Page 3 of Wild Rivals

They’re huddled over their table, talking in what looks to be hushed tones. Probably conspiring on what more they can do to hurt the people and land of this town. It would be typical of them to stoop to that level.

You can never trust a Hart. I should know. I learned that the hard way.

Disgust travels down the length of my spine, and my top lip curls at the reminder of my accident nearly fifteen years ago at the hands of Deacon Hart.

“Can we help you, Wilde?” Rhett asks, a scowl on his face that I’m sure matches my own.

I slide off my stool, keeping my gait slow and smooth as I walk toward them. Maddie’s dark brown eyes narrow, and the corner of my mouth twitches with amusement. Fucking with them is one of my favorite pastimes; it soothes something in my soul.

“No problem, Hart, other than you letting your vermin run wild,” I reply, coming to a stop at the edge of their booth and tapping my knuckles on the worn tabletop. Rhett balls his fist on the slightly scratched surface and Maddie reaches out a hand as if to say, “not now.” Delight dances in my gut as I continue, “Besides that, I was looking for an empty booth, and would you look at that?” I flick my gaze to the now-empty booth behind them. “There’s one right here.”

Without giving either of them a chance to reply, I walk away, sinking into the booth seat that puts me directly behind Maddie. Dirty dishes litter the table, so I busy myself with moving them out of my way before pulling out some napkins from the dispenser and wiping down the tabletop, all while half listening to the two people behind me.

Maddie sighs heavily, the sound a mix of frustration and reluctance, before continuing her conversation with Rhett. Her voice is hushed, but if I lean back against my seat enough, I can make out what she’s saying.

“I don’t know if Daddy will go for it, Rhett.” She pauses, and I picture her pushing her plate away from her as a soft scraping fills the quiet. “I’ve put together a proposal, and I’m hoping that if I focus on the revenue versus expenditure he’ll agree to us putting in a bid because it’ll cost a fair bit of money. More than any of the other lots.”

My ears prick. What is she talking about? I mean, there aren’t many lots of land for sale around here, so I have an idea. I should have known she’d be thinking of doing something like this. Irritation swirls in my gut as I listen in. The last bit of Evergreen land is currently the only plot up for sale in Coldwater, and it doesn’t make sense for the Harts to buy something outside of town when their business is here.

Jim Evergreen is selling his land in pieces. Over the last two years, we’ve bid on the parcels that will grow our acreage, with many of them being successful, but Mr. Evergreen has been cautious about selling anyone more land than others. When I asked him why he wasn’t just selling to the highest bidder, he said that he didn’t want one family to become too powerful.

And yet he’d willingly sell it to someone like Maddie Hart. Her intentions aren’t honorable. All she wants is to make more money and bring people into the county who have no respect for the people who have made this place home.

The last plot of Evergreen land sits between Wild Heartlands and Hartlands Ranch. I have no doubt that if the Harts get it, then we’ll have even more tourists trespassing and causing damage—and not just to our land but to our people.

Doris arrives, clearing away the dirty dishes with a practiced ease. She tuts and shakes her head when our eyes meet, and I hold up my hands, grinning as I feign innocence before she walks away.

Rhett was always a loudmouth, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that I can hear him clear as day when he responds, even with a mouth full of food. “I know that he’ll say yes, just because it’s you, Mads.” He pauses, and I picture him swallowing his food before he continues, “Besides, it’s a good idea. It will be perfect for what you have planned.”

What does she have planned? Whatever it is, I know it won’t be good for us. I want to tell them to back the fuck off, but, instead, I tune out their conversation when Maddie asks Rhett about his latest art project. Right now, I need to figure out a way of stopping the Harts from getting that land. Hell, I’d rather die trying than never have tried at all.

3

WYATT

It’s late afternoon on a weekday and I’m sitting on the couch in Chapters and Crumbs watching Autumn as she chats with a customer. They aren’t from around here, but despite this, she still has an easy smile on her face as she tells them about the pastry selection she has on offer. Protectiveness surges through me as I keep a watchful eye on her. Just in case the guy oversteps.

She narrows her eyes at me as the small, mousy man bends to survey the display cabinet. I shrug a shoulder, lift a brow, and silently tell her that I’m not going anywhere. If it were up to me, she’d have round-the-clock security, just so she didn’t have to deal with the tourists that come and go by herself.

Twenty years ago, we both saw the damage they were capable of. Hell, we see it now in how she isn’t quite like the woman she used to be. Damaging a bit of land, which in most cases is fixable, is completely different to the destruction that kid did to Autumn’s life. That shit was irreparable, no matter how much I tried to fix her.

Seventeen-year-old Autumn is nothing but a distant memory. One that I miss like I’d miss my next breath. She used to be vibrant and full of sunshine and happiness. Some—anyone that doesn’t really know her—would say she still is, but if you knew the Autumn then and the Autumn now, you’d see how different she is. It’s in the way she keeps a part of herself closed off from those around her, or how her smile never really reaches her eyes.

“What’s got that scowl on your face, Wy?” Autumn asks, rounding the counter as the mousy man exits the building.

I watch after him until he’s out of sight and then I turn my attention to Autumn. She’s standing beside the couch, one hand on her lower back and a groove between her brows.

“Are you okay?” I ask, sitting forward and taking hold of her arm as I guide her to sit down.

She brushes me away and wriggles into the cushions until she’s comfortable. “I will be until it’s time to get up, and then I’m going to need your help.”

I chuckle, sitting back as I watch the people in town go about their business through the large bay windows.

“I can’t wait for tonight,” Autumn mutters, rolling her neck on a heavy sigh.

“Yeah?” I ask, half listening and half watching as a group of people amble down the sidewalk. “What’s happening tonight?”

“It’s a girls’ pamper night. Maddie, Gracie and Chloe are coming over. Although I think that’s only because Olivia is out of town and wants them to babysit me.” Autumn pouts.