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“Wyatt doesn’t know?—”

“I can’t believe he betrayed me this way.”

“No one betrayed you!” I scoff. “Don’t you see? This is a good thing, Dad. Your daughter choosing happiness is a good thing.”

He glances at me, and the furious glitter in his eyes makes my breath catch. “I disagree. You know how much I regret not doing more with my life. The opportunities I missed out on, the chance to save lives, the money…you can have all that, and you don’t want it?” He scoffs. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

Then he abruptly turns and heads for the door.

“Dad—”

He holds up a hand. “Let me be, Sally.”

“Where are you going?”

“I said,let me be.” He grabs the door and yanks it open.

I jump when he slams it shut.

Well, that went way, way worse than I’d thought. I understand why Dad would be disappointed. But to get angry like that? To blame Wyatt, assume the worst about him?

That’s taking it a step too far.

My legs feel like rubber as I ball up the apron I’m still holding, toss it onto the counter, and follow him. But I’m already too late. By the time I’m out in the yard, Dad is peeling out of there in his pickup truck, the tires kicking up gravel.

I try to think. Where would Dad be heading? I don’t think he’d tuck tail and go back home. He’s too pissed to do that.

I bet he’s looking for Wyatt.

Oh God, what is Dad gonna do to Wyatt?

If I had to guess, my boyfriend is either still at the ranch office or in the barn, putting up the horses.

I decide to head for the barn. Running back inside to grab my phone, I throw on my jacket and head into the deepening twilight. Praying all the while that I’m not too late.

CHAPTER 31

Wyatt

CRACK SHOT

Surveying our matching T-shirts,Ryder shakes his head. “I feel like a member of some stupid, shitty-ass boy band.”

“Then you can gobye, bye, bye,” Sawyer singsongs as he zips up his jacket.

Ryder curls his lip. “Since when are you a Backstreet Boys fan?”

“That’s an *NSYNC reference, thank you very much,” Sawyer replies. “I put on boy-band playlists when Ella’s in the car with me. I feel like they’re harmless enough, right? There’s a reason why girls love them.”

“That reason ain’t these shirts,” Ryder says with a groan.

I’m laughing as I zip up my own jacket. “You have to wear it for ten minutes. Fifteen, tops. Y’all remember how it goes, right? We line up in the kitchen—keep your coats on, don’t forget that—and then when we have Sally’s attention?—”

“We strip down and hump the floor.” Duke nods. “Got it.”

Sawyer, Ryder, Duke, and I are having a quick little meeting at my place before we head over to the New House for Sally’s Friendsgiving. Cash spent the day with Mollie, buthe’s on his way back to the ranch, and I was sure to give him marching orders when we spoke earlier this morning.

When Sally proposed the get-together, I immediately knew it was the perfect time to lay it all on the line and let her know I was willing to go to the ends of the earth to keep us together.