Page 67 of Dirty Cowboy

Grandpa, oblivious to the tension simmering between us, pulls out her chair. "Why don’t you order lunch before we get down to business."

I slide the menu toward her, trying to keep my hands from fisting on the table.

Caroline flips through the pages, taking her sweet time.

Tick. Tock.

Grandpa excuses himself to the restroom, and the second he’s gone, Caroline leans in, her voice a poisoned whisper.

"You know," she purrs, "at one point, I thought it would beusliving in LA. You continuing your service, me practicing law…"

My stomach churns.

"Let's get one thing straight," I say, voice low and sharp, the urge to flip the table over running strong. Instead, my finger traces agitated circles on the tabletop as I find myself wishing it could conjure a tornado to sweep this witch away. "There was never anus, Caroline. There never will be. Whatever game you’re playing,it ends now. I won’t let you ruin my life again."

She smirks. "Aren’t you forgetting?I have the pictures, Eric."

Cold fury rushes through me.

She leans back, crossing her legs. "A little respect might be in order."

I exhale sharply, every nerve on edge.

I should have seen this coming.

Tristan didn’t just send a spy.

He sent my goddamn nightmare.

Caroline’s eyes lock onto mine, cold and unrelenting. Her voice drops to a whisper, thick with venom. “I’m doing your grandfather a favor today, so don’t fuck it up, Waters. Like I told you before, if I can’t have you, no one can. Your little engagement is just a hiccup and I know you’ll come to your senses.”

Her words wrap around my throat like a noose, the same old threat, just a different day. My fists clench under the table, nails digging into my palms as I fight back the urge to tell her exactly where she can shove her games.

“My engagement is more real than the night you drugged me and picked up a camera.”

She smirks, leaning forward. “If I recall correctly, you were a willing participant.”

I lean back, putting as much space between us as possible without causing a scene. My grandfather returns just as our food arrives, unknowingly cutting through the tension, but Caroline lingers like a bad aftertaste. Every word she utters tightens the coil in my gut, as a reminder that she’s never truly gone.

Then, she drops the bomb I didn’t see coming.

“I’m thinking of moving back to Lords Valley,” she announces, her voice light, casual. My fork clatters against my plate. “My parents need help, and there’s an opportunity for me to open my own practice.”

Grandpa beams. “A lawyer in town? That would be something new.”

I stare at her, my stomach twisting. I know exactly what she’s doing. She’s not coming back for family. She’s coming back forme.

“We’ll see how things go,” she continues, checking her watch like she hasn’t just turned my world upside down. “I’m sorry to rush things, but I have an appointment by town hall in fifteen minutes.”

Then, she winks at me. A deliberate, slow wink that has my blood boiling.

I force a breath and push my plate aside, suddenly losing my appetite. “We don’t want you to be late, so let’s get this wrapped up.” I slide the manila envelope from her across the table to Grandpa.

He flips through the pages, signing where Caroline directs, while she sits there like a cat with a canary in its mouth. She acts as a witness, seals the envelope, and hands a copy to Grandpa before sliding the originals into her oversized purse.

“Thanks for your help, Caroline,” Grandpa says, shaking her hand.

“My pleasure.” She turns to me, her lips stretching into a knowing smirk. “I’ll have these delivered to the Silvers on Monday. Congratulations on your engagement, Eric.”

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