Page 63 of Winning Winnie’s Hand

“I don’t know,” he began, pulling in his lips with a shake of his head. “Putting on that armor, riding horses, receiving so much attention from all the ladies. It’s more difficult than you can imagine.”

Sarah laughed aloud, and even Spencer cracked an impressed smile, as if to say, “Touché.”

Before another word could be spoken, Dad chimed in next, ending all laughter. “So, Matthew, Winnie was just going to tell us all about the changes she’s been making. How are the others taking it?”

Ugh. Winnie would rather go back to Spencer’s taunting.

“They’re taking it very well,” Matthew responded.

That was an outright lie. Had he said so for her sake?

Matthew leaned forward again, this time, his shoulder fully resting on hers. “Although,” he continued, “between you and me, Mr. Knox, no one would dare cross her if they didn’t agree with her changes.”

Her family laughed, but Winnie hardly heard, too focused on the tingles rushing across her skin and the warmth spreading from his body to hers.

She’d known about the connection and energy between them from the beginning, but this lingering heat and that smile on his features had stirred something in her heart she wasn’t ready to accept. The two had fought nearly non-stop since day one, and now, with his smiles, teasing, and touch, it felt like there was something more.

But there was nothing more. They were nothing more. Nothing but coworkers.

“Well, look,” Matthew said, their shoulders still pressed together, “I’d love to stay and chat, but I’m sure Winnie would like to get back to speaking with her family alone. It was such a pleasure to meet you all.”

Her family said goodbye in scattered harmony, and he waved his hand in departure as he sidled behind Winnie. Cold air pressed against her shoulder at his absence.

Her parents and siblings picked up their conversation again, but Winnie wasn’t listening, focusing instead on Matthew as he reached the door and faced her.

“See you later, Miss Knox,” he said with a knowing look, then he was gone, leaving Winnie behind to acknowledge the fact that he’d just gained the upper hand in their professional relationship.

And she dreaded to see what would become of it.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Over the next few days, Winnie kept a low profile as much as she could, maintaining her distance from the rest of the staff and not speaking with Matthew at all. The last thing she needed was for him to talk to her about the call with her family, reviving her embarrassment all over again, so she dove headfirst into preparations for the faire, doing her best not to dwell on him.

She did her best not to think about him as she reviewed the knights’ scripts. She did her best not to admire his finesse on his horse as he charged down the list over and over again during practice. And she did her best not to notice how appealing he looked as he broke for lunch each day. Helmet off, curled hair dripping with masculine sweat, sunglasses hanging from the front of his breastplate.

Obviously, her best wasn’t good enough—nor could she avoid him forever, as discussions with him had to occur and meetings with him needed to be held.

On the following Thursday, a little more than one week before the festival, she called a meeting in the assembly hall, sharing with the staff what else needed to be done before the big event.

Everyone seemed in good enough spirits, if not a little tired, as they listened to her seemingly endless list of items until she excused them for the day. She’d kept her gaze mostly off of Matthew throughout the meeting, and he’d shockingly maintained his silence, leaving quietly with the rest of the group when the time came.

While Winnie appreciated his lack of snarky comments, she hadn’t been able to understand it. She’d thought for sure he would have used his newfound power over her to put her on the spot and embarrass her in front of the others even more. Was he waiting for a better chance, or was he taking the high road after all?

Her rumination continued as she stood alone in the assembly hall, gathering her tablet and a few papers across the table before the door opened with a loud creak.

She glanced up, half-expecting to see Matthew and only half-disappointed when his dad appeared instead.

“Mr. Wintour,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t expect to see you today.”

The two of them had met nearly every other day to discuss the progress being made toward the event—if they were within their budget, how the staff was handling their workloads, and about a thousand other things—though their meetings were usually held in his cozy study instead. To see him anywhere other than that room was an anomaly for Winnie.

“I needed to get out and stretch my legs a bit,” he said. “And I wanted to see if there’s anything I could do for you.”

Winnie smiled, thanked him for his generosity, and gave him an update on the meeting and all that needed to be accomplished.

“Everyone seems really eager to help, though, so I have no worries that we’ll get it all done,” she said with a confident smile, hoping it looked more convincing than it felt.

The pressure had increased tenfold over the last couple of weeks, and her nerves had been marinated, grilled, and burned because of it.