Page 85

“Honey, I’m buyin’ them because it’s profitable for my business,” Maverick assured me and then added, “The fact that it’s gonna make you feel at peace that I got them is a bonus.”
CHAPTER 26
duke
The crowd whooped and hollered as another cowboy got tossed clean off a bronc, but it wasn’t enough to pull my attention away from Elena. She was leaning against the rail, eyes locked on Dixie May. But it wasn’t the horse that had my blood running hot—it was Maverick Fucking Kincaid standing too damn close, his arm slung around her like he had a right to.
“You’ve got to stop staring at her, man.” Kaz shook his head in mock disgust. “It’s sad, really, how pathetic you look.”
“Fuck off, Kaz.”
Fiona had finally left us alone to handle something else. She’d been running interference on a project in Dallas—something she was damn good at.
I’d already started taking over the Wilder Ranch project from her, and it was the easiest handover I’d ever had—mostly because I wasn’t being particularlythorough. Deep down, I knew why. I didn’t think I was actually going to sell the place. And that thought sat heavy in my chest because I had no damn clue what it meant.
“She’s not with Kincaid,” Kaz muttered. “She doesn’t do local.”
“I know.”
Kaz raised an eyebrow. “She’s professional. Everyone wants to hire her.”
“I know.”
“Nash was an asshole to her.”
That stopped me in my tracks. “How would you know?”
“Nash and I had a few beers once in a while. He blamed her for you leaving and never coming back.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Kaz, I know you were born and raised here, but Nash was an ornery bastard who wouldn’t talk about hisfeelingsif he had any with anyone, so why did he with you?”
Kaz shrugged. “People say that I’m like a priest—they tell me stuff.”
“You sounded like you were being very religious last night when I called,” I mocked.
He gave me a salacious grin. “She did call out God’s name several times last night.”
I sighed.
“Nash knew Silas and Tansy—and therefore knew me. I kept an eye on him, Duke. Kept him away from fucked up land deals he sometimes wanted to wander into…well the best I could. Elena managed the fallout when I failed.”
He had my full attention. “Did he want to sell?”
Kaz took a deep breath. “He had money problems.”
“I can’t see that in the books.”
“Before Elena took over and started to run the place like a cowboy in a whorehouse—fast, focused, and not wasting a damn second where there was nothing but problems.” Kaz looked at his watch and groaned. “Piper will be here soon.”
“You friends with her?”
“No one is friends with Piper Novak. She’s the queen, and we’re all her minions. I do business with her. I don’t fuck her over, and she keeps it clean with me.”
Kaz was about to leave when I put a hand on his shoulder. “What kind of money problems was Nash having?”
Kaz studied me. “You should ask your mother.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “How would my mother?—”