I try to remain calm, but my composure is crumbling. Dolly is in danger. We have no idea who the man is or why he cares so much about Cain’s death. The fierce protectiveness I feel for her is making me question my motives, but I can’t let myself get too dragged into the why. What matters now is her well-being, not my growing attraction to her.
“How old is his kid she was supposedly raising?”
“The lawsuit states he’s an eight-year-old boy,” Holden answers.
Duke slaps his hand against the table. “I’m so sick of this shit coming back to haunt us. You were pardoned and released from prison. There’s no reason why anyone should have grounds for a lawsuit after all this time.”
His anger and frustration are justified.
Sterling sighs. “It’s fucked up, but people can sue you for almost anything. Have you talked to the lawyer?”
Holden nods, drumming his fingers on the felt table. “Warner is looking into it. The lawsuit isn’t the main problem at this point. Keeping our family safe is. If we have to settle, we’ll settle.”
Duke shakes his head. “Fuck no. She doesn’t deserve a dime. Cain was a worthless rapist scumbag.”
I’m on his side, but this is family business. I sit back, studying the poker chips in the center of the table that no one has touched.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, Sam, but I think Dolly staying at Moonlight indefinitely is a better option than her being here. The letter was sent to Redford Ranch, so he probably doesn’t know she’s left. Have we made sure she’s turned off her location on all her social media and her phone, in case he’s somehow added her on there?”
Duke nods. “She gave it to Sterling earlier to make sure.”
Sterling has always been the most tech savvy of the brothers. I know he does something in the military with intelligence, but he can’t tell any of us what it is exactly.
Sterling nods. “She does have some new dating app though. It doesn’t share her location. She’s talking to a few different guys on it. And she’s texting someone named Ben who wants to take her out on a date.”
My blood chills.
She can talk to different men. She can go on dates.
What’s the app called?
Holden runs a hand over his face. “Fuck. I know I’m gonna sound like a dick for this, but she can’t meet up with anyone alone. Duke, you’ll have to be her chaperone.”
Duke holds up his palms. “She’s still pissed at me for the last time I crashed her date.”
“I’ll do it.”
Was that my voice?
Three pairs of eyes swing to meet mine.
Holden nods. “All right, that settles it. I’ll talk to her about it.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask Sterling which dating app it is. I’ve been suspicious that she could be @redreads on Soulties.
Okay, I’m not stupid. I’m ninety-nine percent sure it is her based on what she said about her brother and his friend fighting, but I didn’t know she knew we did that. And obviously, the name Red and the fact that Dolly reads so much is a clear indication that it could be her.
I keep my mouth shut as Holden starts shuffling the cards. Because there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to confirm if it’s her or not because as long as she’s stilltechnicallyanonymous, I can talk to her without my guilty conscience eating me alive.
15
DOLLY
Farmers market Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I’m loading my jellies and freshly canned pickles into the back of my Bronco when Sam walks out of the house with the biggest box filled with the baked goods. He stacked the tote bag on top of it. It would’ve taken me two more trips to get it all.
“Um, thanks. Just put them right here.”
I figured he would sleep in on Sunday since he got up early every other morning. This is the only day of the week I’m ever up before the sun.
