Page 16 of Trails of Temptation

“That bastard took out a quarter mile length of wire fencing and dragged it halfway across the lower pasture,” I griped, standing upright and stretching out my aching back. “I’m almost done, I think, unless I come across any more damage.”

“Well, the herd is in the western pasture, so mending the entire fence isn’t a huge, pressing issue right now,” Grant added glumly, inspecting my work. “I came down to help.”

“I don’t need ya.” I smiled, crossing my arms over my chest as I sized him up. He looked exhausted, which grated on me. Grant was going through a lot with Moira and their unborn daughter right now. “You should be up with your family.”

“Moira said I was bugging her so she sent me outside likethe dog I am.” He laughed, patting King on the shoulder.

“What’d you do to piss her off this time?” I reached down for the thermos of sweet tea I’d packed for the day, most of it already gone.

But Grant’s eyes darkened for a moment. “Look, George. I’m not going to pretend to know the ins and outs of Keely’s relationship with her brother. I’ve known Pete only as long as I’ve known you, and if I know anything to be true, it’s that this town is small and there’s a lot I still don’t know about the history of the families here—” He pauses, crossing his arms over his chest. “Pete found it odd that you weren’t at dinner last night. When Keely went into the house with Moira, before she left to go stay at his place last night, Pete actually pulled me aside and asked what was up with you.”

Great. Just fucking great.

“I told you I couldn’t make it last night, not with the herd—”

“Was it because of Keely?”

I straightened up, sensing the shift in Grant’s voice. I could take Grant down to the ground in a second if I needed to, but I respected the man. He’d formed one of the most successful ranches in the state in a matter of years and trusted me at the helm of his entire operation. I couldn’t risk that, and this situation was exactly why.

“No,” I ground out. “I was working.”

“But you didn’t need to be. Pete thinks something is up, and if you and Keely are together, you know I’m fine with it. I’m more than fine with it, George, for the love of God I hope you two are getting together. I knew something was up two summers ago, and I can tell you’re going through the motions now—”

“Pete won’t be a problem to you or the ranch, if that’s what you’re asking,” I said firmly, hating the bite in my voice. “I have no plans on taking his sister from him.”

“Is that how he sees it?”

“Yeah, it is,” I replied testily. “That’s why there’s nothing going on between us, and there won’t be anything going on between us.”

Grant considered this but looked nothing but upset about it. “Is that what she wants?”

“What do you mean?”

“She doesn’t want anything to do with you either?”

“I haven’t even asked her, because it doesn’t matter.”

I was on the verge of telling him everything.

“I am not going to come between her and the only family she has left,” I continued after a long, tense moment. “And I’m sure as hell not going to bring you and Moira into the mix if things go south with Pete. He’s my best friend, but that man has some issues, Grant. He’s vindictive and stubborn as hell.”

“I gathered as much. You’re in your forties, for fuck’s sake. Keely is in her thirties and Pete is acting like she’s young enough to need his protection still—”

“She’s off limits to me,” I said, effectively ending the conversation when my voice wavered on the words. Maybe it was the fact that Grant was effectively backing me into a corner here, or maybe it was because this was the first time I’d ever said any of this out loud, but I felt like every word that came out of my mouth stung.

I wanted her desperately. I wanted to make her mine. I was riding the edge of the matter, and one wrong move would have me tipping over the edge and putting us all in a situation where we’d be fighting with Pete, ruining those relationships, and making it damn near impossible for Keely to ever show her face in town again.

I wished I could have explained that to Grant. Instead, I bent to gather up my tools and started putting everything away.

“I’ll finish this up tomorrow morning,” I said. “When I have some help from the ranch hands.”

“That’s fine—”

I got on Daisy’s back and turned her in the direction of home when Grant stepped in front of us, his expression blurred by sudden emotion.

“If you want to be with her, you have my support. I have your back, George. I consider you my friend as well.”

“I know,” I breathed, then took off with Daisy in a full sprint.

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