Page 162 of Tempting Wyatt

“Look, boys,” he says, like we’re all still twelve instead of fully grown men. “I apologize for interrupting a special occasion, but I’m glad you’re all here.” He pauses, making eye contact with each one of us. “There’s been some new evidence in your dad’s case.”

Asher’s brows lift, and he voices what we’re all thinking. “Dad’s case? I didn’t know he had a case. I thought his death was ruled a heart attack.”

Sheriff Blanchard nods. “That’s what we thought too. Butthe coroner found unnaturally high levels of potassium in his system, which we believe stopped his heart. Unless he was in stage five kidney failure, that shouldn’t have happened.”

I frown, glancing at my brothers. “Dad didn’t have any kidney trouble that we know of.”

The sheriff meets my eyes. “His kidneys were fine. We checked his medical records, and the medical examiner verified it.” He clears his throat. “There were two marks on his chest, ones that we couldn’t identify at first.”

This is new information to me. “Marks? What kind of marks?”

“That’s why I’m here. We got the report back today. Sorry for the delay. Lab’s been backed up for months.” The old man sighs heavily. “It appears he was shocked with a cattle prod. It kept his pacemaker from working like it should’ve. High powered, probably higher powered than anything you have here.”

Caleb’s eyes are angry and hard. “Do you know the make and model?”

Sheriff Blanchard scratches the gray stubble on his chin. “The specifics are still under investigation. But that was the odd part. It’s a model of Hot-Shot that isn’t on the market. Voltage was too high to be legal.”

“Altered then,” Caleb sneers.

My jaw clenches as bile rises in my throat. “What are you telling us, Sheriff?”

His eyes roam to each of our steady stares. The deputy dips his head.

“Your dad didn’t die of natural causes, boys. His heart did stop. But with the new evidence, we believe someone stopped it for him. His case has been transferred to homicide.”

He hands me a small card with the name of a detective on it. There’s a cell phone number scrawled on the back.

“He’ll be in touch. But I wanted to be the one to break the news since I’ve known each of you most of your lives.” He gives Caleb a pointed stare. “And I wanted to make sure you all know we’re handling it. So, there’s no need to do any investigating or dealing out any justice on your own. We clear?”

No one says a word. No sense in making false promises.

The sheriff sighs. “I’ll let you get back to it,” he says before he and the deputy walk back toward their car.

I see my mother stop them and direct them toward the food. I pray the Sheriff doesn’t drop the news on her that he just did on us. Not today anyway.

For a moment, my brothers and I all just stare at one another, trying to make sense of what we just learned.

“I have some connections,” Asher says. “I can have them look into?—”

“You know it’s those fucking developers,” Caleb breaks in. “That shady-ass Amos Black Foundation bullshit. I still think they gave the herd Johne’s.”

I hold my hand up to settle him down, but before anyone can say another word, my wife appears at my side, tucking herself under my arm.

“You going to dance with me or what, rancher?”

I kiss her on the lips then the forehead, my dick already stirring at the thought of our honeymoon. I promised her we’d kick it off with skinny-dipping in the hot spring as soon as everyone leaves. “Of course, angel.”

I introduce her quickly to Asher because I know he needs to go soon. She greets both him and Caleb with a hug. Isaac makes a joke about wishing she had more bridesmaids.

Ivy is observant though, and I see her absorbing the tension as she studies each of us.

“They want us to cut the cake soon, but if you need more time to?—”

“We’ll cut it now,” I tell her. “Sorry, baby. Got caught up in catching up.”

I hate not telling her the full truth in this moment, but I will tonight. Right now, I want my girl to enjoy her big day.

She smiles then excuses herself to go tell the photographer friend of Willow’s that we’re about to cut the cake.