The Bluff (Graham Brothers, #2)(31)

“What is this?” My voice is hardly more than a growl.

Winnie scrolls down, and it only gets worse. The whole thing is like my nightmare. Worse than a nightmare, because even my subconscious wouldn’t have dreamed up a site in various shades of purple, the logo not a dark horse but an eggplant-colored unicorn with a sharp black horn and anime eyes.

Sighing, Winnie says, “You didn’t give me much to work with, so I went with the dark horse vibe but pulled in the idea of a unicorn because who doesn’t love unicorns?”

Me. I do not love—or like—unicorns.

Winnie hovers over the navigation bar, and a dropdown menu appears. “The interface is—”

I cut Winnie off. “Forget the interface. This is—no. It’s just … no. Tell me this isn’t the only thing you worked on.”

“Show him the next one. It’s my favorite,” Collin says, and the glee in his voice tells me I might hate the next one even more.

Winnie’s hand hovers over the trackpad, her chin tilted down. She glances at me out of the corner of her eye. “I don’t know.”

“Now, temp.”

If possible, the next design Winnie pulls up is a thousand times worse. Rainbows are everywhere, with the overall design leaning heavily on pink, white, and bright turquoise. Another unicorn is on the logo, this time with a fluffy tail and mane braided with bows and a glittering horn. It looks like a tween girl’s dream bedroom.

“This concept delivers the unexpected, again making use of the unicorn trend and vibrant colors which will …”

I slam the laptop shut, then get to my feet. Striding away, I drag my hands through my hair, then spin back to face Winnie. Some little alarm in my head is sounding, telling me I need to cool off before I speak. But a flood of words escapes, like all Winnie’s tiny remarks finally cracked the dam.

“I took you on because my brother begged. Because Lindy begged. They both insisted you were the best, and I believed them. I trusted them. I trusted you.”

I can’t look at her face as I rage. Her dark blue eyes and those lips might cause me to soften what needs to be said.

“I could get better web designs off Fiverr. In fact, that’s what I’ll do. We gave this a try, and it’s not going to work. I’m sorry, but you’re fired.”

My jaw clamps shut as I finish. I’m practically panting, my nostrils flaring, and my skull is pounding. If I thought saying everything on my mind would make me feel better, I was wrong. I only feel more breathless, more tense. I cross my arms over my chest, squeezing tight.

“James,” Harper hisses, but Winnie waves a hand.

“It’s okay.”

“No,” Collin says, “it’s not okay. James. Sit down.”

I don’t move.

Winnie’s cheeks are a mottled red as she slowly gets to her feet. Her eyes are lasers, burning straight through mine without blinking as she gathers her laptop in one hand and stuffs it in her bag. Her gaze does not stray from mine. She does not blink.

From behind me, Tank starts to say something, but again, Winnie waves a hand, shaking her head this time too.

She pauses in front of me on her way to the door. My body tenses with an urge to step closer, and I hate this reaction to the woman who has made me lose my cool. She’s so much shorter than I am without her heels that it’s hard to meet her gaze when she’s standing so close.

“Before I go, your reservation is booked at the hotel for this weekend.”

“When did you have time to do that?”

“While you were cashing out your chips. I’m very efficient,” she says briskly. “I got myself a room as well—on a different floor so you could have some space. I should let you know it wasn’t easy getting one room, much less two, this late. Obviously, I’ll cancel my room and send you the confirmation details.”

The anger I felt moments ago is beginning to sour into regret.

Hoisting her bag on her shoulder, Winnie looks at my dad. “Thank you for the invitation tonight. I hope you understand.”

I’m not sure what there is to understand, but the way Tank is glaring at me feels like a betrayal. He’s taking her side? I know I’m being rude. I could have been softer. But I’m also right. Her designs are the furthest thing from what I want.

Maybe you should have told her what you want, then.

“I understand,” Tank says, his voice soft and eyes kind. “You tried.”

Tried what? Am I losing my mind or is everyone just coddling her? I thought Winnie was supposed to be some app-developing, site-designing tech guru. It seems like everyone is giving her too much leeway, when she’s clearly in way over her head. Meanwhile, I’m coming off as the bad guy.

Winnie turns to Harper, and my sister’s anger radiates even hotter than my dad’s. “You’ll show him?” Winnie asks.

Harper nods, and the look she pins me with singes off a layer of my skin. “I’m sorry,” she says to Winnie. “So is Collin.”

My brother crosses his arms, giving me a dark look. “I’m only sorry my brother doesn’t appreciate you.”

The way you’ve been appreciating her all night? I barely keep those words contained. I definitely don’t need to go there.

Winnie makes a straight line for the door, passing me without a glance. Stormy follows her, whining and trying to get one last pet. She gives him a scratch behind the ears as she slips her heels on. “Have fun with the cats, boss,” she calls, then slams the door and is gone.