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“As you wish,” I replied, tossing a wave over my shoulder and heading out his office door.
Chapter 9
Eleanor
AFTER LEAVING COLTON’S office, riding the high of my small victory, I made a quick detour to scope out some places I passed this morning that would be the perfect opportunities to encompass the warmth of Stone Ranch.
Colton could count his lucky stars that the scandal had been contained within the walls of the ranch. It wasn’t known if other locations had heard about it yet, but I would soon find out.
As far as Colton knew, between discussions with lawyers and back-and-forth communication with the woman, the level of secrecy had been maintained.
Satisfied with the content I collected, I began to scroll through the photos, picking and choosing which ones to post first as I lazily walked down the hall toward the lobby. There were a few great options to introduce Stone Ranch so I threw them together in a carefully curated post with music and a killer caption.
A notification popped up at the top of my screen—a text from Tawnie telling me she was ready in the lobby to escort me to the stables. I had asked if it would be possible to interview the employees on the ranch.
At first, I asked her to set up these interviews to get a better sense of what it was like working for Stone Ranch—not working for Marcus, of course. He was the whole reason I was here in the first place.
I was beginning to wonder why people decided to keep this secret within these walls, not taking it as a chance to make a name for themselves by airing out the dirty laundry.
When I reached the lobby, the grand space was just as impressive as the first time I’d walked through it. Tawnie was waiting near the reception desk, her outfit catching my eye immediately. She wore bright pink dress pants paired with a stylish blouse accented to match, and instead of heels, she sported designer sneakers.
There was something about Tawnie I genuinely liked. She reminded me a little of myself: a woman who had clawed her way up from nothing, seizing every opportunity to turn a bad situation into something bigger. She had the potential to go far, and honestly, staying tethered to Colton Stone as his assistant forever felt like a waste of her talents. Not that being his assistant was easy. Dealing with that man every day required a steel spine and true grit. Still, I could see she had the drive to carve out her own legacy and eventually make a name for herself.
“Good morning, Miss Stewartt,” Tawnie greeted me with a bright smile, glancing up from the tablet in her hands.
When I got close enough, she locked the screen and extended her hand for a shake. I took it, mirroring her smile.
“Good morning,” I replied, my tone chipper. It wasn’t her fault I’d been dealing with Colton, after all. “You don’t need to use the formalities. Call me Eleanor.”
She nodded.
“I thought we could head straight to the barn in the pasture,” Tawnie said, her enthusiasm evident by the way she smiled. “We have some time before the first guided tour starts, and the ranchers will be out there getting the horses ready.”
Nodding, I let Tawnie lead the way down a hall I hadn’t explored yet. Glancing down, I scowled at my heels, a choice I was already regretting. Tawnie’s sneakers were clearly the better option.
I was so out of my element on a ranch. If I stepped in horse shit wearing these, I’d be sending the bill to Colton as a business expense, obviously.
“Last night was a hit,” Tawnie said as we walked.
“Right? It seemed like everyone was having a good time.”
“I swear I even saw Mr. Stone smile.”
I laughed at that, the sound sharp and abrupt because I knew how insincere that smile was.
Pulling my phone out of my purse, I scrolled through the photos I’d taken at the event. Donors mingling, Colton shaking hands and playing the part of the charming host—it was almost convincing. The liar. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I remembered his true attitude, the one I’d seen moments ago.
I slowed my pace and gently grabbed Tawnie’s arm to stop her. “Speaking of last night,” I said, unlocking my phone, “I’ve got some photos I wanted your opinion on before I post. My angle here is to start building a social media presence for the ranch. Let me know if any of these stand out to you.”
This was a test, something that would show me whether I’d made a good, gut choice in wanting Tawnie. If she could pick something and give me a good reason, I’d know for sure I’d picked up on the energy I felt, drawing me to her.
Tawnie cocked her head and held out her hand. I opened the album I’d created for Stone Ranch content and passed her my phone.
As she scrolled, I crossed my arms over my chest, watching her reactions. Her lips twitched and her head tilted—small tells that she was giving the images a careful once-over.
“Oh, here it is,” she said suddenly, a laugh bubbling out of her as she handed my phone back.
I glanced at the screen. It was a short video I’d taken of Colton. His head tilted back in one of his “charming” laughs. The average person might have thought it was genuine, but I knew better. Years of working in media had sharpened my bullshit detector, and that laugh? It was as fake as they come.
