Page 39 of A Nice Day for a Cowboy Wedding

Molly shook her head. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “It’s like we’re all separate, fighting separate battles, not letting anyone else in.”

“We’re not doing that.”

She laughed, and this was bitter. “So says you.”

“Mol—”

She held up a hand. “No, I’m just . . .” She swallowed, squinting off into the sun. “The divorce stuff came through today, and I’m pissy and taking it out on you. Not fair.”

“Hey.” When she didn’t look at him, he reached out and took her by the shoulders, giving them a squeeze until she raised her gaze. “You know if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here.”

She looked patently miserable. “Tylers don’t cry, remember?”

“We could. I mean, I’d rather cut my balls off, butyoucould.”

That earned him a watery chuckle, and she leaned into him with a sigh. “You really do hold us all together. I’m just starting to think the rest of us need to do some holding back.”

“I . . . don’t know what that means.”

She pulled back, any trace of tears gone, and she smiled. He knew she wasn’t okay, but he also knew if she wanted to let herself go, she would.

“You don’t have to know what it means, I don’t think. Think about talking to Mom about a prenup or something similar. Talk to Gavin about it, and I’ll talk to Boone.”

“I could talk to Boone.”

Molly grinned. “I don’t want to clean up any blood. You take the moron. I’ll take the idiot.”

Shane nodded. “Fine, fine. And Lindsay?”

Molly hesitated. “She likes Ben.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I don’t know why Mom’s doing this. It sucks, and I’m wrapped up in my own crap, and itsucks.”

“I’ll take Lindsay then.”

“I wish I could crawl into a cave and come out in a year.”

“You’d miss an awful lot.”

“Yeah, well.” She shrugged. “I’m going to go take a very long shower and have a very long, private cry. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Shane nodded and offered her a wave as she turned and strode to the house. Once he was sure she was gone, he rubbed his hands over his face. Tylers might not cry, but they sure got swindled when it came to love.

He’d made the mistake himself, he’d let Molly make the mistake when he hadn’t thought to lock her in her room till she saw some sense, and now Mom was about to make it too.

Not on his watch.

Shane stepped into the stables to check on Micah. Shane tensed momentarily when he saw Boone was with him, helping get Stan all cleaned up.

“Knocked him out,” Boone was saying. “One strong punch, right to the jaw, bam,” Boone said, grinning and replicating the movement with the hint of a wince.

“Can you teach me?” Micah asked in awe.

Shane stepped forward. “No, he can’t.” What was his brother thinking, telling these kinds of stories to a young, impressionable kid? “Violence is hardly an answer.”

“Don’t listen to Shane. He’s an old stick-in-the-mud,” Boone stage-whispered.

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