It was settled. I knew what I had to do.

I remembered I wanted to interview Drew from the brewery. Now that I had some extra days ahead of me, I figured there was no time like the present. I figured that I could even work a segment about Drew’s brewery into my review. It might help things with Francis.

“I’ll come back for you in about an hour, all right?” Caleb had said before leaving my cabin.

He had walked me back with one of his shirts wrapped around my waist. I had to carry a change of clothes with me around the ranch if I was going to have spontaneous sex with two men.

“Ok. Sounds good.” I watched him walk away and then took another quick shower and got dressed.

I grew antsy and began thinking about Valerie again. So I headed back to the phone in the lodge to give Valerie a call. I wanted her take on the latest developments.

“Ok. You’re supposed to be on your way back. What are you still doing calling from this number?” Valerie asked after picking up on the second ring.

“There’s been a change of plans.”

“Oh yeah? How so?”

“I’m staying here at the ranch until the end of the week now.”

“How come?”

“My boss gave me an extension,” I said after a pause. “Or I requested one, rather.”

“You mean you actually wanted to stay on a ranch for longer than necessary? Things must be serious.”

“Well…I kind of want to interview the guy who owns the brewery Caleb and Nash took me to.”

“The brewery Caleb and Nash took you, huh?”

“Yeah. It was a nice place and I had loads of fun there. I’d love to help him get more exposure. That place could definitely make a nice tourist spot if more people knew about it.”

“Uh-huh. So, let me get this straight. The only reason you’ve requested to stay longer is so that you can interview the guy who owns a brewery?”

I pressed my lips together.

“Girl, stop it already. I can hear you cheesing straight through the phone,” Valerie said.

“Ok. Ok. Things are kind of serious with them. Are you happy?”

“Yes. I’m so happy for you.”

“Well, hold your horses. I still have to leave eventually.”

“Sure, but you’re going to keep in touch with them, right? Long-distance relationships can work if both parties put in the effort.”

“Yeah, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re just enjoying each other right here, right now. That’s all.”

“Well from the sound of your voice, you’ve been enjoying them a whole lot.”

I blushed and twirled the phone chord in my hand. “They are so amazing, Val. I wish you could meet them.”

“I’m going to keep my fingers crossed and hope that I get to meet them too when they fly to Chicago. Just trying to send good vibes and doing some wishful thinking on your behalf.”

“Caleb and Nash in Chicago? The image sort of clashes in my head, to be honest. They are way too tied down to this ranch. And I don’t blame them. It’s in a great town. I’ve never experienced this small-neighborhood type of thing before. It’s refreshing.”

“Uh oh. Sounds like you’re going to be down there and I’m going to be having to stock up on bug spray and sunscreen to come visit you then.”

I laughed. “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. Anyway, I was just calling to check in with you again. I’ve got to get going soon. I really am meeting up with Caleb and Nash to go back to the brewery.”

“All right, darling. Have fun. And keep me posted.”

“I will. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I hung up the phone, deciding to go back to the cabin to wait for Caleb and Nash. I wasn’t sure of what we had planned for the night. Maybe we could stay in and watch a movie.

As I rounded the corner of the lodge, I heard voices from the main lobby. Neither voice belonged to Caleb or Nash, but I quickly gathered that they belonged to some of the ranch staffers.

I was about to say hi, but then I heard my name.

I stopped dead in my tracks, my ears prickling.

“The reporter? She’s not a guarantee though.”

“I think she will be. Caleb has been showing her a very good time, from what I can tell.”

I held my breath, trying to determine the topic of their discussion, and whether it could really be what I thought.

“Yeah, I heard Nash took her to the barn.” The guys laughed. “You know what Nash’s stable routine is.”

“Yeah, everyone knows his stable routine.”

“But Caleb? When the hell is the last time that dude got laid?”

“But they’re fucking the same girl? That’s insanity.”

I felt a tight pit in my stomach.

“I’m just stating the obvious. But it’s cool though. We need her on our side. I’ve researched the magazine company she works for. That magazine reaches a wide audience. If we get more exposure—good exposure—this financial crisis will work itself out by next year.”

“But what if things get worse before next year?”

What financial crisis was he talking about?

“Tourism season is coming to an end. So, by my calculations, if Caleb and Nash keep showing her a good time and guarantee that she leaves us a good review, readers of the magazine will see the review and start planning vacations here for their spring and summer breaks. If we get a boost in tourism, then we’ll be fine. It’s just for right now, we’ve got to be extra careful with our expenses.”

“So our jobs are safe?”

“As long as they keep banging the reporter. Yeah, we’re good.”

“On a positive note, I don’t think Claire is cut out for ranch life either. So thank goodness she’ll be gone soon. Hopefully we’ll get our good review, and get things back on track.”

My ears were literally ringing, and I was pretty sure my blood was boiling too. I closed my eyes, willing the tears forming under my lids to disappear. Most of all though, I hoped that the whole conversation I had just overheard was all a bad dream.

I wanted to wake up to discover that I had merely had too many drinks at the brewery and had been dreaming everything, and that this conversation would be the trigger that woke me up. Then I could laugh, knowing that I hadn’t actually heard it for real.

Knowing that Caleb and Nash weren’t just using me, as the ranch staffers were implying.

I had felt far too much of a connection with Caleb and Nash to believe that attention and feelings were all for the sole purpose of ensuring I wrote a good review for Double Canyons Ranch. This couldn’t be happening. Could it?

Everything that had happened between us from the moment I first stepped foot on the ranch, it couldn’t have all been just a ploy, could it?

Yet, as I stood there, feeling the warmth in my face, the hairs standing on the back of my neck, and the churning of my stomach, I knew I couldn’t be dreaming. The conversation between the guys had been real, and I’d heard every sickening word of it.

The brothers had seemed so protective, but were they really devils in disguise? Had they secretly watched my arrival, and determined amongst themselves which one of them would have the best chances of successfully seducing me, all so that I could leave a raving review for their ranch?

A lump formed in my throat, and I found that I could hardly breathe around it. I tried to take a deep breath, but the air moving through my lungs was ragged and I knew it wouldn’t be long before I was unable to stifle the oncoming sobs I felt trying to escape my gaping mouth.

All the while, vivid recollections of my nights, mornings, and afternoons with Caleb and Nash came to mind. The way their skin had felt against mine. The way their mouths had explored my body. The way their hands held me so strongly, yet so gently at the same time. The sound of their voices in my ear.

How was it possible for all of that to have been merely an act since the beginning? And the things I had done. Oh my God. The dirty, wild things I had done with them.

How could I have been so stupid?

It was shameful.

And now, I had made a complete fool of myself.

The thoughts continued to rage through my head until I realized that I was still standing in the same spot, around the corner from the main lobby. It finally dawned on me that I couldn’t just stay there, waiting for someone to catch me eavesdropping. The guys were still deep in conversation, although I could no longer make out their words because my own thoughts had become too loud and angry.

Taking a deep breath, I stormed past, rushing too quickly to even glance in their direction as I headed straight to my cabin.

I stormed inside, staring at the still unmade bed.

Finally, I let out the sob I had been holding back, and the tears strolled down my cheeks. I stood there for a moment, simply not knowing what to do. As the minutes ticked by, my sadness quickly began to shift into pure rage as Caleb’s and Nash’s faces drifted through my memories.

My stomach twisted in knots and for a moment, I thought I was in danger of vomiting.

I checked the time, trying to see how much longer I had before the devils came to retrieve me for the night.

I sneered, wondering if their plans for the night were to buy me some drinks and get me drunk and dancing again so that we would eventually wind up right back in my cabin, where they would seduce me into wild sex.

I suddenly realized I didn’t even want to be around when they showed up. If I saw their faces, I would have slapped them both senseless for how thoroughly they had humiliated me. I began to feel angrier by the second when I began thinking about the way I had gushed incessantly to Valerie about them.

Not to mention that I had even taken the risk to ask Francis to extend my stay.

What could I possibly tell them now?

My stomach clenched at the thought of having to take back everything I had said to Valerie about them, and having to let her know that Caleb and Nash had turned out to be absolute assholes.

And it was going to be a pain having to come up with some kind of excuse to Francis that wouldn’t incriminate me for the longer stay without added article content. I was screwed.

The only thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t want to see Caleb or Nash again. I couldn’t. My heart just couldn’t take it.

I reached for my suitcase and began tossing my clothes and belongings into it. Even going through my own clothes sent heartbreaking pangs through my chest as I packed the dress I had worn to the bonfire, the outfit I had worn to Drew’s brewery.

I wanted to make sure I was gone before I ran into them again, and I didn’t care if I had to walk all the way to the airport and buy whatever last-minute ticket out of Stonecreek I could get my hands on.

I just had to get away from the men who had stolen my heart and then broken it all within a single week.

Packing in record time, I did one last double-check around the room to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. And then I headed for the main lobby, praying along the way that Caleb and Nash weren’t there.

Fortunately, luck was on my side. When I got there, only Luanne was behind the desk. She looked at me from the front desk, her eyes widening.

“Hello, Miss Claire. Are you going somewhere?” she asked.

I forced a smile. I suddenly wished I had taken a closer look in the mirror before leaving my cabin to ensure that I didn’t look like I’d been crying. The way Luanne scrutinized me, I worried that my eyes were bloodshot and tear tracks could be seen on my face.

Knowing it was too late to worry about it now, I took a deep breath and tried to put on a cheerful voice. “Yes, it’s time for me to leave,” I announced. “I’ve got to head back to Chicago and get my article submitted to my boss. I was going to stay longer, but I can’t. U.m…something’s come up.”

“Oh,” said Luanne, taking the keys I held out for her. “I’m sorry you can’t stay longer. We enjoyed having you.”

I’m sure some of you did, I thought bitterly. I forced another smiling, hoping it looked at least somewhat genuine.

“Thank you.” I wanted to add that I had enjoyed my stay, but I just couldn’t force the words out of my mouth. Besides, I was growing more paranoid by the second, terrified that Caleb or Nash were about to appear from around the corner any second now.

“Is there anything else I can do for you before you go?” Luanne asked.

“Is there any way possible I could get a ride to the airport? I know this is so last-minute, and I didn’t even call a cab yet. But I’m kind of in a hurry.”

Luanne nodded. “Say no more, Miss Claire. I know just the thing to help you.”

“Thank you so much, Luanne. It was a pleasure meeting you.”