Page 37 of Mountain Grump Protector

His eyes move to Cal, who hasn’t stepped away.

“Guess the rumors are true.” His voice is rough, like he hasn’t used it in a few days.

“Dad!”

“What?” he coughs into his fist. “Went out to get…” he hesitates and coughs before continuing. “Well, went out and the whole damn town’s talking about how you’re shacking up with some man from up the mountain.”

Heat flares into my cheeks, but Cal only moves closer and rests his hand lightly on my lower back.

“Are you eating?” I try to change the subject and turn to the empty fridge. “I could go and⁠—”

“You shouldn’t be here, Willow.”

“What?” My stomach tightens as I turn to face him.

There’s genuine worry in my dad’s face, despite the fact that I’m sure he’s probably already a few beers in.

“They’ve been coming around.”

Next to me, I feel Cal stiffen. “How often?” he doesn’t bother asking who.

There’s a moment of hesitation before Dad answers him. “Enough.”

“Dad—”

“I told them I ain’t seen your brother.” He rubs a hand over his face. “Didn’t matter. They said they’d⁠—

The sound of a truck door slamming outside stops whatever else he was going to say. The knot in my chest twists tighter. Beside me, Cal mutters something under his breath.

“Shit,” Dad mutters. “That’d be them again.”

A flash of anger for my brother and the situations he continues to put us in flickers over me, but there’s no time for that now. Not with the heavy footfall of boots on the porch,

Cal moves past me to head them off, but there’s a bang on the door, and before he can stop it, the front door swings open.

“Well, well, well, looky here.”

I recognize Dale, one of Hatch’s men from the Rusty Nail. His eyes land on me, his brow lifts, and his lips snarl in a leer that has me baring my teeth at him.

“It’s about time you came home, little lady,” he says. “Ronnie's going to be happy to see you.”

“The fuck he will.” Cal steps in front of me, looming over Dale. “Because he’s not going to see her at all.”

“You been having fun with her up on that mountain of yours, Reeves?”

Disgust crawls over my skin at the tone in his voice.

At his sides, Cal’s hands flex into fists. “What do you want, Dale? You have no business here.”

Dale only grins. “Ronnie wants his money.”

“And he’ll get it,” Cal says evenly. “I’ll have it in the morning. You know as well as I do it takes a bit to get cash around here.”

“Price went up.”

To my surprise, it’s Cal who smiles slightly at that. Only there’s nothing funny or warm about the look on his face. “To hell it did.”

Dale pulls the toothpick from his mouth and looks Cal straight in the eye. “Problem is, while you were busy fucking your little prize up on the mountain there, things changed. This ain’t about the original debt anymore.”