Page 70 of Burn the Wild

A primal, protective urge to defend Reese surges through me. I understand Davis is worried, but that doesn’t mean he can rag on the girl relentlessly.

Before I can knock Davis into next week, Charlie dries his hands on a towel and says, “We don’t need tabloids and press sniffing around the ranch. She doesn’t know a lick about ranch work. What if she gets hurt? Hell, what if she decides to sue us?”

“She won’t.” Ruby’s soft voice floats into the kitchen. Finished resting, she straightens out her dress and crosses the room.

The minute he sees her, Charlie’s face pulls into a rare smile.

“She needs someplace to go,” Ruby says, leaning back against the counter. Charlie keeps a hand on the small of her back. “Whatever she did in the past, we shouldn’t judge.”

“That’s the sweetheart inside of you, Fairy Tale.” I give her a soft smile. “You always look for that second chance.”

Ruby narrows her eyes. “And you all should, too.”

Quiet falls on the room.

I take a breath. The conversation is now at a simmer and I’d like to fucking keep it that way.

“Reese is a little wild, I get it,” I say to the room. Everyone wants a fucking speech, so here we go. “She eats like shit, and I doubt she can work a fucking day on the ranch without killing herself. She’s a pain in my ass, but I don’t think we can turn her out. I think she’s in trouble. Or scared or both.”

“Ford’s right,” Dakota says, standing. She lays a hand on her husband’s arm, and he instantly softens.

My hard-ass military brother doesn’t trust easily. Especially after the events of last year. He’s guard-dog protective of Dakota, Fallon, and the rest of his family.And he should be.

But instinct has my own red flags up—an unsettling feeling that if Reese leaves, something bad will happen to her.

Later, when Davis walks me to the front door, I say, “So, listen…” I glance toward the kitchen, making sure my family’s out of eavesdropping distance. “I didn’t want to do this in front of everyone, but I need a favor.”

Davis scrapes a hand over his close-cropped hair. “I don’t like the sound of this.”

“You still talk to anyone on your team who’s a PI?” If anyone has contacts, it’s my brother with his military ties. The idea cameto me earlier, during my trek down Main Street. The sooner I help Reese Austin, the sooner she can leave—and I can get my life back. Back to the mountain. Back to the ranch.

“I have a few names.” He frowns. “Is this for Reese?”

“I think she’s in something she doesn’t know how to get out of.”

“She tell you that?”

“Not exactly.”

“Woo-woo shit?”

I grin. “Woo-woo shit.”

Baseball players are the most superstitious players in all sports. I once knew a guy who wore a diaper when he needed to right his game. Cinnamon candies were my go-to for getting out of a slump. But when it comes to family, I tend to get a gut feeling when things go wrong. It’s unexplainable, but after all these years, and especially after last year when I found Dakota and Davis in the middle of the woods, I trust it.

“You know what you’re doing?” Davis asks. “Getting involved?”

“I’m not involved,” I grunt, wondering how long I can lie to myself. “Just do this for me.”

“I’ll put in a call,” Davis says in his scary Marine voice. “They call him the Poacher.”

“Jesus, man.” I laugh. “I don’t want to know who you hang out with in your spare time.”

This time, Davis cracks a shit-eating grin. “Tell me, is this the kindness of your heart talking, or are you still a cowboy?”

“Fuck you,” I say, but there’s no real malice there. We fight fast, but we also end it fast. I clap him on the shoulder. “Thanks, brother.”

The night air’s cool against my skin as I set out for the garage. But I don’t get far. I stop on the path that would normally take me to the ranch proper, edginess skittering beneath my skin.Reese’s expression at dinner lingers in my mind. Her parting words.

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