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“We’ve already talked about my wardrobe for the next few weeks with Georgiana and Morgan, so I’m good.”
“Makeup?” Jack asked.
With a tilt of my head, I said, “I’d rather do my own. And before you say TV makeup is different, I’ll remind you that I was on live TV plenty of times during the pageants, when I had to do my own makeup. I prefer it that way.”
Jack and Travis both nodded. When I saw Hunter staring at me with an expression I couldn’t decipher, he quickly looked away and shook his head, as if clearing his thoughts.
Does he actually think I don’t know how to do my own makeup?
“You ready to go?” Jack asked Hunter, who still seemed to be lost in his head.
“Yeah, sorry. Let’s go.”
They all stood, and as they proceeded to walk out the door, Hunter stopped. “I have an idea. To make it more personal, why don’t we do my interviews at my ranch, as well? I mean, you’re playing me up as this cowboy, right?” he said. “Then shouldn’t my filming be at the family ranch?”
I gathered my notebook, phone, and bag. It was a good plan, and I was surprised no one had thought of it. “That’s a great idea,” I stated. “With the girls doing their spots at their house, it only makes sense to have Hunter do his on the ranch.”
“How in the hell did we not think of that?” Jack grumbled to Travis, who simply shrugged.
“Let’s get Paul and Louie up to speed on the change. We’ll do the first interview in the main barn,” Travis said as we all piled out of the room.
“Blayze is going to love that,” Hunter grinned, as I giggled. “Need a ride?” he asked as we made our way down the halls of the hotel.
With a quick nod, I replied, “That would be nice.”
When he placed his hand on my lower back to guide me out the front doors of the hotel, I ignored the zip of electricity. I drew in a deep breath, and was about to remark on the soft snow falling when someone called out Hunter’s name.
No, not someone—a large group of people.
My gaze flew across the parking lot, where a small barricade had been set up with a few Hamilton police officers standing post. On the other side were photographers and reporters.
“Holy shit,” Hunter whispered as he gave me a slight push to speed up our pace. He opened the door to the limo and waited for me to get inside. When I glanced up at him, I saw him smiling toward the crowd. He even offered a friendly wave before slipping inside the car and shutting the door.
I knew the smile he’d given the crowd wasn’t a real one. No…when Hunter Shaw genuinely smiled at you, the ground seemed to wobble ever so slightly beneath your feet.
I started to say something when he looked at me and gave his head a slight shake, barely motioning to the camera. Without so much as looking in that direction, I exhaled and glanced out the window instead. “Looks like we’re in for some wintery weather.”
Hunter nodded, glanced out the back window of the limo, and frowned. I wasn’t sure how much of our bodies were in view of the camera, but I took a chance and reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze. He quickly turned around and stared forward. Uttering not so much as a single word.
I followed his lead and stared out the window, our hands still locked together.
Chapter Eight
KIPTON
The ride from the hotel back to the ranch was tense and seemed like it took forever. When I realized Hunter wasn’t going to speak at all, I withdrew my hand from his and pulled out my laptop and started to work. The silence was grueling, and a part of me wanted to send him a text. It would be way too obvious, though, so I simply went over some notes that Jack and Travis had sent regarding some of the upcoming dates. They had told me what a few of the dates would be, but I wasn’t given details or when particular dates would occur.
The limo finally came to a stop, and Hunter threw the door open, turned, and held his hand out for me.
Ignore the way that chivalry makes your heart flutter, Kipton. Ignore. It.
When I stepped out of the limo, our eyes met and held for what some may have said was too long. Hunter eventually cleared his throat and dropped my hand.
“Thank you,” I said softly, before I started toward the front door of the guest log house where he was staying. This one happened to be on the property that they called the “main ranch.” The cattle and horse ranch was massive, but it was divided up into sections. Brock and Lincoln had their acreage, as did Tanner and Timberlynn, Ty Jr. and Kaylee, and Blayze and Georgiana.
Stella and Ty Sr. still controlled the main ranch, which held two guest log cabins. Brock and Lincoln also had a guest cabin in their section of the ranch, just behind their main house.
I glanced up and took in his grandparents’ guesthouse, which I’d toured once before, during preproduction. The sidewalk led to a small, covered porch. It was a typical-looking, two-story log cabin, but once you walked inside, it was cozy and welcoming; a place where you wanted to grab a blanket and a book and curl up next to the picture window that overlooked the pasture.
