Chapter Two
Eliza
A week later
Igroan aswe hit more uneven dirt and I’m jostled on the seat of the rented van. I glare at Archie, who is, as usual, furiously typing away on his laptop, where it’s perched on his knees. He’s so focused on the screen and whatever he’s typing that he doesn’t even see me.
Natalee’s hands grip the seat back in front of her in an attempt to keep her ass on the seat. She chuckles from beside me. “Well, at least the scenery is pretty, huh?”
She outright laughs when she sees my face as I transfer my ire from, the oblivious, Archie to her. Looking past her, I glance out of the dusty van window. Some of my annoyance fades as I take in the scenic beauty of wherever in Texas I find myself in.
It is beautiful. It’s all flat land with an abundance of trees and fields that are somehow green even though the temperature outside is insane. They must have an in ground irrigation system for it to be so lush in this heat. The land is ruggedly fenced as far as the eye can see and the blue of the sky seems to kiss the ground on the far off horizon. The only way to tell the difference in the two is the colors.
I can see spots of what I’m assuming are horses, or cattle, grazing in the distance. Glancing back at Archie, I see that he too is now looking at the landscape, though he seems less than impressed. He nods. “My phone’s GPS says we should be at the Double Down Ranch in about half an hour.”
I nod back and mutter, “Ok, great. None too soon.” I stretch and rub my backside. “My ass could use a break from this road. I’m certain I’ll be black and blue from this less than smooth ride.” We hit another rut in the road and I groan as I’m slung against the window again.
Our driver, who introduced himself as Duke, chuckles huskily and I look at him swiftly.
Is he purposefully making certain to hit every damn hole on this road?
My eyes meet his as he glances at me in the rearview mirror. He grins and I can’t help but appreciate his rugged charm even though I’m annoyed. “Sorry about that, ma’am. We mostly drive on these roads with trucks. They handle the terrain better. No sense in paving these roads when they’re so rarely traveled by the majority of people. Besides, we prefer horseback when we can out here.” His voice is as brawny as the terrain and the twang in his words is evident.
I shudder and mutter, “Makes sense. But, I prefer luxury cars… and paved roads.”
He laughs again and I see him scratch his sun-browned forehead beneath the brim of his dark mahogany hat.
Seriously, is this what I’m going to see the entire time we’re here?! Everyone at the small airport was wearing big hats, probably Stetsons, jeans, and boots. Even the women. And not the fashionable kind. Like real leather hats and boots.
Not that I’m opposed to a sexy man who can fill out a pair of jeans, but ten gallon hats are so cliché.
How very Texas…
Natalee chuckles and leans in to say near my ear, “Think the itinerary left room for a Texas cowboy exploratory field trip?”
Glancing at her quickly, I see the appreciation in her eyes for our driver. Rolling my eyes, I reply, “You go right on ahead with that. I, however, do not have the same appreciation and they don’t have the same appeal. Unless Luke Bryan suddenly leaves his wife and proclaims his undying love for me, I’ll pass on that.”
Natalee laughs again. “Luke Bryan is from Georgia, Eliza. Not Texas. And, as beautiful as you are, I don’t foresee him knocking on your door. He seems quite happy with what’s waiting for him at home.”
God, I wasn’t serious!
I snap at her. “Whatever. Like I care and like I’d be with a man who abandons his family.
“Besides, rough around the edges cowboys aren’t for me. At all. I prefer my men more civilized and less likely to want a women to be barefoot and pregnant in the damn kitchen.” I roll my eyes. “Can you even imagine?”
She laughs again before it fades into a sigh. “Lord, yes…”
I groan, “Oh, please…” and look out of the window again to put an end to the conversation. The dots in the distance are getting bigger and more frequent. We must be getting close to our destination.
Yay! Closer to me walking around a damn open expanse of land filled with cattle and doing a show without an audience.
Why, oh why, are we doing this again?
I work best with a live audience. They feed off me and I feed off them. That’s what works for us. It’s our dynamic.
You know why, Eliza.
You wanted to take the leap from talk show host to real journalist. The market is so saturated with talk shows now… And no one is original… Everyone cuts everyone else’s throat for those coveted ratings. And with the recent lawsuits and bullshit from people claiming ownership over what they didn’t create… Ugh. It’s an ugly business and one I’m not inclined to immerse myself in anymore.
