Chapter Thirty
Tyler pulled back the reins as his phone chimed in his pocket. Heart? He fought his hand free of the leather to yank it out.
His brothers looked at him, Toby cocking a questioning brow as Frodo trotted around the herd. He motioned for them to keep working the cows forward on horseback, encouraging the herd through the gates into the next pasture where the fencing was finally repaired. Ever since waking up this morning on the couch, his bros had been out with his crew and now with him, helping and vowing to stay until all the repairs were done.
A text from Seth lit up the screen. Not Heart. Was Seth okay?
The morning sun beat down and he tapped open the message.
Seth:Heart’s friend Charlie is here with Daisy and T.R.’s over here being stupid flirting with her. Save us.
What? Did she have something to say about Heart? A grin ghosted across his lips as his head whipped toward the house, followed by a pang of unease.
“Everything okay?” Tobes called out.
He glanced to his youngest brother on horseback. This was what he wanted. He wanted to practice law again. Wanted to be close to his bros again, the three of them on a range like they’d been as kids, before graduations, college, Travis’s injury, Isabella, their parents’ deaths had disrupted life and thrown them all into different tailspins.
Heart’s story had made him see everyone in his life, including his children and ex, in a whole new light. He was excited for the prospect of taking over as Dixon Cattle’s lead contracts attorney. Toby had offered him the role when he’d brought the law practice up over coffee. And dammit, he wanted to pull Heart into his arms, wanted to make love to her again, and live out his days with her completing his family, if he could only convince her to pick up the phone. Last night’s text had been a long shot. But he’d still banked a little bit on it getting her attention.
He could see a Land Rover parked by the house. His pulse increased a notch.
“Yeah, got a visitor,” he called.
“Git,” Trav called. “Tobes and I got the herd.”
He nodded once and turned the reins, tapping his mount to canter and returning toward the historic barn where his crew’s nail guns punched and hissed atop the scaffolding, finishing the final fastenings. He dismounted, led the horse toward the house, draping the reins over the porch railing.
That platinum blonde from the bar, hair piled up in a stylish bun, in a tank top and loose plaid shirt, skinny jeans, and Birkenstocks, stood on his threshold with a mailer envelope in her arms and university lanyard around her neck. Seth leaned against the doorframe in his ripped denim and muck boots, arm in a cast. Daisy was showing him something on her iPad, while T.R., sweaty and dirty from labor, sat on the railing talking to her, a grin on his face a mile wide.
What was she doing here? Had she come to see T.R.? He knew the two were into each other, at least, knew they’d probably hooked up that same fateful night that Tyler had begun breaking rules and kissed his Tie-Dye, unaware of everything that was about to transpire.
He jutted his chin toward T.R. as they both turned to look at him hopping up the steps.
“Where’s Heart?” was the demand that came out of his mouth instead of a greeting, his voice scratchy at the mention of her name.
He cleared it. Rubbed the stubble he hadn’t shaved in a few days.
Charlie bit her lip and looked askance, then back at him, her smile for T.R. falling. He forced a smile to soften his directness, could hear Heart give him shit for being pushy, which pinched his chest with missing her again.
“Is she at your place?”
He’d grab his truck keys in a heartbeat if Charlie confirmed it.
Charlie shook her head. “She went home.”
“To Marfa?”
T.R. and Charlie shared a glance.
“Look. She’s not doing so great if I’m honest. Normally she bounces right back without a problem but after you?” Her eyes darted to Stevie who’d joined them at the door, smiling sympathetically at his boys, then back to him. “She’s crazy about you guys.”
Hope ignited within him. “I gotta talk to her, if she’d just listen.”
Charlie pushed off the railing.
“Heart overnighted me this, and told me I should investigate with a geology crew from the university. I just opened it this morning…and thought I’d bring it to you. It’s a 100-page preliminary survey of the escarpment that runs through your property, a statistical sample of finds indicating a likely cache, and a formal application for funding to excavate with potential to apply for a research grant. It also includes instructions on how to apply for a conservation easement to protect the land, since she said you’re filing a lawsuit with Fossyl to remove some defunct oil pumps. The thing is, I think she’s being a coward and that she ought to be the lead researcher. My department is prepared to hire her to do the job.”
Tyler’s head swam. He felt a nudge to his boot and glanced at the culprit, Seth, who frowned.