“Partially.”That didn’t mean much to most people.“Look, itwas clear to me she’s a woman of means.She might be happy to date a lawyer,but I assure you she’s not going to fancy parties with a ranch hand on her arm.Much less one with a record.”
“Come on, man.You have to be more optimistic about this.You can’t go through life thinking only bad things will happen.”
He wasn’t sure why.It had worked for him for thirty years.He didn’t see himself changing now.Oh, there might have been some tiny versionof himself that had been normal, but then his stepfather had come along and theworld turned to shit.“I think we should concentrate on the job.We agreed tono names.We didn’t agree to no names until we really want a name.She showedus what she wants this morning.She had her fun, and now she’s gone.She didn’tlie to us.She told us exactly what she wanted.It’s not her fault you caughtfeelings.”
“And you didn’t?”Garrett looked at him like he didn’t knowwho he was.
Sometimes a little lie was required to make things go moresmoothly.“The sex was good.She was hot, but she’s nothing we can’t find atany club.”
Maybe not a little lie.A big lie.He was worried he wouldthink about that woman for the rest of his life, would die with the taste ofher on his tongue.But she made herself plain, and he wasn’t going to beg for arelationship that would fall apart when she knew who he truly was.
“Okay,” Garrett said evenly, closing his laptop.“You needtime.I can understand that.So let’s do what you said.Let’s concentrate onwork.Although maybe I want to concentrate on something else because I’m prettysure I’m going to be in hell.”
“Don’t you mean we?”
“No, I mean me,” Garrett corrected.“Look, you’re going tobe out on the range, dealing with a bunch of young cowpokes, and you’resurprisingly good at that.I’m going to have to deal with a nepo baby whothinks because Daddy bought her a fancy degree, she understands how to handlethings.She’s already fucked up with the Gladen Farms account.He’s got causeto sue.”
“I thought you said he might not be following all theorganic protocols.”
“I know, but we don’t have proof and she walked in andaccused him.Now he’s not only got the chance to cover it up, he has the chanceto sue the hell out of us.She’s fucked up majorly, and I have to find a way toclean up the mess without upsetting the dragon lady.”
Keane snorted.“Dragon lady?”
“Well, apparently she can bust some balls.”Garrett turnedslightly.
“Does she bust balls or is she a lazy nepo baby?”
“I never said she was lazy.She seems adept at screwingthings up in a legal sense,” Garrett admitted.“I kind of wish she was lazy.Then I wouldn’t be dealing with one definite lawsuit and another potential one.I swear she’s like a bull in a china shop.Shouldn’t someone have taught hersome subtlety?”
“Subtlety has never been my strong suit,” a familiar voicesaid.A voice that sent a shiver down Keane’s spine.Not a good one since itwas obvious she’d been listening in.
Red.When he turned around she stood in the narrow hall thatled from the door of the plane into the cabin.She wore casual clothes, jeansand a button-down that hugged her every curve.She had an obviously expensivebag thrown over her shoulder and sunglasses that hid her eyes.
Her hair… Oh, her hair was a fucking glorious thing.Thenight before it had been perfectly straight, but now it curled and in a wildway that made him wonder how she would look naked with all that hair.
Not that she was going to talk to them again.Except maybeto fire them.
Garrett’s whole demeanor had changed.He looked happy, likehe didn’t know what was actually happening.Like he thought this was a goodthing.He stood.“Red.”He grinned at her.“I mean I know that’s not your realname, but I don’t have anything else to call you.I’m Garrett, by the way.Andthis is Keane.I’m so happy to see you.”
She flipped her sunglasses up, and there was ice in hergaze.“Are you?I’m surprised.You’re happy to see a ball-busting nepo baby whotreats the business like she’s Godzilla and Barnes-Fleetwood is her ownpersonal Tokyo?”
Garrett had the graciousness to flush.“I shouldn’t havesaid that.Is she a friend of yours?Please don’t tell her I said that.I wasirritated that you snuck away this morning.”
“Dude,” Keane tried.He knew what was happening.For all hisintellectual skill, Garrett sometimes heard what he wanted to hear.Keane wasway more of a realist.
“You want my name?”Red set her bag down on the seatfurthest from them.“It’s Olivia Barnes-Fleetwood, and don’t feel bad.I wastelling my mother earlier how unexcited I was to spend time with a lawyer.I’lladmit, as arrogant as you are in emails, I thought you would be at least sixtywith tons of experience.I should have remembered you’re male.You’re bornarrogant.”She turned Keane’s way.“What were you saying?Were you agreeingwith your friend?Am I a bull in a china shop?”
“I wouldn’t know, Ms.Barnes-Fleetwood.I don’t touch thelegal stuff.I handle cows and cowboys, and I’ll tell you one is way easier todeal with.”
Her eyes narrowed on him.“So you weren’t bashing me?”
“I wasn’t bashing you,” Garrett said quickly, his face anice shade of pink.
He had to try to save this or they would both get theirbutts kicked off this plane and they would be looking for new jobs.If thathappened… Well, he didn’t know.This was the perfect job.Garrett spent acouple of days in Fort Worth or Dallas every week and the rest of the time inthe foreman’s house on the O’Malley Ranch.
And he also didn’t want her to think he would ever say aword against her.“I was trying to convince him to honor your boundaries.Hewanted to figure out your real name so he could ask you out.”
“And you didn’t?”One brow rose over those green eyes.
