Take the Reins (A Cowboy's Promise #2) - Megan Squires Page 0,73

took over for me. Nice girl. Super thoughtful of her.”

Seth had to keep from growling. “That is not how it happened, Tanner. You and I both know that.”

Tanner hooked the halters onto the fence and then put his hands on his hips and cocked his head. “Why does it even matter?”

“Because it’s a lie.”

“Oh, and you suddenly have some moral compass that keeps you from lying? That’s rich, Seth. Let’s not forget you’re the one who let us all believe you were married to that piece of trailer trash to begin with.”

Seth launched forward and planted his hands on his brother’s chest in a quick, precise shove. “Don’t you ever call her that again. I warned you.”

“Get your hands off of me.” Tanner darted out from beneath Seth’s palms and moved to walk away, but not before Seth hooked his arm around Tanner’s neck, trapping him in the crook of his elbow. He wrenched his brother’s large body to the ground and pummeled his jaw, over and over like a drumbeat. Seth’s actions were met with equal fury until the brothers were a tangle of fists, punches, kicks, and jabs that would leave them both bloodied and bruised the next day.

“Enough!” Out of nowhere, Mitch took hold of Seth’s collar first, pulling him free from the scuffle. He shoved his youngest son out of the way and then yanked Tanner from the ground and tossed him aside, too. “I said enough!”

Seth swiped at his bottom lip, not at all surprised to see the crimson liquid that coated his finger. He ran his tongue along his teeth just to make sure they were all still in place.

“What in Sam Hill is going on out here?”

“He started it.” Tanner slapped the dirt from his pants and jammed a finger toward Seth.

“Oh, come on!” Seth hawked.

“I don’t care who started it. You two need to start acting like adults. We are all dealing with a lot right now and I sure as hell don’t have time to waste breaking up juvenile fights. You’re both grown men, for God’s sake!”

“He’s just all bent out of shape that his wife—girlfriend—whatever she is, just left.”

“What?” Seth aimed his eyes at his brother.

“She left. She’s gone. Borrowed someone’s truck and hitched up her trailer over an hour ago.”

Seth threaded his fingers together behind his neck and angled his head skyward and shouted. “How could you just let her go?”

“She’s made a pretty bad reputation for herself around these parts, son.” Mitch clamped a hand on his son’s shoulder. Seth spun out from under it. “I can see why she would want to leave.”

“No. The only bad reputation belongs to you all and you earned that by lying your way into the ownership of this ranch.”

“Careful what you’re insinuating there, son. You don’t want to start something that you’re not going to be able to finish.”

Seth clenched his lips together, his head twitching in a compulsive shake that made his vision blur. “You’re right, Dad. This fight isn’t one worth having. I’m saving my energy to fight for something—for someone—that truly matters.”

26

Josie

Josie’s first real impression of Darrel, her future stepfather-in-law was a good one. He’d loaned her his truck, after all. And more than that, he was going to let her park her fifth wheel on a little plot of land he owned just outside of Riverburn. There wasn’t a hookup for her like at the Ford property, but with a borrowed generator, she’d be okay for the time being. It was the little bit of grace and kindness she so desperately needed in a moment when those two things were hard to come by.

She’d been painted in a terrible light, not that it was any surprise. Good things don’t happen for you, Josie. She knew that. She had even tried to convince Seth of that. But did it really matter? In the end, no one else had to live that reality but herself. And Cowboy. She did feel a little bad about that. The poor cat had just settled in at the ranch and now here he was, swooped up again to make a new, temporary home somewhere else.

“It’s just you and me.” Josie gave the feline a sidelong glance across the truck. “When will we learn that we just don’t play well with others?”

The cat snarled, a fitting, well-timed response.

She set her eyes ahead at the two-lane road that stretched before her. The asphalt met the horizon in a fuzzy mirage, making her wonder if it