My hand drifts to my stomach before I snatch it back.
“Mr. Shaw… Zander…” Scarlett stammers. “This is my cousin, Romy. She runs The Knotted Barn and is a huge fan of yours.”
For the first time ever, Zander Shaw’s camera-ready smile slips.
Chapter Two
Romy
I stick out my hand toward Zander, forcing myself to keep it there and not recoil. “Nice to meet you.”
“That’s it?” Scarlett murmurs, gaze darting to meet Lottie’s.
Zander’s chin raises slightly, as if he’s questioning why I’m pretending I don’t know him. Then his large hand slides into mine. His calloused fingertips graze along my palm, and an uninvited memory of those fingers sliding between my legs forces itself front and center. I lock my jaw, willing it back down.
“Scarlett says you’re a really big fan. I love meeting fans.”
It takes everything inside me not to smack that smug smile off his face.
He doesn’t strip his gaze off me. It’s as though he’s daring me to acknowledge our prior relationship, which clearly wasn’t a relationship to him. He opens his mouth to say something else, but Scarlett interrupts.
“He’s going to film his new video here! Can you believe it?” Scarlett is so excited she looks as if she could pop a blood vessel. I’m not sure I would mind if she did, just to have an excuse to stop staring at him.
“Oh?” I press my lips together and nod.
“Yeah, can you believe it?” She grins at me, then lowers her voice. “I thought you’d be more excited.”
I hate the disappointment in her eyes, but I’m doing my best here.
Lottie grips my arm so tightly, I wonder if she knows something.
“We all did,” Emmett says from the back of the room. “I gotta go get Colter. Welcome to Plain Daisy Ranch.” Emmett walks past us, smacking Zander on the shoulder.
DeSoto steps forward, but Zander gives his head a shake, and DeSoto stands down. That’s the way it goes. It takes me back to the first night when DeSoto put his hand on my elbow and ushered me past the security detail at Zander’s request. It’s the same hand that barred me from entry, eyes apologetic, when he told me I was no longer on the list.
I pull my hand out of Zander’s, and his lingers in the air a beat before he shoves it in his pocket. All easygoing and casual. Annoyingly in control of his emotions.
“Why here?” I ask him.
My mom nudges me in the side with her elbow. “Romy,” she whispers.
“Why not?” Zander shrugs.
“Can’t you make a set like this on some soundstage or something?” My bitterness seeps out before I can rein it in. If I’m not careful, my whole family will piece together the fact that Zander Shaw was my mystery man.
“I want this to feel authentic.”
“Hmm.” My lips press together.
“Well, let me show you around the rest of the ranch. We’ve reserved The Getaway Lodge for you and your entourage.” Scarlett gives me a questioning glare as she holds out her arm to escort Zander away, but he doesn’t turn around.
I raise my eyebrows, afraid to open my mouth because my family are like detectives who will compare notes and swap knowledge until they figure out my secret. And this one I need to keep so I can wrap my head around it before I have to deal with everyone else’s opinions. Besides, I need to make sure I tell Lottie before anyone else. She deserves to be the first to know.
“Are you coming?” Zander asks.
“You should go, Romy,” my mom encourages.
“Yeah, we have room in the UTV for you.” Scarlett waits, looking between us.
