Page 301 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Chapter 15

“Do I need to use my prodding stick? Go on in. Remember what I told you, you’re now a part of this family and need to hold your own. Don’t let them intimidate you.”

Brooke gave Myrna an appreciative smile. It was nice to know she had at least one person in her corner, especially after the blowup with Nash. They’d waited out the storm in gloomy silence and then rode back, without saying as much as a word to each other. Several times, she’d glanced in Nash’s direction, but his jaw was set in stone, his eyes fixed straight ahead. They’d said terrible things to each other, and she feared there would be zero hope of mending fences. Her thoughts jolted back to the present. The notion of spending an evening making small talk with Nash’s family turned her insides in knots.

“Show ‘em what you’re made of,” Myrna said, pumping her fist.

When she turned to leave, Brooke caught hold of her arm, panicked. “Wait! You’re coming with me, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’ll be in directly.” A wry smile formed on her lips. “Dinner’s not gonna serve itself.”

“I’ll help.”

She grunted. “Nice try, but I don’t think so.”

Brooke thrust out her lower lip. “So you’re throwing me to the wolves then.”

Myrna chuckled. “That’s a bit of an exaggeration.”

“Oh, no, it’s not. Cynthia hates me!”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t give a flying flip what that woman thinks.”

“You don’t like her either?” The knowledge was comforting. She wasn’t alone in her feelings.

Myrna’s lips formed a tight line. “Let me put it this way—if that sanctimonious woman and I were left in the same room together for too long, only one of us would come out alive.”

Brooke giggled, releasing some of the tension. “I knew I liked you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I like you too, but enough talk. GO!” She practically pushed Brooke into the room.

The conversation seemed to stop as all eyes turned to her. She did the only thing she knew how to do, which was to plaster on herI’m better than you smileand saunter to an empty chair, directly across the table from Nash. One by one, she made eye contact with everyone present, starting with Luther—then going to Cynthia, Carlos, and finally to Nash. She could feel the heat of Nash’s glare, even from across the table. Anger smoldered over her. If her daddy were here, she’d give him a piece of her mind for putting her in this intolerable situation. She was starting to think that no amount of money was worth this.

Luther was the first to speak. His voice reeked of forced politeness. “How was your day?”

“Well, I’m still on this side of the dirt, so that’s a plus.” Her voice sounded forced and too cheery in her own ears, but she forged ahead, determined to show them she could hold her own.

“Really? What happened? You seemed perfectly fine this morning.” This came from Cynthia, who leaned forward in her seat, a cynical expression on her face.

“Well, for starters, Carlos was kind enough to give me some riding tips. For which I’m truly grateful.” She smiled, letting him know that she genuinely meant it.

He acknowledged the compliment with a nod but looked uncomfortable, as if he didn’t like the attention being drawn to him.

“And then Nash and I rode horses out to check on the broken fence. We got caught in the storm and had to take shelter in the hay storage building. It was so much fun getting caught up on old times,” she said sweetly, flashing him an intimate smile that made his face go black. She turned to Luther, “You should be proud of your son. He’s such a gentleman.” She was slathering it on a little thick, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

“I am proud of him,” Luther said. He looked across the table at Nash, and there was such a pure look of sincerity on his face that it made Brooke feel ashamed for being so catty and superficial. What she would give to have her daddy look at her that way. In his eyes, she was a miserable failure. And in her heart-of-hearts, she knew that he’d orchestrated this marriage as a last-ditch effort to save her.

“Sorry I’m late.” A pretty brunette floated into the room like a pixie gracing them with her presence, as she planted a kiss on Cynthia’s cheek. She gave Luther a tight hug before choosing the empty seat beside Nash.

Luther did the introductions. “Shauna, I don’t believe you’ve met Brooke.”

Shauna turned to Brooke. “Nice to meet you,” she said pleasantly. She finished it off with a cheery smile that showcased her dimples.

Brooke looked her over.Stylishly dressed. Wispy hair. Almond-shaped, brown eyes.The recognition that dawned was a slap in the face! It was the girl that had barged into her privaterestroom, right before the wedding. She arched an eyebrow. “Have we met?”

“I don’t think so,” Shauna said innocently.

Brooke wasn’t about to back down an inch. “No, I’m sure of it.” She feigned thinking. “Don’t worry. It’ll come to me …” she paused, enjoying watching Shauna squirm “… I never forget a face. Tell me. Exactly how are you connected to Nash and his family?”

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