Page 56 of Untamed Heart
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 bemore efficientif 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.
