Page 100 of Roaring Fork Wrangler

“What about my conversation with Buck?” I asked.

“I doubt there will be time for it beforehand. However, the questions Hammer will ask have no bearing on who Buck’s biological father is.”

I didn’t like his answer, but it appeared the wheels had already been set in motion.

The only oneof my siblings who hadn’t met Juni was Porter, so he was the first I greeted and introduced her to. My brother looked like shit. More than even I’d expected.

Juniper was gracious, like she always was, but I could see by the set of her jaw that her encounter with him left her frazzled.

“Are you okay?” I leaned in and whispered.

“He’s in so much pain,” shemurmured in response.

Now that she’d said it, I agreed. Most of my life, I’d thought my second-oldest brother was more like my father than any of us would’ve wanted to acknowledge. He was often sullen and argumentative, along with intoxicated.

Buck, on the other hand, who’d suffered more abuse at the hands of my dad than any of us, had never seemed that way. He hadn’t bothered trying to conceal his hatred for our old man, but it hadn’t soured him on the rest of civilization like it had Porter.

I couldn’t help but wonder if something far worse than we knew went on between him and Roscoe, as I’d begun thinking of him.

Buck and Flynn were the last of my siblings to arrive, and with them were his wife, TJ, and their son, Buckaroo.

“I thought maybe we could walk around Gunnison while we wait,” I heard TJ say to Juni. When her eyes met mine, I nodded.

“I’d like that,” she responded, leaning down to say something to the baby, who was in a stroller.

Just then, another SUV pulled up and a man I didn’t recognize got out. Based on Buck’s and Decker’sreaction, I gathered it was Hammer. The man looked more pissed off than the rest of us combined.

“I’m going to get that fucker disbarred,” I heard him mutter to Deck as he swept past him and in the front door of the office.

“Should we go in too?” Buck asked.

Decker shook his head. “Give him a minute.” He turned to us. “Each one of you owes me a dollar.”

My eyes scrunched. “Not that I care about the amount, but why?”

“Hammer is representing you and the rest of your siblings. I fronted the cash. You can settle up with me later.”

“We’re going to head to the park,” TJ said when she and Juni walked over to the vehicle they’d arrived in.

“I’ll let you know when we’re finished,” Buck said, approaching to kiss her and the baby.

I did the same with Juni. “Have fun,” I said.

“You too.” She winked.

Last night, we’d talked about how I’d approach the conversation with Buck. I decided he needed to learn about Joe Wilkins Sr. without an audience. I hoped that, once we were done with Six-pack, Buck and Icould get some time on our own. How and when he decided to tell our siblings would be up to him.

Hammer came storming out of the front door, looking angrier than he had going in. “The meeting has been postponed by an hour.”

Buck, the one who most often spoke up, didn’t.

“I’m, um…” I was about to say my time was limited, but there wasn’t a person among us who didn’t know that.

“Let’s go,” said Hammer. “Deck, you with me.”

“Hold up. What the fuck is going on?” Buck finally asked. If he hadn’t, I would’ve. Porter looked like he was a million miles away while Holt and Flynn appeared shell-shocked.

“I’ll explain everything once we’re at the hotel. Well, at least as much as I know,” he added when Decker raised a brow.

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