Brock moved before I could stop him.
For the first time all afternoon, Trent looked genuinely unsure.
One second he was standing there with that smug look, and the next Brock had him by the front of his shirt, twisting the expensive fabric in his fists and slamming him against the side of the SUV.
The metal groaned under the impact. Trent’s sunglasses flew off and shattered on the gravel.
Moose erupted into loud, frantic barking.
"I don’t give a damn who sent you," Brock growled. "You speak to her like that again, and I’ll break your jaw."
"You can't do this!" Trent choked out, trying to pry Brock’s hand loose.
“You’ve got ten seconds to get back in that rented piece of shit and drive off my land. If you’re still standing here when they’re up, I’ll drag you out myself.”
“Sienna, tell him to back off!”
I stepped up beside Brock. “You heard him, Trent. Get off his land.”
Brock released his grip. Trent stumbled back against the SUV, breathing hard, then scrambled into the driver’s seat.
The tires spun in the dirt before catching. The car fishtailed wildly as Trent sped down the driveway, disappearing in a thick cloud of dust.
Silence settled over the yard. The only sound was the wind rustling through the cottonwoods. Moose had stopped barking and now hunched on the porch.
Brock watched the dust settle until the engine noise faded. Then he turned to me, stepping close and resting his hands on my shoulders.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
I tipped my head back, letting out a long breath. My shoulders finally dropped as the fight drained out of me.
"I'm fine," I said. "But Brock… he’s gonna go straight to Avery. He’ll tell her everything that just happened. Outlaw’s gonna drop you and?—"
"I don’t care."
"Don’t say that!" My voice cracked. "I won’t be able to pay Mara’s tuition. You’re so close to paying off the ranch’s debt!"
"Sienna." He cupped my face in his rough hands. "Look at me."
I did. His blue eyes were steady, the anger already gone.
"I'll pay the tuition," he said. "I can pick up extra work now that I won’t have to rodeo for a while. We’ll figure it out together. But your sister is going to be fine. I swear it."
My heart twisted. I knew he meant every word. He would work himself into the ground to keep that promise, the same way he did for his family.
"I put my hands on him." His thumbs brushed my cheeks. "That was my choice, and I’d do it again. None of this is on you."
He pulled me against his chest, wrapping his arms around me. I closed my eyes and buried my face in his coat, breathing in cedarwood and cold air.
Trent was my ex. He’d followed me out here, and now he had exactly what he needed. He’d run to Avery, claim Brock assaulted him, and Outlaw would believe the worst. After the bar fight, they wouldn’t even ask for his side before dropping him.
If it got out, Ryder & Co. would pull the catalog deal. The ranch debt wouldn’t get paid. Maisie wouldn’t get her Braille tablet.
Brock was ready to burn it all down just to keep me.
And as I stood there in his arms, listening to the steady beat of his heart, my decision was made. I loved him too much to let him lose everything because of me.
twenty-nine
