Page 19 of Catching a Cowgirl

He dragged a hand down his face. “If it’s money you want—”

“Oh, it’ssomuch more than money.” She pushed away from the couch and wandered toward him. “I’m just not going to tell you until I know I can get it.” Her whispered words raised the hairs on the back of his neck, and he stifled a shiver. “Until then,” she continued, “you can expect to see Marc and me hanging around. He’s already grown quite attached to that cute little Eloise. I hear her family comes from money, too. Maybe we can all get our happily ever after.”

Shane took a sudden step backward, his eyes blazing. “You’re not getting a single thing. I won’t let you ruin another life. You might as well get out of here and find someone else to manipulate.”

She shrugged, moving toward the open door. Her hips swayed and she paused to look over her shoulder once more. “We’ll see about that.”

His blood practically boiled from his conversation with Madeline. The more he thought about it, the worse his head pounded.

How on earth was he supposed to protect people like the Callahans if he didn’t know what Madeline had planned? He couldn’t.

Shane should never have given them a dime from his inheritance. His adoptive grandfather knew what he was doing when he chose to write his ungrateful grandchildren and children out of his will. At least Madeline’s parents had better sense than to come after Shane out in the country.

Unless they were on their way and this little visit was part of a much bigger plan.

He growled and slammed the door shut on his way out of the motel. It was midnight, but he needed someone to talk to. He needed to get in the right headspace and stop being on the defensive. It was time to turn the tables and prevent whatever she had planned from coming to fruition.

A short drive later, he stood on the doorstep of Tristan’s house. His friend had managed to make a home here in Copper Creek with his kid, and Shane couldn’t be happier. Tristan belonged here. He made this place better. He was the level-headed kind of guy that Shane needed right now.

Shane stared at the door, hesitating. Tristan’s kid would likely be asleep, and with his disposition, waking him would only elicit Tristan and Dianna’s wrath. A phone call might be enough to rouse Tristan from bed. Then again, maybe this was a mistake and he needed to wait until morning.

He let out a sigh.

Waiting until morning meant that Marc would be on Eloise’s doorstep and Shane would have one less night of planning. Would his friend understand this intrusion?

The door opened and Tristan stood on the porch with a hunting rifle in his hand. He was clad in a T-shirt and a pair of trunks. The look on his face said he wasn’t against using his weapon until his eyes focused on Shane. They narrowed, then widened, and Tristan glanced back into the house before stepping out onto the porch and shutting the door.

“Shane? What in the world are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is?” Tristan hissed.

Grimacing, Shane stepped toward his friend, hoping he would understand once he heard what was going on. “I have a problem.”

“What kind of problem?”

“The kind you met when we were in college.”

Tristan’s brows lifted immediately. “No.”

“I’m telling you, this time it’s even worse.”

“What do they want?” Tristan whispered, though the hatred dripped from each word.

Shane gestured toward the steps. “You got a minute?”

Tristan glanced back at the door and then nodded. “But if Dianna wakes up, I can’t promise she won’t come out here and give you a tongue lashing.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Shane dropped down onto the steps and let out a heavy breath. “I don’t know what they want except what they’ve made clear in the past.”

“Money,” Tristan ground out.

“Yeah. But it’s not just that. I don’t know. It’s like they want somethingmore.”

“You gave them ten million dollars. What more could they want?”

Shane lifted a brow as he gave Tristan a pointed look. “They always want more. You know that. Only this time, they’re going at it in two ways.” He wasn’t sure he wanted to tell this part to Tristan. Seeing as he was married to Eloise’s sister, he had no way of knowing how that family would react to him. He couldn’t afford to receive Zeke’s wrath, and he definitely didn’t want to contend with his daughters. He took in a deep breath and let it out, but it did nothing to soothe the discontent he felt. “I need you to promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

“Sure, okay.”

He faced Tristan fully. “I mean it. No one. Not a single person. Not even Dianna.”

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