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I ignored him, instead directing him to the rail and asking him to do it all again with a little more speed. Dodge settled in, quickly learning how to cue Zee with the whip.

“I better be good and get this right, mate. I worry if I don’t, mummy might use this on me.”

I was not in the mood to flirt with an Aussie—or anyone—but it never stopped Dodge from trying.

“Okay, trot,” I said. “Haunches in.”

Now, Dodge was better. The aid provoked a more precise response from Zee.

“He’s super honest,” Dodge settled back on the rail and drove Zee with his seat.

The commands weren’t exact, but Zee’s lines improved, as did the haunches in.

“Beauty!” He shouted. “Well, wasn’t it?”

“Are you asking me to give you praise for that?” I played up my lack of impress.

“Did I not do well, Chloe?”

“Someone clearly has a praise kink,” I sighed. “Yes, Dodge, you did well. Bring him to a walk.”

Before the horse even stopped, Dodge vaulted off, landing upright somehow.

“Is that supposed to be a trick?” I asked. “Or did you fall off?”

“It didn’t impress you, love?”

“Not particularly. And you’re lucky he didn’t spook.”

I patted Zee’s shoulder as Dodge waved toward his horse. “Did you see that, Zoe? Zee and I are besties now.”

I spotted Riley waiting with the horse and a man in jeans. I tried to control my facial expressions as I locked eyes with Cole Hayward. Why was he here? And why on Earth was he looking at Dodge like he wanted to punch him in the nose? Was there some sort of shared cowboy history there?

I didn’t know.

What I did know was that Cole was the last person I wanted to see. And now? I had to share air with him and watch him watch me do the thing I knew he hated—social media content—with another western rider, all because my publicist swore I needed this to sell books. I wanted to crawl out of my skin. Instead, I said nothing.

* * *

COLE

“Well, now that I played your game, how would you rate my services today, love?”

The short little wannabe cowboy wouldn’t leave Chloe alone. The way he ogled her annoyed me. I’d been there only a few minutes, and I already wanted to take him down a peg. I barely knew who Dodge Hannah was. He wasn’t particularly well-known in America. Piper, however, knew him from her endless scrolling on social media. His voice grated. Sadly, it was even worse in person.

“I think you did fine,” Chloe replied.

“Not a 10 out of 10?”

“Nope. I’d say a passable seven for a noob.” Chloe turned to take her horse. “Can you give me a leg up?”

“Of course,” he agreed, glad to help her mount up. He practically drooled as she settled in.

I wanted to shout, “Pick your tongue up, bud!”

I wasn’t sure if it was just my never-ending thoughts about fucking Chloe when I was within fifty feet of the tack room back home, or if it was the way another man clearly objectified her, but I didn’t like this. I looked at Riley, unsure why.

“I know, I hate him, too,” they sighed. “But the thing is, this is just the game. They have big followings. It’s a match made in heaven or some shit.”