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I WORKED THE entire drive to the next ranch, burying myself in tasks to stay busy. I needed the distraction. Being in the truck with Colton was unbearable. The way he’d abruptly broken things off this morning, jumping back into his infuriating persona, infuriated me.

Should I have expected it? Yes. Was I still pissed? Absolutely.

I had woken up feeling different, drawn to the man who had willingly spooned me through the night. I thought, maybe, just maybe, he would feel different too. A small, fragile hope inside me wanted whatever this was to work. What work meant, I wasn’t entirely sure. I just knew I wanted him. Now I realized I would have to accept that the only way to have him was with his walls firmly in place.

It was foolish of me to get caught up in a man when everything between us was so temporary. I was always on guard, never letting my walls down because the imaginary door always remained open, remember?

Yet here I was, lost in a whirlwind of “what ifs” with Colton.

What if I could make this work?

What if I did leave New York for good?

What if he wanted this too?

What if, for once, I stopped letting people drift in and out of my life and demanded that they stay instead?

But my thoughts were doused with the reality of how quickly he had changed. That was why I was who I was, letting a man control how I felt scared the shit out of me.

Last night, we both morphed into other people. Yet, this morning I woke up with the irrational thought that there had to be some truth behind the masks we wore.

At least for me, it wasn’t irrational. It wasn’t an act, and the more I festered on these thoughts during this long stupid car ride, the more I realized how real it all felt for me.

With a deep breath and a quick realignment, I was back to the woman I was pre-Colton.

The moment we arrived at the ranch, I muttered a curt goodbye and headed to my room. This ranch was as stunning as the others, with vaulted ceilings in the lobby and rugged, masculine decor that screamed Colton. The more I saw, the more I learned about him. It was clear he had poured his heart and soul into each place—an extension of him—and right now it was grating my nerves because I so desperately needed away from him.

Except, I had work to do that involved his ranch so my wish was never going to be granted.

I’d been posting the content I recorded at the first ranch—interviews with employees, beautiful pictures, and even that “how-to” video with Colton, which had gone nearly viral. That video was doing amazingly well. The internet was buzzing about Colton Stone and his ruggedness. They were engaging with the personal stories and investing themselves in the ranch.

The comments were overwhelmingly positive, aside from the occasional troll. But hey, you couldn’t stop them all.

To find a moment of peace, I locked myself away in this beautiful room that overlooked the Wyoming mountains. I’d been settled for the last few hours, but now Tawnie was on her way to see me.

I had plans to ask her about shadowing me at the last two ranches, to learn the social media ropes and maintain the momentum I’d built.

I hoped she would say yes. Though, I hadn’t thought much about what I’d do if she said no.

My next project with Colton was a Q&A with questions from the ranch’s social media followers. The more people knew about the brand, the more they could connect with it. My goal was to peel back some of Colton Stone’s layers, to show the world that his success was built on hope and a desire to be something bigger than his birthright.

The confession from the motel bed flooded back into my mind. Poor Colton and the little boy who never was given the chance…

A soft knock on the door echoed through the room, which I assumed was a signal of Tawnie’s arrival.

“Come in!” I called out, still seated at the desk I’d moved next to the large glass door leading to the balcony. The view was breathtaking, and I could easily get used to working like this every day.

The door opened and closed softly as Tawnie stepped inside, her presence lighting up the room. Clad in a stunning pantsuit paired with silver western jewelry and a vibrant wild rag tied around her neck.

“I love that outfit!” I gushed, pointing at her as I took off my glasses. “You have to tell me where you got it. I need every single piece, please and thank you.”

Tawnie laughed softly, giving me a playful spin. “It’s from some online boutique. I’ll send you the link.”

She walked over and plopped down in the chair across from me.

“Are we touring now?” I asked, closing my laptop with a sigh. My eyes needed a break, and rubbing them felt like a small, soothing reward for going makeup-free.

“Yes! I thought we could take a look around and then catch the sunset at one of my favorite spots. The view there could really draw people to the ranch.”