“That asshole was playing poker with his old buddies every week,” Jace says. “He seemed sharp to me.”
This whole situation is so messed up. “I thought Harlan was a family friend. Why’s the interest on your loan so high? Why did he make you jump through hoops just to hit you with twenty percent?”
Rhett leans forward and presses his face into his hands, then shrugs. “Had I known that was the price, I wouldn’t have dragged you into my mess. But that’s what I get for not asking the terms. I just figured it would be fair, and I suppose it is. Some banks are charging twenty-five percent interest for a personal loan right now. I got twenty percent because this is a four-month loan. Besides, it’s not like we have great credit.”
I feel like I’m not seeing the whole picture. “Did Harlan’s bank give your father the second mortgage too?”
He shakes his head. “Different bank. Harlan would’ve given us a heads-up.”
Rhett looks so tired, like he’s just hanging on. I cover his big, rough hand with mine. “Are we going to be able to repay the loan and all that interest?”
He squeezes my palm. “Gonna try my damnedest. I’ll go through the books this week and see what we can cut back on, but we gotta stop losing cattle.”
“How many have we lost?” I let go of his hand and grab my coffee.
Beau sighs. “One wandered into a field with moldy sweet clover, and we didn’t get to him in time. And we never found two, though where those fuckers went, I’ll never know. It’s like they disappeared off the planet. If we wanna cover our nut this fall, we’re gonna need every one of those beautiful beasts.”
“Do we know who’s cutting the fences?”
All three brothers say the name at the same time. “Cash McAllister.”
Damn. “Cash is behind this mess? Are you serious?”
The McAllisters and Walkers have had a long-standing feud for decades. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for Rhett, especially after Amber cheated with Cash.
Rhett rakes his hands through his hair. “It’s either the McAllisters or the mayor. You know how Eileen Gold wants to run a highway through town? She offered to buy up half our property. Where the hell am I supposed to graze our cattle?”
I didn’t know about the highway. Wild Heart has changed a lot since I graduated high school. Locals used to want to keep this place off the map. “I’m guessing you turned down her offer.”
He scowls. “I told her to shove it up her chimney. That woman offered us a quarter of what it’s worth.”
As I sip my coffee, I think about Mayor Gold. I went to school with her sister. The Golds are one of those founding Wild Heart families who always think they’re entitled to make decisions for the entire community. “So you think she hired some guys to do it?”
“It’s possible.” He crosses his arms. “My money’s still on the McAllisters, though. They’re the most likely assholes. I’m thinking it’s time to visit those fuckers again.”
Beau nods. “I’ll get the shotguns.”
What the hell? “Y’all are not going to show up on their porch with shotguns.”
Rhett stands. “This is Texas cattle land. Of course we are.”
Alarmed, I grab his arm. “Please don’t do this now. Wait a few days and see if the sheriff gets any leads. A few head of cattle are not worth dying over.”
“Paige, if we let this go, this could escalate, and we can’t afford to lose more steer.”
“Just… It’s not worth getting shot.” Because the McAllisters have shotguns too. “Please. Let’s see if the sheriff gets any leads.”
He stares at me long and hard before he blows out a breath. “We’ll see. I can’t make any promises.”
At least he’s not charging over to Cash’s house.
The back door slams, and the boys race in. Rhett’s eyes immediately light up, and he sits back down and holds out his arms. “How’re my favorite cowboys?”
“Good!” the older one shouts.
They crawl up into his lap, and he turns them to face me.
My heart thumps hard in my chest. I can’t believe this is the first time I’m meeting his children.
