Page 27 of A Sweet Deal for the Cowboy

His wife elbowed him gently. “No, you don’t.”

The teenager got up and wandered away, probably bored. Nova couldn’t blame him.

“Can we keep this between us?” Nova asked. She was trying to think of a tactful way to get Finn and his wife to leave, but she was failing.

Brooke’s smile fell away, a look of sincere concern replacing it. “Of course.”

Nova took a shaky breath. “I was wondering what you could tell me about Gunner Bridge?”

Brooke’s expression didn’t flinch.

Finn scowled a little.

“Gunner Bridge,” Brooke repeated slowly. “I don’t really know him. He was older than us.”

Nova nodded, feeling impatient. “I know. I also know that you married Callum, and I think they’re about the same age, so I guess what I’m really asking is what Callum can tell me about Gunner Bridge.”

“I can certainly ask Callum,” Brooke said after a brief hesitation. “Anything in particular that I’m supposed to be asking him?”

Nova didn’t know how to answer that. “I guess I’m just wondering what kind of man he is.”

Brooke stared at her. “As in a boss or something ... else?”

Both, Nova thought.

It appeared that Finn was sucking on some sour candy. Grace was studying him, leading Nova to assume she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t read that expression.

“What?” Grace said. “If you have something to say, spill it.”

Finn chewed his lip. “I don’t want to badmouth anyone.”

“Please,” Nova said, the urgency in her voice surprising her. “This is a big deal. If you know something, please tell me. You could be saving me a lot of suffering. I don’t need politeness right now. I need honesty.”

Finn stared at her, and she could almost feel his wheels turning. Finally, when she’d just about given up, he said, “Okay, I guess now I should say something because if I don’t you will imagine something worse than what I was going to say.”

This was somewhat comforting.

“I don’t know Gunner well, but I know the Bridge family. Everyone does. And they’re just not very ...”

“Very what?” Grace pushed.

Nova was grateful that Grace was here and helping her with this mission.

Finn squirmed. “Nice?” He winced. “That’s not the right word.”

“They’re not very nice?” Brooke repeated.

“Right. They’re just not friendly.”

Brooke scowled. “A lot of them have been coming to church lately, and they all seem nice. Gunner is the one who sits in the back row, right? I don’t know if he’s nice. He never talks.”

Finn shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe people change. But the dealings I’ve had with them suggest they’re not super friendly. The youngest one has been a complete womanizing drunk, and Colton is so arrogant that he has a permanent crick in his neck.”

Grace looked confused.

“From holding his nose in the air,” Finn muttered.

“Anyway,” Brooke said, “let’s say that we don’t know. I can ask Callum, but we might not be able to help you here. Nova, are you ... you know ...”

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