Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 133878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
“You mentioned that,” Trev allowed. “He told you he was upset?”
“He’s not talking, and that’s the problem. I can’t tell if he’s mad about that or mad because Rachel is staying with us or mad because I basically told the Harper brothers last night that we’re going to marry their sister.”
Trev snorted at the thought. “It’s the first one. Shane wouldn’t be angry about Rachel needing a break. He’s a damn sweet kid. He’ll do everything he can to make her comfortable. And he obviously wants to marry Brooke, though I worry he doesn’t think he’s worthy. He’s absolutely pissed that you made him look like a liar.”
“I didn’t mean to.” But there was something soothing about Trev’s certainty. He could handle apologizing to his brother. He didn’t know what he would do if Shane didn’t feel the same way about Brooke.
She was the one. He would have told anyone in the world who asked that he didn’t believe in the one, until he laid eyes on her. He was struggling to think about her leaving, to think about what she might need that he couldn’t give.
“I’m sure you didn’t, but I can bet he feels embarrassed. Especially if he wasn’t fudging the truth and he honestly believes he saw something.” Trev seemed to think for a moment. “Has anything odd happened to you lately? Any new people coming around asking questions?”
“No,” Bay admitted. “The only people I talk to are the other hands, and now we talk to the cast and crew at the theater. They ask a lot of questions, but nothing too weird.”
Mostly about ranch life, though a couple had figured out he was an artist and asked about his work. Honestly, they talked to Shane more because he walked in and started helping fix things. His brother had learned a lot of skills along the way. He’d fixed some of the lights and rewired the sound board. He’d repaired the wooden stairs that led to the stage.
Shane was comfortable in this world.
Bay didn’t want to screw it up for him.
“I’m probably being paranoid, but that’s what happens when your wife buys a house that used to be the home base for a drug dealer and the cartel shows up when you least expect it,” Trev admitted. “I’m sure it’s nothing, though I don’t like the fact that we had a break in and your truck was rifled through. What if someone’s looking for something?”
“Like what? I don’t know what they would be looking for if this is about Shane seeing something. I would think they would come after Shane.” He didn’t like that thought, but none of this made sense. Shane couldn’t put a memory in a safe.
Trev sighed. “Like I said, I’m being paranoid. But I’ll talk to him, try to figure out exactly what he saw. Until then we need to get that feed. Did Long-Haired Roger say when he would get the tires in?”
Long-Haired Roger told him the whole damn thing was falling apart. “It could be a week or two. We have a little more damage than we originally thought. Have to get a new alternator. That didn’t have anything to do with the vandalism, but it still has to be fixed.”
“Or you could bite the bullet and get a new one.” Trev started walking toward Stella’s. “I know it’s pricey, but Stef keeps talking about how much money you’re going to make off this gallery showing. Apparently he’s got some big spenders coming out, including the guy who runs the collective the G belongs to. Not that Jack Barnes cares much about art, but his wife does.”
Yeah, he was getting nervous about that, too. What if nothing happened? At one point he wouldn’t have cared. It wasn’t like he sold his work often. Every now and then he had a piece that Shane decided would catch someone’s eye and they would sell it or show it to Stef. Otherwise, he gifted most of his bigger pieces and didn’t think much about it. It was a compulsion, a deep-seated need to make the art. He didn’t need it to hang around.
Except the pictures of Brooke.
But now he needed the money, and Shane was acting like it was all nothing more than a waiting game. What if Brooke came and no one bought a thing and he had to deal with the fact that all her expectations were shattered?
Shit. This was how Shane felt the night before. Embarrassed. Ashamed.
He needed to talk to his brother.
Wait. Where were they going? “I thought we were picking up feed.”
“I texted Pastor Dennis and he’ll put it in the trailer. I’m picking up some lunch for Nell. Hal’s making her favorite corn and black bean burritos today, and Henry asked if I wouldn’t mind bringing a couple in since they can’t make it to town.” Trev stopped in front of the door, and Bay’s heart sank. Trev had to stop because Rye Harper was standing there.