Page 43 of Promised to the Cowboy

I exhale a heavy breath. “Yeah.”

She studies me for a long moment. “Because he knew too much.”

“That's what Ethan believes.”

“About the people behind all this?”

“Yeah.” I scrub a hand over the back of my neck. “Marlon sat in the middle of every loan, every land transfer, every piece of financial information that moved through this county. If he decided to start talking…”

She looks away, rubbing Captain Winky’s neck. “So somebody panicked.”

“It looks that way.”

“And tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, we sit down as a family and decide what happens next.”

Her gaze returns to me. “Do you want me there?”

The question catches me off guard. “Why wouldn't I?”

She shrugs, but there’s nothing careless about it. “It’s family business.”

“Evie.”

She meets my eyes.

“You’re carrying my daughter.”

Her gaze flickers away.

I step closer. “More than that, I want you there.” I wait until she looks back at me. “How many times do I have to tell you? You’re part of this family now.”

“I’ve never been part of a family before.” She gives a tiny shrug. “Not really.”

“Well,” I say quietly, “you are now.”

Captain Winky nudges her shoulder again.

She smiles, slipping him another peppermint from her pocket before looking back at me. “I’ll be there.”

“Good.”

Because I can’t imagine walking into that room without her beside me.

Chapter 12

Evie

That evening, I sit on the porch step with one of Maggie’s good water glasses—heavy-bottomed, probably older than I am—watching the light turn copper over the pasture.

The horses are settling for the evening. Captain Winky is easy to pick out now. He grazes with one ear tipped toward the barn, listening for me.

A week ago, I’d have called that a coincidence.

Now...

Now I think he knows I’m his person.