Page 87 of Wild Highway (Runaway 2)

Once construction started, I didn’t want to miss a minute, especially after contributing a million dollars to the project. It was the first of three major investments I’d made in the past six months, though with the other two I truly was silent.

One was a women’s shelter in California for women who’d escaped their nightmares. Dr. Brewer had recommended the organization to me and they’d been thrilled to welcome me aboard. The other was a national children’s organization that focused on serving runaway kids. I’d been happy to give them large sums of money and let them run with the dollars.

Benjamin had been more than happy to take them under his wing so I could concentrate on activities in Montana.

The expansion would be time consuming for us all to get it off the ground, though particularly so for Cash and me. Easton thought the expansion was part of my elevated stress levels. He wasn’t entirely wrong.

If they voted to have me station the lodge’s front desk again, I was moving back to the cabin.

Not long after Christmas, the time spent planning the training facility had ramped up. On top of the already busy resort and ranch activities, Easton and Cash had struggled to keep up with the emails and phone calls and general office work.

Enter me.

I loved barking orders and making decisions and as it turned out, my entrepreneurial expertise came in handy, so I’d been promoted from silent investor to joint director of operations. Cash and I were working together to get the breeding and training facility open. We were having a blast, though the hours had been demanding.

Maybe too demanding.

But it was hard to slow down when everyone was so excited. When I was excited. This was more than just my new job. This was more than turning a profit. This was about building a legacy for my son.

“Promise you won’t make me sit at the front—” Before I could get Katherine on my side in this inevitable war about what was best for Gemma, the doorbell rang.

“Who could that be?” Carol stood from the table, but before she could take a step, Cash flew inside.

“I got it. I got it. I got it.” He waved us all back into our seats and rushed to the door. He swung it open and a female voice floated through the air.

My stomach dropped and I turned to Katherine, seeing all the blood drain from her face as Cash escorted a pretty blonde into the house.

Holding her hand.

No. Cash, you idiot.

Katherine’s eyes were glued to their linked hands. She studied them for a long moment as Carol and Liddy greeted the guest, surprised as we were by the addition.

“You guys remember Dany?” Cash asked, getting nods.

“Hey, Kat.” Dany waved.

“Hey.” Katherine forced a smile but it didn’t reach her eyes.

I stood, using my growing belly to block out Katherine and give her a chance to recover. “Hey, Dany. I’m Gemma. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

I let go of her hand just as Easton came inside carrying a platter of burgers.

He saved me from making small talk and with everyone clustered around the table, fixing their burgers and diving into the meal, it allowed Katherine time to pretend this wasn’t killing her.

I loved Cash. We’d gotten to know each other these past six months and he was genuinely a good man, like his brother. But for fuck’s sake, he was stupid when it came to women.

What on earth had possessed him to bring a woman tonight? Who was this Dany? And when had they started dating? The two of them sat side by side at the dinner table, whispering and canoodling and annoying the hell out of the rest of us.

I nudged Easton’s elbow with my own, then shot him a silent question. Had he known about this?

He shook his head, as shocked as the rest of us.

The minute her burger was done, Katherine took her plate to the kitchen without a word. I stood to follow.

“Leave your plate,” Carol said.