Page 24 of Wild Rivals

This is bullshit. If Wyatt went to see Jim, then he went because he doesn’t want a Hart to get the land. This was as personal as it gets. Wyatt hasn’t forgotten. He’s still holding on to what happened with Autumn. With Deacon. But this? This isn’t just about the past. He’s gone out of his way to take this from me.

Swiping at my dry cheeks, I force my shoulders down and back as I inject as much calm into my tone as I can muster. I still have to remain professional; at this point, it’s the only thing I have going for me. “May I ask what his offer was?”

“Five hundred thousand on top of their already generous offer,” Jim replies, unaware of the anger building inside me with every word he utters.

I want to scream and cry, but I know now isn’t the time. Daddy has taught me many things about business, but the main one was always to show no weakness. We don’t have an extra two hundred thousand lying around, let alone five on top of what we were already offering. Wyatt might not have known that, but I suspect he figured it out. After all, our offer was fair and in line with the market value for the size of the land. There was no reason for him to do what he did.

Reining in my fury, I force myself to take a couple of calming breaths before saying, “Thank you for calling to let me know, Mr. Evergreen. I trust that you have made the right decision for you and your family.” There’s only one person to be angry at here, and it isn’t the man on the end of the phone.

“Thank you, Maddie.” There’s a sense of relief in his tone before he adds, “Take care and please tell your father I’d like to have dinner soon.”

I mutter some semblance of a response before hanging up and sitting back in my chair. My eyes sting with unshed tears and I close them, a headache looming as I try to figure out my next move. There’s only really one I want to do, and that’s giving Wyatt Wilde a piece of my mind. It almost feels like I won’t be able to move on until I do.

Without giving it too much thought, I sit forward and press the intercom button on my desk phone. “Mona, can you have a car brought out front for me, please?”

She doesn’t knock when she enters; instead, she waltzes into my office like she owns the place. I guess that’s what years of loyal service grants you. “A car?”

“That’s what I said,” I sigh, rubbing at my temples.

“Where are you going?” she asks, seemingly unaware of my state of mind.

I rarely leave the office in the middle of the working day, but I won’t be able to concentrate until this pent-up frustration is gone. Normally, if I ever get annoyed or need a release, I take my horse, Sage, out and we ride until my mind is clear, but it doesn’t feel like that will be enough this time. Right now, all I want to do is find Wyatt and unleash on him all the anger I barely have a hold on. It’s the least he deserves.

“I need to deal with something,” I reply, keeping my focus on my laptop screen, afraid that if Mona figures out my plan, she’ll try to stop me. She’s always so levelheaded, and right now, I don’t need that.

When she doesn’t respond or leave, I look up and catch her observing me through narrowed eyes. “Whatever it is, I can do it,” she declares, almost daring me to deny her.

I huff out a breath and snap, “Please, just do as I ask.”

For a second, I see her contemplate pushing back, and I don’t blame her. She knows how busy we are and that if I leave for an undisclosed period of time, I’ll get even more behind, which will ultimately leave me feeling stressed out. God, I hate how well she knows me sometimes.

Backing up, she pulls the door almost closed, simply replying, “I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”

“Thank you,” I call as she shuts the door. Guilt flashes through me for a second before it’s engulfed again by my fury.

I turn my attention back to the invoice I was reviewing when Mr. Evergreen called. The numbers bounce around on the screen as if they’re mocking me for ever thinking I stood a chance against Wyatt.

Why would he do this? Why go this far? Does he not have any sense of honor? Does he think it’s completely normal to undercut someone? I know—from what Daddy has told me—that how Wyatt is behaving is not what his father would have taught him. He’s lashing out because of something that happened years ago.

Mona knocks on my door this time before poking her head around it, as if she’s cautious of getting on my wrong side again. I offer her a soft smile as she says, “The car’s ready.”

“Thank you.” I stand, grabbing my phone and sliding it into the back pocket of my jeans before rounding my desk. “If there’s an emergency, call me, but honestly, I don’t think I’ll be too long.”

She nods in confirmation, and I stride past her, heading to the front of the main house. The sparks of my anger flicker to life with every move I make toward him, until it’s all I can hold on to.

17

WYATT

Thump. Thump. Thump. The sound of my front door being pounded filters through the house as I step out of the shower. My hair drips as I grab a towel, dragging it over my head before wrapping it around my hips and heading for the front door.

The incessant pounding only intensifies as I amble down the stairs, the air-conditioned air making goosebumps break out on my exposed flesh. This had better be good.

“Wyatt.” Between each thud, she shouts my name with annoyance. I recognize that voice, and I’m half tempted to leave her standing outside in the late afternoon heat. No doubt Jim has called her and told her about my offer, and instead of being gracious, she’s decided to storm over here.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The door shudders in the frame from the force.