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Shane felt some mix of despair and relief. Hell, if it were that easy, this would all be over. But it would mean Mom was just as big of a fool as he’d been years ago, and he didn’t want that for her.

“We should talk,” Shane said forcefully. “Talk, not bicker like high school girls.”

Ben snorted, and Shane thought maybe that was something akin to a laugh. After a few seconds of study, Ben moved toward the side and let Shane step in.

The cabin was ruthlessly neat, which wasn’t what Shane had expected. There didn’t seem to be any personal belongings, which struck Shane as off. Wouldn’t a man have his own things around? His boots by the door or his hat on the rack?

Or maybe Shane was just looking for things to be off and wrong. Maybe he needed to stop looking for everything bad, and start with a blank slate.

“You got a piece to say, you go ahead.”

Shane nodded. He noted Ben did not offer him a seat, so they stood like squared off brawlers on opposite sides of the room.

“I don’t like that you lied about your references, and I’ve let that color a lot of our interactions. Because to me trust is paramount, and by marrying my mother you are asking to be part of our family. I need to be able to trust you.”

“Funny, I see it as just marrying your mother, and it’s got nothing to do with you.”

“She’s my mother.”

“And a grown woman,” Ben replied with a negligent shrug.

“Maybe if you could tell me why you lied,” Shane offered, trying to maintain his calm, his control.

“Nope.”

Shane clenched his jaw so he wouldn’t retort irritably. He breathed in through his nose, out through his mouth. “I’m trying to bridge a gap here.”

Ben folded his arms over his chest. “You think I’m stupid, boy?”

“I’m still your boss. Don’t ‘boy’ me.” Which was not the right tact to take, but he’d told Cora he’d be open and honest. That didn’t mean he’d ignore disrespect. Or general assholishness.

“You want to pretend to hold hands and be friends now because your mom ain’t budging. Maybe if you show her you’ve cozied up all nice, you think you can whisper a few key things into her ear and change her mind. No. I’m not falling for it. I won’t lose her because of you, or any of you.”

“Maybe if you gave us an inch, you wouldn’t have to be worried about losing her because of us.”

“If I tell you why I lied, would it change anything? Or would you still see me as a younger man looking for a cushy ride? Like I said, I ain’t stupid, and I’m not falling for this. I might’ve once, but I’ve lived and learned.”

“Yeah, me too,” Shane muttered. Lived and learned not to trust someone to ever have his best interest at heart. Learned to be implacable because giving something to someone else he hadn’t been sure about had always led him to loss and hurt. So he always did the right thing, the good thing, even when it was an uphill battle or a sure failure.

Ben gestured at the door. “You can go now.”

Shane could. He could go and write Ben off, and yet that wasn’t what he’d come here to do. Much as he hated it with every fiber of his being, he’d come to the conclusion that talking it out was the right thing to do.

“I don’t trust you, Ben. I don’t much like you. But I love my mother, and I want her to be happy. No, I can’t sway her opinion. Not sure I ever could. But I also can’t stand the idea of her getting hurt. The possibility of it physically pains me.”

Ben’s expression didn’t change, but he also didn’t move to kick Shane out, so Shane kept talking. Honest as he could.

“I also worry about this ranch, and what my mother’s marrying anyone would do to it. My great-great-great-grandfather built this place and turned the very earth we’re standing on, and it’s a part of my soul. The fact of the matter is you haven’t given me any damn reason to feel comfortable with your sniffing around either. So, all I’m asking for is a little honesty. A piece of yourself so I can try to accept that I’ve got nothing to worry about.”

For a second or two, Shane held his breath. Something had changed in Ben’s expression, almost a softening. A sadness instead of an anger, and Shane was both hopeful and terrified the man would offer something worthwhile. That a little truth and honesty were really the answer.

“Ain’t nobody ever done anything good with a piece of me,” Ben said, though his voice had a hint of gravel to it that hadn’t been there earlier. He gestured toward the door again, and Shane sighed.

There was no getting through to this man, so he turned and walked away. He’d been honest, asked for honesty in return, and gotten jack. There was no reasoning with someone who didn’t have a shred of decency in him.

Shane jerked the door open, but before he could step outside, Ben’s quiet, strained voice stopped him.

“I don’t want your damn ranch. All I want is Deb.”