Page 42 of Wine, Whiskey, & Lipstick 2

Ben exhaled. “Yes. The brake line on Cat’s car was severed.”

Gasps could be heard around the room.

Cat shook her head in disbelief. “And that’s not a crime?!”

“We can’t confirm if it was intentional or is connected to all of this. So, no. It’s not a crime. Still, we’d rather be safe than sorry, so we’ve had Dillyn and Palmer’s car inspected.”

Dillyn knew that was bullshit.

“Like Mike said, we’ve added more technology to secure our properties. Unfortunately, for now, you will need to pause your renovations.”

It made sense. They all nodded in agreement. Dillyn had more questions, “If someone trips the technology, how long will it take us to know about it? And how will it know the difference between humans and animals? Can it? There are all kinds of creatures out there. If we work in the orchard, how would we know if something is wrong?” The way Dillyn’s mind worked, the more questions she asked the more that sprang to mind. “Securing our property and the Cash ranch simultaneously is a lot of ground to cover. Is that even possible?”

That was the question Ben hoped Dillyn wouldn’t ask, at least before he had a chance to discuss it with her alone, but before he could say anything, Wyatt stepped in to answer, “You’re right. It is a lot of ground to cover, but we’ll get it sorted.”

Cat shook her head. “That’s a half-assed non-answer if I’ve ever heard one. Y’all are going to need to give us more specifics than that.”

“You’re right. We don’t have the answers yet, but we’ve been working with experts to determine the best way to secure our properties. However, until we come up with a solid plan,” Ben knew this idea was going over like a lead balloon as he rubbed the back of his neck, “maybe it’s a good idea for you ladies to pack a bag and come stay with us for a little while.”

Palmer was flexible up until that point. She glanced over at Lucas, “Oh, hell no! We are not leaving our home. Technically, we’re still moving in!”

Lucas was pissed that Palmer was being boneheaded, most likely because of him, “You being pissed at me is a dumbass reason for you not to take your safety seriously.”

“She’s not being boneheaded.” Dillyn agreed with Palmer. “My work is here. I can’t just pack everything and bring it to your house.”

“Why not?” Wyatt asked. He figured the reason but wanted more answers.

Dillyn knew he wanted more information about the work she did and, specifically, Syntax, so she needed to tread carefully. The bottom line was that there was zero chance they were moving into Ben’s house. “My digital security is elaborate.” It was the first thing installed. “I can’t leave.”

Ben tried to reason with her, “It’s just until we figure this shit out, Dillyn.”

“No.”Dillyn was not backing down. “I cannot leave my clients in limbo. I have contracts and commitments.”

“Agreed,”Cat responded.“You all are just going to have to figure out how to keep us safe on our property because we’re staying put.”

After her initial outburst, Selah had been quiet until now, “this is all my fault. If I had never . . .”

“None of this is your fault,” Dillyn wasn’t about to let Selah feel guilty about something she knew in her bones had everything to do with her. “We’ll figure out how to end this,” She told Ben, “but it won’t involve moving into your house.”

Ben understood better than most pain and guilt, and he was tied up in knots watching his sister go through it.Fine.He would move the mountain to them if they wouldn’t come to the mountain. “I guess that means we’ll be moving in here.”

Wyatt and Lucas were more than surprised, but it was a decent compromise, considering they weren’t about to leave any of them unprotected.

Ben didn’t give Dillyn and her two-woman crew a chance to disagree. Instead, he whipped his hand in the air as if it were a lasso. “We’ve got a lot of work to do before nightfall. Let’s get to it.”

Chapter 18

It had been a long day andnight,and Dillyn was exhausted. Ben didn’t seem to be faring any better. He and his brothers had overseen the installation of a new temporary electronic fence, and they had personally walked the entire perimeter around the house. By the time Ben came upstairs, he looked completely spent and almost fell into the bed. As exhausted as Ben was, he still had enough energy to pull Dillyn into his arms. He was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

Even in his sleep, Dillyn could see his mind working. Ben wouldn’t stop until he figured out how to keep them all safe. It was a feeling she shared. If Dillyn had to guess, Palmer and Cat would feel better once Wyatt and Lucas moved into the house, though they would never admit it.

Dillyn exhaled deeply.Is itpossible for all of us to live together in perfect harmony?She had her doubts, considering Palmer and Lucas weren’t getting along.

As Ben and Dillyn layin bed, she watched him sleep. The tell-tale signs of stress were etched across his forehead. With everything going on, Dillyn still hadn’t dealt with the baby issue.How can I bring a child into the mess I created?

It was also difficult to take Ben at his word regarding them having a baby together.Is it possible he’s genuinely happy about this pregnancy?Or was Ben making the best out of the situation? He was such a standup guy and incredibly responsible. His character was impeccable. Yet, they still had so much to learn about one another.

Gently, Dillyn caressed his forehead as if that would smooth out the wrinkles while searching his face for answers. She had noticed the creases weren’t nearly as pronounced as when they first met.Are we good for each other? Isn’t it natural to feel uneasy about an unplanned pregnancy with a man I’ve only been dating for a few months?If I’m feeling a way, he has to?

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