Page 141 of Westin

Deacon shrugs. “Maybe a month or two. There are still building permits being processed. David Carter got an offer on the land from the gas company.”

Fuck.

“Alright,” I say grimly. “He hasn’t signed it.”

“No,” Deacon says. “I’d say he’s reluctant.”

I’m sure it’s a bitter pill for David to swallow that his farm is being forced out from under him. He didn’t want the road put through, but now that the Garrisons are gone, he has no choice. I know him well enough to guess that he’ll reap all the money he can from the farm as it goes down.

His heart’s not soft, not like Diane’s.

“I can’t buy it,” Sovereign says. “Like I said, I’m cash poor until the season is through.”

Deacon shakes his head. “Don’t think it’s for sale for anyone but Vince Cassidy and Corbin Buchanan.”

Sovereign takes a slow drag on his cigarette. The smoke drifts to the sky.

“It sounds to me like you two have a problem,” he says. “A joint problem. Maybe one that could be solved the way I solved my last one.”

I glance sideways at Deacon. “We’ve talked about that.”

Deacon relates our conversation in the cafe to Sovereign. I stand there struggling not to let my anger get the best of me. Ever sinceshe told me what David did, rage has sat in my chest like a barely-contained wild animal.

Head down, but ears alert, waiting for a chance to lash out.

“You think you can get Cassidy and Buchanan into a car together and force them off the bridge?” Sovereign asks slowly.

I shake my head once, jerking out of my reverie. “Yeah. We need to find an excuse to invite a shit ton of people up here. Everybody knows you carpool so you don’t have fifty odd trucks parked on the hill.”

“What if that doesn’t work?” Sovereign asks.

“I guess we can always slice a few tires.”

He thinks about it for a minute and then shrugs. “If that’s what you want. But just know, if I die and go to hell, it’ll just be me waking up to a shit ton of people on my ranch.”

“I know,” I say. “But I helped you get your girl.”

He stabs out his cigarette. “And I’ll help you get yours.”

We part ways, and I go back to the gatehouse. Diane is in the bath when I return. I pause in the doorway, just taking in how pretty my girl is. For a moment, the heaviness of what I have to do weighs me down. Then she turns, offering me a smile, and my head goes empty.

I lean over the tub, bending her head back, and kiss her mouth.

“Hello, sir,” she whispers.

“Hello, darling.”

Her gaze is sober as it lingers on me.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

She chews her lip. “Do you still want…to marry me?” she whispers.

I crouch down, taking her chin between my fingers. Her big eyes with their sexy droop are soft. My chest is tender; I just want to take her to the bed and fuck her gently and kiss her mouth, to try to get her to understand how deep my feelings for her go.

“Of course,” I say, my voice hoarse. “I wanted to give you time, but I’d marry you tomorrow if I could.”

Her lips tremble. “Really?”

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