Page 54 of Between a Rock and a Hard Cowboy

“What does it tell you?” Wyatt asked, looking weary and sounding short-tempered.

Linc was the one who should be cranky, not Wyatt. He hadn’t gotten a minute of sleep last night after getting back to his place with Emmett. But he’d done his family the courtesy of not calling them until this morning.

Why ruin their night too? This morning seemed soon enough to have all their worlds come crashing down around them.

“It tells me that he needs something,” Ethan said. “Probably money. What else could he have left hidden over Rosie’s?”

“If it was cash, why wouldn’t he have just taken it with him when he left?” Linc asked.

“Maybe he forgot it when he fled. He ran out of here like his ass was on fire the moment he heard he was gonna be a daddy. Not all men drop down on one knee with the family diamond ring when they hear they knocked up their girl,” Ethan said, earning him a glare from Wyatt, who had done exactly that with Olivia.

“Watch it,” Wyatt warned Ethan, his tone low with warning.

“Where is he now?” their father asked Linc, ignoring his two eldest sons.

“Back at my place. Still sleeping when I left.”

“You hope.” Ethan scowled. “He could just as easily be rifling through your shit. Looking for something to steal.”

“I have no proof he ever stole from us while he was working here,” Wyatt said.

“No. He only stole from Poppy, Eva andyour wife,” Ethan returned, silencing Wyatt from defending Emmett any further.

“What do we do now that he’s back?” Linc asked his father directly.

“Nothing yet.”

“You said if he showed up, we’d take a vote,” Wyatt reminded.

“Afterwe find proof that the will is valid and was in force at the time of John T’s death. Not before. I’m still looking into that. Until then, things stay status quo. No mention of that will we found.”

Thank God for their father remaining levelheaded. He was the one person who could rein Wyatt in. Their father might be the one thing to save the family from Wyatt’s obscene level of fair play.

A sense of honor was one thing, but Wyatt took it to the next level.

“If Emmett—”

“Good morning, darlin’,” Ethan said, loudly enough to overpower Wyatt’s voice. “Don’t you look nice. Heading out to work?”

“Shut it, Wilder.” Poppy narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend. “I know the cockroach is back. Eva already texted us. She’s on her way over so we can discuss it with Livvie.”

“I don’t want Olivia upset,” Wyatt said.

“Too late for that,” Ethan mumbled.

Poppy, usually sweet, all sunshine and good cheer, spun to face Wyatt. “If you don’t want your pregnant wife who’s already on bed rest for health reasons to get upset, you can send the cockroach packing rather than putting him up in the lodge like he’s a welcome guest.”

There was the sound of the front door opening. Poppy glanced toward the hall.

“That should be Eva now.” She shot Wyatt a glance over her shoulder. “Oh, and I’m gonna be late getting in to work today,boss.”

She turned and headed toward the door.

“And if that’s not Eva and it’s the snake, somebody had better come and get him before I do, because I’m not in a forgiving mood,” she said as she stalked out of the room.

Linc bit his lip to control his smile. There was nothing to smile about, the situation was deadly serious, but damned if these New York girls giving his misguided brother shit didn’t brighten his dark day.

But his tiny glimmer of joy didn’t last when he realized Poppy had whisked Eva right upstairs to Olivia and he wasn’t even going to get to see her. Talk to her. Make sure she was okay after last night. Damn…

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