Flawless (Chestnut Springs, #1)

by Elsie Silver

“The harder they buck, the happier I am.”

I don’t think the paparazzi usually follow bull riders, but Rhett Eaton has become something of a household name over the years. Not a paragon of purity by any stretch, but a symbol of rough and tumble, rugged country men.

Why do these people think they’re owed a response when they ambush a person who is otherwise minding his own business?

“How about an apology?” the guy asks. And then Rhett decks him in the face. It happens so fast that I blink in an attempt to follow the now shaking and swiveling camera angles.

My father flies off the handle easily, but he gets over things quickly too. I’m pretty nonplussed by his mood swings at this point in my life. You don’t last long at Hamilton Elite if you can’t withstand Kip Hamilton.

“Do you have any idea how much money these guys make for being nuts enough to climb up on an angry two-thousand-pound bull, Summer?” “Nope.” But I have a feeling he’s about to tell me.

I’ve seen that expression on people’s faces at work many times. It says, Must be nice to be the boss’s little girl. It says, How’s that nepotism treating ya? But I’m trained to take this kind of lashing. My skin is thicker. My give-a-fuck meter is less attuned. I know that in fifteen minutes, Kip Hamilton will crack jokes and be smiling.

“You’re acting as if he’s some sort of wild animal, Kip.” I learned the hard way not to call him Dad at work. He’s still my boss, even if we carpool together at the end of each day. “What does he need? A babysitter?”

“Yeah, Summer. That’s exactly what he needs. And I know the perfect person for the job.” And based on the way he’s looking at me right now, I think Rhett Eaton’s new babysitter just might be me.

I don’t remember my mom, but in pictures her eyes were a steely color, and that’s what I want. A little nod to the woman I never really got to know.

“So, I’ll have to leave my husband and kids to hop on a plane and sit at a hospital with you?” Now that takes me back. Every time I got hurt as a teenager or young adult, it was Violet who took care of me. “You’re just so good at it. But fair point. I think Cole might kill me if I take you away from him.”

I’m poking fun. I like her husband a lot, which is saying something because I never thought she’d meet someone good enough for her. But Cole is. He’s also ex-military and kind of terrifying. I wouldn’t want to piss him off.

And this is the thing with my little sister. She gets me. She’s a bit of a daredevil herself. She doesn’t condemn my career the way the rest of our family does.

But I know the people in this area. They’re hard-working. They’re proud. And they’ve got a chip on their shoulders from thinking that people from other walks of life don’t understand their struggle.

And maybe they’re right. Maybe the average Canadian doesn’t truly understand the backbreaking work that goes into farming. Into stocking our grocery store shelves. But me? I do.

I grin at him as he ushers me into a room that holds a long table surrounded by generic-looking black office chairs with a generic-looking man sitting in one. Brownish, close-cut hair. Brownish eyes. Gray suit. Bored expression. Manicured nails. Soft hands. City boy.

Next to him is a woman who is anything but generic. Deep brown hair that shines an almost mahogany color when the sun hits where it’s twisted into a tight bun on the crown of her head. Her black-rimmed glasses are a smidge too strong on her dainty, doll-like face, but her almost over-full lips painted a deep, warm pink somehow balance them out.

“You have to be kidding me.” “I wouldn’t kid about this, Rhett.” His lips flatten, and he shrugs. The look says I’m not mad, I’m disappointed. And I hate that distinction, because deep down, I hate failing people.

“So, I have a plan.” I peer back at Kip through the slits of my eyes. “I already hate it.”

“For the next two months, through the end of the World Championships in Las Vegas, she will work as your assistant. A media liaison. Someone who understands public perception and can help you polish your image. You two will discuss and come up with a plan. And then she’ll consult with me so that I don’t strangle you for being such a colossal cocksucker. I’m sure she’d be open to helping with any other administrative work you might need as well. Mostly, though, she’ll be there to watch and keep you out of trouble.”

“You’re not Peter Pan, Rhett. You won’t be losing your shadow. Not for the next two months.” My mind reels. He can’t mean . . . “Where you go, she goes.” Kip gives me a vicious smile, not the one he gave me when I walked in the room. No, this one is full of warning. “And Eaton, that girl is my daughter. My princess. So, mind your goddamn manners, keep your hands to yourself, and stay the hell out of trouble, yeah?”

“Willa, please. That was a long time ago. I’m an adult. I’m a professional. Hot athletes are my job every day. Don’t make this weird for me.” She groans. “Why do you have to be so responsible? And mature? It makes me feel like a child.”

I peer around and slow my SUV to a crawl. My head is on a swivel as the gravel crunches and pops beneath my tires. I swear the view out every window is better than the last. March in Southern Alberta still has some bite. It can be cold and snowy, but then a chinook can roll in, and the air grows warm and soft against your skin. The grass isn’t lush yet. It’s just fields upon fields of this mossy brown color. Like you can see the green lurking beneath, ready to pop. But not quite yet.

I’ve spent years gazing out the windows of my dad’s 30th floor windows, wishing I was out there.

Imagining spending my summers exploring the mountains and the rustic small towns that lay between them, but being trapped inside his glossy office instead. Or, if I think even further back, stuck inside a pale green room without enough energy to get out of bed.

The houses where I grew up were almost at war with the landscape. Fighting it with their sharp corners and harsh tones. This house—big as it is—almost looks like it sprouted up from the ground. Like it’s just part of the scenery, in perfect harmony. It looks like it belongs here. Unlike me.

I’ve grown so accustomed to getting dressed up every day, and I take so much pleasure in choosing pieces that make me feel more confident, that I didn’t even consider how hilarious I might look pulling up wearing what I’m wearing.

So, that was the extent of my instructions. An address. That and, “Fix this, Summer. I believe in you.” Oh, and, “Don’t let that fucker charm his way into your bed.”

I know that this is a test. Trial by fire. If I can knock this assignment out of the park, I’ll impress my father, but I’ll also prove I’m capable to everyone else at the company. Something he and I both know I need to do if I plan to move up the ranks at Hamilton Elite. If hiring me isn’t going to seem like pure nepotism, then I need to be fantastic at what I do.

It’s not an easy assignment, but nothing in my life has been easy, so maybe it doesn’t seem as daunting as it should.

“Been a while since I welcomed a babysitter up to the house for any of my boys.” I laugh out a breath and let my shoulders drop, immediately at ease around the man. Rhett may look at me like I’m a bug on his windshield, but this man is just plain charming.

Harvey waves me aside when I press the button to open my back hatch and reaches past me to retrieve my suitcase. “Well, I’ve got a room made up for you here in the main house. You can expect Rhett to sulk like a little boy who’s gotten his favorite toy taken away. And when his brothers find out, I expect him to be downright foul because they are going to harass him something fierce.”

I press my lips together. If I can make it to my age with Kip Hamilton as my father and boss, something tells me a couple of cowboys will be a cakewalk—but I don’t say that. I’d rather not jinx things.

Some sort of deer head with black marble eyes that sparkle enough to look real and antlers that reach high above it like thick, ornate branches, hangs above it. My lips tug down into a small frown. I have no problem with hunting, not the type of hunting that’s done responsibly anyway, but I’m such a city girl that the sight of this majestic animal hanging up in the house makes me a little sad about the deer and whatever end he might have faced.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect with this assignment.” He chuckles good-naturedly. “Expect a rodeo, girl. I love my boy. But he’s a handful. Has always been one. Come to think of it, I’m not sure anyone has ever truly handled Rhett at all. Youngest boy and all that. Even his baby sister ended up being the more mature of the two. The one who looked out for him—because Rhett needs looking out for. My advice? Don’t push too hard. He’ll just push back.”

When I close the door behind him, I rest my head against the cool wood and suck in a deep breath to chase away the anxiety. And then I pray for patience because something tells me I’m going to need it.

Summer Hamilton pulled up in her fancy SUV and ridiculous prissy outfit like she’s going out on the town rather than showing up on a cattle ranch. So, I made myself scarce. I might be stuck with her, but I don’t have to like it.

I fucking hate being treated like a child, or like I’m stupid. Or worse, like I’m some sort of criminal. I had hoped that sleeping in my own bed and having some processing time to come to terms with my new arrangement might make it feel a little less stifling—less insulting. But it still feels like trash.

Riding bulls is a high I can’t replace. A rush I can’t stop chasing.

“Luke! What’s up, little man? I thought you were with Mrs. Hill,” I say. My nephew smiles at me, exposing his little Chiclet teeth, a mischievous expression overtaking his face. “I told her I wanted to play hide and seek.” “Okay . . .” Luke peeks at his dad from around my body, like he knows he’s about to get in trouble. And then he leans in close to me and holds a hand up next to his mouth. “And then I ran over here instead.”

This kid runs my brother into the ground. He keeps him light—and God knows Cade needs that. That said, we’re all a bunch of softies where Luke is concerned. Our little sister may have left the ranch, but we’ve got Luke to dote on now.

I groan because I know what this means. Lady. A more apt word has never been used to describe Summer Hamilton. My agent’s princess.

I mutter as I turn back to them, trying to ignore the confused scowl on Cade’s face. That’s basically his range of looks: happy scowl, tired scowl . . . I imagine he even has some sort of horny scowl that he’s hidden away for the past several years.

“You didn’t mention how delightful she is. Did you know she just finished law school?” My brows pop up. I’m not above admitting that’s a little bit impressive. But it’s also worse somehow. She’s prissy, smart, accomplished, and assigned to babysit me.

“I didn’t use him. I enlightened him. Mixing candy with your popcorn is a life experience that every child deserves.” “Cade is going to hate you for that.” Her lips press together, and she shrugs, seeming truly unaffected by the prospect. “I guess I’ll have to hope Brother Number Three likes me. Or maybe I’ll go for the trifecta? Get you all to hate me? That might be nice for me.” The balls on this girl.

“Learning the ropes? We both know you’re here to babysit me.” Her head tilts, and she stares at me in the most unnerving way. “I guess we all see things the way we want to. I am new at the firm. They only recently hired me as more than a summer intern. And you are established. And I’d be an idiot to think I’m not here to learn something. Or Kip would have sent someone with more experience, no?”

Men are so fragile.

He’s not pretty and polished. He’s rugged and a little rough around the edges. He’s all man.

Girls like me don’t usually mix with men like him. We don’t even mix in the same circles, but that doesn’t stop me from appreciating him. The way a pair of Wranglers fit him hasn’t changed since his early days on the circuit.

“This is going to be a long two months.” “You could always throw yourself down that well I saw on my way back to the house and put yourself right out of this misery.”