Page 302 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

“Shauna is my daughter,” Cynthia piped in.

“I see … interesting.” No wonder Cynthia hated her guts. She wanted Nash for her daughter. It was all becoming clear.

A furrow appeared between Cynthia’s brows. “What do you meaninteresting?”

Before Brooke could answer. Shauna placed a hand over Nash’s. “You didn’t tell me your new bride was such a beauty,” she gushed. But it was obvious from the adoring look on her face as she made moon-eyes at Nash that she didn’t give a rat’s tail about Brooke or her beauty.

The sight of the girl, swooning over Nash, made Brooke nauseous. On instinct, her claws came out full force, and a lifetime spent in the cat-fighting world of high society took over. The words came out almost before her mind realized what she was saying. “I’m not sure if I should be thanking you or slapping you, seeing as how you have your hand over my husband’s.”

Shauna quickly withdrew her hand, her face paling.

Cynthia gasped.

“Brooke, that’s enough!” Nash muttered through clenched teeth.

“So, I’m just supposed to sit here like a mute, while she throws herself at you?” Emotion clogged her throat. “I don’t think so! You may not give a hoot about me, but you’re going to show me the respect I deserve. Like it or not, for the next eighteen months, I’m your wife.”

“We’re not doing this here,” he said, fighting to keep his voice even.

They eyed each other for one long, challenging moment. “Whatever you say, dear,” she finally said, flashing a dazzling smile, even though she felt absolutely miserable. She could feel the heat of Nash’s perceptive eyes, scorching over her. It was like he somehow knew that her snub-the-world attitude was a mask—the one she wore to hide her insecurities and fears. Deep down, she was a mess, and he knew it. Somehow, that made all of this even worse. Nash knew whom she was underneath the façade, which made his rejection all the more cutting. Guilt pummeled over her when she saw Luther’s face. It was beet red, and she feared he might have a heart attack. Cynthia put a comforting hand over his as she gave Brooke a frigid look.

The stricken silence that settled over the room was nearly suffocating.

“Dinner is served,” Myrna announced, as she burst into the room in a flurry of motion, holding a large stockpot. She took one look at the shocked faces and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Brooke said brightly, as she began blinking rapidly to stay the tears. “The family and I are just getting better acquainted.”

Brooke growled and grabbed hold of her laptop, squeezing the edges. Then she wadded the pillow on the bed and tossed it across the room as hard as she could. “Stupid Internet!” she muttered. It kept bumping her offline. Was there not anything at this rundown ranch that worked properly? She reached for the other pillow and tucked it under her stomach, as she sprawled across the bed. She was attempting to get online again when thebedroom door opened slightly, and a white strip of fabric began swinging back and forth. “What the heck?”

The door opened wider, and Nash stepped through, holding a wooden dowel with the fabric attached on the end. He was waving it back and forth like a flag.

She sat up, frowning. “What’re you doing?”

“What does it look like?” He gave her a tentative look. “Surrendering.”

“You? Surrendering?” She sat up and crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s the catch?”

He sat down on the edge of the bed. “Look, I know this hasn’t been easy for you.” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “The ranch is a completely different world from the one you come from.” A crooked smile spread over his lips. “And I know how you feel about cowboys.”

“Really?” She tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you raked Bobby over the coals for wearing his hat and boots to the reception.”

“Yeah … what does that have to do with cowboys?”

His brows knitted. “You really are confusing sometimes.”

She laughed humorlessly. “I’m confusing? That’s rich coming from the most confusing man on the planet.”

Wariness crept into his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I guess I just don’t understand you.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, I can’t believe you would let a little thing like my getting takeout with a high school friend wreck our relationship. And to add insult to injury, you never even gave me a chance to defend myself. You just disappeared, leaving me to pick up the pieces.”

His jaw tightened, and he rubbed a hand through his hair. “Yeah, that’s what I wanna talk to you about.”

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