Page 18 of Saving Jared

Jared shrugged away from his touch. “Why me? Why not you? You’re the one who talked to this publicist woman.”

“It was a man actually, and he wants you because you’re the face of the Big M Ranch.”

“We have the same face.” Jared glanced behind him at his laughing sister waving goodbye to the Howards then back at Jude, saying low, “And this is Kinsley’s baby, so they should’ve contacted her.” He frowned. “You know she’s going to kill you. Hartman Fremont will probably be next.”

“More than likely,” Jude said, matter of fact. “But I’m seeing this as a good thing. Look…" Jude stared hard at him. "They wouldn’t be making such a public show of being here if Kinsley wasn’t getting the grant.”

“You should lead with that when you tell her.” Jared turned on his booted heel and kept on walking.

“I’m planning on it.” His soon to be deceased twin kept pace with him. “She needs to know you’re on board with it.”

“On board with the Big M Ranch’s name hijacking her project? No, thank you.”

He got to the fenced-in acre of land where they’d corralled the saddled horses. “Nice evening we got, Mr. McComb,” the hand manning the gate said as he opened it.

“Sure is, Pat.” Jared entered through the gate and searched for his horse with Jude right behind him. He let out a loud whistle and patted over a few of the horses nudging up against him. “Chaz!”

“Having the ranch’s name officially attached to it might make or break this for her,” Jude said behind him.

Jared pulled his gaze away from Chaz coming toward him, his jaw clenching. “The publicist said that?”

“Not in so many words. But it’s the impression I got. And Hartman Fremont might have added some stipulations.”

Kinsley was right. The man was an asshat. “Son of a bitch.”

“Yes, he is.”

Chaz brushed up against him and Jared gave him a distracted pat over his neck before unwinding his reins from his saddle horn. He didn’t envy Jude’s ride home with their sister.

"Stipulations," Jared muttered as he pulled himself onto Chaz’s back. He might just have to shove those stipulations—plus his booted foot—up the man’s ass. He let his head fall back and stared at the darkening sky. But he wasn’t going to give into the temptation—no matter how satisfying that would be. Kinsley didn’t need to lose this opportunity.

He stared down at Jude’s determined expression and sighed. “If Kinsley agrees, message them we’ll be there at four forty-five.”

“I will.” A look of relief filled his brother’s face. “And thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet." He urged Chaz to back up. "I said, if Kinsley agrees. She has the final word.”

“I’ve got a long ride to convince her it’s the thing to do—whether any of us thinks it’s fair or not.”

“Well, here’s hoping we’ll see you later. If not, we’ll know how you fared,” Jared said with a shake of his head and a smirk before turning Chaz toward the gate. The hand opened it and waved for him to go through.

“I appreciate your concern,” Jude called after him on a short laugh as Jared urged Chaz through the gate with a “Let’s go” and a tap of his heels against the stallion’s sides.

Jared frowned as he urged Chaz to pick up his pace, and soon he was passing other riders and the tractor-pulled trailers. He’d never met the Fremonts, but he already didn’t like the younger Fremont’s attitude toward his sister.

Several of the guests waved and gave him thumbs ups, while others called out compliments about the dinner as he galloped past. Jared smiled and waved back, even if he didn’t quite feel like smiling. What he did feel like doing was getting home and taking a long, hot shower, and then hitting the bed.

Of course, thoughts of getting home had him dwelling on Willa. Was she off duty yet? The sun had nearly set, so she might be there by now. The house came into view, and he set Chaz’s pace to a trot—getting more and more irritated with himself the closer he got. Why was he hesitant about seeing her again? All he had to do was pull her aside, say they’d made a mistake, and then forget about it.

“Hell,” he muttered as he turned Chaz toward the longer route to the stables—one that took him behind the house. It wasn’t like anything else might happen between them. He’d already made up his mind about that.

He reined Chaz to a stop beside Willa’s Jeep, then glanced up at the second story of the house to her room. The window was dark. Maybe she’d already gone to bed.

“Evening, Mr. McComb.”

Jared drew his gaze down to one of the hands. “Hey Danny. Guests should start getting back within the next ten minutes or so.”

Danny glanced past him and nodded. “Gotcha.” He eyed Chaz. “If you’d like, I can take care of Chaz here.”

---