Page 51 of The Hardest Part

Ever since the bonfire party, when Kellan found out his stepsister hadn’t entirely given up on her dream of going back to Denver, he’d been pricklier than usual. Unable to cope with the thought of her leaving him, he stormed off and never came back. Jake had to drive Tanner and Arien home.

After dinner, champagne, and a slice of Maizie’s vanilla buttercream cake, Emily danced in the arms of the two men who loved her. Pressed to her back, Billy’s head lay on her shoulder, the cock in his pants teasing at the wisp of silk beneath her dress. She lifted her gaze to Jake. His lips quirked up, and grabbing his brother by the belt loops, he pulled her to him even closer.

Fuck, I’m in so much trouble.

One at her front, the other from behind, the brothers held her tight between them.

Pulling on the end of his braid, Emily brought Jake’s lips down to hers, and with Billy’s face nuzzled against her neck, she kissed him.

The music all but faded away.

Her feet stopped moving.

She tasted the whiskey on Jacob’s tongue while Billy tasted salt from her skin. And when their kiss ended, Emily raised her head and smiled, because it felt right, and perfect, and beautiful.

“Looks like they made up.” Billy softly chuckled.

Their eyes only on each other, Kellan and Arien swayed together on the dance floor.

“Yeah, I knew they would.” And giggling, she kissed him on the cheek. “I could’ve told him she wasn’t goin’ anywhere. She threw her award letter in the trash.”

“Why didn’t you?” Jake asked.

“You told me not to interfere,” Emily said with a shrug, her finger poking at his chest. “Besides, why spoil all the fun? I kinda like watchin’ it all play out.”

Then, Tanner came out to the floor, but it wasn’t because he wanted a dance. One minute, the three of them were talking, and the next, they went running toward Kellan’s truck.

What the hell?

But before Emily could get the words out of her mouth, her mother came rushing at them on the dance floor. “We have to get over to the ranch. Now.” Choking on the air she was breathing, she turned to Jake. “Your father’s already left.”

“What’s going on, Mama?”

Her beautiful face crumpled. “Something terrible’s happened.”

“You’re scaring me, now.”

“It’s Jennifer…” And she sobbed.

No, no, no, no, no. Please, don’t say it.

“She’s dead.”

Emily couldn’t explain it.

Because Christ, what are the fucking odds?

Three women were dead within days of giving birth to her uncle’s sons.

Amanda and Heather died from natural causes, they said. A weak heart or some such shit. She didn’t buy it. Not anymore. Jennifer’s death was no coincidence.

“How the fuck could this happen, Jake?”

“I don’t know.” His hand dropped from the steering wheel to her knee, and he squeezed it.

The closer they got to the house, the more it felt like she was going to vomit.

How did Jennifer die? Did she stumble down the stairs and break her neck? Fall asleep in the bathtub and drown? Her mother hadn’t said. And, fuck, what about the baby? Only a week old, she hadn’t mentioned poor Benjamin at all.

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