Page 65 of Between a Rock and a Hard Cowboy

Did she let him keep his stolen money so he’d leave the Wilders alone? How could she when she had the knowledge and the power to tip off the authorities so the woman’s son could get back what was stolen from his mother? That’s what seemed right and just. What she had to do.

The whole thing made her head spin. She’d have to worry about it later. For now, her friends needed her.

“How are you doing?” Eva asked Olivia. “Do you need any help from us? You’re stuck here. It’s got to be hard.”

Her friend wobbled her head. “It’s been okay. You’d be surprised how much you can get done from bed. Thank God for the internet.”

“Amen,” Eva agreed.

Meanwhile, Poppy was still pouting and the worst part of it was, she somehow managed to look even more gorgeous doing it.

“Okay. What’s with the puss face?” Eva asked her.

With her gaze on the television where the amateur bakers were creating Christmas cookie creations that would no doubt put anything they made to shame, Poppy screwed her mouth up further. “We’re supposed to have the cookie decorating in a couple of days. I’m definitely not in the mood for that, but Darcy is so excited. And Dad said we shouldn’t cancel.”

“Dad?” Eva repeated, eyes wide. When had Ethan’s father William becomeDadto Poppy?

Partially turning in the bed to better look at Poppy, Olivia looked as interested in the answer as Eva was.

“It’s nothing. It’s just when I moved in here, that’s what the boys all call him.” Poppy shrugged and tried to roll her eyes and look casual but all Eva could think was that the lady doth protest too much.

So the Wilder brothers were nowthe boystoo. Interesting.

“Mm-hm,” Eva said. She turned to Olivia. “Livvie, do you call him Dad too?”

Olivia smiled. “Not yet, but now I think I’d better start.”

Eva laughed as Poppy’s cheeks turned red. There was no hiding a blush for either of them. Not Poppy as a blonde or Eva as a redhead. Luckily for Eva, she was the one who usually said something that caused other people to blush, not the other way around.

“I could talk to Darcy and see if she’d be okay with pushing the cookie decorating off for a little while,” Olivia offered.

“Do you really think she’s going to be keen on delaying that event? It involves cookies,” Eva pointed out.

“Yeah. You’re probably right.” Olivia’s shoulders sagged with her exhale.

“Thank God Ethan and I moved the tree trimming up or that would have been ruined too.” Poppy scowled.

Damn Emmett Wilder. She hated that he could affect them like this.

Poppy’s eternal optimism had always annoyed Eva, but she had to admit that she missed it. She didn’t like seeing her friend miserable. And as much as she’d had her reservations about all of the Wilders when they’d first met them, she’d grown to feel part of this family. Love them even.

She didn’t want to see them taken advantage of by the snake. And she really didn’t want to give him the power to ruin their Christmas.

“I say we go ahead with the event as planned and just have a great time in spite of the snake,” she said.

Both women turned to glance at her.

“Okay.” Olivia nodded. “We’ll go on as planned.”

“But the cockroach isnotinvited,” Poppy demanded.

“Definitely not,” Eva agreed, because with any luck, he’d already have slithered away by then.

“Hey.” Wyatt popped his head in through the hall doorway, drawing all of their focus.

Eva was glad she hadn’t spilled any of the fail safes she’d put into place regarding the snake out loud. She never knew who was lurking in doorways here in the Wilder mansion.

His gaze found Eva in the upholstered chair and he moved forward, arm extended. “Linc asked me to give you this.”

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