Page 83 of A Reckless Memory

“I’d be willing to give you a police escort.” Wilder shook himself like he’d gotten caught supporting someone he was supposed to hate, but I appreciated the moment of comradery. It was a start. Too bad it had to come from Lawson insulting Aggie.

I marched toward Aggie, shouldering her brothers, but they gave way. Maybe they would finally consider that I was serious about their sister, but that wasn’t my main concern at the moment. “He’s an asshole. You know that, right? It’s obvious he’s a pussy.”

“He is a pussy, thank you.” She shivered. From the cold and maybe from the residual hurt of her ex’s comments. I could do something about the cold at least. I crowded her inside.

Her brothers filed in behind us.

Eliot passed both of us. “You put on a good show,” he said to me. “I can say that.”

“Say it all you want—don’t make it true.” I draped an arm around her shoulders. A possessive move, but once they accepted she was mine, the easier the idea that she was it for me would be for them to swallow. “I’ll sit out the funeral to keep talk from spreading like wildfire, but I’m staying one more night. I don’t want Aggie alone tonight.”

“She’s not alone, dickweed,” Eliot said.

“I’ll be staying in the house,” Austen added. “She won’t be alone.” When I glared at him, he raised his hands. “I’m not saying you have to go. This isn’t my house.”

“We don’t even know whose it is until the will reading tonight.” Cody shoved a finger toward me. “I want you there. I’ll be watching your reaction when Lorenzo reads off what she gets.”

I sighed over this argument that I was here for the money. All of this was my fault. I took Barns’s deal and let everyone think that was the only reason I was into Aggie. She was amazing, sexy, and if I could go back, I’d do it all differently. But I couldn’t turn back time. I could only show them I was here for her now. I gave her shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll be there—for Aggie.”

“Sure,” Wilder said, his tone bored and unbelieving.

Cody checked his fancy watch. “We’ve gotta get to the church.” He gave me a pointed look. “We’ll pick this up later.”

Like hell we would. I said everything I needed to say. “Aggie and I aren’t your business.”

“Not how it works, man. She’s our little sister.” Austen clapped me on the back and wandered down the hallway toward the wing of bedrooms. “I’d better not hear anything cringey from you two tonight,” he called over his shoulder.

“Because of that, I’m going to be louder!” Aggie shouted back, and I had to hold back my chortle.

Wilder made a disgusted noise as he walked out of the house.

Cody glanced at Eliot. “Are you driving separate?”

“Nah, I’ll wait for Aggie and Austen,” Eliot replied and turned a militant look toward me. “I don’t want Ansen here alone while we’re gone.”

Aggie tensed. “Eliot—”

“Fair enough.” I pressed a kiss in her hair and steered her toward her old bedroom. Her brothers didn’t trust me, but I could make concessions to help grease the process when I could. “I’ll drive around, maybe run to Miles City and grab some supplies.”

Inside, she tipped her face up to me. “Sorry about all that.”

I let a smug grin show. “Can’t say I minded telling off your dick of an ex, knowing my cum is fresh inside you.”

She made a strangled sound, caught between a laugh and a gasp. The flush returned to her cheeks, just like I wanted. I meant what I said.

I placed another kiss on her forehead. “Message when you think you’ll be home, and I’ll meet you here.”

As much as I wanted to hold her at the funeral, my presence would bother her brothers, and the town would get to talking. I didn’t care, but she did and so did the rest of her family. If I had a clear future in front of me, maybe I’d muscle next to her in the front-row pew in the church. But I didn’t, so I’d roam eastern Montana until it was time to find out how much consoling Aggie needed tonight.

* * *

Ansen

Cars were already lining the drive when I pulled in. Except for the snow and wind, the view was reminiscent of my non-wedding day. It’d been the only time the Knights had company that was more than one or two vehicles. As much as Barns had loved this place and the ranch, bursting with pride over what he’d built and the reputations he’d earned, he was as tight-fisted with sharing the views as he was the money.

I drove through the cars and parked by the garage where I’d been last night. Eliot had moved snow all around the place to make room for parking for the will and trust meeting. I got out, looking forward to seeing Aggie again but dreading the whole ordeal. Barns had been a personality to be reckoned with, and I didn’t anticipate this to be different. It was his chance for everyone to hear his voice from the other side one last time. Going into the house through the garage, I hoped for Aggie’s sake that her daddy treated her right, at least in this.

After what her brothers said about me and the way Lawson showed up and the shit that came out of his mouth, she didn’t need to feel like Barns didn’t love her as much as her brothers—Barns could love more than this ranch and his oil well business.

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