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Let him sweat. She hoped he was worried that wild coyotes were going to drag her off into the hills at any minute. Wait. That thought stopped her cold.
    “There aren’t wild coyotes who eat people here, are there?” she asked, and felt like a fool when both men grinned.
    “Not usually,” Colt said, the start of a chuckle evident in his throat, though he was doing his best to keep his mirth at bay.
    She wanted to imitate her last name and storm from the barn. The only thing that stopped her was that she knew both men would be a whole hell of a lot happier if she did just that. Well, tough. She wasn’t going anywhere.
    “Again, I want to explore my land. I need to know why the operation is failing. Who is going to take me?”
    This time Brielle faced Tony with her shoulders back and a determined glint in her eyes. She wasn’t going to back down again, even if he did intimidate the hell out of her.
    This time, she was going to get her way, and she was going to learn something about all these acres of land she’d unwillingly inherited from her father. She would make this damn ranch successful even if it killed her. And it might just.
    “I’ll take you,” Colt said, surprising not only her but Tony as well, if his expression was any indication.
    “You sure you have time for that, Colt?” Tony asked, making Brielle want to slug him.
    “Yeah. I’ve got my projects done for the day,” he said with a shrug before turning back to her. “But there’s no way you’re getting on a horse wearing that ensemble. You need to change into jeans and boots. A hat wouldn’t hurt either. It will shield your face from the sun.”
    “I don’t need fashion advice from a cowboy.” What was wrong with the cute shorts and tank top she was wearing? It was an unusually warm summer, she’d been told. And that was okay with her. She loved hot weather, and she hadn’t gotten enough of it in Maine.
    “I’m not giving you fashion advice, Princess. I’m just stating how it is. You’ll break your neck if you even attempt to get on a horse in those heels. And your thighs will be scraped raw if you wear shorts on the long ride.”
    Colt leaned against the wall and crossed one foot in front of the other, his thumbs tucked into his front pockets. He looked as if he could stand right there all day long and not be bothered in the least.
    “Well, I don’t have that sort of clothes,” she said with a frustrated sigh.
    The thing she wouldn’t admit to either man was that she was excited to take her first horseback ride. She’d seen it done in the movies all the time, and it actually looked like fun. But if she told them that, they’d just ramp up the mockery. She was through with being pegged as the dumb city girl.
    “We’ll have to hit Peggy’s shop, and then I’ll take you out,” Colt said as he pushed off the wall and moved to the door. He turned around before he walked through it. “I’ll see ya later, Tony.”
    With that, he left the room. Brielle stood there for a minute, watching his retreat through the open doorway. She knew he expected her to follow him without question.
    The stubborn Storm blood in her told her to stand her ground. After all, she was the boss here. But the practical part of her told her that he didn’t give a damn. If she didn’t follow him, she’d lose her tour guide.
    Curiosity and a desire to ride the land made her decision for her. She turned to follow him, but still stopped in the doorway and turned to give Tony a narrow-eyed glance. “We will talk further.”
    He just stared back at her with surprisingly alert brown eyes. The man was wrinkled, balding, scrawny, and downright rude, but she had a feeling nothing got past him. She couldn’t fire him. That would be foolish.
    “Looking forward to it,” Tony finally said before setting his hat back on his head and standing up.
    She knew he was getting ready to leave the room too, so she decided to make her exit first. It was a matter of pride.