Page 97 of Filthy Fae

“I think we’ll pass for tonight,” Holden said.

“You should go,” I said again. “Talk it out. Maybe he’s got something to say that you’ll want to hear.”

Sawyer looked uncertain, but Holden shook his head. “Not tonight,” he said. “We’ll talk it over with Waylon, see what we all want to do.”

Cody shrugged like it didn’t matter. “I’ve never known a Westling to want for company long in this town. I imagine if you don’t want to have a drink, I won’t end up too lonely tonight.”

“We haven’t been out in way too long,” Sawyer said. “Maybe we’ll join you sometime this week. Have a couple beers, cut a rug.”

This time, my arm was the one tightening possessively around him. He used to be a regular down at the honky-tonk bar they had in this town. We didn’t go out much, though I did try to go dancing with Natalie every few months, and the boys were always down to come with me and scare the other men away. Now that his brother was back, he’d want to go hang out with him, which was fine. But I wasn’t about to let him loose with a bunch of cowgirls who wanted to ride him as much as I did.

“Don’t worry,” Sawyer said as we headed back to the house. “I’ll bring you with me.”

“You better,” I said.

Holden was silent on our walk through the snow to the lodge. Cody followed at a short distance behind us and then circled around to his Jeep.

“Think we can trust him?” Holden asked as Cody drove slowly down the snow-packed drive toward the road.

“I’m not one to hold grudges,” Sawyer said. “Not even if I tried. But that don’t mean I’m not aware of the kind of man he is.”

“He seemed genuine to me,” I said. “I think he meant it. Not saying that excuses what he did, but I do think he’s sorry.”

We stepped into the house, which was almost completely dark. The only light came from the fire, which was roaring in the fireplace. Waylon was sitting on the couch in the dark, a whiskey glass in his hand.

“He’s gone,” Holden said.

“He better not come back,” Waylon said, not turning.

“Are you okay?” I asked, ducking from under Sawyer’s arm and approaching Waylon with caution. I set a hand gently on his shoulder, but he jumped up and spun to face me.

“No thanks to you,” he growled. “Your meddling is what brought him here.”

“How was I supposed to know?” I asked, drawing back.

“If you weren’t always pushing for this change and that change, he wouldn’t have ended up here,” Waylon said. “You wanted to rent out the cabins. Hell, for all I know, this was your plan all along. After all, you think you know what’s best for all of us, don’t you?”

His words stung like a slap. “Maybe if you weren’t so damn secretive, I’d have known he was your brother when he called to rent a cabin,” I shot back. “You guys wouldn’t even tell me he was the one blowing up your phones all that time.”

“Because it’s none of your damn business.”

“Well, then, I guess you’ll have to forgive me when I make innocent mistakes because I don’t know what the hell is going on with you half the time.”

We stood there staring at each other. My stupid lip started trembling, and I was sure I was going to burst into tears if I didn’t keep holding onto the anger his words had stirred up.

“It’s not Amber’s fault,” Holden said at last, stepping up beside me. I could have burst into tears of pure gratitude. It was one thing for him to take my side against their mother, which had been a huge for a mama’s boy like Holden. But for him to stand up to his brother for me made my heart melt like a marshmallow in hot cocoa.

“Thank you,” I whispered, some of the tension in my body easing.

“You’re right,” Waylon said. “You can’t help it if you have ridiculous notions. It’s our fault for indulging you like a child. You want to more responsibility around here, you can start by taking responsibility for fucking up.”

I was so mad I could hardly draw breath to fire back at him. “Oh, so it’s my fault for making you think about someone besides yourself for a change? Sure, it wouldn’t have happened if you’d just kept being a jerk all your life and refused to do something for the good of the ranch. Fine, keep thinking that if it helps you sleep at night, all by yourself with your self-righteous jerk-face. Maybe you should have married that cheating bitch, since you’re obviously never going to get over her. Then you could have each other and be miserable together. And I guess I’d have Cody instead of you, so we’d all be better off.”

With that, I tore free of Holden’s arm and whirled around, stomped up the stairs, and threw myself onto my bed. I had no one to yell at up here, so I screamed into my pillow with rage. I wanted to call Haley and vent, but she was back in New York on a date with some glamorous man who’d never shoveled horse manure in his life. I was supposed to be here, having the time of my life. But dating three men was no picnic, not when one of them was as impossible to love as Waylon. And I couldn’t exactly ask my mom for advice with men. We hadn’t spoken in over a year. The only contact we had was when she sent messages through her secretary.

When I’d calmed down a little, I rolled over onto my back and tried to sleep, but I was still all riled up. Downstairs, I could hear the guys talking in low voices, probably trying to decide what to do about Cody. Even they weren’t concerned with me. They had each other. I was the one going to bed alone, not Waylon. Stupid me.

After punching my pillow a few times, I felt better. I wasn’t going to be alone, that was for sure. I still had some pent-up anger, and someone might as well benefit. I got up, stripped off all my clothes, and slipped down the hall. At the bottom of the stairs, I paused and leaned on the banister. I tried to remember a sexy pose. One leg slightly in front of the other, the knee bent at an alluring angle, my feet poised daintily so I didn’t look like a flat-footed duck. Back arched and ass poking out, but it had to be in a classy way, not an insert-cock-here kind of way. Tummy in, boobs up, chin tilted, lips pushed out to make them look fuller—again not in imitation of a duck—eyes hooded. Above all make sure not to look like I needed to poop.