Page 11 of Brand Me, Cowboy's Second Chance

The unspoken truth between us rings louder than the music inside. There won’t ever be another man for me. It’s Fallon. It’s always been Fallon, and that’s a lot of pressure. But maybe this new Fallon is up for the challenge. Maybe not. But as I lose myself in his eyes, it’s getting harder to come up with a reason not to try.

In a moment of bravery, or maybe stupidity, I decide to tell him how I feel. I inhale through my nose and steady myself…

But I don’t get the chance.

The door behind us bursts open with the force of a barn kicking loose in a storm, and I exhale.

Geoffrey’s silhouette fills the frame. His voice is low and urgent. “Hey, sorry to break up…” He pauses, and his eyes shift back and forth between Fallon and me. He continues with a grin. “Sorry to interrupt whatever the hell this is. ”

“It’s not anything, ” I say quickly, stepping back from Fallon like I wasn’t two seconds away from tossing all my common sense off the porch railing.

Geoffrey raises a brow, but wisely decides not to comment. “Right. Well, whatever it isn’t, it’s gonna have to wait. ” He jerks a thumb toward the barn. “Mayor Bellcourt just showed up late and started talking some slick shit about zoning and land use easements. Alex is not having it. ”

Fallon’s whole posture shifts. He steps away from me and jaw tightens as he straightens to his full height. “Shit. ”

“They’re about three seconds from turning the silent auction into a very loud, good old-fashioned barn brawl, ” Geoffrey adds as he rolls up his sleeves.

Fallon’s eyes flick to mine. There’s one last second of something unspoken hanging between us. Then he steps forward. His coat still hangs off my shoulders as he murmurs, “We’ll finish this later. ”

I don’t respond. I can’t. Because I’m already burning again. If I’m not careful, it’s going to be more than I can handle.

CHAPTER8

FALLON

If anyone had toldme a year ago that I'd be spending a Saturday night wearing a bolo tie at a ranch gala, trying not to punch the mayor in the throat, I'd have laughed in their face.

I'm not laughing now.

Earlier Alex was working the room like a man running for office. He was all firm handshakes, and tight smiles. But this is a completely different story. His gaze keeps cutting toward the mayor like he's watching a snake slither too close to his boots.

I take in the situation.

I spot all my brothers standing at attention from various points in the room. Callum sips bourbon with an eye on controlling the crowd. Holden stays at the auction table calculating market value like he's on Shark Tank, but his eyes flick back and forth to Alex.

In the center of the room Mayor Randolph Bellcourt is running his damn mouth... Again. His daughter, Becca stands beside him and a woman with huge tits and even bigger hair stands beside him. Her eyes are trained on the floor. You can cut the tension with a knife.

Bellcourt raises his glass in a toast, "This community needs growth.” His voice is raised just enough to draw attention. "The highway expansion isn't just about convenience. It's about jobs, opportunity and progress."

Alex steps forward, and I can see the fire behind his eyes. "You want progress? Try doing it without threatening to cut our ranch in half."

I don't like the way Bellcourt's looking at Alex. I don't like the smug little curl of his lip or the way half the room is starting to tune in like this is some kind of show.

"Progress comes at a cost," the mayor says smoothly. "Sometimes that means sacrifice for the good of the community."

Holden bristles beside me. "Man, there ain't nothing out here for miles and you're telling me the only option is straight through here. I'm so sick of your bullshit."

The room falls silent, and I race to get to Alex's side. We are rapidly approaching the boiling point. We’ve been here before.

"You good?"

A calm washes over Alex's face. "Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just this asshole is about to find out what we call sacrifice. I've had enough."

I chuckle, but it's hollow.

Then the mayor drops the real bomb. "Alex, you're just upset that my proposal might force you to open your books. Is that it? Or maybe it's the fact that your wife is my leftover? That one still stings a little, doesn’t it?"

The air goes razor-sharp.

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