Page 63 of The Guy Who Stole My Ranch

“I don’t know.” Xavier shrugged. “But she does.”

That bit of information gave me more questions than answers. Why was Brooke prone to getting angry with Danny and Todd but not Rick? Had something happened when they were kids? Or more recently? Perhaps their mother’s death had driven them apart.

We worked in silence for a few minutes before Xavier spoke again.

“Do you have any brothers?” Xavier asked.

“Just a sister.”

“I want a sister.”

I snorted. “You really don’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because girls are crazy.”

“Are we?” Brooke asked from right behind me.

I winced. How had I not noticed her coming this way?

I straightened and did my best to grin. “Well, my sister is.” I didn’t add that Brooke could ask Victoria if she wanted to know more.

Brooke stared at me with those dark, steely eyes, and for a moment, I thought I might get to experience the yelling Xavier had mentioned.

“Are you crazy, Aunt Brooke?” Xavier asked.

She turned and glared at him. The irritation in her voice was unmistakable. “What do you think?”

Whatever had made her angry hadn’t abated.

Xavier considered. “I think I should do what Daddy does and leave the room.” He handed his bucket to Brooke and walked away.

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing, and when I caught Brooke’s glower, I shoved the emotion back and gave her a small smile.

Brooke’s expression didn’t change. “Let’s see what you two have been doing over here.” She squatted down and reached into my bucket with a bare hand. A mixture of about ninety percent dark seeds and ten percent light chaff sat in her palm. “Not bad.” She held her hand out toward me. “But it still needs work.” Brooke took a breath then blew out hard.

A cloud of tiny yellow bits headed right toward me.

“Hey!” I threw my arm in front of my face and batted the chaff away, but not before something got in my eye.

Physical work I could do, but physical assault was not something I appreciated. I’d never reacted well to it, and now I felt my blood boiling. Brooke had done that on purpose. My teeth locked together, and my hands balled into fists.

“Oops,” Brook said in a singsong, innocent tone. “I didn’t think it would be that easy to blow.”

I took a breath and spoke through gritted teeth as I blinked. “How long have you been doing this?” My tone conveyed my displeasure, and I didn’t try to change it. “Your whole life?”

“Uh, yeah.”

I removed my glasses and glared at her. “So you had no idea what would happen when you blew that in my face?”

She bit her lip. “Sorry?”

I scowled and blinked a few times. It felt like I had a huge grain of sand under my eyelid.

“Let me see.” She moved closer.

The last thing I needed was her in my space. I held my hand out to keep her away. “Will you get me the eye drops?”

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