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By the time he pulled back, my head was spinning. My lips tingled from the contact, my body barely keeping me upright.
Colton smirked, brushing a stray piece of hair from my face, completely unaffected while I was about to collapse.
“Let’s go, Miss Stewartt,” he murmured. “We’ve got bourbon to drink.”
Chapter 39
Eleanor
I BUZZED AROUND the event space, making sure everything was exactly how it should be.
Patrons were filing in, taking their seats in front of the stage we’d rented. The space—normally a ballroom—had been completely transformed. With enough money and time, anything could be.
Tawnie and I had busted our asses for this. We got here insanely early, checking and rechecking every detail, ensuring everything was perfect.
After Colton’s video went live, my company was discovered as part of the behind-the-scenes clean-up. Now that the cat was officially out of the bag, and the internet sleuths had dug up my involvement, I had no choice but to impress the public now that BuzzBurst was attached to the ranch.
I didn’t know how they found out or where they got their information, but I had to admit, it was impressive.
If I had to guess? Nico.
That kid loved to shake things up just for the fun of it.
Not that it was necessarily a bad thing that people knew I was here—at least not anymore. If there had been suspicions before, it might have impacted how well Stone Ranch was being received.
Ever since Colton’s speech, the internet had been shockingly respectful. Owning up to his mistakes, admitting fault, and not acting like an untouchable, arrogant CEO seemed to have smoothed things over.
Not to mention the whole Bill situation. I would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.
Though, after the way Colton came to me, recounting every last detail, including every shift in Bill’s demeanor, every tell, a part of me felt like I had been there, living the moment right alongside him.
Speaking of, I hadn’t seen much of Colton today.
Between my endless preparations and his rehearsals with Cooper, time was something neither of us had much of.
“Those lights need to be re-angled!” I called, waving my clipboard toward the lighting engineer on stage. “You’re gonna blind them with that!”
I rolled my eyes and kept moving, my to-do list was still miles long and time was ticking.
We had about twenty-five acts signed up—a quarter of them being Stone Ranch employees. Colton agreed that whoever wanted to participate would get paid for the day. I mean, who wouldn’t want to get paid while showing off their talent?
I was excited to see what everyone brought to the table.
Especially Cooper and Colton.
Since that very first day, he hadn’t let Tawnie or me watch their rehearsals, meaning the finished act was a complete mystery.
Though, I prayed whatever it was involved short shorts and cowboy boots.
FINALLY, I LET myself exhale.
The hardest part of preparation was behind me, but my work for the night wasn’t done, not yet. The final event was about to begin, which also meant my time at Stone Ranch was coming to an end.
I refused to think about that. Not now. Not when my full attention needed to be rooted firmly in the present.
I slipped offstage and tucked myself behind the curtain, hidden from the rows upon rows of guests. The turnout was incredible, better than anything I’d dared hope for. People lined the back wall, cocktails in hand, since we’d run out of seating entirely. But no one seemed to mind. They sipped, nibbled on hors d’oeuvres, and laughed—ready for what I hoped would be an unforgettable night.
Mic in hand, the emcee I’d hired strode toward center stage. When she stepped into the spotlight, the room hushed, drawn in by her persona. Lolly was older than me, all spunk and charm, dressed in jeans, a pearl-snap button-up shirt, and bright red cowboy boots that fit her spirit perfectly.
