LITMIR.BIZ

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but it seemed you couldn’t take the Texas out of him.

      He was tired, though. The argument with Vaughn bothered him, but it was that kiss with Irina that had kept him awake most of the night. He’d played it over and over in his head for hours, like a damn movie on constant rewind and replay. He hadn’t been able to turn it off. To ignore what seeing her again, touching her again, had done to his body. So a night of self-imposed torture left him squinting into the early-morning sunlight and wishing for more coffee.

      Standing on the wide front porch in the cold, blustery wind, he scanned the property he’d purchased five years ago. He should probably rent it out, but the truth was, it was nice to have his own place to stay in when he was in Royal. He had a great foreman, who took care of the place while Kellan lived in Nashville, and, as an investment, the ranch couldn’t be better. The land itself was worth almost twice as much as it had been when he’d bought it and that wasn’t even counting the value of the palatial ranch house and outbuildings. Not to mention the stock—thousands of heads of cattle and horses.

      But he hadn’t bought it for its financial worth. Instead, it was a touchstone of sorts. A reminder that though staying in Royal had been too much for him seven years ago, this corner of Texas was still his home. His roots ran deep here. The Blackwoods had been in this area for more than a hundred years.

      Which was just one more reason why he wasn’t about to give up his family legacy to a gold digger. Just the thought of Miranda DuPree made his hackles rise and had him grinding his teeth together so hard, he was half-surprised they didn’t shatter. He’d thought Miranda was out of their lives when she and Buck divorced—and now she was back, worse than ever. “What the hell was Buck thinking?”

      When a bright red Jeep zipped up the drive and came to a screeching halt almost directly in front of him, Kellan smiled in spite of the dark thoughts tumbling through his mind. His baby sister hopped out of the car and shivered in the cold wind.

      “Hi, Kel,” Sophie said as she tugged her black jacket tighter around her.

      People didn’t usually think of Texas as cold-weather country. But winters could be harsh and even though snow was rare, the icy wind could cut like a knife.

      “What’re you doing here so early?”

      She waved one hand, smiled, and Kellan realized what a beauty his sister had become. Just an inch or so shorter than Irina, Sophie had long auburn hair, brown eyes and a curvy body that Kellan really didn’t want to acknowledge. As far as he was concerned, there was no man good enough for Sophie—so she should just be alone. If they were Catholic, he’d be voting for a convent.

      “I’ve got a ten o’clock appointment at the Courtyard. My client wants to look at the antiques at Priceless.”

      Sophie, at only twenty-seven, ran a popular YouTube channel on style, was a licensed interior decorator and had her own shop in Royal. And as a designer, of course she would love shopping at the Courtyard. The place had grown from a single rehabbed barn housing antiques into a series of eclectic businesses, including a few artisans and cafés.

      “I saw Vaughn at the diner having coffee and he told me you’d be up and moving because when he left here last night, you were too wired to sleep.”

      “Our brother’s got a big mouth,” Kellan muttered. “What’s up, Sophie?”

      She sighed and flipped her hair out of her face when the wind gusted. “I couldn’t sleep last night, either. I kept thinking about the will and Miranda and us, and I guess I just wanted to talk to you. See what you think about all of it.”

      He scowled and tugged his hat down firmer on his head. “I think I’m going to be going into town to talk to Kace later today. See if I can find a way to fight this will.”

      “Okay, but what if he says there isn’t one?”

      “Then we fight anyway,” Kellan said tightly. “Damned if we just hand over our home to Miranda.”

      She nodded and smiled. “Okay, good. Because I was thinking maybe I could snoop around a little. Talk to people. See if anyone knows anything about Miranda. Gossip in Royal lives forever. Plus, I know Miranda’s come back to town more than a few times since the divorce. I mean, you and Vaughn and I, we haven’t really been spending any time at the house in years.”

      True. They’d all avoided the house because they were busy avoiding Buck. Kellan lived in Nashville now, Sophie had her own house in Pine Valley and Vaughn was in Dallas these days.

      “Maybe,” she continued, “there’s a reason behind Dad doing this to us. And maybe I can help find it.”

       Three

      Kellan looked into her eyes and saw the worry and the hurt there, and if he could, he would have reached beyond the grave to grab his father and curse him for giving Sophie pain. He knew she wanted to help him find answers and, hell, maybe she could. Women talked more easily to other women. If she could pry some secrets loose, it might give them something to use against Miranda.

      “Sounds good,” he said and saw the flash of pleasure in her eyes. “Where are you going to start?”

      “After my appointment, I thought I’d go to the ranch and talk to Irina.”

      “No.” The one word shot from him before he could hold it back.

      “Why not?”

      Good question. The answer wasn’t something he wanted to share. Kellan didn’t want to risk his sister and his former lover having a private chat. God knows what Irina would have to say about him. He certainly hadn’t given her any reason to speak well about him.

      “I’m going to the house later today.” That hadn’t been the plan, but plans change. “So I’ll take care of talking to Irina. Why don’t you speak to some of Miranda’s friends in town? Maybe some of the women she dragged here with her from New York.”

      Sophie frowned thoughtfully. “That’s probably a good idea. I mean, she went to New York after the divorce, she probably had plenty to say about Dad when their breakup was fresh.”

      It actually was a good idea. Then he had another one. If their little sister talked to Vaughn about all of this, maybe he’d change his mind. “Okay, then. And why don’t you give Vaughn a call? Tell him what we’re up to.”

      “Oh, he won’t be interested.” Sophie shrugged. “Soon enough, he’ll be back in Dallas running his company. He said he doesn’t give a damn what Miranda does with her inheritance. It has nothing to do with him.”

      So much for that. In a way, Kel understood the attitude. His brother had built his own fortune at Blackwood Energy Corp., so he didn’t need Buck’s money. But hell, neither did Kel. It was the damn principle of the thing that motivated Kellan. And he wished Vaughn would stick around long enough to stand with his siblings.

      “Okay, then, for now, it’s you and me, baby sister.” He reached out with one arm and pulled her into a hug. She held him tight, then let go.

      “I’ll let you know if I find out anything and you tell me if Irina has anything to say, okay?”

      “Sure.” Nodding, he watched her hop back into her car. “And drive slower, will you?”

      “Nope!” She grinned, slammed the door and gunned the engine. Whipping the red car around, she peeled off down the drive, leaving a fan of spun gravel in her wake.

      “Damn it.” Sophie always drove too fast. As a teenager, she’d had her license pulled first by Buck and then by Sheriff Battle. And that hadn’t stopped her. The last time Kellan had been in town, Nathan Battle had told him that Sophie’s speeding tickets alone were paying for the remodel of the sheriff’s station.

      Pushing that thought out of his mind, Kellan headed for the stables. What he needed was some hard work. Work that would keep his hands busy

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