Page 63 of Between a Rock and a Hard Cowboy

“Jeezus. I just thought of something.” Ethan’s eyes were wide when he turned to Linc. “What if Poppy goes back to New York? What if they all do, because of him?”

“Olivia can’t. Not pregnant and married to Wyatt now. And Poppy and Eva won’t leave Olivia.” Linc was pretty sure Ethan was worrying for nothing.

“You don’t think so? I’m not so sure. The way they’re acting because of him being around again, I think they just might.”

Linc scowled. He couldn’t argue that point with Ethan, but he could voice his unhappiness. “You really know how to ruin an evening. You know that?”

Ethan let out a snort. “Don’t blame me. You know where that blame belongs.”

“Yup,” Linc agreed. There was no doubt about that. Both of their gazes moved to where Emmett sat by their father and Wyatt.

“So why the fuck did you bring him here tonight to ruin family dinner?” Turning to face him, Ethan asked the question Linc had been asking himself since they’d arrived tonight and Linc had seen exactly how bad everyone’s reaction had been to his presence.

“He was with me in the truck. I had to tell him something. What was I going to do? Dump him at the cabin and say bye?”

Ethan screwed his mouth up unhappily. “Should have just left him in town to fend for himself.”

“He has no vehicle. And I’m sure as hell not giving him mine,” Linc said.

“He wouldn’t need a vehicle if he was living back at his old apartment. He could eat at Rosie’s. Drink at the bar. Walk anywhere he needed to go.”

Sometimes, Ethan had flashes of brilliance that made Linc almost forget how annoying he could be.

That might be it—the solution. He knew what he could do to fix things. At least help make everyone a little happier. Or, in his own case, a whole lot happier. He could have Emmett out of his house and Eva back in his bed. All he had to do was run the idea by her.

He wanted to jump in his truck and speed down to Eva’s apartment to present his offer to her in person.

But again, he was Emmett’s ride. And if he said he was heading to town, Emmett would want to come and go to the bar. And the rest of his family would want to know where he was going and why since it wasn’t Linc’s habit to leave family dinner to go out drinking alone—or with Emmett.

He wasn’t about to tell them all, including his dad, the truth. That he was trying to secure his future sexual satisfaction. With Eva, the woman no one knew he was falling for.

Falling for.

That was a thought he’d unpack later. After this was settled. For now though, he’d just have to text her.

“I’m gonna go uh, use the head,” he said to Ethan.

Ethan’s brows rose as he shot Linc a look. “Uh, okay. Thanks for the update.”

Ignoring his brother’s attitude, he disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door so he could type out the text to Eva in private.

Idea. What if you move into my guest room and Emmett moves into your apartment? Just until he leaves.

He held his breath, staring at the display, waiting for her answer. It felt like forever. But it might have only been a minute or so, when the dots appeared and he knew she was typing.

Heart pounding, he waited, and finally, her text appeared.

Sick of him already? You invited him. You get no sympathy.

No surprise. Of course she couldn’t just give him a straight yes or no answer. But he could. He typed it in and had no trouble admitting the truth.

Yes I am and you were right.

Fine. But wash the sheets. Boil them! That fucker probably has all sorts of diseases.

He smiled as he read her reply and sent her a thumbs up emoji in response.

It was a genius idea, even if it did originate from Ethan’s comment. Could things actually be working out? Getting better?

---