Rough Stock (28 page)

“Rowan is,” he replied, though, because he couldn’t let even an unintentional slight against her go unchallenged.

Gabe simply nodded. “If she’s the woman for you, then she must be.” He pulled his jacket tighter around himself and stalked off in the direction of the barn.

Seth turned to the closed door of the bunkhouse and debated waking up Court just to finish things off. Before he’d figured out what he wanted to do, he heard shouting from the barn.

Gabe must have heard it, too, because he broke into a jog.

Seth abandoned arguing with Court in favor of finding out who else was having difficulties. He and Gabe entered the front sliding door, saw Sawyer stepping out of the barn’s office, and all three of them made their way down the hallway toward the indoor ring. There, Austin and Walker were pummeling each other in a scene eerily reminiscent of Seth and Court’s row the day before. So much so that Seth glanced at the trough to make sure Dakota had refilled it. Just in case.

Austin got in a punch, and Walker quickly countered it, spinning his barely younger brother. Austin turned back, looking twice as pissed off, fists still at the ready. “I’m a part of this family, too, in case you’ve forgotten! We’ve all got the same last name, Walker. That money isn’t yours to sit on like a fucking dragon!” Austin bellowed. “Why can’t we spend some of it?”

“Because it’s blood money!” Walker cried.

Austin froze, midswing.

“Don’t you get it?” Walker spat. “Don’t you understand? He wanted to die! He rode out into that storm as his last sacrifice—
for us
—so we’d have enough money to keep the place going.”

Austin shook his head and backed up a step. “No,” he countered. “No, that’s not true.”

“It is true.”

“How do you know?” Austin demanded. “Did he…did he say something to you?” His arm cocked again, ready to deliver another blow, apparently, at the idea that Walker might have known they were going to lose Dad.

“No,” Walker replied. “He didn’t say anything.”

Austin hesitated. “Did he leave a note?”

Walker shook his head.

“Then you don’t know!” Austin concluded. “You don’t know that’s how it happened! So stop talking shit about Da—”

“I do!” Walker argued. “I do know.”

“
How?!
”

“I just do. I just know. I can’t…I can’t explain it to you. You wouldn’t understand. I’m the only one who’s supposed to know. But you kept pushing with your batshit crazy plans. You just wouldn’t let it go.”

Austin ran at him again and collided into Walker, who instead of pushing him away, pulled him in close. Austin couldn’t get a good swing in.

“
You were never supposed to know
!” the eldest Barlow shouted. His scream reverberated off the corrugated metal walls.

“
It’s a lie
!” Austin cried. “You don’t know shit. Dad didn’t kill himself. And what about Manny? He sure as shit didn’t kill
himself
. He’d never—”

Beside Seth, Gabe made a strangled noise, announcing their presence to the feuding twins. Everyone turned to see Gabe’s furious look, his flashing, dark eyes, his hands fisted at his sides.

Seth stifled a groan.

“No,” Walker moaned, eyes wide, gazing at them all. “No, no, no.”

Gabe turned and fled out the side door, right past Court, who looked bewildered.

“Dad?” Court asked, looking at each of them.

When no one responded, Court turned to the twins, blinking furiously. “
Dad?
” he repeated, his voice sharper, more brittle.

Walker glared at Austin and shoved him away. He pushed so hard that Austin tumbled to the ground, landing on his hip in the dirt. “This is your fault!” Walker accused in a raw-throated voice. “This is on you. They never had to know. I never would’ve told them. They didn’t have to know.”

Court turned and disappeared into the darkness outside. Seth helped Austin up off the ground while Sawyer stood silently, watching over all of them. His trademark half-cocked grin had been wiped off his face, and the man had apparently been rendered entirely speechless for once.

Walker sighed, picked up his dirty hat off the ground, and stomped away from them all.

Seth watched his oldest brother go, realizing that the weight of the burden Walker was carrying had been so much more than any of them had known.

‡

R
owan washed the
mugs and allowed herself a moment of peace and quiet before she had to go and let out the flock. It was easy to get caught up, lost in a daydream of mornings with Seth, nights with Seth, a
life
with Seth. For the first time since she could remember, she caught herself humming as she dried what she’d come to think of as
his
mug with the dishtowel.

To hell with Court, she thought angrily. What right did he have to try and ruin her future the same way he’d done to her past? And he was a fine one to judge when it came to sleeping around, the man who couldn’t keep it in his pants if his life depended on it.

She was tired of having her life ruled over by Court, or the idea of Court coming back into their lives, wreaking havoc, or the memory of how he’d hurt her. She
deserved
happiness, and she was going to take it. She’d give him a few days, because Willow didn’t need to see her daddy acting like a belligerent child, but Court Barlow was done interfering in her life. She knew what she wanted now, had a right to it, and Goddamn it,
she’d
punch him out if he had any more to say about it.

She’d all but delivered that speech to him—in her head, at least—when she heard a vehicle in the driveway and turned to see Emma’s car pulling up to the house. She stifled a groan and replaced the dishtowel. Oh, well, she thought as the front door opened. It was good practice, anyway, dealing with unsupportive siblings. Emma had made her feelings known, even before there had really been anything to know.

Luckily, Rowan had grown used to the fact that nothing in her life came easy. She drew herself up, squared her shoulders, and watched her protective older sister come into the farmhouse’s tiny kitchen. Though the two sisters had been separated for a few years now, Emma seemed to realize immediately that trouble was brewing. Even in the midst of all their tension of the last few days, Rowan missed her sister fiercely and was glad to be back home with her.

They’d argue, get past this, and take care of Dad and the farm, together, because no matter what, they were family.

And family came first.

Emma frowned at her. “You look like you’re about to pull out my hair.”

“I’m not,” Rowan said cautiously.

Emma’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve got a bruise on your neck. Or maybe it’s a hickey.”

Rowan had all but forgotten her showdown with the wolf. Quickly she grabbed at the fabric of her shirt and tugged at it.

Emma’s shrewd eyes bored into her. “Wait,” she said. “
Is
that a hickey? Or…?” She came forward, and Rowan tried to back away. Emma was too fast, though, and the room was too small. She pulled the collar of Rowan’s T-shirt down so hard the fabric nearly ripped. “What the hell is that?!” she cried.

“Nothing,” Rowan insisted. “I had an accident.”

“An accident? What happened? Did you fall in the barn? Why didn’t you call me?”

Rowan sighed. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

“What happened?” Emma demanded.

“I…after you left the other day…there was a wolf.”

“A wolf?!”

“Some wolves,” Rowan corrected, because Willow might tell Emma the truth.

“And you didn’t call me?!”

“You were working, and I didn’t want to upset you. It’s been enough, with Dad. I didn’t want to add to it.”

“Damn it,” Emma huffed. “I should take more time off.”

“If you take any more days off, they’ll fire you. It wasn’t a big deal. We didn’t lose any head. Everything’s fine.”

“Still, you should’ve called me. Troy could’ve come out. He should anyway. How many were there? Did they come back last night? Are there tracks? Are they—?”

“Don’t get worked up, Emma. They’re gone. They’re not coming back.”

Emma’s eyes narrowed again. “What does that mean?”

“Their alpha’s dead.”

“You buried it?”

Rowan didn’t reply.

“So you shot a wolf and didn’t call me. But you called someone. Who? Do I even have to ask? Seth Barlow, is that who you called?”

Rowan bit her lower lip. “I didn’t call him,” she said lamely. “He just showed up.”

“Yeah, and then what?”

Emma stood in the kitchen, hand on her hip, waiting for an answer.

Rowan knew she wasn’t getting out of it.

“He stayed,” she confessed.

“He stayed.”

“He was worried about me! He was there when I got knocked down.”

Emma stared at her. “When you got knocked down? By a
wolf
?!”

“It’s not a big deal!”

“Well, it was a big enough deal that Seth Barlow apparently spent the night.
He
was worried about you! I guess I don’t have to ask where he slept.”

“I don’t want to argue, Em.”

Emma sighed. “I’m just scared for you, Rowan. You’re just barely out of all that shit now, and you had to get here by yourself, get your degree, raise your daughter. You’re finally back on your feet, and I just don’t want to see you get knocked down again. Not by a wolf. Not by Court. Not by Seth.”

“Seth wouldn’t do that. He’s not like Court. Not at
all
. This is different.
He’s different
.”

There was a thump on the stairs, and Willow appeared, carrying Wooliam. Rowan gave Emma a sharp look to silence her as she poured cereal into a bowl.

“Can we see Daddy again? And Caramel?” the girl asked, sliding onto one of the kitchen chairs.

“Who’s Caramel?” Emma asked.

Willow beamed. “My daddy got me a pony! Just like I said he would.” She turned to Rowan. “Can we go see her again? Please?”

“We…might have to wait a few days, honey,” Rowan replied.

Emma didn’t say anything, but she raised an eyebrow.

Rowan led her sister outside, out of earshot. “Court found out about us,” she said quietly after the front door closed.

“How well did that go?”

Rowan frowned. “About as well as you’d expect. Seth took a swing at him after Court said some nasty things.”

Emma snorted. “Glad someone finally did.”

“We should give it some time,” Rowan mused. “For him to get used to the idea.”

“The idea that what, Rowan? That you and Seth are in love? Together forever? Soulmates?” Emma pressed. “I don’t think Court’s the only one who has to get used to this. If you were anyone else, I’d say Seth’s last name is blinding you right now. You wanted a Barlow so badly, for so long, you’ll take any of them.”

“Emma, I’m not blind! And I’m not stupid. And you know what? Court didn’t even get Willow that pony. Seth did. And he didn’t take any credit for it, either. Willow wants to believe her daddy got her a pony, and so Seth let her believe it, because he cares about her.”

“I didn’t say he was a bad guy, Rowan.”

“Well, he’s not a bad guy! He’s a great guy! He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us.”

Emma raised a hand, though, and her face softened. “I’m not going to argue with you. I know you well enough to know it won’t do any good. And I can’t say I blame you, not entirely anyway. It’s been a long time since you’ve had anything good in your life except Willow. I can see why you’d be desperate to grab it and hang onto it.”

Rowan bristled. “I’m no
t desperate
, Emma.”

But Emma shook her head. “You’re playing with fire, Rowan. And I have a bad feeling you’re the only one who’s going to end up getting burned.”

‡

S
eth stood alone
in the barn, paralyzed by indecision over who needed help most. Walker’s self-imposed isolation made so much more sense now. The idea, true or not, that Dad had killed himself in a last desperate bid to save Snake River was one hell of a secret. And Walker shouldn’t have to carry that burden alone. The fact that he’d tried to at all was a testament to how committed he was to taking care of his younger siblings.