you think, though, does it?’ he said, tilting his head. ‘It’s what other people think – potential guests. Social media is all about perception, isn’t it? We thought, seeing as you’ve taken such a bold move into attracting visitors by using it, you must know that?’
It clicked. A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth and his dark, shark-like eyes stayed perfectly still, fixed on my expression, as the truth dawned.
They’d faked it. Elk Creek were going after us on social media now.
‘Lottie?’ Lil shouted, approaching up the drive with Cole, shotgun dangling at her side. Then, as they approached, they both turned their attention to the car, and the asshole leaning on it.
‘Miss Dean,’ he said, eyes fixed on her gun. ‘Charmed to meet you properly, I’ve heard so much about you. I was just telling your cousin here that your social media experiment has backfired somewhat.’
‘They’ve faked a video of a riding accident, of Jesse being rude to a guest,’ I hissed, all but snarling at Zach.
Lil’s mouth opened in shock. Cole moved closer to me, an uncompromising stare fixed on Zach.
‘We could report you to the police, get lawyers involved,’ I began, stepping up to him, sudden fury filling me up.
‘I don’t think you want to do that,’ he said, moving to open his car door. ‘I have enough lawyers on my payroll to bury this ranch. Which is exactly what I’ll do, if you don’t sell to us.’
He leant inside, pulling out a brown paper folder and handing it to Lil.
‘I’ve told you people already,’ she said, shaking her head.
‘Oh, I know that,’ he countered. ‘But time’s running out.
We’re expanding, and this place is right in the way.
You’ll sell to us, now, for a fair market price, or we’ll destroy your place and pick up the pieces for pennies.
It starts with this,’ he said, tapping the phone in his pocket.
‘And who knows . . .’ He gestured at the trees around us.
‘Terrible wildfires this year in the south of the state – have you heard? I know for a fact you have no insurance on this place. What if one swept right through here?’
Silence fell between us, the implication of his words sucking the oxygen from the air.
‘You’ve got a week,’ he added, nodding at the folder.
Cole stalked towards him.
‘And you’ve got about ten seconds to get off this land before I throw you off the side of that mountain there,’ he growled, his hand resting on the car door. ‘Now get in and get the fuck off this ranch.’
‘I look forward to your answer.’ Zach winked at Lil, daring a glance back at me before Cole slammed his door closed, only just missing his foot.
We watched as the car drove off, throwing up a cloud of dust in its wake.