“But you said a deal! Rand, you promised. I told you, it was all Jed. He was the one. He wants everything!” Tripp steps forward into my space, into Lanie’s.
I lose my chance as West claims the honor I crave. His fist slams into the weedy backstabber’s face so that he’s left flailing in Coyote Falls’ hard-packed dirt. The dirt that bears all the sweat and tears of the men who deserve their place on this land.
“Stay down,” West spits, looming over the thinner man.
Blood oozes from Tripp’s nose.
I ignore him, keen to get the girls inside and away from the scene. Especially Sally.
“Rand, you promised!” Tripp’s voice rises octaves as West puts in the call to the sheriff’s office.
Turning back, I stare down at the young cowboy I hired last season, remembering his enthusiasm at working on a large ranch, being part of the community at Coyote Falls. “I lied.”
The sheriff’s car meanders its way along the drive, dodging potholes I still haven’t fixed. Tripp glares at the ground, his back to a fence post. West stands close enough to grab him if he moves, but he has nowhere left to run.
“Only waiting on one more person.” I tug Lanie close. She hasn’t been more than a step away from me all day. I’ll make that up to her later, with wolves or maybe in another way.
A second car turns into the drive. I roll my shoulders, waiting.So much waiting as the air grows chill, but the clouds that shadowed the house earlier have held at bay, for now.
“I want to take you somewhere after this. Like I promised. Okay?”
Lanie nods into my chest. “As long as I’m with you. Especially after that.”
I swallow. It took prying her hands from my shirt and convincing her that Tripp was under West’s care for her to let go of her death grip earlier. I still can’t believe my luck that she’s staying me after everything. As a reward I’ve already planned out what I want to do with her, and I refuse to allow Jed to screw with my life any longer.
“Well, this is a …sweet gathering,” Jed announces, stepping from his too-clean black Cadillac. The badge has been replaced with a longhorn hood ornament.
A man in a pristine suit sits in the passenger seat, making no move to leave the vehicle.
“Your lawyer?” I nod to the man.
“Arnold is very particular.” Jed surveys the scene, his eyes settling on a cuffed Tripp being herded into the back of the police car. “Did you call me here for this?”
West waves, smiling as he passes his phone to a uniformed man.
“I thought you might like to have your attorney present when you were arrested. Good form and all. Save you that phone call.” I don’t turn my back on my neighbor for a moment.
That he hasn’t been in my yard, hanging over the fence and socializing with my boys, since the night of rodeo is telling enough.
Jed’s gaze drops to Lanie. “Remember my offer, sweetheart.” He winks lewdly.
She shudders beneath my arm. I clench my teeth, willing myself not to assault the man in front of local law enforcement, his lawyer, and my boys, and I haul her closer.
“It’ll be fun without you, Jed.” I smile, and my expression isn’t forced.
The short, round rancher laughs in my face. “You think they’ll take me away with that pathetic excuse of a human?”
I check where Tripp sits in the back of the police car. His head hangs, and I have to admit that he does look pitiful.
“Why would I expect anything less?” My head cants as I stare past Jed to his passenger. The lawyer taps at his phone, his features drawn tight. Jed, still staring at Lanie, his face growing redder as he lusts at her, doesn’t seem to notice.
“Ahhh, but, you see, I’vepaidhim. That’s the thing about loyalty. It has that little dollar sign right before it. And you, my dear Rand, didn’t pay him enough.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Your reasoning could knock out a bull.”
“These men aren’t loyal to Cord because of money, Jed,” Lanie says. “But I think that’s too much for you to understand. I hear you’re sharing a jail cell.”
Jed scoffs, still leering at her. I wrap her tighter into the circle of my arms.
