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She shook her head. It didn’t matter. Like all mirages, it wasn’t real now, no matter what hazy past was on the periphery of her vision. Friendship was only possible if she gave in to his view of it, apparently.

Hobbling over to the barn entrance to rope Marty or one of the younger guys into taking her into town, Maggie realized a fundamental truth.

Bennett was wrong—everything was fair in love and ranching. For someone, at least.

Just not her, it seemed.

*

Six days, four hours, and however many minutes it’d taken to ride Lightning back to his truck and tear outta Newman’s property was how long Bennett felt like he’d been holding his breath.

Coincidentally, it was the same amount of time since Maggie’d told him to get lost, canceling their dinner bet as well as any hope he was harboring. For the third time.

Or maybe for the first time since what he’d imagined to be a breakup fifteen years ago was just a monumental understanding. He’d overreacted when she’d turned down his help with whatever she was planning in the valley, of that he was certain. But then again, didn’t friends trust each other? And if she didn’t trust him after all this time, there wasn’t anything he could do about that, was there?

Yeah, those were the thoughts that had been spiraling in his head for—he checked his watch—six days, four hours, and another minute or two.

He kicked the front tire of the John Deere and cursed. Darned thing was thick and solid. And kicking it didn’t help his frustration.

“What’d that thing do to you?” Jax asked.

“Nothing. But I can’t kick these feelings, so I might as well kick something else.”

“Maggie?”

“Yep.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

Bennett shook his head and readjusted the torque on the wrench. “Nope.”

“Okay, well then, put me to work. Whatcha need?”

Bennett eyed his brother suspiciously. “You’re volunteering to help? Why?”

Jax shot him a half grin that was all mischief. “Does a man need another reason to help his brother?”

“No. But if you think I’m giving you the rest of the day off, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“I don’t. But you’ll want to leave, I’m guessing.”

Bennett turned the key and mentally crossed his fingers. The tractor engine gave a gentle groan, then a lurch, then sputtered out.

“Damn.” He turned to Jax. “Wait. Why do I want to take the day off? I’ve got a week’s worth of repairs to do by tomorrow and half the guys down with whatever crap is going around.”

“Because today’s the cattle board hearing.”

“And? I told them I couldn’t make it.” This time when Bennett turned the key, the engine wouldn’t even turn over. “This thing is gonna give me a coronary.”

“Well, you might want to change your mind. Maggie’s on the docket.”

Bennett dropped the keys to the tractor. “Why? I thought she got her penalties waived with Carl’s death certificate and proof she’d made all the necessary repairs.”

Jax dangled the keys in front of Bennett. He made a move to snatch them from his brother, but Jax moved them just before Bennett’s fingers could reach them.

“You know who’s good at fixing machines and stuff like that? And who could actually give that tractor a makeover that would have it purring like an overfed housecat?”

Bennett glared at Jax and tried for the keys again. Jax was too quick.