Page 86 of Bull Rush

“But you still didn’t tell me?”

“You’re supposedly in love with him. You don’t have a history of listening to warnings when you’re in love with someone.”

“You should have told me. And supposedly? Really?”

“We were afraid you’d think it was ridiculous and that you might tell him. Then he’d know we were onto him, and any other clues we might have gotten would have been covered up. He just… has a bad vibe around him. I know you love him. I know he’s been good to you, and I don’t have anything concrete I can point to him the way you’d want it… I just, with some of these guys, when you know, you know.”

“And yet you continue to hold steady to Ramsey’s side. You two seem all chummy again. I thought you said it was family first around here?”

“Then I found out heisstill family.” Bo’s lips quiver with half a smile, and I frown at him.

“Don’t be a smartass.”

“He’s a fuckup, Haze. But he loves you. He’d do anything for you. The second he was back in that house with you, I just felt a whole fuckton of relief.”

“Because I can’t take care of myself?”

“Because you’ve been living with a fucking snake, Haze. I don’t know what he’s got up his sleeve, but you can’t trust Curtis. And I hope to God you’re not actually in love with him.”

Of course he doesn’t want me to be in love with him. Because he wants his brother-in-law back, firmly ensconced where he thinks he belongs—on his ranch at my side.

“But I can trust the man who ran off?” I give Bo a skeptical look.

“He ran off because he thought it would keep you safe. He believed that. I know he did. And you know he wanted you to go with him. You were just determined to stay here and run your inn, and he wasn’t going to come between you and your dream either. I told you my opinion then, and nothing’s changed—neither of you was in the wrong.”

“So you told him about Curtis, and then what? He went to his brothers, I assume, since he knows about Vegas not being a real thing?”

“When those guys were in the pole barn the other night, I told him it was the same barn I saw Curtis in. It all just seemed too coincidental. Especially since when his parents were killed, it seemed like the murderers were looking for something on the property then too. So the next day, he went to see his brothers,hoping they’d have more on him with his employee file. He thought maybe they knew more than they were letting on because Grant had told him to give up on you too,” Bo explains.

“Give up on me?”

“Don’t be naïve. You know he doesn’t want the divorce to go through.”

“He’s never said that to me.”

“Maybe not plainly. But I promise he’s said it loud and clear if you were listening. The whole town knows that’s what he’s here for, so if you’re claiming you don’t—it’s because you don’t want to hear it.

“Well, maybe he should man up and ask how I feel about that idea instead of whatever this is he’s been doing… Or, you know, vaguely any attempt at directly asking me what I want.” I cross my arms over my chest.

“Haze…” My brother sighs loudly and runs a hand over his face.

“What?” I’m exasperated and currently regretting running to the brother that might love my husband more than I do.

My brother steeples his hands and runs his index fingers up the sides of his nose as he blinks at the floor and then lifts his eyes to meet mine.

“You two are some of the most stubborn, bullheaded, independent people I know.”

“Please, Anson’s worse.”

“I said some of.”

“And? So what?”

“He’shere. He could be anywhere he wants to be. He has the money and the means.”

“His parole officer—”

“You don’t think his fancy-ass fucking lawyers could get him out of that if he really wanted? People as rich as his family… they don’t follow the same rules as the rest of us.”

---