Page 152 of Westin

“What’s that?” I ask, tapping the paper.

“Guest list,” she says, biting her lip. “David didn’t accept earlier, and that makes me mad.”

I sink down. She has her lips pursed, the way she does when something pisses her off.

“I’ll go talk to him and smooth things over,” I promise.

She turns in her seat. “No, I asked Sovereign. He did something, and now David is coming, apparently.”

“That’s the easy way out,” I say. “No one wants to be in his bad graces.”

She studies me for a moment. “Does Sovereign know what Thomas did?”

I nod. “He was the one who told me to ask what happened.”

She looks down, picking at her nails. “Keira told me they’re trying to have a baby. I think they’d both make really good parents.”

I nod, staying silent. She offers me a tired smile, reaching out to touch my hand.

“I’m going to bed,” she says.

We go upstairs and shower. After we’re both in bed, my arm tucked over her body, she lets out a little sigh.

“Did they build the road yet?” she whispers.

“No,” I say. “Not yet. But don’t worry, I have the entire thing handled.”

“I wish you’d tell me what you’re going to do,” she whispers. “I saw you talking to Deacon. I see you having secret discussions with Sovereign. You have a plan.”

“I have a plan, darling.”

“Is it horrible?” Her voice is fragile, like a spider’s web.

“Not for you,” I say. “It’ll be the best day of your life. You’ll wake up with everything you’ve ever wanted.”

“My land,” she says sleepily. “My gunslinger.”

“Is that enough?”

“It’s more than enough.”

Her breathing deepens, and her body goes limp. She’d hate it if I said anything, but she snores when she’s all worn out. Not a lot, just faint snorts I can hear when the house is silent. She also mumbles in her sleep and frowns a lot, like she’s mad at somebody in her dream. Maybe me. I love it; sometimes, I stay up just to watch her sleep.

Someday soon, we’ll be in bed like this in our new home at Carter Farms.

Not too long now.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

DIANE

I wake with a start.

It’s Saturday, July Seventeenth.

I sit upright in our empty bed, the sheet falling back. I’m not at the gatehouse; I stayed in one of the spare bedrooms at the ranch house. Westin slept at Jensen’s house. He’s not supposed to see me until Sovereign walks me down the aisle.

Someone knocks timidly on my door.

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