Page 40 of Untamed Heart
Doing our best not to catch each other’s eyes.
Sighing, then sneezing as I beat out some of the cushions on the large couch, my hungover brain tried to fire up again. There had to be a way to really help her, to get the Elk Creek bastards off her back. Then there was the not-so-small issue of whatever this was with Cole.
I sat on the couch for a moment, bed sheets still folded over my arm. Dust motes swirled in the shaft of sunlight that struck the tribal-style rug, right in front of the wood-burning stove in the corner. I pictured us in here, locked away together, the warmth of a fire removing the need for clothes . . .
I knew I had to snap out of this, to think of all the practical implications before launching ahead into what – a rebound fling? I had five days left here. Three days to prepare for a job interview. I didn’t have time for this.
‘I’ve never met anyone like you . . . Fuck London.’His words echoed in my mind and I felt the frustration rise. Why did I have to meet someone like him now, at the messiest time of my life? For once I knew calling Hestia wouldn’t solve anything. She’d tell me to follow my heart and . . . that just wouldn’t work. Would it?
Forcing myself up, I took a couple of deep breaths and got back to work, stretching fresh sheets across the bed and scrubbing the bathroom as though the royal family was on its way. I noted the few little touches Lil had made here and there: a couple of antique vases on the mantle, a beautiful driftwood mirror above a sideboard. But it felt . . . sparse somehow. As though someone had grabbed things at random, as opposed to trying to curate a real feel for this place.
To me, this place represented family – both the blood and the chosen variety – fun and sanctuary. But it was also the cowboy state, with its stunning sweeping landscapes and its vast, endless skies. The cabins didn’t reflect that at all.
I stopped, suddenly inspired.
The throw cushions in my room would match the rug beautifully and make the bed look even more cosy. There was also a set of old Wyoming postcards in an interconnected pewter frame that would match the colours in the bathroom just right.
Finished with the cleaning, I peeled off the gloves and stepped outside, heading up the path towards the entrance of the second cabin on the left. A small patch of delicate yellow flowers danced in the breeze, right next to the long, feathered grasses behind them. Picking a small bunch and trying not to ruin the wild meadow vibe, I headed back into the first cabin and arranged it in one of the antique vases, filling that with water and setting it under the mirror on the sideboard. There. A bright, live snapshot of the real ranch, right as you walked in.
Satisfied and encouraged, I jogged over to the house, scanning down the slope towards the barn and corral for signs of life. I’d yet to see Cole today, yet to figure out how we’d pick up after last night. Whatever the others thought, whether or not they’d bought the excuse of us pretending to kiss to get Eli away from me, we needed to work out what we were – if we were anything at all.
Inside, not bothering to slip off my boots, I headed straight for my room. As I reached the door, the phone rang from Lil’s office down the hall and I hesitated, listening out to hear if she was in there, ready to pick up.
Instead, the answerphone clicked on, the beep sounding before a pause.
‘Hi there, my name’s Jenna.’ I crept closer to listen. ‘I was at the rodeo yesterday with my family. We’ve been looking for a ranch to stay at later this summer for a family get-together. Our usual place is booked and, well, we umm . . . noticed your cowboy in the roping competition – Jesse, is it?’ Her voice became lighter and she giggled. ‘Well, we noticed the ranch name on the back of his jacket and googled you. I had no idea you were there – the cabins look nice and you’re so close to town . . . so, anyway, we wanted to know if you had any days free this July . . .’
Opening the door, I strode over and picked the phone up.
‘Hi there,’ I started, slightly startled by myself. ‘I’m Lottie, part of the Diamond Back team, thank you so much for your message. I heard a little of it – was it a week you were looking for in July? I’m sure we can help.’
My mind whirred as we spoke, and as I scrambled to find the booking system on Lil’s computer, I realized that she did it all from a paper diary, scrawled reservations in barely legible handwriting. The summer months were worryingly free.
As I hung up, having secured a week’s booking from Jenna at the end of July for all three cabins, my mind kept going in the silence. That family was taking the cabins here for a week, spending thousands of dollars for three reasons.
Two of those had nothing to do with us: Jackson Hole was beautiful, and it was a favourite destination for a ton of people, which meant that often places were booked out months in advance. But the third, most important reason – a reason we had control over – was Jesse had caught a potential client’s eye and captured her attention long enough to sell the ranch as a whole.
What if this was the way to help Lil? Really help her? As in, beat back Elk Creek for good and make the Diamond Back a destination in itself?
Just as a depth of feeling had unfurled as I’d kissed Cole last night, a feeling of knowing rather than guessing, so an idea grew and grew in my mind, green flags and bells making a symphony.
I took off, leaving the house again, cushions be damned for now.
‘Lil?’
Swearing I’d heard her voice from outside the barn, I ran over, hair flying out behind me in the breeze. I knew it likely looked chaotic, but I didn’t care. This felt important.
Rounding the corner, I walked into the stalls, stopping abruptly.
Lil and Cole stood in the corner, Cole’s arm around her shoulder as she leant on his chest, tears streaming down her face. They looked up simultaneously, Lil immediately wiping her cheeks and taking a step back.
A hollow sensation opened up in my chest as Cole removed his arm from her shoulder, his eyes creasing in concern at my expression.
I tried to speak, but the vision of Kyle returning home with the blonde woman flashed through my mind; the way his arm had draped across her shoulder in a similar way, a gesture of familiarity and closeness that I realized I’d never known from him – or from any other man.
‘Are you okay, Lil?’ I asked, not able to bear the sight of her upset, whatever else was going on.
‘Hey, uh, yeah,’ she croaked, moving forwards, but stopping as I stepped back. ‘Sorry, I just . . . the whole Elk Creek situation got a bit—’
