Page 102 of Impossible Love

“Ah!” He starts down the porch stairs.

“No! Listen to me!” I run down with him. “He intends to take Sulfur Springs from you for a fraction of what it’s worth. He falsified the BLM land lease!”

Jamie nods, a frown appearing between his brows. He looks interested, but not particularly shocked. Maybe he can’t hear what I’m saying over the roar of the helicopter. “Arlo is helping him, Jamie!”

“What?”

“I think my father paid off Arlo to steal your land! But that’s not the worst part! Arlo’s been—”

“Let’s finish this later,” Jamie yells at me.

I run after him into the road. “Don’t trust my father! Not a word he says!” I must look completely crazed, but think I’ve finally gotten the point across because Jamie nods and places a hand on my shoulder.

It’s chaos out here.

I hear Phyllis yelling behind me. I turn in time to see her ushering a crying Jasmine inside Jamie’s house.

I see that the MacLaines are in some sort of ridiculous special ops formation, believing this is an enemy attack. Special K cradles what looks like a sniper rifle in one hand. With the other, he tosses guns to Cal, Finn, and Declan. Evander is hopping on one leg, trying to get to the center of the action.

I run out to the road, putting myself between the helicopter and the very real guns with very real bullets, all pointed in my direction.

“Victoria!” I look to Cal. His face is hard and serious. He screams to his brothers, “Stand down! Stand down!”

He runs to me, eyes cold. “What the fuck are you doing? You could have been killed!”

“My father’s in there,” I tell him. “Let me handle it.” He tries to argue, but I cut him off. “No, Cal. If I need your help—or the help of an entire SEAL team—I’ll let you know. Otherwise, you all need to…” I think about the order he just barked to his brothers. “You all need to stand the fuck down.”

I march off to greet my father.

Chapter 54

Cal

I watch her duck under the rotor blades and meet her father as he steps out of the Renaissance Empowered corporate helicopter. As the dust starts to settle, I see that Nigel Backlund looks every bit the captain of industry his official CEO portrait made him out to be.

But he’s not dressed in the kind of killer suit expected for a man in his position. It’s so, so much worse.

He’s decked out in a cowboy costume.

On his head is a pristine beaver fur cowboy hat, comically large. On his feet are a brand-new pair of Lucchese hand-tooled leather boots designed for Rodeo Drive instead of an actual rodeo. There’s a snap-button roper shirt, never-washed Wranglers with a ridiculous pressed seam down the front, and a whole-nuther-level-of-ridiculous suede and shearling rancher coat better suited to an Aspen apres-ski cocktail party than early spring at Yosemite Ranch.

I glance at my brothers. They’re staring, as fascinated by the freak show as I am.

The scene loses any of its entertainment quality when I witness Victoria’s body language as she approaches her father. She walks cautiously. Head held high. That fucking computer still clutched to her chest. He moves aggressively toward her, obviously pissed off. It looks like he’s lecturing her. There’s no hug. No friendly handshake. Not even a smile. And Victoria stands perfectly straight, taking it.

I want to punch his face. My hands ball into fists.

Whatever is going on between father and daughter is ugly. But she’s just accepting it. Like she expected it.

She turns. They walk together toward my dad. I see fear in Victoria’s eyes. And just then, her gaze catches mine. She shakes her head as if to warn me to keep my distance.

Fuck that.

“James MacLaine, what a pleasure!” Nigel shakes Dad’s hand. The look on my dad’s face is cautious but pleasant enough.

“Nigel Backlund. Welcome to Yosemite Ranch.”

“Thank you. Let’s chat, shall we?”

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