“To say what?” Shep crossed his arms over his chest. “What did you want from me? Were we supposed to commiserate over our shared loss? As if being orphaned was going to bring us suddenly closer. Dad ruined all of our lives.”
“She died of a broken heart,” Cole murmured.
“There was nothing I could have done about it at the time.”
“You could have helped me deal with things.”
Shep barked out a harsh laugh. “Give me a break. You’ve never needed a moment’s help in your whole life. The stronger twin. The alpha. That’s what Mom always called you.”
“Only so she’d have an excuse to baby you.”
“Baby me? That’s rich.”
Cole pushed away from the railing and paced along the edge of the patio. Shep exasperated him, but Cole didn’t want this kind of animosity. It did neither of them any good to fight. Cole prided himself on keeping his temper in check and blamed the shock of seeing his brother after so long on his behavior.
His first instinct, after wanting to berate Shep for the business with the gun and beer cans, had been to rush forward and throw his arms around his twin. It felt like he’d stumbled upon an appendage he hadn’t realized he’d been missing. A part of him had come home.
But Crimson wasn’t Shep’s home, and the fact that he’d shown up without warning, clearly ready to antagonize Cole, didn’t bode well for a brotherly reunion. Still, Cole felt like he had to try.
“It’s good to see you despite everything.”
“Liar.” Shep flashed a small smile. “You always were a horrible liar. Half the time that’s how Mom could tell us apart when we got into trouble.”
“You were an expert,” Cole agreed. “Yet somehow we both got into the same amount of trouble. Out with it, Shep. What are you doing here?” He held out his hands. “Why the big production to get me to this place? A phone call or a text would have worked fine.”
“I figured it was time I visit my new home.” Shep flashed a far too innocent smile. “Do you want to be the first person to welcome me to Crimson, Sheriff Bennett?”
Cole swallowed, feeling like he’d just downed a handful of sawdust. He and Shep were like oil and water, and Cole had made Crimson his own. It was one thing for his brother to pay an unexpected visit, but the thought that Shep might be in Colorado permanently was too much.
“Don’t mess with me.” He removed his sunglasses, made a show of cleaning them on his shirtfront. Trying to look casual. Trying to appear as if he wasn’t losing his mind. “Crimson isn’t your kind of place.”
The town was Cole’s place. He and his brother had never been good at sharing. Whether toys or friends or later women, if one twin claimed something or someone, there was an unspoken rule that the other let it go.
“I’m ready for a change.” Shep lifted his arms and spun in a slow circle. “A new challenge.”
“A development company bought the resort,” Cole argued. “Even abandoned and in disrepair, the land is worth millions. Unless you’ve been running drugs for the past few years, there’s no way you could do this on your own.” He cursed, then added, “I sure as hell hope you’re not running drugs.”
“Dude, you’ve been binge-watching too many shows,” Shep said, looking both amused and offended. “I’m the head of Trinity Development Company. Right after Dad died, I got lucky on a piece of land outside of Vegas. Turns out real estate development is a lot about luck.”
“Our family never had much.”
“Things change. I like to think it was the old man looking out for me from the great beyond.” He tapped a finger on his chin. “Do you think he’s upstairs or down below given the rat he turned out to be?”
“Shut up, Shep.”
“Down below. That’s what I think, too. But he’s still taking care of me.” He shrugged. “I only had to make half a deal with the devil in the process.”
“What have you gotten yourself mixed up in now?”
“Success,” Shep said, pointing a finger at Cole. “You’re not the only one in this family who has something to offer.”
“You know better than anyone that I’m no competition in the success game.” Cole blew out a breath, rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I’m sheriff in a small town in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. I walked away from a career in the army because I didn’t want to deal with Dad’s legacy haunting me every step of the way. It works for me, but there’s nothing about my life you need to envy.”
“I don’t envy you,” Shep said tightly. “But those stupid two minutes you had on me at birth meant I had to spend my whole childhood in your shadow.”
“Not tru—”
“I’m here, Cole. I’m not leaving.”
