Page 10 of Stalked at Rescue Ridge

Kade hadn’t been the bookish type, so the military had been his best option.

“The will does allow for changes as long as the vote is unanimous,” Guidry said. “I’d caution you to read through your copy and your letter before making any decisions.”

A loophole? Hot damn. It appeared Kade had found a way to get rid of Guidry. He glanced around the room. His gaze landed on Beau; the smug look on his face said he wouldn’t cooperate.

Kade needed to play his cards right. “Good idea about breaking off to read the will.” He could use some of his savings to hire a lawyer to review the will to see how ironclad the rest of it was. If he’d found one loophole, there had to be others. Kade glanced around the room. “Does anyone else have a comment or question?”

Heads shook. All except one. Beau sat there looking like the cat who’d caught the bird. Maybe the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree when it came to Kade’s half-sibling. Didn’t those last two words leave a bad taste in his mouth?

Could there be others? Would they climb out of the woodwork now that Beaumont was gone? There could be any number of heirs.

Kade shut those thoughts down for now. DNA tests could prove paternity, and there was enough money from the ranch to go around if financial reports could be believed. Kade needed to dig deeper into the finances. He had a few weeks before he needed to report to duty in Alaska. Working a rig sounded hella good right now when compared to sitting behind a desk scouring numbers.

“This meeting is concluded,” Guidry said. He stood and collected the folder on top of the desk.

“Do you mind leaving your copy here?” Kade said to the lawyer as the others filed out. His siblings couldn’t get out of the office fast enough, and he didn’t blame them. Since the financials were most likely on Beaumont’s computer, Kade might stick around for a little while at least.

The dark cloud hanging overhead feeling that Chloe had mentioned rang true. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but his sister was right. Bad news traveled in threes.

The knock at the front door barely registered as Guidry excused himself, taking the file with him.

The hair on the back of Kade’s neck stood up when he heard a familiar voice in the entryway. A knot formed in his chest. This day just got a whole helluva lot worse.

Kade was met at the office door by a very pregnant Bree. He forced his gaze away from her belly, a belly that somehow made her even more beautiful. It might be the glow. He’d heard about pregnancy glows before. The dark circles cradling red, puffy eyes said she was in mourning.

He sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sorry about—”

“From what I hear, you almost died, too,” Bree cut him off. She exhaled, which did little to calm her pounding pulse. The base of her neck gave her away; she was nervous to be here. Did she have something to say to him? Did she want to give him a piece of her mind?

“It should have been me,” he said. “And then your family would still be intact.”

An expression crossed her features that he couldn’t quite read. A second later, it was gone.

“About that…” she started.

Kade readied himself for the anger and accusations that were sure to come. He was Zeke’s best friend. Kade should have protected the man who was about to become a father. Kade had no ties, no reason to live other than a nephew who was too young to remember Kade. Chloe would have been distraught, as would his siblings, but Kade hadn’t had anyone else depending on him.

Bree placed her hand on top of the baby bump. Did she realize she’d made the protective move? Or was it sheer motherly instinct?

“Zeke was my best friend,” she said. Her gaze fixed on a spot over Kade’s left shoulder as though the right words could be found there.

Zeke was more than that.Kade probably shouldn’t point out the fact right now.

“He was there for me, stepping up in a way I never could’ve expected,” she said.

“Because he loves you.”Loved,he should say. It was impossible to think of Zeke in the past tense despite the knowledge he was gone. “That’s a good foundation for—”

Bree put a hand up, stopping him midsentence. “I’m not saying this right, so I’ll just spit it out.” She blew out a breath. “I am absolutely broken, devastated by the loss of Zeke. But he wasn’t the father of my child like everyone believed.”

Kade’s hands fisted as anger roared through him at the thought she’d cheated on Zeke. At least he would never know because it would have broken his heart. “Then, who?” Anger laced the accusation.

Bree blinked a couple of times like she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “You, Kade. You’re the baby’s father.”

A whoosh sounded in his ears, blocking out all background noise. A mix of emotions slammed into him as the knot in his gut tightened. All he could say in response was, “I need fresh air.”

3

Bree stood silent as Kade blew past her and out the front door. A cramp nearly knocked the wind out of her, causing her to take the nearest seat. She realized she should get out of here and far away from Kade.

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