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She heard the door open behind her, and she squeezed her eyes harder shut.
“Holly. ”
Adam walked to stand beside her. She opened one eye to see him rest his hands on the railing beside her.
“I’m a complete idiot,” she choked out.
He sighed and gently pulled her into his arms. “You’re not an idiot, baby. I’d say you’re an amazing woman. ”
She shook her head in denial. “I’m pathetic. Pathetic!”
She clenched his coat lapels in her hands and buried her face in his chest. Then she laughed. It sounded harsh even to her.
Adam’s strong arms wrapped around her and held her tightly against him.
A tear leaked down her cheek, quickly absorbed by Adam’s shirt.
“I wanted to belong to someone,” she whispered. “I wanted someone to care about me and not my money or who my parents were. I was so very lonely. ”
Adam rubbed a hand up and down her back. “You do belong to someone, baby. And we don’t give a damn about your money. ”
For some reason, his declaration opened the floodgate of tears she’d been holding at bay.
She hadn’t realized how truly lonely she’d been or how desperate she was for someone to love her. Desperate. That about summed her up in a nutshell. And now she’d latched onto the brothers. Maybe they weren’t the same caliber as Mason but she hadn’t given her commitment to them any more thought than she had given her marriage to Mason. And that scared the hell out of her.
They wanted forever. She wanted forever. But. There was always a but. If only she hadn’t made so many bad decisions. Then she might be able to trust the decision to stay with Adam, Ethan and Ryan.
Adam continued to hold her, stroking her hair. The sound of a ringing cell phone jarred her senses. Adam cursed softly, and she felt him fumble for his pocket. She drew away to give him easier access, and he pulled his phone out to answer it.
“Adam here,” he said shortly.
There was a long pause then he turned away. Holly stood shivering lightly. She wanted back into the warmth of his arms.
“All right, I’ll be right there,” he said as he turned back around.
He clicked the phone shut and shoved it back into his jacket. “I’ve got to run into town. Lacey needs my help. ”
A sharp pang twisted in Holly’s chest. She was surprised at its ferocity.
“Come back inside where it’s warm,” he said. He took her arm and led her back in the door.
In the living room, Ryan and Ethan both looked up.
“I’ve got to run into town. Lacey’s got a problem, and her deputies are out on calls. ”
“Do you need us to go with you?” Ethan asked.
Ryan snorted in disgust.
“No. At least I don’t think so. Looks to be a runaway. If I need trackers, I’ll call you. I’d rather you stay here and look after Holly. ”
Holly gritted her teeth. She didn’t need looking after, damn it, and she sure as hell didn’t want Adam off with a woman who very clearly wanted him.
Jealous? Oh, hell yeah, she was jealous. And it pissed her off. She hadn’t thought she could feel more miserable than before, but she was wrong.
“There isn’t anyone else she could call?” Holly asked.
Adam looked strangely at her for a moment. “We’ve helped track missing persons before for her. ”
Holly bit her lip to keep from saying anything further. There was nothing more unattractive than a shrew.
“I’ll call if I’m going to be too late. ”
Adam bent and gave her a quick kiss then turned to the door. He put his Stetson on and walked outside.
Holly watched him go, hating the way it made her feel. She glanced at Ryan and Ethan and winced. It was obvious they could see right through her. She seemed to have a knack for humiliation lately.
Her shoulders sagged, and she turned to head down the hallway toward the bedrooms. She stopped in the middle. Hysterical laughter bubbled from her. Whose room would she take refuge in?
She opted for the bathroom instead. She ran cool water in the sink and splashed her face. When she raised her head up, she saw Ryan’s reflection in the mirror. He stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame.
“Wanna play Monopoly with me and Ethan?”
She managed a shaky smile and nodded. At least he wasn’t trying to dissect her emotions.
She waited a second then headed back to the living room. Ethan was setting up the Monopoly board on the coffee table, and Ryan was carrying in three mugs from the kitchen.
“Want some hot chocolate?” Ryan asked.
“Sounds yummy,” she replied.
She took position on the couch while Ethan and Ryan both sat on the floor at either ends of the coffee table. She cupped the mug in her palms and sipped at the cocoa. Anything not to think of where Adam was and who he was with.
“I hate to see you so upset,” Ethan said in a low voice.
She jerked her glance sideways, startled from her own thoughts. Her jealous thoughts.
She sighed and set her mug down. She rubbed tiredly at her temple. “I’m being unreasonable. ”
Ryan muttered something under his breath.
She turned to him, sensing an ally. “Why don’t you like her?”
“She’s a manipulative bitch. ”
Holly laughed. “Thanks. I needed that, I think. She doesn’t seem to like me, that’s for sure. ”
Ryan grunted. “She’s pissed because she set her sights on Adam, and he never took the bait. ”
“Never?” she asked softly. “It seemed to me that you and Ethan were all that stood between Adam seeking a deeper relationship with her. ”
Ethan fixed Ryan with a hard stare.
