Page 117

Warren, Ezra, and I are gathered at the homestead, crowded around the breakfast bar and half-empty cups of coffee. From upstairs come the sounds of Evvie’s bright chirp, followed by Wyoma’s low and husky singsong.

“So you’re what? Going to protect her?” He takes off his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose. There’s tension in his shoulders. “You assaulted a customer, Cole. How much worse can it get?”

I’m not sure. All I’m sure about is that she stays. My brothers want to argue about it, they’ll have a fight on their hands.

“It can always get worse, kid,” Warren murmurs, taking a sip of coffee.

“If you’re worried about that asshole pressing charges, he won’t. I smoothed it over.” More like threatened to chop his fucking hand off for daring to touch Delilah, but Ezra doesn’t need to know that.

“I asked Langford to look into it,” I tell Ezra. He looks like he’s about to pop a vein. “To see if whatever Delilah’s been hiding from is after her.” I narrow my eyes and square off with my brother. I’m not turning her out. Or letting her deal with this alone. Whatever kind of man I am, it’s not that.

“You want to tell me why the fuck you’re arguing with me about this? All summer you’ve been fighting me to let her stay.” I’m frustrated. Grasping at straws, not wanting to reveal all my cards just yet.

I don’t know how to tell them Delilah’s taken over my thoughts. Made me want to protect her. Made me want to fix whatever shit is coming after her. Good or bad idea, only time will tell.

Ezra holds up his hand. “I wanted her to stay because she was helping us. Because Evvie loves her.” His voice drops. “But…this isn’t fucking community service, Cole. We can’t have trouble here.”

“Cops poking around the ranch isn’t my favorite pastime.” Despite the seriousness of his meaning, Warren sounds bored.

With a heavy exhale, Ezra says, “We need this party to go off without a hitch.”

“And it will.” I stare him down. “Delilah’s my responsibility now. I take that on.” As soon as I say it, I realize how much I’ve committed to this girl. How damn desperate I am to keep her here.

“For how long?” Ezra looks doubtful.

“The summer. We still need a bartender, don’t we?” It makes me feel like a disloyal asshole to negate all Delilah’s done for us, to reduce her to an employee, but if it’s what I need to do to get Ezra to back off, I’ll do it.

Ezra studies me. “It’s about the whiskey?”

“It’s about the whiskey. Nothing more and nothing less.”

“I think that’s a crock of bull if I’ve ever heard it.” I glance over at the dry voice, Wyoma crossing into the kitchen, brow arched, arms folded sternly across her chest. Just how she looked when I was young and she was ready to beat me over the head with some lesson until I started learning. Then she says, louder, “You know what your mama would say about liars, Cole Weston.”

“Good thing she didn’t raise one.”

Wyoma tsks, her only disapproval a can’t bullshit a bullshitter frown. Her eyes narrow as she looks at my brothers. Wags a finger. “You Wild Westons stop raining on this poor boy’s romantic notions.”

Ezra rolls his eyes, but the corners of his lips twitch.

I drag my hands from my forehead down through my hair. “Christ, Wyoma.”

My brothers’ laughter is loud and brash.

“You’re different since that girl got here.” Wyoma studies me. “In that old Cole Weston way I know and love.”

“Still grumpy.” Warren adjusts his rolled sleeves.

“Grumpy but with heart.” Her hazel eyes sparkle as she bustles around the kitchen, clearing coffee mugs into the sink. “Sometimes you need to let it all go, Cole, and just go with the damn flow.”

These talks with Wyoma make it seem so clear. If I could shake my foolish pride, I’d claim Delilah. Make her mine. But I’m still so fucking scared that if I let anything light into my life, Tempest will claim it. I’ll lose her.

Wyoma dries her hand on a towel and tilts her head. “Although you Wild Westons never did anything easy.”

Blowing out a breath, I shake my head. “I’m considering this matter fucking closed,” I tell my brothers. “She stays.”

Ezra gives me a resigned nod as I move for the door, so fucking pissed off, so fucking relieved at the same time.

The hard heart in my chest hammers. At war with what I want and what I deserve to have.