Page 72 of Between a Rock and a Hard Cowboy

Eva and Poppy knew how the Wilder men felt about their trucks.

There were four king cab pick-ups outside—one for each brother plus one for their dad. All new. All matching. Same color. Same Wilder Brothers lettering on the door. She wasn’t sure how they told them apart, aside from looking at the license plate numbers. They were always clean. Perfect. Not even a scratch.

And Emmett thought he was going to borrow Linc’s?

Linc finally realized everyone was watching him, but in particular, his brothers and father, who looked appalled at the very suggestion. “I’m not gonna give it to him.”

The men let out a collective sigh.

“What’s he want it for?” Ethan asked. "He doesn't even have a license."

"As if that is gonna stop him?" Eva snorted. "Because he's so law abiding and all."

“I don’t know and I’m not asking. I’m going to ignore that text and pretend I didn’t see it,” Linc declared as he flipped his cell face down on the counter.

Ethan wasn’t letting go that easily. “He doesn’t need a car. He can walk to get food and liquor and pussy—uh. Never mind.”

Poppy lifted a blonde brow and Ethan pressed his lips together, thoroughly reprimanded for his slip of the tongue in front of his girlfriend and his niece—who was too busy trying to steal another cookie since all the adults were otherwise distracted.

Darcy froze with her hand midway to the plate as she saw Eva’s gaze on her. When Eva smiled Darcy grinned back, grabbed her cookie and slunk away, Bingley at her heels. That was probably the wrong thing to do, but they had bigger things on the table at the moment than Darcy’s sugar consumption.

“Maybe he wants to leave town.” Eva’s suggestion was met with a few skeptical glances, but they didn’t have the benefit of her knowledge.

Linc’s eyes flew wide. “With my truck? Oh, hell no. I’ll gladly buy him a bus ticket.”

“What makes you think he has no money to pay for his own ticket?” she asked, again knowing otherwise.

“Besides the fact he stole Linc’s belt?” Ethan asked.

“And he never took out his wallet since he’s been here. Not once while we were at the bar or Rosie’s together. Or to offer to pay for all my beer he drank.” Linc pouted.

“Oh, you poor guy. I’ll buy you some beer,” Eva matched his pout in mock sympathy.

Linc scowled. “The money’s not the point. It’s the principle.”

A steady buzzing drew Eva’s attention off Linc and to Wyatt, who was now frowning at his cell.

“Is that mother fu—uh.” Ethan caught himself and regrouped. “Is Emmett asking to borrow your truck now?”

“I don’t recognize the number,” Wyatt said, before he tapped the screen to answer. “Wyatt Wilder.”

Eva watched, wondering who the call was from since most everyone they knew was there already. Although, it could be about the hotel. Wyatt did have a job managing the place, which she tended to forget because she mostly saw him chasing Darcy or waiting on Olivia nowadays.

Now the cookies were decorated, these texts and calls might be all the excitement they’d have left for the evening. She reached for her glass and took a sip of eggnog.

She could use a refill, but she could wait until she found out what had Wyatt frowning even more deeply and then taking his phone and his call to the next room.

“What’s that about?” she asked.

“Got me.” Poppy shrugged. “But I’m going to bring a plate of cookies up to Livvie. I feel bad she’s up there alone. You coming?” Poppy turned to Eva.

“I’ll be up in a minute. Gotta get a refill first.” Eva held up her now empty glass.

“Ooo, bring Livvie one?”

“Without the bourbon, I’m guessing.” Eva smirked.

Poppy’s brows shot high. “You mean you’ve been drinking this whole time?”

---