Page 88 of Savage Heart

After I get back to the ranch and finish working, I head home and shower before dinner. I’d hoped it’d be Iris picking up Linc this afternoon, but it was Otis. He pulled me aside and told me he’d found the perfect car. We worked out the details, and Iris should have her new car by morning. Whether we were talking or not, I can breathe a lot easier knowing she’ll be in a safe vehicle.

Grady is the first one I see when I walk into the big house.

“I was about to come hunt you down. Lose your phone today?” he asks, grinning.

“No,” I grumble. “Just didn’t want to answer your nosy asses.”

“Hmm. Makes me think you’ve got something to hide,” he says, laughing.

“Who’s got something to hide?” Billie asks. “Oh hey.” She points at me. “Mr. Evader. Who are we hiding? It didn’t look like anything Zoey Samuels would drive. I’d heard she was in town, but she might be gone by now.” She wrinkles her nose. “You’re not still into her, are you?”

“No,” I say simply.

“Who are we talking about?” Cameron says, walking in and grabbing a plate.

“Hi, honey,” Mom says, coming over to kiss my cheek.

She moves to all of us, saying hello and making sure we’re keeping the line moving. With all the mouths to feed around here, she doesn’t like anything slowing it down.

“Hey, Mav,” Teddy says. “Was that Iris Sullivan I saw here late last night?”

My family’s eyes turn on me all at once.

I glare at Teddy, and he lifts his eyebrows, backing up.

“My bad,” he says.

My back teeth grind together.

“Was Iris here?” Mom asks, perking up.

I sigh heavily, and she puts her hand on my arm.

“I think it’s great that she’s around again. You know I’ve always wanted you to just talk to her . . . make peace with each other.”

When I don’t say anything, she bites the inside of her mouth, looking like she wants to say more. But then she relents.

“Okay, let’s keep things moving,” Mom finally says.

“What was Iris doing here?” Billie says, piling her plate with spaghetti.

“That falls under the none-of-your-business category,” I say.

“Well, now I really want to know,” she says, scrunching up her face.

Grady’s eyes narrow, and I ignore him, only to look up and see Cameron doing the same thing.

“Huh. You seem less hostile than usual,” Cameron says.

“That’s what I was thinking,” Grady says. He moves next to me. “Anything I need to be concerned about, little brother?”

“Nope.”

“Okay, because you and Iris . . .” His eyes go wide. “That would be an epic move on your part. One I’m not sure you could recover from.”

Jennifer walks into the room, and Grady gives me a pointed look.

“You hear what I’m saying, right?” he asks.