Page 72 of The Rancher's Secret Relationship

"Mm?" Blake was still mentally chewing nails over the possibility that Thornton was avoiding her. Did it mean he wished he could take all those words back from last night? That none of them was the truth?

"Does he like you?"

"Who?" Blake asked, distracted.

"Your friend."

"Well, of course he likes me—-"Sheep!Blake stopped speaking as soon as she realized how her words could easily cause confusion. She had answered that way because she had been thinking Curt as her half-brother would have no choice: he had to like her. But since Curt had strongly discouraged her from claiming any filial relationship to him—-

Blake saw the look on Elizabeth's face and said immediately, "It's not what you're thinking."

"Oh. Of course." The distraught look on the other woman's face made Elizabeth think twice about saying anything else. Privately, however, Elizabeth relished the idea of Thornton finally having some competition. She would make sure he knew this, too. It might just be the kick the man needed to finally make a move and stop playing hot and cold with Blake's feelings.

Chapter Ten

DEAR CONSTITUENTS OFHartland, Wyoming:

As a thank you for everyone's sincere cooperation, you are all cordially invited to join us in a residents-only breakfast party at the dining hall of the Hartland Public Library. Breakfast will be served from six to ten in the morning only.

Please direct any inquiries you may have to my secretary.

Sincerely,

Oliver Winterbourne II

Mayor of Hartland, Wyoming

The library's dining hall was close to full when Thornton strode past its door at just a few minutes past six. His brothers were there as well, occupying one of the window-side tables, and both men grinned the moment they saw Thornton striding towards them.

"How's the hangover?" Aidan asked.

"Boring question," Ethan chided as Thornton took a seat. "What you mean to ask is how's Blake—-"His tone turned sly. "—-and have you succeeded in reminding her who she belongs to?"

Thornton blanched, and seeing this, even Aidan couldn't help grinning while their baby brother simply lost it, throwing his head back with a laugh.

"I know you took a video," Thornton said grimly. "Get rid of it."

"Too late."

Thornton could feel himself stiffening as his gaze followed where Ethan was pointing. It was Anah, the young librarian who had a crush on his youngest brother. She was standing on her toes, reaching up to the ceiling-mounted TV so she could plug a memory stick into one of its USB slots.

A moment later, the screen lit up—-

FUCK..

The entire hall went silent as a visibly-inebriated Thornton started roaring at a stunned-looking Blake.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

The moment Thornton's gaze snapped to his, Ethan already had his hands up in surrender and a half-apologetic grin on his lips. "I know you want to kill me," he said right away, "and yes, thisisone of my pranks, but it's also more than that."

Thornton's voice was ominously soft when he spoke. "If you're saying this is your way of telling me you want to die—-"

Aidan winced.

"I'm saying I'm giving you the push you need," Ethan clarified, "to man up and get rid of the competition before it gets rid of you." When Thornton only kept staring at him, he added persuasively, "Come on, Thorn. You know you needed this, and I'd never have interfered if not for another guy coming into the picture. Whether you want to admit it or not, whoever that guy was - he obviously meant something to Blake, and that makes him a real threat. You just can't afford to keep dragging your feet about Blake, and you know it."

Aidan saw Thornton's hardened expression slowly relax into bland inscrutability even as the people around them started recovering from their shock and laughter began rippling from table to table. Even those Thornton used to terrify out of their wits now had the guts to look and grin at his twin's direction.

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