Page 48 of Between a Rock and a Hard Cowboy

“One of the men who…” She couldn’t seem to finish the sentence.

“Was KIA? Yeah.” He shook his head then let out a breath. “I just wish I could do more. Officially. Something big that would help. Not just my guys’ families, but all the Gold Star families out there. But Wyatt’s the one who’s good at the business stuff. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

He didn’t. But she did. And with that, Eva began to form an idea for the perfect gift for the man who was more empathetic than she’d ever imagined.

Her initial assumptions about Linc had been totally off. He kept to himself not because he was introverted but because he was introspective. He was proving to be generous, not a grump as she’d mistakenly thought.

Luckily for Linc, Eva knew where to start the process. Wyatt wasn’t the only one good at business stuff.

Since she could whip up a shell corporation in the blink of an eye, she could definitely create a real one. A not-for-profit dedicated to helping the families of the fallen. Hell, she could even endow it with some funds to get Linc started. There were always bad actors out there who deserved to disperse a bit of their ill-gotten gains. Use it for good instead of evil. She’d happily help them with that.

With her heart racing just from the idea for the most amazing and perfect gift ever, she turned to find Linc still standing next to the table, sifting through the rest of his mail.

After plucking what looked like a sportsman catalog out of his hand and tossing it back onto the table, she moved in on him until her body pressed against his.

They’d already been together. What would doing it again hurt?

Gazing down at her standing so close, he cocked up one dark brow as his lips twitched. “Yes?”

“Let’s go to bed,” she suggested, no longer feeling awkward as the excitement of her idea had the adrenaline pumping through her veins, making her body feel alive.

His smile broke out fully. “Good idea.”

On that, at least, they agreed.

ChapterTwenty-Four

“What have you got going on there?” Ethan asked, trying to see Linc’s cell phone screen.

He pressed the face of the cell against his chest and sent Ethan a glare. “None of your business.”

“Text from Eva?” Ethan guessed, waggling his eyebrows.

“No.” Thank goodness that was the truth.

Ethan was more perceptive than most folks gave him credit for. He’d been known to sniff out a lie. And since Linc had rolled out of bed with Eva this morning and come directly to the barn, he needed to keep Ethan off the topic of her and him.

“I’m researching my Secret Santa gift,” Linc continued.

That too was the truth. And since Ethan took Christmas the most seriously of all the Wilders, and it was a rule that the Secret Santa must remain a secret even after the gifts were bestowed upon the recipient, Linc knew this was the one thing that would make Ethan respect his privacy. He should remember to use that excuse more often for more things to get Ethan off his back. Too bad Christmas only came once a year.

The water bucket Linc had been filling reached the top as they’d been talking and he had to scramble to pocket his cell and bend the hose to stop the flow of water before it overflowed.

He’d found the info he was looking for anyway so as soon as they finished today, he could go home, hop on his computer and place the order.

“You putting a tree up in the cabin?” Ethan asked as he tossed a flake in front of the horse inside the stall Linc had just filled the water for.

Linc frowned at his brother. “I wasn’t going to. You saw the cabin. It’s decorated.” There was so much greenery, inside and out, did he really need a tree too? Especially since he’d spend Christmas in front of the tree in the main house.

Ethan shrugged. “Thought you’d want one. Poppy and I are putting a small tree in our bedroom.”

The wordourcaught Linc’s attention.Our bedroom…

So it was a done deal then. Ethan and Poppy were living together in the house, officially.

He’d already assumed there were a lot of overnight sleepovers but this seemed more permanent.

Interesting. His playboy brother was in a seriously committed relationship. Which left Linc as the last Wilder standing.

---