“Yes, that’s the cabin I’ve been staying in. Why, is there a problem? Colt said there wouldn’t be.” Avery worried she was getting Colt into trouble. That was the absolute last thing she wanted to do, especially when he had taken care of everything for her.
Amber stopped typing and shot Avery a strange look, as if she was taking her measure. “Colt’s not one of the employees. He owns Silver Springs Ranch.”
“He does?” Avery asked, rather floored by the news. He had told her he was in charge of the horses.
“Yeah, I do,” Colt said from behind her.
She swiveled on her heel, surprised that he was there. Avery couldn’t help but smile. “Oh Colt, really, that’s wonderful. But I thought you said you were in charge of the stables. Why didn’t you tell me?”
He stared at her with an unreadable expression. “What are you doing here, Avery?” he asked in a clipped voice.
Confused by his strange attitude, she explained, “I was just paying my bill. I finally received my new credit card and cash that I needed. Plus, look, I have an ID. It’s not good for driving but at least I can prove who I am.”
“That’s something. Why don’t I escort you out?” His face was tight, his manner wooden and distant. This wasn’t the playful lover from last night. This man was cold.
“But I still need to pay!”
“I told you that I covered it. Let me walk you out.” Colt took her arm.
Why was he being like this? It almost seemed like he was mad that she had come to the main ranch and tried to pay. She glanced at Amber and the clerk, more confused than before. “It was nice meeting you both.”
Amber seemed to size up the situation, glanced between her and Colt, and replied, “Likewise, Miss Morgan.”
“Come on. I’ve got a lot to get accomplished today.” Colt’s grip tightened as he propelled Avery outside onto the veranda.
She shivered at his coldness. What was going on? Why was he mad that she had come to pay the bill? “Is everything all right? Should I have just paid you directly? I’m sorry if I caused any confusion or problems.”
“It is what it is, Avery. I told you I had taken care of it,” he replied.
Hurt by his abruptness, she stared out over the ranch. His ranch. She looked at it with new eyes: the beauty of it, the white fencing, the wide-open fields full of grazing cattle and cowboys on horses minding them. Yeah, this place suited her cowboy perfectly.
“How many cattle do you have? And could I see the horses? And—”
“Avery, stop!” he snapped.
She stilled at the angry tone and glanced his way. Gone was the laughing, passionate lover of the previous night. In his place was a man who stared at her with hard, cold eyes. What had she done wrong?
“What’s wrong, Colt? I don’t understand why you’re angry. Talk to me, tell me what I did to upset you,” she stated, wanting to touch him, to fix whatever had gone wrong.
He sighed with heavy frustration and a shake of his head. But before he could reply, they were interrupted.
“Hey Colt, we could use your help in the stables.” A man outfitted exactly the way Avery would think a cowboy would be appeared; even the dust on his jeans and flannel clothing was apropos.
“Ma’am.” He tipped his hat and gave her a cheeky grin.
“Avery, please. Ma’am is someone’s grandma. You work with the horses?” she asked, turning toward the smiling cowboy and away from what she was sure was a brewing fight. Only she had no idea what that fight was going to be about or why they were going to have it. She hated to admit it but she was having flashbacks of her botched wedding day, wondering if Colt had decided overnight that he was wrong about the relationship, and didn’t want to go with her to Bermuda or ever see her again.
The cowboy smiled at her, his tawny gaze twinkling, and he replied, “That I do. I’m the Head Wrangler for the ranch, help keep track of all the horses, cattle, and gorgeous women on the property. Want to see them?”
“She doesn’t belong in the stables. Avery, it’s time for you to head back,” Colt said bluntly with fury in his eyes.
She had no idea what had crawled up his butt this morning but she wasn’t going to whimper or cower before him just because he was a damn Dom. And he had another thing coming if he thought he could treat her like this and then figured he could come back to the cabin and order her about. “Why not? I just want to see the horses, maybe pet a few. And they won’t kill me.”
Ignoring Colt completely until he decided to cool off and talk to her like she had a brain in her head, she laid the charm on thick for the cowboy. “Would you lead the way, sir? And I never got your name.”
He winked at her, like he was in on her game. “Maverick. Pleasure to meet you, Avery, why don’t you come right this way?”
“Yes, why don’t I?” She shot Colt a superior smile, and could practically hear the man grind his teeth.
Maverick was a tall, dark, and handsome drink of water, what with his tawny amber eyes and hair the color of dark chocolate. His square jaw was clean shaven, and there was a small cleft in his chin. His nose was slightly crooked and looked like it had been broken a time or two. But he knew how to lay the charm on thick as he escorted Avery into the stables.
She ignored Colt silently following behind them, stewing.
Maverick introduced her to some of the mares. She was surprised at how far back the stables went, but not by the number of horses. Colt had told her they had more than six hundred. It was when she came to a horse she recognized that things got really interesting.
“Tank, is that you, sweetie?” She approached the stall, and the stallion she had made friends with when Colt first arrived at the cabin poked his head out over the door.
“You know Tank?” Maverick asked her.
“Oh yes, we go way back, don’t we?” She rubbed his nose and laughed when he sniffed at her pockets. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any treats with me today, big guy.”
“That’s enough, Avery,” Colt finally interceded. “What did you need help with, Maverick? I have other things to get done today.”
“I’ve got some stuff I need you to sign off on, that we need to order,” Maverick explained, glancing between the two of them with interest swimming in his eyes.
“Let me escort Avery out and I will come back to take care of it,” Colt stated.
She didn’t understand what the hell was going on, but she refused to be treated this way. “Don’t bother, Colt. I know the way out. Maverick, it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for giving me a tour.”
Maverick gallantly took her hand in his and brushed his mouth over her knuckles in a gentlemanly fashion. “The pleasure was all mine, Avery. You come on back, and I’ll give you the ride of your life.”
She chuckled. “I bet. Thanks again.”
She turned on her heel without another word for Colt, and marched out of the stables. She had no idea how the man thought he could act that way, when all she was doing was trying to pay for her stay.
Avery made it to her vehicle before Colt caught up with her. “Avery, wait.”
“Why should I? You’re being an asshole for no reason that I can see. If this is your way of weaseling out of going to Bermuda, just cut it the hell out, be a man, and tell me to my face that you don’t want to go. I can handle it. What I won’t accept is being treated the way you treated me back there.”