Page 21 of The Cowboy’s Reckoning

“You know it.” She raised her eyebrows. “You should try it.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” At this point in time, Lil would rather focus on her ranch.

Guys invited trouble that she simply had no time to deal with. Jordan was a perfect example. Under different circumstances she’d be all over him. But under these circumstances … trouble.

“I have a question,” Lil said as she and Meg walked Aubrey to her car.

“What’s that?” Aubrey asked.

“Did you have a nickname in high school?”

Aubrey’s look was sharp. “Why?”

Lil shrugged. “Just, you know, wondering.”

*

Estelle was dragging her feet at the prospect of moving into Hayes’s old bedroom, despite Jordan moving into Bailey’s trailer.

“I have a lead on a rental house,” she told Wade as she wiped down the counters.

Trev and Jordan exchanged a look as they laced their boots.

“You’re welcome to stay as long as necessary,” Wade replied gruffly.

“Thank you.” She sounded sincere. “I do enjoy my own territory, however.”

“And invading mine.”

“That stuff needed to be sorted. It’s been sitting in a stack next to the wall since my first day here. You haven’t touched it.”

“Maybe I put everything back the way it was after I touched it.”

“Then why were there cobwebs?”

“Ask the housekeeper,” he said immediately putting up his hands as if to defend himself from a blow.

Judging from Estelle’s expression, it was a wise move. Then Estelle’s grudging smile broke through, and Wade smiled back. Jordan took that as a cue to head for the door for chores and Trev followed.

“Do you think …”

“Not going to speculate,” Jordan said shortly.

“Dare I ask how things are going on the homestead?”

“The McAllens don’t want to leave. Connery threatened to back out, but I don’t believe him.” Jordan studied the far side of the big pasture, where Jim Reed’s acreage lay, just begging for a small house to be built at the tree line.

“What now?”

“If Connery isn’t blowing smoke and he backs out, then I mortgage the Willow Creek.”

Trev gave him a quick look. “You’re going to keep it?”

“No. Maybe.” Jordan tried to put his mix of feelings into words. “I keep wondering why Carl Jordan left it to me.” Damn but it felt strange to have the same frigging name. “Was it guilt? He should have stepped in after my mom died instead of letting the state put me in foster care. Not that I wanted anyone but Wade to raise me, but the coldness factor pisses me off.”

“I get it,” Trev said.

“Lil doesn’t,” Jordan said shortly. “She pointed out, and rightly so, that she lost her ranch and I got one for free.” He understood how that would rankle.