Stealing Hearts (Wild at Heart #1)(40)
“How many have we lost?” I let go of his hand and grab my coffee.
Beau sighs. “One wandered into a field with moldy sweet clover, and we didn’t get to him in time. And we never found two, though where those fuckers went, I’ll never know. It’s like they disappeared off the planet. If we wanna cover our nut this fall, we’re gonna need every one of those beautiful beasts.”
“Do we know who’s cutting the fences?”
All three brothers say the name at the same time. “Cash McAllister.”
Damn. “Cash is behind this mess? Are you serious?”
The McAllisters and Walkers have had a long-standing feud for decades. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for Rhett, especially after Amber cheated with Cash.
Rhett rakes his hands through his hair. “It’s either the McAllisters or the mayor. You know how Eileen Gold wants to run a highway through town? She offered to buy up half our property. Where the hell am I supposed to graze our cattle?”
I didn’t know about the highway. Wild Heart has changed a lot since I graduated high school. Locals used to want to keep this place off the map. “I’m guessing you turned down her offer.”
He scowls. “I told her to shove it up her chimney. That woman offered us a quarter of what it’s worth.”
As I sip my coffee, I think about Mayor Gold. I went to school with her sister. The Golds are one of those founding Wild Heart families who always think they’re entitled to make decisions for the entire community. “So you think she hired some guys to do it?”
“It’s possible.” He crosses his arms. “My money’s still on the McAllisters, though. They’re the most likely assholes. I’m thinking it’s time to visit those fuckers again.”
Beau nods. “I’ll get the shotguns.”
What the hell? “Y’all are not going to show up on their porch with shotguns.”
Rhett stands. “This is Texas cattle land. Of course we are.”
Alarmed, I grab his arm. “Please don’t do this now. Wait a few days and see if the sheriff gets any leads. A few head of cattle are not worth dying over.”
“Paige, if we let this go, this could escalate, and we can’t afford to lose more steer.”
“Just… It’s not worth getting shot.” Because the McAllisters have shotguns too. “Please. Let’s see if the sheriff gets any leads.”
He stares at me long and hard before he blows out a breath. “We’ll see. I can’t make any promises.”
At least he’s not charging over to Cash’s house.
The back door slams, and the boys race in. Rhett’s eyes immediately light up, and he sits back down and holds out his arms. “How’re my favorite cowboys?”
“Good!” the older one shouts.
They crawl up into his lap, and he turns them to face me.
My heart thumps hard in my chest. I can’t believe this is the first time I’m meeting his children.
Oh, my God. I hope they like me.
19
RHETT
The expression on Paige’s face when she sees my boys is adorable. “Hi, guys, I’m Paige. It’s so nice to meet you.”
I bounce the big one on my knee. “This is Gabriel. He’s six. He loves fishing and Hot Wheels.” Then I bounce my little one. “And this tough guy is Austin. And he loves food. Of any kind.”
Austin buries his head in my chest while Gabriel looks away. Damn, I was hoping they’d love her.
I squeeze my boys a little. “What do we say, fellas?”
Gabriel mumbles hi, and Austin shakes his head no.
My brothers give me a sympathetic smile, and Beau points toward the barn. “We’re gonna give y’all some space.”
Let’s try this again. “Do y’all remember those incredible cheerleaders at Uncle Mav’s games? Paige is one of them.”
My sons love the cheerleaders. I admit I always look for Paige when we’re watching Mav’s games.
When the boys don’t say anything, Paige’s smile slowly falls.
But then Gabriel lets out a huff. “Are you our new mom? Because we have one already.”
Shit.
I jiggle my leg again. “Buddy, I know this is a lot, but let’s try to be welcoming.”
I hate the rejection in Paige’s eyes, but she pastes on that fake smile and leans forward. “I know y’all have a great mom. I’m not trying to take her place. I just want to be your friend.”
Amber, a great mom? That’s a stretch, but Paige is just trying to be nice.
When Gabriel doesn’t say anything, she tries again. “Would that be okay? Can we be friends?”
It takes effort to bite my tongue. I wanna be encouraging without pushing the boys too hard.
Finally, my older son nods. “Yeah. I guess.”
Austin finally looks at Paige. “You’re pretty.”
She gives him a glorious smile that makes him bury his head in my chest again. “Thanks, handsome. I’m kind of a mess today, but I appreciate the compliment.”
Her red hair is in one of those haphazard buns that looks sexy as hell. And I fucking love that she grabbed one of my flannels. It makes me wonder what she would look like in just that shirt and nothing else.