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“Don’t you? It’s been three hours since we stopped for gas.”

His shrug is indifferent. It’s the same sulky attitude that’s clung onto him since last night. Stupid Wyatt and his nasty mouth. As if I didn’t hate that guy enough.

The grumpy cowboy behind the wheel reclaims my full attention. His guard is up, trying to block me out. It’s reminiscent of when we were kids and he’d have a fight with his parents. That defense mechanism took its toll when his mom left. I don’t need him to protect me from his pain. Quite the opposite, if we’re going to make this work for the long haul.

My mouth goes dry as I chew on the difficult subject. “Will you talk to me?”

He nods. “What’s up?”

I blink at his blasé response. “Are you thinking about your dad?”

Tension clenches his jaw into stone. “No.”

“Don’t lie to me,” I state calmly.

Chance’s throat quivers as he struggles to swallow through the strain. “How could I not be thinking about him?”

“Good question. Maybe because he betrayed your family?” Which is just the most recent offense. I’m sure the list of his crimes—many that he’s on the run from—is twice the length of my assumptions. “That man should be dead to you.”

“He is. Mostly,” he grinds out. “But then I find out he might have information for you.”

I scoff. “You don’t actually believe that, right? He’s just trying to get your attention.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Um, there’s a warrant out for his arrest?”

“That makes him desperate,” Chance counters.

“Yeah, exactly!” I toss my hands into the air. “He’ll spin some fabricated nonsense to reel you in.”

“If he has anything of value, it could help solve your case. Aren’t you curious?”

“No, not for the price he’ll charge.” The truth hardens my voice. “I’ve put the accident behind me. The police searched for the person who hit me. It’s a dead end. If anyone had details about the accident, they would’ve been leaked by now. Your dad was long gone when it happened. He doesn’t know anything.”

His grip on the wheel bleaches his knuckles into a concerning shade of white. “I hate that he still manipulates me like this, but I have to find out for myself.”

“Chance,” I plead and clutch his hand in mine. “Listen to me. Your dad found a weak spot and he’s exploiting it.”

A broody grimace pinches his handsome features. “You’re not my weak spot.”

“I most certainly am in this case. You’re ready to throw yourself at Jimmy’s feet for whatever lies he’s willing to tell. We don’t even know if Wyatt was being honest. He could’ve been riling you up on purpose.” But my solid reasoning falls on deaf ears.

Chance glares at the two hours we have left to drive. “Only one way to find out.”

My palm thumps my forehead. “Yeah, you need to forget about him.”

“I will after this.” The conviction in his tone raises the hairs on the back of my neck.

“What’s your plan?” The words are yanked out of me in a slow creep.

“Once we get back to Cloverleaf Meadows, I’ll reach out to him.”

“And if he wants you to meet him somewhere?”

His nod is a decision made final. “I’m going to settle the score once and for all.”

A shiver pebbles my skin as if the temperature just plummeted. “If you’re going, I’m going too.”