River Strong (A Powder River Novel) by B.J. Daniels

Author:B.J. Daniels [Daniels, B.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-12-25T18:30:00+00:00

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OAKLEY HAD TROUBLE concentrating during the meeting. She’d been convinced earlier that Duffy had been only kidding around as usual. But on the ride to the meeting, he wasn’t himself. She’d planned to tell him about the Lees brothers threatening CJ, but he’d seemed distracted, even distant.

He hadn’t been serious, had he? She recalled his words. “You’re going to break my heart, aren’t you?” What if he wasn’t joking?

She felt awful at the thought that she’d hurt him. He was her friend. She touched her tongue to her upper lip, thinking about the kiss. Had there been something there? She’d always loved Duffy. There had even been a time when she thought he might become more. But did she still feel that way?

Her thoughts swiftly turned to Pickett. She had wanted him the other night, wanted him to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her. She feared she might have misread the look in his eyes. She felt confused. If only the meeting hadn’t broken up when it did. She ached to know what he was going to say to her, what he might have done if they hadn’t been interrupted.

And now Pickett was gone. He had family! Maybe he would have to stay out there with them. She couldn’t bear the thought that he might not come back.

The meeting broke up and she and Duffy headed for his pickup. In all these years, she’d never felt uncomfortable around him. Being his friend had been so easy. But as they climbed into his truck, she knew she had to do something to break the silence. It felt as if there was now a wall between them.

She’d never wanted to be another one of his women and had always been relieved when he hadn’t made a pass at her. Now that he had, she didn’t want to lose him as a friend. But she was at a loss as to what she could say that wouldn’t make things worse. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about what had happened earlier. If she was being honest, she had feelings for Pickett. But she also felt something for Duffy. She told herself that she couldn’t deal with this right now.

“I need to tell you about Frankie and Norman Lees,” she said as he got the truck moving. “They came to the ranch earlier.”

That got his attention. “To see you?”

“No, CJ. He acted as if he’d been expecting them. He definitely had some business with them. They were worried he’d try to make a deal with the sheriff by ratting them out. They threatened him if he did.”

“Ratting them out about what?” Duffy asked, sounding like his old self.

Oakley shook her head. “That I don’t know. But they scared him. The thing is how does he even know them? I thought they just came to town to try to stop the vandalism of the gas equipment.”

“If they are involved with your brother, then they’ve been here before.” He glanced over at her.

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