Page 80 of The Mountain Echoes

Elena smiles at him. She’s been doing that a lot since she got back together with Duke. It warms my heart. Doesn’t stop me from giving him a hard time, though.

“You got grit, Aria, I can see it,” Elena announces.

Aria’s face lights up with something…dangerous.Hope, which will bankrupt her faster than debt.

Aria excuses herself, and I give Elena a pointed look.

“What?” she snaps.

“She thinks she can salvage what her old man let fall apart and when she won’t be able to….”

Elena gives me a withering look. “Stop underestimating her.”

“You don’t know what’s goin’ on at Longhorn,” I counter.

“Baby, he’s right.” Duke gets it.

Elena shakes her head, furious. “You know, you both like to behave like you’re not misogynistic assholes, but that’s what this is. If she were a man, you’d all give her more of a chance. She has a pussy, and y’all think she doesn’t have the balls to make it.”

I try to placate her. “Come on, that’s not?—”

“I’m going to talk to someone else before I do something that’s gonna put you into the Emergency Room.” She almost stomps away but stops and turns around. “We’re not fragile. I’ve seen people bet their soul on a ranch and win.”

“I’ve seen them lose their soul to the land,” I say softly.

“Then why pretend to help her, huh?” She leans down, her face close to mine. “Why?”

“I’m not…I’m….” I shut the fuck up because she’s right. Iampretending. I’m being disingenuous.

Elena walks away.

I huff out a sharp breath.

Duke gives me a wickedly pleased look, clearly reveling in the moment. “It’s nice when you’re in the doghouse instead of me.”

“I’m helping Aria. I really am, but this ain’t a movie where hard work turns the tide. Sometimes, ranches die.”

Duke nods.

“And sometimes,” I pause as I see Aria come back into the tent, “the people who love them too much go down with the land.”

Duke studies me for a moment. “The way you’re lookin’ at her, I have a feeling you’re not going to let her go down.”

“Maybe, but I’m not sure how this will play out,” I tell him honestly.

“You know Aria looks at Elena as one of the invisible line of women who kept and keep the land alive,” Duke reminds me. “Women who’ve been dismissed and doubted and kept going anyway.”

“It’s not that she’s a woman,” I mutter under my breath. “It’s that she doesn’t know fuck all about ranching.”

I smile at Aria when she rejoins us. She looks like she ate something that didn’t sit well with her.

“What happened?” I ask, suddenly worried.

“I bumped into…bitchyandbitchier!” she whispers, leaning in.

Duke turns to see who just entered the tent and bursts out laughing.

I follow his gaze and find that Aria is talking about Sloane Whitmore and Delaney Pryce.