Page 23 of Colt

But Lainey, being the pain in the ass she is, just looks at me with a twinkle in her eyes. “Do you feel better getting that off your chest?”

I chuckle darkly. “Ha. Actually…I don’t feel better, no.”

“Maybe it will work for me, then.” She takes a breath. “I don’t think you’re pissed off because your dad hired me. I think you’re pissed that he didn’t tell you he hired me. Your ego is bruised, and now you’re being all moody and smoking your cancer sticks because your feelings got hurt. But instead of saying that out loud⁠—”

“Hey. I tried talking to my dad.”

“But you didn’t talk to him, did you?”

Silence.

She’s right, damn it. Then again, Dad was the one who shut me down. I was being rude.

So sue me.

Maybe a little righteous anger feels good every once in a while. Better than the anger that comes from sadness or from being overwhelmed or feeling lonely.

“So now you’re aiming your shit fit at me,” Lainey continues. “Which, whatever, do what you want. But your dad already paid me a deposit. And I’m already brainstorming some really solid concepts for y’all. This is happening, Colton, whether you’re in or not.”

I nearly bite off the end of the cigar. “You done with your speech yet?”

“I’m not. And really, what’s the big deal anyway? Do you honestly believe having no website is better than having an expertly crafted one that captures who y’all are and the value of what y’all do? Don’t you want to inspire people? Aren’t you proud of what you’ve built here? Don’t you wanna show it off to the world?” She gestures out the windshield. “I’m not a threat, Colton. I’m an ally, and I’m doing you a huge goddamn favor by sticking around despite the fact that you’re being an absolute prick.”

I puff on my cigar. I do not have pants feelings about how brutally honest she’s being. Who confronts shit head-on like this?

Who’s that brave?

And since when is it a turn-on to be called out this way?

“Now are you done?” I keep my voice even, despite the way my blood riots inside my skin.

“I think so.” She blows out a breath. “Whew, that actually felt good for me.”

“You gotta stop.”

“What?”

“Teeing me up.”

The realization hits her, and she laughs. “Oh. Teeing you up for inappropriate jokes, you mean. That one wasn’t intentional, I promise.”

“And I promise you this.” I hold my cigar between my thumb and forefinger and turn my head so we meet eyes. “You’re gonna leave here knowing the difference between what’s truly important and what’s just plain bullshit. What’s a website got to do with breeding the healthiest, happiest, finest horses this side of the Colorado River? What about the cattle we raise, the people we employ, the land we break our backs to care for day in and day out, rain or shine? Those are the things that matter. Those are the only people I care about inspiring. I don’t care how things look. I care about how things are.”

“Look at you, going deep. I like it.”

I suck in a breath through my nose. “Not gonna acknowledge that one.”

“But you just did.”

I take a long pull on my cigar. The nicotine is hitting my bloodstream, loosening the knot in my gut.

I keep waiting for Lainey to pull the stopper out of that bottle of Woodford she’s still holding. It’d be hugely unprofessional of her to drink on the job. Also problematic. But I kinda wanna see her let her hair down. Kinda wanna see her mess up. I tell myself it’s just more ammo I can bring to Dad when shit inevitably hits the fan.

But I know there are other reasons I wanna see how far I can push this woman. I like how she keeps it real.

I like it a little too much. And that’s just asking for trouble.

“A new website and social media accounts or whatever are only going to bring us unwanted attention that will take us away from our families and our livelihood,” I continue. “It’s only going to distract us from the work we do. The real work of keeping living beings alive and healthy.”