Not Polly. His mother.Again. She’d called three times today.Three. And she wasn’t the only one who’d called.
Just a few hours ago, Bronte had called for the first time since that surprise call last week. He hadn’t answered, because the team had been in the middle of training. But after her first call, he’d told his parents to back off. That they needed to understand—and they also needed to make Bronte and her family understand—that there was no deal. No arrangement. It wasn’t happening.
He frowned when he arrived home. Polly’s car wasn’t on the street or in the driveway, but the lights were on. Had her mother dropped her off?
Or was someone else in his house?
Before getting out of his truck, he took the Glock from the middle console. When he reached the front door, he tried the handle. Locked.
He pulled out his key. Once inside, he heard it—a rummaging sound coming from the bedroom. It could be Polly. He hoped like hell it was, because he didn’t feel like shooting anyone today.
Three quiet steps, fingers secure around the grip of the gun, and he stepped into the bedroom.
Empty.
Then a barefoot Bronte Simmons walked out of the attached bathroom.
What. The. Fuck?
The second she saw him, her face transformed into a smile. The woman had always had a big smile, but just because it was wide didn’t make it sincere.
“Joel! You’re home.” She frowned at the gun. “Why do you have that?”
He lowered the Glock. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Her brows shot up like the question surprised her. “I…I came to see you.”
“How did you—” It hit him. “You found the key under the mat.”
“Yes.”
“Why are you here?”
Again, she looked confused. Couldn’t possibly be as confused ashim, because, again,what the fuck?
“We’re engaged, Joel.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
His gaze caught on the huge diamond on her finger. Thefamiliardiamond. “That’s my grandmother’s ring.”
“I know. Your mother gave it to me. I thought…I thought you asked her to.”
“No, Bronte. I didn’t ask her to. And we’re not engaged.”
Her mouth opened and closed. “What are you talking about? We’ve been engaged since we were kids.”
“No. Our parents decided it would be a good business decision to merge our families so they could lock in a generational alliance. Land and operation in one name. That wasneversomething I agreed to.”
She shook her head, almost looking angry now. “No. This wasalwaysthe plan. I waited for you. I’vebeenwaiting. You can’t just back out.”
“You can’t back out of something you never agreed to.”
She glowered at him. “Don’t you get what this marriage could do for us and our families? Don’t you want that kind of wealth? That life?”
“No.”
Her head reared back as if the single word stunned her. Like she couldn’t fathom not marrying someone for money and power and prestige.
“I waited for you to finish that soldier stuff in the Navy.” Three fast steps brought her right in front of him. “I turned a blind eye to every whore you ever slept with in Houston and ignored every date you went on. Every photo in the paper. Was that woman who came by earlier another one?”
