CHAPTER 18
With contracts signed and most of my savings committed, we had three days to make the ranch into the most social media-ready version of itself.
Lil and I ran around getting the right supplies in, meal-planning and adding extra touches to the cabins – even ordering in personalised Diamond Back Ranch jackets for the incoming guests.
‘So tell me how this all goes,’ Bailey asked. ‘I mean, I get the idea but what’s the strategy?’
We were next to each other in the tack room, a saddle and bridle each, cleaning and oiling the leather. I’d had the influencers provide their height and riding ability in advance, allowing Bailey to choose which of the horses would suit them best.
‘The strategy? You’re making it sound like a military manoeuvre.’ I chuckled, watching as she smirked in return.
‘Tryin’ to corral city folk into saying exactly what you want about the ranch? I’d say so. I’m always thinking strategy,’ she added, finishing one bridle and moving on to the next. ‘Barrel racing is all strategy.’
I nodded. ‘Yeah, you’re right, I guess. Well, the first thing is choosing the right people.
This bunch have similar but slightly different audiences, all into travel in the US .
That way we stand to reach out to as many of the people who are most likely to want to come and stay here as possible.
The second thing is giving them the experience they really want, and making it look good.
They could have the best time of their lives but if the cabins don’t look bougie enough or it rains the whole weekend, the content won’t work. ’
Bailey considered my words, her well-practised handling of the bridle, the methodical way she used the cloth to get the oil into the leather appearing somewhat meditative.
‘So it was you that arranged the good weather we’ve got forecast for this weekend?’ she said, smiling and finally turning to me, eyes crinkling. ‘What we gonna do with these cowpokes then? Anything you need us to know?’
I nodded, grateful for her understanding. This whole thing would only work if they all played their parts. I’d already briefed Jesse and Cole and received a mildly bemused, albeit supportive response. But Bailey held the key role; she was the grounding influence in the whole thing.
‘Well, Jesse and Cole are going to be, uh, occupied with their own tasks.’ She raised her eyebrows but didn’t venture anything, just waited for me to go on, her expression calm but her eyes still glimmering.
‘So I need you and Lil to tag team-leading them through the itinerary.’ I raised myself up from the bench and reached into my back jeans pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper.
‘Your focus in particular is to show them what can be done with the horses, give them a barrel riding demo – maybe even coach them to do their own, easier version.’
I unfolded the paper as she chuckled, setting down her cloth to reach for it.
‘Well, jeez, it’s sure packed full.’ She nodded as she read through the list and paused as she got to one of the activities. ‘Cold-water swimming in the mountain river? You sure a bunch of city folk are gonna go with that?’
Smirking, I carried on with the saddle I was working on, buffing out a mark near the pommel.
‘That one’s tried and tested by another city girl. It definitely got the endorphins going and it’ll be fucking hilarious to film.’
Bailey side-eyed me.
‘I don’t want to know.’ She laughed. ‘No shooting on here? We do that with some of the regular guests. Jesse has a whole range set up that he can get out.’
I shook my head.
‘Nah, one of the influencers is really anti-guns. I was scanning through her feed and she made a couple of really strong opinion videos on it. We’ll just leave it – I don’t want to create any kind of negative vibes.’
‘You really have thought of everything, haven’t you?’ said Bailey. She waved the piece of paper. ‘Can I keep this?’
I nodded. ‘Oh – and the two women I’ve invited, they’ve both ridden before, but they’re both a little intimidated. One of them – Kendra, I think, but I’ll double-check for you – had a bad experience once; her horse bolted and she was okay, but it really dented her confidence.’
Bailey narrowed her eyes, thinking.
‘Okay, I’ll swap her out for Jasper, if you don’t mind. He’s our gentleman – well, except around Domino. But he always behaves beautifully for greener riders. A little slower these days, except when you’re on him.’
I grinned, remembering the speeds we’d reached on the way back from the cattle drive.
‘Now, not to rain on the parade or anything, but what’re the chances of this not coming off?’ Bailey asked, frowning. ‘I mean, I can see how you’ve thought all this through, but how do we know it will work?’
I shrugged. ‘Hard to say. I mean, I know it can work – I’ve seen it happen in my own job, and with other brands and products on social, but there’s no guarantee.
But if we show them the best of the ranch, if you guys give them every last bit of your western charm’ – I smirked at her, receiving one in return – ‘then it’ll work.
They’re all super influential, so if they give it their approval, we’ll be back on track. ’
She nodded, looking thoughtful as I held my breath.
The real truth was, we were walking a very fine line.
If they didn’t have a good time or something went wrong, it’d likely come out.
The fees weren’t a golden ticket to wholly positive reviews, especially as I’d chosen them all based on their authentic approach to creating sponsored content.
It was one of the reasons why they all had really engaged followers that listened to them, but it was also a bigger risk to the ranch.
‘Lil said one of them’s British, right?’
I became still, then tried to cover it. She’d homed in on the biggest risk of all, the one I’d hidden part of the truth about.
‘Yeah, that’s right – Leo. He’s from the UK , lives in New York now but .
. . uh, I kind of know him, through an .
. . acquaintance. It’s the only reason it happened, actually – he’d be too expensive otherwise.
He’s got a huge following that seem to do everything he tells them to. I got mates rates.’
I scrubbed at Jasper’s bit, trying to distract myself from the way I was connected to Leo: he was one of Kyle’s oldest friends from school. They only saw each other once or twice a year at most, but they were still close enough.
‘Huh,’ said Bailey, swapping cloths as she moved on to Penny’s conker-brown saddle. ‘I didn’t realize they got paid and got a free vacation. Maybe I’m in the wrong business.’
I paused, cursing myself. I’d been meaning to keep the fees part to myself and hoped Bailey wouldn’t mention it to Lil, for now at least. I knew Lil didn’t have the spare money and I wasn’t about to let her get into debt for an experiment.
Thanks to having no life outside of work in London, and Kyle spending most of our relationship trying to buy my affection by working his way steadily through his family money, my savings had been pretty extensive.
But, between keeping my flat in London and now the influencer fees, the moment where I’d have to decide between the new job or staying here had very nearly arrived.
‘I reckon you’d make a great influencer,’ I deflected, noting her incredulous look. ‘What? You’d be great. I just wish I’d filmed you at the rodeo – that riding was insane.’
She shrugged, looking faintly embarrassed at the praise.
‘I’m not cool enough for social media,’ she teased, nudging my arm with hers.
‘You are genuine and amazing, and these influencers are going to love you and have a lot of fun.’
‘So . . . are you gonna be okay with Cole being part of this charm offensive?’ Bailey asked after a pause. The question was innocent enough, but somehow it felt like a stab in the heart.
‘I asked him to be his usual charming self,’ I said, receiving a calculated glance in response, my voice not quite able to hide my internal conflict.
The thought of Cole looking at someone else the way he did at me, of having it returned by one of the women – both straight, both beautiful – was acutely painful.
But, if it led to the kind of content the ranch needed to get bookings in again, to help build the business to secure Lil’s and everyone else’s future .
. . then the sacrifice had to be worth it.
That’s how I justified it, anyway. Despite the physical ache of missing Cole’s skin against my own.
Of never having been quite so aware of him being on the other side of the house, the other side of a door.
Twice now, I’d wandered down the hall towards his room, hesitating as I drew closer.
The thought of touching him again was all that occupied my thoughts, in between preparation for the influencers’ arrival this evening.
But I knew it wasn’t fair to him, to either of us.
‘I hope you don’t mind me saying so,’ Bailey began, pausing to choose her words carefully. ‘But it sure would be strange here without you now. If you go on home to London after this.’
I nodded, swallowing.
‘I didn’t expect it to be such a difficult choice.’
‘Yep, well,’ she said, finally getting up and stretching, her final bridle now finished, ‘these things always happen when you least expect them, right? I never expected to become a barrel racer, get a sponsor or two, make something of it. But sometimes life just happens and you’ve gotta trust your gut. ’
I took a deep breath. Two days. We just had to get through two days. And then, if everything went okay, if Lil would let me stay, then maybe . . .
‘What about you?’ I asked, needing to get the hell out of my head for a while. ‘Anyone catch your interest round here?’
‘Aw, no one really.’ She grinned. ‘I’m not much of a commitment type, y’know? I don’t mind a little fun now and then but it’s just me and Dunkin against the world right now.’