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Wes shifted his stance to mock the three men facing him. Arms across his chest, he glared at each of them in turn before settling his gaze back on Chance. “I’d say that
what happens between Belle and me is our business.”
Chance took a single step forward. “Then you’d be wrong. You made your choice. You let her walk out of your life five years ago.”
Though he might have a point, Wes didn’t acknowledge it. “She didn’t tell me about our daughter.”
The two brothers behind Chance exchanged a quick look. “He’s right about that,” one of them said.
Chance nodded. “Yeah, she should have told you. I give you that.”
“Thanks,” Wes said wryly.
“We told her so when she first came home. It wasn’t right, her keeping it from you.”
“Agreed.”
“But Isabelle does things her way. Always has. She doesn’t take advice well.”
“Yeah,” Wes said. “Me neither. Who knew she and I would have that in common?” One of the brothers—Eli or Tyler, he didn’t know which was which—smiled at that. “Just how did you guys know I was here? Did Belle send you to scare me off?”
“This is a small town, man. Word started spreading the minute you drove up to Isabelle’s house, and the talk hasn’t slowed down since.” Chance laughed shortly. “Besides, there is no way Isabelle would have come running to us. Our little sister doesn’t need a man to protect her.”
Wes waved one hand at the three of them. “And yet...”
Chance smiled slightly. “Just because she doesn’t need it doesn’t mean she won’t get it.”
He could understand that. Family standing for family. But knowing that didn’t mean he liked being warned off or threatened.
“Fine.” Wes nodded and met Chance’s steady gaze with his own. “I’m not here to hurt Belle. I’m here to connect with my daughter. And,” he added, “there’s no way you can stop me.”
A long, tension-filled silence followed as the men took each other’s measure. Wes didn’t flinch. He’d faced down adversaries before. He’d been in his share of fistfights growing up, and he’d won them all. He’d looked across boardroom tables at competitors aching to take him down, and he hadn’t folded to anyone. Damned if he’d start now. A part of him admired Belle’s brothers. Loyalty was everything to him, and maybe that’s why Belle’s lies had cut so deeply. But he could understand these men standing up for their sister even as he knew it wouldn’t stop him from doing what he’d come to Swan Hollow to do.
Finally, Chance nodded. “Can’t say that I blame you for coming here. Actually, under other circumstances, I might even like you for it.”
Wes laughed.
“But we’ll be watching,” Chance promised. “You make Isabelle or Caroline unhappy—it won’t be pretty.”
“Seems fair,” Wes agreed. “As long as you three understand I’ll be staying in town as long as I please. I’ll see my daughter and your sister as often as I can manage it, and I don’t want any of you interfering. This is between Belle and I.”
Chance’s gaze locked with Wes’s for a long moment. Then he nodded. “I think we have an understanding.”
“And you’re not going to have an easy time of it,” one of the other brothers quipped, a half smile on his face. “Isabelle’s got a head like a rock when her mind’s made up. And she’s probably not real happy that you’re here.”
Wes frowned, and Chance laughed at his expression.
“Yeah,” the man said a second later. “I’m thinking Tyler’s right and you’ve got bigger problems with Isabelle than you do dealing with us.”
Belle’s brothers silently filed out of the room. Wes stayed where he was and didn’t watch them go.
He’d been alone since his father’s death a few years earlier. No siblings, no extended family, and since he’d never known anything different, he hadn’t really missed it, either. Until just now. But even he could see that the Graystone siblings were tight. Close-knit. And a part of him he hadn’t even been aware of was almost jealous of it.
Then his mind started clicking. Thoughts, ideas, possible plans flashed through his brain so quickly he couldn’t separate them all. But somewhere in the chaos of his thoughts there was a single notion that began to shine brightly. If he could make it work, it might solve everything.
Yes, he wanted Maverick caught. Dealt with. The man—or whoever—had cost him a merger Wes had spent two years setting up. On the other hand, if not for Maverick, he might never have known about his daughter’s existence. Wes didn’t want another relationship with Belle—she’d lied to him for five years. But he did want to be a part of Caroline’s life.
And as his mind worked, he realized there might be a way to salvage that merger after all. As long as he was here, in Colorado, spending time with Caro and Belle anyway, he might be able to use this time to convince the CEO of PlayCo that he, Belle and Caroline were a happy little family. Teddy Bradford wanted family values? Well, Wes might be in a position to offer that. If Bradford wasn’t behind the Maverick mess himself.
