Page 97 of Snowed In with her Mountain Men
Or maybe even a not-so-small fortune.
“All that digging,” Ryder breathed, still peeling his diamonds. “All those trees we took down, all those roots we dug up…”
“Why didn’t he say the treeinthe cabin?” Oakley lamented. “That would’ve made it so much easier!”
Ten minutes later we were at the table, staring collectively at the glimmering, shimmering pile. I’d been hugged until my spine hurt. Kissed until my lips and face were numb. But I couldn’t feel any of it, really. The fountain of pride and happiness welling up inside me blocked out everything else.
I kept stealing glances at Bryce, to see if he’d caught on. Either he was too preoccupied to notice all three men kissing me on the lips, or he simply wasn’t surprised. The latter was a distinct possibility, given the circumstances. He’d been stalking the exterior of the cabin for several long months, now. It only made sense he’d have an idea of what went on inside its walls.
Together we drained a pot of coffee, as Oakley picked through and cataloged every last stone. Jaxon and the others talked about what happened next. Apparently, finding the right buyers would be a long, somewhat complicated process. Butthese were patient, well-connected men. They knew how to get things done.
“So what’s the verdict?” asked Ryder.
Oakley rubbed his eyes one more time, then set his pen down and pushed back in his chair. “We’re rich,” he sighed contentedly. “Stupid rich. All five of us.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Five?”
“Oh don’t play coy, Daytona,” he smirked, “You already know you’re in. Besides, you’re the one who found the diamonds.”
“Yes, but—”
“You think any of us would’ve found those things, stuck to the surface of my brother’s shitty painting?” asked Bryce. He let out a gruff laugh. “We would’ve chopped down every tree on this mountain if it weren’t for you.”
“He’s right,” Jaxon admitted. “Total deforestation.”
“I’m almost ready to pull down every terrible canvas and look for more stones,” Ryder admitted. “But a tree’s a tree. And you figured it out, even when we couldn’t.”
He squeezed my shoulders; as he got up to make a second pot of coffee. We already knew it was going to be a long night.
Rich.
The word held no meaning yet, especially to someone like me. Someone already accustomed to paying their rent late, or suffering the embarrassment of having to put things back at the grocery store, because I didn’t have enough money to buy them all.
Stupid rich.
I was still in shock. The idea of no longer worrying about bills hadn’t hit me yet. To be able to finish my novel at my own pace, publish it, and enjoy the feedback without having to worry about sales, net profits, or anything like that. No, the whole thing seemed totally absurd and unreal. I expected to find out at any moment that the diamonds were worthless rocks, sitting in a pile.
“So what are you going to do with your share?” Oakley asked Bryce.
The big man stared back at him, his face grave. “After what happened, I shouldn’t even have a share.”
“Ah, but you do,” said Ryder, clapping him on the back. “Sarge wanted it that way. And in case you hadn’t noticed, Sarge pretty much always got what he wanted.”
“Including those,” Jaxon agreed, pointing to the diamonds.
Bryce seemed to consider this for a moment, then grunted. “My brother always was a stubborn prick, growing up. He could never let go of things.”
“That might run in the family,” I quipped.
He scratched his ear and chuckled. “It might, yeah.”
For a moment he sank his head into his hands. It was strange, not knowing anything about this man who’d caused so much trouble for so long. And yet right now, sitting around the table, I sensed an instant level of acceptance. A transitive camaraderie, based purely on their love for Sarge, and his own love for his brother.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do with my share,” Bryce finally admitted. “But I know I was too hard on Colton, for waytoo long.” He sighed, bitterly. “And it sucks that you can’t buy time, no matter how much money you have in the bank. Because if you could…” he nodded at the middle of the table. “I’d trade all that just to have him back.”
The room fell silent again. But for the first time, not uncomfortably so.
“Let’s take you back into town,” said Ryder, sliding his chair back. “Go and get your stuff.”
