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Then he turned, storming toward the door. With one last burst of anger, he threw it open and slammed it shut behind him, the sound echoing through the room.

I exhaled a slow, measured breath.

That wasn’t the first time—or probably the last—I’d hear those words from someone.

As much as I’d enjoyed making Bill squirm, the moment he left, relief crashed over me like a wave. The weight I hadn’t even realized I was carrying lifted from my chest, leaving behind something lighter.

Something free.

The last constant headache in my life was gone.

Good fucking riddance.

Chapter 38

Eleanor

WE DECIDED COLTON would record his speech and post it on social media rather than have a crowd gathered around watching. He did better in the comfort of his own space, where no eyes were on him except mine.

Now, he sat at his desk, the speech laid out in front of him, his fingers drumming against the edge of the paper. We’d spent the better half of the morning running through it over and over until his throat was dry and he was cursing the whole damn thing.

Dressed in a long-sleeved pearl snap shirt, hair perfectly pushed back and curling just behind his ears, he looked every bit the part—the cowboy CEO, ready to face the people. The look was completed with his black cowboy hat, perched just right.

His eyes skimmed the speech again as I finished setting up the tripod, adjusting my phone to frame the shot.

“I’ll be right here,” I reminded him. “Making sure everything runs smoothly. If you need to stop and start over, we can.”

I doubted he would. He’d practiced relentlessly, putting every ounce of effort into making this right.

Still, I felt for him.

I could only imagine how nerve-racking this was—how vulnerable it made him to admit his own faults publicly. Colton wasn’t the kind of man who shared his feelings, even with those closest to him. The thought twisted something inside me, my heart aching in a way that made me wish I could take this weight off his shoulders.

But there was no way out.

Colton exhaled sharply, clearing his throat before looking up at me. His blue eyes met mine, searching for reassurance.

I smirked, nodding as I hovered over the record button.

“You tell me when you’re ready,” I said softly. “It’s your call.”

“Better to just get this over with,” he muttered, rolling his shoulders like he was shaking off tension. “Then we can head down to the bar and get a drink, because I sure as hell am gonna need it.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “You got it.” I held up three fingers. “On the count of three, the stage is all yours.”

Then I paused, my smirk widening.

“Oh, and remember—don’t be a grumpy asshole.”

That earned me a real, unexpected laugh. The tension in the room eased, the weight on his shoulders lifting just a little.

With that, I hit record.

“Good afternoon.” Colton’s voice was steady as he stared into the camera. “I’m here today to share something that I feel is important. Recently, there was an incident at Stone Ranch—one that was completely unacceptable.

“To protect the privacy of everyone involved, I will be refraining from sharing names,” he paused, clearing his throat. “Even though some don’t exactly deserve that luxury.”

I shot him a sharp look and mouthed, Asshole move.