act like my home ain’t good enough for her. I don’t appreciate that none.” Surprisingly, his voice stayed level throughout.
“I am not some spoiled little brat,” she told him. “And if you care so much about this place, why is it failing?”
“Maybe that’s something you’ll have to find out. Anyway, from the talk I had with your daddy, he realizes he made some mistakes along the way. I don’t believe you can do this at all, Miss Storm.”
Her fists clenched at her sides. “That’s the rudest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I wasn’t trying to be rude, just stating the facts,” Tony said before turning away to leave.
“I wasn’t done speaking to you,” she said, frustration clear in her tone, making him pause before turning back toward her.
“When I feel you have something valuable to say, I’ll chat longer.” And with that, he walked away, leaving Brielle stunned, hurt, and extremely pissed off.
“I should fire him right now,” she muttered, but then clasped a hand over her mouth. She really didn’t want him to overhear that. She wasn’t so naïve as to think this place could run without him. And one way or another she’d get Tony to like her, although after those words of his, she shouldn’t give a damn what he thought about her.
No, wouldn’t happen. That man would always do what he wanted. Even if he loved her — sure, sure — he would still do things his own way. That was just the sort of man he was. Stubborn. Ornery. Set in his ways.
Brielle found her temper waning as she made her way to the arena. She was shocked when she realized that she sort of liked the gruff old guy. And she should have hated him on principle alone.
When she turned a corner and looked up, she found Colt putting a saddle on a majestic brown horse that she was sure she should know the breed of, but she knew less than nothing about horses. The horse, unfortunately, wasn’t the only majestic creature in the place. The way Colt’s muscles bulged made her slightly lightheaded. This man was much finer than the guys she normally hung out with, despite their expensively honed gym bodies. Yeah, working on a ranch seemed to do good things to a lot of the population of Sterling. At least from what she’d seen so far.
“You’ve ridden before, right?”
Brielle was startled to realize Colt was speaking to her. No, she hadn’t ridden, not even once.
“Of course I have.”
Sauntering over to the horse, she thought back to the cowboy movies she’d watched, put her foot into the stirrup and hefted herself onto his back. She was a little wobbly, but felt immense pride as she sat astride this massive animal. And she was facing the right way.
Man, it was a long way to the ground.
“I picked Bluegrass because she’s pretty mellow. I figured the only horses you’ve ridden have been at some hoity-toity country club.”
She? Oops. She should have inspected the horse more closely. “Well, you can figure what you want. I don’t care,” she said, hating that everyone’s opinion of her was so poor.
This man was going to drive her nuts — he was presumptuous and ill-mannered. If she could go riding with anyone else, she’d be much better off, but so far there were no other volunteers.
“This ride will take a while, Ms. Storm, so hold on and follow my lead.” Colt walked over to an even bigger horse than hers, one who was pure black and seemed jittery as he — or she? — waited to be ridden. She really should ask what breed the horses were, but if she did, he’d probably look at her with that maddening gleam in his eyes that screamed “city girl.”
As she wobbled in her saddle, Brielle started thinking that maybe she’d made a mistake, but then as they started out from the barn, the only thing she could concentrate on was trying not to fall off. She didn’t have any more time to worry about what would happen if she couldn’t manage to hold on.
Chapter Ten
W hen the open grass on the hills did
“I am not some spoiled little brat,” she told him. “And if you care so much about this place, why is it failing?”
“Maybe that’s something you’ll have to find out. Anyway, from the talk I had with your daddy, he realizes he made some mistakes along the way. I don’t believe you can do this at all, Miss Storm.”
Her fists clenched at her sides. “That’s the rudest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I wasn’t trying to be rude, just stating the facts,” Tony said before turning away to leave.
“I wasn’t done speaking to you,” she said, frustration clear in her tone, making him pause before turning back toward her.
“When I feel you have something valuable to say, I’ll chat longer.” And with that, he walked away, leaving Brielle stunned, hurt, and extremely pissed off.
“I should fire him right now,” she muttered, but then clasped a hand over her mouth. She really didn’t want him to overhear that. She wasn’t so naïve as to think this place could run without him. And one way or another she’d get Tony to like her, although after those words of his, she shouldn’t give a damn what he thought about her.
No, wouldn’t happen. That man would always do what he wanted. Even if he loved her — sure, sure — he would still do things his own way. That was just the sort of man he was. Stubborn. Ornery. Set in his ways.
Brielle found her temper waning as she made her way to the arena. She was shocked when she realized that she sort of liked the gruff old guy. And she should have hated him on principle alone.
When she turned a corner and looked up, she found Colt putting a saddle on a majestic brown horse that she was sure she should know the breed of, but she knew less than nothing about horses. The horse, unfortunately, wasn’t the only majestic creature in the place. The way Colt’s muscles bulged made her slightly lightheaded. This man was much finer than the guys she normally hung out with, despite their expensively honed gym bodies. Yeah, working on a ranch seemed to do good things to a lot of the population of Sterling. At least from what she’d seen so far.
“You’ve ridden before, right?”
Brielle was startled to realize Colt was speaking to her. No, she hadn’t ridden, not even once.
“Of course I have.”
Sauntering over to the horse, she thought back to the cowboy movies she’d watched, put her foot into the stirrup and hefted herself onto his back. She was a little wobbly, but felt immense pride as she sat astride this massive animal. And she was facing the right way.
Man, it was a long way to the ground.
“I picked Bluegrass because she’s pretty mellow. I figured the only horses you’ve ridden have been at some hoity-toity country club.”
She? Oops. She should have inspected the horse more closely. “Well, you can figure what you want. I don’t care,” she said, hating that everyone’s opinion of her was so poor.
This man was going to drive her nuts — he was presumptuous and ill-mannered. If she could go riding with anyone else, she’d be much better off, but so far there were no other volunteers.
“This ride will take a while, Ms. Storm, so hold on and follow my lead.” Colt walked over to an even bigger horse than hers, one who was pure black and seemed jittery as he — or she? — waited to be ridden. She really should ask what breed the horses were, but if she did, he’d probably look at her with that maddening gleam in his eyes that screamed “city girl.”
As she wobbled in her saddle, Brielle started thinking that maybe she’d made a mistake, but then as they started out from the barn, the only thing she could concentrate on was trying not to fall off. She didn’t have any more time to worry about what would happen if she couldn’t manage to hold on.
Chapter Ten
W hen the open grass on the hills did
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