Chapter 30
The headache behind Seth's eyes had faded to a dull throb by early afternoon. Between the greasy breakfast Tucker had insisted he eat, two bottles of Gatorade, plenty of water, and a couple of pain relievers, he was at least functional again.
The hurt and anger from the previous night still sat like a rock in his gut.
He'd spent the rest of the morning keeping busy around the ranch houses, watering flower beds, pulling weeds from the landscaping, and checking the paddocks where several mares grazed with their foals. Physical work usually gave his mind somewhere else to go.
Today, it hadn't helped much.
After lunch, Tucker found him near the maintenance shop and filled him in on what was happening.
Shane had accepted that Shylo was his sister—a DNA test would confirm it—but another problem had taken its place.
Her other half-brother had followed her to Kansas, demanded a part of whatever she inherited, and threatened the Wilsons when she refused.
Now, he stood with Shane, Tucker, Lane, Chief Hughes, and the ranch hands as they discussed the situation. Inside, Paige, Mya, the kids, and Shylo remained safely out of the heat—and more importantly, out of the middle of the discussion.
Lane tucked his notebook into a back pocket. “I stopped by the Moody Moon before coming out here. Nobody's seen him since this morning. I checked the bars in town and circled a few other places he might've gone. No sign of him or his pickup.”
“He'll turn up,” Chief Hughes said. “He came all this way for money—I doubt he’ll leave town without it.”
“I've already sent a description of him and his truck to the sheriff's department and the surrounding towns. I also let them know he might be armed,” Lane added. “An informal APB since he technically hasn’t committed a crime yet. If he heads into another jurisdiction, maybe someone will spot him.”
According to Shane, Shylo had seen Troy with a gun a few times, though he'd always tried to keep it out of sight. More often than not, he left it in his truck.
Tucker folded his arms across his chest. “I had to tell Paige what was going on.”
Shane looked at him with an expression that landed somewhere between amusement and resignation. “Let me guess. You marched into the house, told everybody they were staying inside, and figured Paige wouldn't ask why.”
“I might've left out a few details.”
“You?” Shane snorted. “About as subtle as a bull strolling down Main Street.”
A few chuckles rippled through the group, including one from Lane.
“She's your wife,” the deputy said. “You really thought she'd let that slide?”
Tucker scratched the back of his neck. “Not my finest plan.”
“No,” Shane agreed. “But probably your only one.”
The brief laughter faded as quickly as it had come.
Hughes glanced around the circle. “Until we locate Troy, nobody goes looking for him alone. If you see him, call Lane or me. If he forces the issue, defend yourselves. Otherwise, let us handle it.”
Heads nodded all around.
“I’ve got someone watching the motel, and I let Dean know in case he shows up at the bar,” Lane said.
The conversation shifted to who would cover which parts of the ranch over the next few days and what else they could do to keep everyone and the animals safe.
Seth barely heard any of it. Hell, if someone asked him what they had discussed over the last thirty minutes, he'd come up blank. His attention kept drifting to the back of the house. He couldn't see Shylo, but he knew she was in there with Paige, Mya, and the kids.
He wondered how she was doing. He'd spent half the morning convincing himself that he was done with her. Now, all he could think about was the fact that some bastard had threatened her and everyone at the Triple-R.
Lane's phone rang, cutting through the conversation. As everyone fell quiet, he glanced at the screen before answering. “Lane Myers.”
The brief lull allowed Jamie to step closer and nudge Seth's arm. “You okay?”
He dragged his gaze away from the house, crossed his arms, and gave a distracted nod. “Yeah.”
His friend looked unconvinced but let it go as Lane continued the call.
“Yeah, thanks for calling me back. We're looking for a guy named Troy Kellerman.
Possibly armed. No charges yet, but he's made verbal threats toward a family here in Hazard.
He's thirty-eight, about six-two, one-seventy, with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a one-inch scar on his right cheek.
Tattoos on both arms and the side of his neck.
He's driving a 2021 black Dodge Ram 1500.” He rattled off the license plate, then listened for a moment to whoever was on the other end. “Great. Thanks again.”
He disconnected the call. “That was Olsen Creek P.D. They’ll keep an eye out for Troy too.”
Something tugged at the edge of Seth's muddled mind.
Then everything slammed into place.
The name Troy hit Seth like a punch to the chest.
The bar.
The scarred, tattooed stranger buying round after round.
Everything Seth had told him about Shylo.
The comments about women lying and playing games.
The way the guy quietly kept feeding Seth’s anger and hurt as alcohol flooded his system.
The black Dodge parked outside Bar None.
His stomach dropped. “Son of a bitch.”
Every conversation stopped, and heads turned toward him. He stared at Lane and then Shane. “I met him.”
In the family room, Shylo sat at one end of the sofa, her hands wrapped around a mug of chamomile tea Mya had insisted would help settle her nerves. It hadn't worked yet, but the warmth against her palms gave her something to focus on besides the nervous energy coursing through her.
Behind her, Arianna carefully separated another section of her hair.
“Hold still,” the young girl instructed. “I'm trying to make it pretty.”
Despite everything, Shylo couldn't help but smile. “Sorry.”
“You're fidgeting.”
“I know.”
Sassy lay stretched across the rug nearby, lifting her furry head every so often as though she'd heard something beyond the room. Mya disappeared into the kitchen for a moment before returning with a small plate of oatmeal cookies, setting it on the coffee table.
“You need to eat something,” she said to Shylo.
“I don't think I could.”
“You don't have to eat all of them.” Mya smiled. “Just a few, so you can let me know if they’re good or not.”
The woman’s tone said she was confident they were delicious.
She let out a soft laugh. “I'll try.”
“I'll help,” Arianna said as she tied off another braid.
Warmth spread through Shylo's chest. If this was what it felt like to have nieces and nephews, she couldn't wait to know them better.
“Thanks.”
Footsteps sounded on the staircase and then down the hallway.
Paige came into the room carrying the baby monitor, which she set on the end table beside the armchair. She settled into the chair and smiled. “Ashley's finally asleep. How's the braiding coming?”
“Almost done,” Arianna announced proudly.
“I told her she could practice on me.” Shylo shrugged. “I figured hair grows back if something goes terribly wrong.”
“It looks good,” Paige assured her. “Besides, Ari's been braiding anybody who sits still long enough for years. You're in very capable hands.”
“Yep,” the girl said as her fingers continued weaving another section into the braid.
For a few minutes, nobody said much. Arianna continued working patiently through Shylo's hair while Mya sat in a nearby chair with a book.
Under different circumstances, Shylo might have found the moment comforting.
Instead, every passing minute made her wonder what was happening outside.
What they planned to do about Troy.
Whether everyone would be safer if she'd never come to Hazard Falls at all.
And most of all...
If Seth would ever speak to her again.
Paige broke the silence. “So... once everything settles down, are you thinking of staying in Hazard?”
Shylo hesitated. From the curious look on Paige's face, Shane hadn't told either of his spouses about their conversation at the diner yet.
“I'd like to.”
Before the other woman could respond, Arianna leaned around Shylo's shoulder to look at her. “Please stay!”
The hope in the little girl's voice caught Shylo off guard. She smiled and looked back at Paige. “Shane said he wants me to.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “He did?”
Shylo nodded. “He offered to teach me everything about running the ranch.” The words still felt almost unreal. “He said if I wanted to stay, we'd figure out where I fit.”
Paige's expression softened into a warm smile. “I had a feeling that's how this was going to end. We'd all like you to stay.”
Hearing Shane say he wanted her to stay had meant everything. Having Paige repeat the same sentiment somehow made it seem real.
Before Shylo could think of a response, the back door opened.
She looked up so quickly that the movement tugged at the fresh braid draped over her shoulder. For one foolish, hopeful second, she expected Seth to walk in behind Shane and Tucker. Even after both men had stepped inside, she kept staring at the doorway, searching for someone who wasn't there.
He hadn't come with them.
She shouldn’t have felt surprised. After everything she'd hidden from him, she had no right to expect anything different. Even so, the fragile optimism Paige's words had given her moments earlier began to fade.
Shane strode into the family room, his attention sweeping over everyone as though reassuring himself they were all exactly where they were supposed to be. When he spotted a braid hanging over Shylo's shoulder, some of the seriousness in his expression eased.
“Well,” he said with a smile, “looks like Ari found herself another customer.”
“She did.” Shylo touched the braid. “I think she did a wonderful job.”
“Of course I did,” Arianna replied matter-of-factly.
“You always do,” Shane said, leaning over to kiss the top of her head.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the room almost felt normal. Then Shylo caught the glance that passed between Shane, Tucker, and Paige. The lightness she'd seen on Shane's face disappeared, replaced by the guarded concern she'd seen earlier.