Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 97836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Bash’s eyes bored into me in a way that reminded me of how judgmental I’d been toward him when he’d gotten involved with Rowe. “Why can’t you simply pay him off and get back here? Surely he’d take a hundred grand and be happy with it. It would be easier to work on Daisy Chain if you were here in the office.”
His boyfriend’s pet project was important to him. It was important to all of us. But I resented the implication I should give up my own personal plan to suit his.
“I can work just fine remotely,” I said in a tone that brooked no compromise.
Bash and I had been best friends since college. The man knew how to interpret my moods even better than my sister. “You like him.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I snapped.
Dev’s eyes widened. Kenji closed his eyes and shook his head. Bash grinned as if he’d gotten me to confess to an unsolved murder. “You fucking like him! Holy shit.”
“I do not like him,” I insisted, hearing myself and immediately regretting my words. “I mean, I do like him. He’s a good guy. But it’s not what you think.”
“I thought he was straight,” Bash said, not losing his grin.
“He is. Was. He’s… bi. I guess.”
“And you’re having a summer dalliance. A hundred-thousand-dollar fuck fest.”
I wanted to throw my laptop out the door and into the raging river. “Shut your damn mouth,” I growled.
Kenji sighed and continued to shake his head. Dev’s wide eyes turned soft. Bash’s grin faded. “Holy shit, Silas,” he said.
“No,” I said, pointing at the screen. “Do not even think about it. Whatever you’re going to say needs to remain unsaid. Understand?”
Bash tilted his head and opened his mouth. I cut him off. “I do not have feelings for him. I don’t have feelings for anyone. Never again, remember? I learned my lesson with Justin.”
And it was true. I knew better than to develop real feelings for another man after the way Justin had played me. The brotherhood had been through too many examples of people using us for our money, of people pretending to care about us before taking advantage of our financial situation.
That was exactly what had happened with Justin Hardy, and I’d felt like a fool. So much so that I’d tried my hardest to keep Bash from making the same mistake with Rowe. Even though Rowe seemed to be the exception, he hadn’t been around long enough for us to know for sure. And he was definitely profiting right now as the brotherhood worked to make his business idea a billion-dollar success.
“I have to go,” I said, remembering I needed to buy boots before my riding lesson. It was as good an excuse as any to get off this damned call. The thought of my lesson with Natana reminded me of what she’d said earlier about bailing on roundup. “Hey, Dev… do you know anyone who can help round up horses?”
“Like… for what?”
“Way’s ranch keeps herds of horses over winter for all the local dude ranches. This weekend, they’re scheduled to round them all up and move them out to wherever they go in summer. They’re short-handed this year. I thought maybe you—”
“I can do it,” he said abruptly.
A small spark of excitement flashed for a split second in his eyes before disappearing. It was more than any of us had seen in a while. Bash and I exchanged a look.
“You sure?” I asked. “That would be amazing.”
“When do you need me?”
“By Friday at the latest. We can probably put you up in the family farmhouse.”
Another idea began to come together in my mind. I probably should have talked to Waylon about it before acting. It probably fell under the heading of Things Way Doesn’t Want Help With. And it was probably one of those times when, as Camille said, I didn’t need to fix someone’s problem for them.
But damn it, remembering the bone-weary look in Way’s eyes—the way he’d looked like he was going to pass out on the sidewalk this morning, for fuck’s sake—I decided I’d take the risk.
Way could be angry all he liked, after the fact. But for right now—for the next few weeks—the man was my husband… and I would not let him carry his burdens alone.
“Plan to stay for a while unless you have somewhere else to be,” I told Dev. “Things are going to be chaotic here through July Fourth. They can use some help on the ranch if you’re up for it.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I can… I can do that.”
Kenji nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements and let you know the details, Dev. Now, before I let you go, Silas…”
As Kenji did his final rundown of the work deliverables he needed from me, I let out a long breath. This felt right. Dev needed a distraction; he needed to get away from his grief and the heavy memories of his brother. Horses were his happy place, and I happened to have access to a ton of them.