Page 32 of Waiting in Wyoming

The house was locked up good and tight. He’d have to get the best contracting company in town—Martin Tyler and his brothers, cousins of Fletcher—to fix the things that needed fixed.He was redoing the interior to be modern and less heavy and ornate. Too fussy.

Morris Preston had lived there—and the man’s son had almost killed Meyra’s cousins Dusty, Devaney, and Dylan. He didn’t want anything in that house to remind Meyra of that at all. A total remodel was the answer—but it was an eight-bedroom, three-story property. Plenty of room for a man like Brandt to spread out. With several possible guest rooms for when his family visited. And rooms for any children he and Meyra had, plus any nieces and nephews who eventually wanted to visit.

He was also doubling the size of the kitchen. She would want plenty of space in the kitchen. And he wanted to give her the best.

He would give that woman the entire world.

When he made it back to the inn, she was right there.

In dark blue jeans and a hoodie withTalley Cateringwritten on the front. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and his fingers itched to touch. “Hello, little one. Off somewhere?”

“Some of us are going to the courthouse. They’ve put in a catering order. A case that is being sequestered or something. Marin said everyone who can has to go. It’ll only take a few hours, though. She said.”

Marin had expanded the diner and inn into a small mobile catering business. It was doing rather well. “I can go with you. Be an extra set of hands.”

“You are still healing.”

“I am sore, but…not an invalid. Any longer, anyway.” He looked at the woman coming up behind her. Marin was smirking at him again. “Need grunt labor?”

“You, sir, can come if you want. I gave Dylan a pass.Shehas plans with Wonkus McBubbles once her shift ends. Apparently, her date last night went rather well. Dusty has drafted us a Ben and a Fletcher to help. This was a rather last-minute gig.”

“I had stuff in the freezer that could be thawed quickly,” Meyra said. “Just in case this kind of stuff happens. I was prepared.”

It took them three hours. But he got to spend it with her. He loved watching her work. She was very confident when it came to her kitchen. That extended to the catering side, as well.

When they made it back to the inn…he was going to lure her to the game room to sit in front of the fireplace down there and snuggle.

Miranda met him at the door. “Brandt. You’re here. I was just about to call you.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, just as his phone rang.

With his mother’s number.

He answered. And listened in utter horror.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Brandt fought impotent fury. He had never felt more useless in his life. Powell…was his closest friend on the planet, his sister—his twin. She was out there, practically helpless. Andhecouldn’t get there to her like he almost always had before. This was like his heart was being ripped out. Just ripped right from him.

No matter what he did, he couldn’t breathe.

“Brandt? What is it?” Meyra asked. Her small hand wrapped around his.

Then he could breathe again. At least enough to get out the words. “That was my mother. My sister…she’s missing. No one knows where she is. She’s just gone. I need to get back to Finley Creek. I need to go home. As fast as I can. I need to get there.”

Meyra’s arms slipped around him. Held him. Brandt wrapped his around her and just clung. Just for a moment.

He needed to get home. Powell…his sister needed him now.

Marin stepped around the counter. “I’ll book you a flight. We’ll get you home, Brandt. I promise.”

What in the hell had happened to his sister?

24

Dale had had a nightmare.That damned Bruce Tyler had played the starring role. Again. Tyler had been following Dale’s daughter. He wanted revenge—for what Morris had done to Bruce’s daughters. For some reason, he blamed Dale for Morris’s actions. Dale knew those girls though they were a few years younger than his Sierra. Just young women not harming anyone.

What Morris Preston and Larry Kellman had done to those girls had been horrible. The men had both gotten far less than they deserved in his opinion. He had told Tyler that—but that evil bastard hadn’t believed him.