The midmorning sun beamed through the window, cutting a Texas-sized swath of fiery light through the office Clay shared with his dad and oldest brother, Beau. A constant tap-tap-tap of his pen against his desk was the only sound as Clay stared sightlessly at the screen in front of him.

“Christ.” He tossed the battered instrument onto the desk and checked his watch again, blowing out a frustrated sigh at how damn slow the thing was moving.

“That’s it.” Across the room, Beau shoved his chair back from his desk and paced to the gun rack mounted on the wall by the door. “Get your hat and follow me,” he commanded after retrieving two rifles and a box of target ammo.

“No thanks.” Clay waved him on and picked up the pen again, turning back to his laptop. He needed to get his bid in for the Lubbock Stockyard automation contract, but he’d been so anxious about the arrival of Dani’s dads in—he checked his watch again—T-minus two hours and eleven minutes, he’d be damned if he even could recall the name of the software he’d suggested to the stockyard manager.

Beau knotted his meaty fist into the back of his shirt and yanked him from his seat. “C’mon, little brother. You ain’t fit for workin’.” Clay twisted out of his grip, but Beau slipped between him and his desk and slapped his laptop shut. “Any proposal you put together today will be shit, and you know it. I’m doin’ you a favor,” he insisted as he hip-checked him toward the door. “Squeezing off a few hundred rounds will take the edge off.”

Clay stumbled ahead of his brother, glancing back at his laptop one last time before Beau gave him a shove down the hallway toward the front door. “They’ll be here in a couple hours,” he protested.

“Trust me,” Beau said with a wicked chuckle, “I’ll have you back in plenty of time. I wouldn’t miss seeing that three-to-one shit show for the world.”

Clay scowled over his shoulder.

“Hey, don’t look at me like this is my fault.” Beau snickered as he passed Clay one of the rifles. “I’m not the one who popped the cherry of the only virgin on the planet with not one, but three dads.”

Clay’s jaw ticked as he took the rifle and climbed into the passenger seat of Beau’s Jeep. He should have never told Beau about his suspicions of Dani’s virginal status before they’d started dating. He’d been right, of course, but he’d never confirmed or denied it to Beau despite how many times his crass brother had attempted to weasel the truth from him.

He stared out the passenger window as they pulled onto the trail leading to the tree grove that had served as their target range since their Pop’s pop taught him how to shoot. Beau was right about Dani’s dads, though. What had he been thinking?

Inviting them to Sterling Eagle without Dani as a buffer was tantamount to suicide, but he had to do something. Family was everything to her. He knew firsthand how difficult it would be for her to leave the only home she’d ever known. Not having her fathers’ support and approval would only make it worse. While he may not need their approval, as nice as it would be to have, Dani did, and he’d do whatever it took to give that to her. He needed to find a way to make them understand, to make them see how much he loved her.

Beau punched him in the arm and he flinched. “You comin’, or are you gonna sit in the Jeep all day?”

Distracted by his impending demise, Clay hadn’t noticed they’d arrived at the range. Beau was already out of the Jeep and headed to the berm to hang the targets as Clay checked his watch again.

“This is a bad idea,” he grumbled to himself as he got out of the car, slammed the door, and jogged to catch up to his brother. If his aim was as shaky as his resolve, he’d be lucky if he could hit the broad side of a barn. Fucked-up and firearms weren’t a good mix.

Two hours later, Clay had proven himself right. “Son of a bitch!” He rattled off a longer string of curses and flipped down the passenger sun visor to inspect the gash above his right eyebrow. Bright red blood gushed from the deep cut. “Fucking scope bite,” he muttered as he wiped the blood away with the T-shirt he’d pressed against the wound, only to have more well up in its place. He hadn’t been kicked by a recoil since he was twelve, for crying out loud.

“Dude.” Beau chuckled as he hopped into the driver’s seat. “I told you that stock is too short for you to be cozying up to the scope like that.”

“You picked the damn rifle,” Clay gritted out, hissing as he pressed the shirt back to the open wound.

“And that should be lesson number two,” Beau countered as he started the Jeep and headed toward home. “Know your hardware.”

Clay ignored his brother and checked his watch. Shit. “Shut that gaping hole in your face and hurry the hell up!” He winced as the Jeep bounced over the dirt trail.

“You sure are in a hurry to meet your maker.” Beau chuckled. “Dani must be one hell of a—

“I swear to God, if you say another word…”

Beau’s cackling laugh drowned out the rest of his growled threat as they rounded the last curve in the road and Pop’s house came into view, an extra pickup truck parked between his and Pop’s.

Clay’s heartbeat galloped to life. “They’re here.”

Dry desert dust plumed around the vehicle when Beau hit the brakes and slid to a stop in the front yard. “Well, it’s been nice knowin’ ya, little brother.” Beau gave his shoulder a brotherly squeeze.

Clay shrugged him off and jumped out, shouldering the offending rifle as he bounded up onto the porch, his blood-soaked T-shirt pressed to his brow. He was reaching for the handle on the screen door when his toe caught the edge of something, his urgent momentum propelling him head first through the screen, into the foyer where he landed in a heap on the terracotta floor.

“Son of a bitch!”

Flopping around like a lassoed calf, he struggled to get to his feet, but didn’t quite make it before Pops and Dani’s dads came around the corner from the kitchen.

“What the hell, son?” Pops drawled as he rushed to help him up. “Did you wake up on the wrong side of sober this mornin’?”

Beau’s roaring laughter could be heard from clear across the front yard as Clay clasped his dad’s hand and dragged himself from under the twisted aluminum doorframe that had ripped from its hinges and wrapped itself around him.

“No, sir,” he muttered once free from the mangled mess, looking over his shoulder to see what had tripped him, finding nothing out of place. “Must be a loose board in the porch.”

Red-faced and still cackling, his miscreant brother stepped up onto the porch, making a show of stomping on the boards a few times. “Nope.” Beau’s lips quivering with his effort to hold back his laugh. “Not a loose board in the lot.”

Clay narrowed his eyes. Keep it up, motherfucker.

“Uh…” Standing behind Pops, one of Dani’s dads cleared his throat. “I don’t want to break up the party here,” Matt McLendon said with a restrained snicker as he stepped into sight, “but you’re bleedin’ pretty bad there.”

Dammit! He’d all but forgotten. “Yeah.” Embarrassed, he swiped at the cut above his brow, only to come away with a bloody hand. “We were out shootin’ and the scope bit me on the recoil.”

“Ouch.” Grey McLendon stooped to pick up the rifle. “Been there a time or two myself,” he said as he handed the gun back to Clay.

Clay gave him a wary nod as he set the rifle in the corner behind the door.

“Well, so much for first impressions,” Beau said, the bastard still laughing as he offered his hand to Grey. “Beau Sterling. Twinkle Toes’ big brother.”

Grey chuckled as he clasped Beau’s hand. “Grey McLendon,” he offered, then introduced Dani’s other two dads. “My brothers, Matt and Mason.”

“Welcome to Sterling Eagle.” Beau shook each of their hands as Clay stood in the corner like a knot on a log. “Looks like you’ve already met our Pops, Virgil.”

“Sure did,” Matt said with his usual carefree grin. “We’re all settled in, and he was about to pour us a whiskey.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Clay offered. “And for being so late getting back.”

“Our flight landed early,” Grey dismissed his concern. To Clay’s surprise, Grey sidestepped Beau and clamped a hand on Clay’s shoulder, his brows dipping into a scowl as he studied the cut. “Looks like that needs a few stitches, son.”

“I told him,” Beau said, then made a beeline into the kitchen.

Clay swiped at his brow again, but any reply he might have had was stuck like a clump of chalk in his throat. Son? The eldest of Dani’s dads had been more accepting than he’d expected, but calling him son? Maybe that scope hit him a little harder than he’d thought.

“Just rub some dirt on it and it’ll be fine,” Pops suggested with a dismissive wave before he wrangled the remnants of the mangled screen door out onto the front porch.

Grey met Clay’s gaze with a knowing grin. “Sounds like he and our dads are cut from the same cloth,” he said as he examined the cut closer. “Dirt fixes everything.”

Clay tried to laugh, but the sound that came out was like more of a choked grunt as the sting bloomed back to life.

Beau returned with some ice wrapped in a clean dishrag and pressed it to the cut. Mason smirked, and for a split second, Clay thought he saw a glimmer of satisfaction in the man’s eyes before he blinked it away. Doubt twisted his gut into an agonizing knot. He may have made some headway with Grey and Matt in recent weeks, but he seemed to be going backward with Mason. He’d been certain Mason would come around once he saw how dedicated he was to Dani’s happiness, but now he wasn’t so sure anything would win him over.

“You got any liquid stitch?” Matt asked, stepping up to take a closer look.

Grey’s mouth twisted with doubt. “I’m pretty sure this is going to need a stitch or two,” he said, jerking his head toward his brothers. “Mason can sew it up for you if you’ve got a stitch kit,” he suggested.

Mason arched a brow, the corner of his lips quirking up into a menacing grin. “I’d be glad to,” he said, the look in his eyes no less than a veiled threat.

Beau must have seen it, too, jumping in to uncharacteristically offer his help. “I have one in my field kit back at my cabin,” he said, motioning for Clay to follow him to the front door. “I’ll take care of it.”

The knot in Clay’s stomach twisted tighter as he shuffled onto the porch. His survivalist brother may have the equipment, but he’d seen Beau’s handy work with a needle and thread. He’d be better off calling the ranch’s bovine vet. His gut warned him that either option was better than letting Mason near him with any sharp objects.

“Sorry about this,” he offered to Dani’s dads as he followed Beau to the Jeep. “I shouldn’t be long.”

“Actually, son, hold up there a second,” Pops called after him. “I know you wanted to give them the official tour, but Levi called me over to the breedin’ barn right before you two showed up,” he said, his bushy white eyebrows pinching together as he squinted against the afternoon sun up at Dani’s dads. “I know you just got here, but if you’re up for it, you’re welcome to join me. I figure the ride over’ll give us dads a chance to get acquainted.”

“That would be great,” Mason offered with an exuberance that betrayed his usual reserve.

Well, at least that was something. Maybe his brother, Levi, could help bridge the gap between them. Yeah. Maybe. The knot in his stomach eased a bit as he considered the idea, shocked he hadn’t thought of it before. Levi was the most diplomatic of his three brothers. He certainly had better wingman skills than Beau or Pops. Levi and Mason also shared similar interests in breeding and genetics.

“Sounds like a good plan to me.” Matt clapped his hand over Mason’s shoulder. “Nothin’ Mace here loves more than mixin’ it with a randy bull.”

Mason elbowed Matt in the ribs, extracting a painful grunt. Grey’s full-throated laugh matched Virgil’s, the moment breaking through the awkwardness that had bloomed between them.

“You’ll love our brother, Levi, then,” Beau laughed with them. “He lives and breathes bull sperm.” His brother gave them a mock salute and headed to the Jeep. “I’ll drop Lover Boy off at the lab when we’re done.”

His head throbbing, Clay climbed into the Jeep. As soon as they reached the end of the driveway, he pulled out his cellphone. “What the fuck?” he protested when Beau snatched it from his hand.

“What are you doin’?” Beau demanded.

“I’m calling Levi.” Clay grabbed his phone back, scowling at his brother as he dialed Levi’s number. “Lover Boy? Really?”

Beau seized the phone back and tossed it into the backseat. “I meant, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Clay countered, grunting as he reached into the back seat, fingering the corner of his phone until it bounced into reach. “Why do you have to be such an asshole?”

“I don’t have to.” Beau shrugged. “But I genuinely enjoy it.”

“Bastard,” Clay mumbled through his clenched teeth.

Beau jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “I don’t know who that was back there, but it sure as hell wasn’t you,” he said. “You’re so uptight around them you squeak when you walk, or trip through the fuckin’ front door,” he added with a smirk.

“Hey, man. What’s up?” Levi said when he answered.

“Oh, thank God,” Clay breathed into the phone. Levi was usually so engrossed in his work he rarely answered his calls. He was more of a leave-a-message-and-he-might-call-you-back-never kind of guy.

“Look at you,” Beau scolded beside him. “You’re goddamn hyperventilating.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Clay snarled.

“Do I need to be here for this conversation?” Levi’s tone conveyed his obvious annoyance at being interrupted.

“Shit, sorry.” Clay flinched away when Beau tried to take the phone again.

“He’s losin’ his shit!” Beau yelled into the phone.

Clay shoved him away, the Jeep swerving before Beau righted the steering wheel. “Listen, man. Pops is bringing Dani’s dads to meet you at the breeding barn,” he rushed to advise Levi, ignoring Beau’s incredulous smirk.

“Great,” Levi said. “That’ll save me some time—wait—aren’t you with them?”

“No, I’m on my way to Beau’s cabin to get my eye stitched up.”

“Damn.” Levi let out a long whistle. “So, they just got right to the beat down part of their visit, huh?”

“No, dammit.” Clay pulled the bloody dishtowel from his brow but quickly pressed it back when more blood trickled down into his eye. “It’s a long story.”

“So, what’s the problem?” Levi asked.

Clay drew in a deep breath. “You remember when I told you about Mason finding me and Dani in the barn, right?”

“Yeah.” Levi chuckled again. “That was classic. Serves you right for knocking boots with her on my desk while I was in Denver.”

“Whatever,” Clay grumbled. “Listen, I’m obviously not Mason’s favorite person, and I was thinking that since the two of you have so much in common, you might be able to…you know…talk me up a little.”

“You want me to run interference for you.”

“No, not interference.” Clay tipped his hat back and ran his hand through his sweaty hair. “Just...try to work a few of my better qualities into your conversation. Let Mason know I’m not the asshole he thinks I am.”

“This girl has you so fucked up,” Beau mumbled beside him, shaking his head in amusement.

Clay shoved his fist in front of Beau’s face, his middle finger extended high.

“Gotcha,” Levi said. “You want me to lie.”

“Fuck you,” Clay snapped into the phone.

Levi’s laugh grated on his last nerve. They all knew how important this weekend was to him.

“Don’t take it personally, bro. We’re all assholes, but since I’m sure Beau’s being both a dick and an asshole, I’ve got your back,” Levi said with another chuckle. “You coming over to join us later?”

“Yeah.” Relieved, somewhat, Clay slouched in the seat as the Jeep bounced along the trail to the pond where Beau’s cabin sat. “I owe you one, man.”

“Later,” Levi said before the line went dead.

Beau shifted gears when they hit the straightaway in the dirt trail, and then pulled a cigarette from the pack he kept tucked above his visor.

“I thought you were trying to quit,” Clay said, taking advantage of the opportunity to talk about something else besides how screwed up he was.

“Only my second one today.” The cigarette bounced between Beau’s lips as he spoke, fumbling in his shirt pocket to retrieve his lighter. He lit the end and took a long draw, the smoke billowing out with his satisfied sigh. “I’ll tell you one thing,” he said, taking another long puff and blowing it out the open window. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before another woman gets that kind of grip on my balls.”

Clay snorted. “That’s funny coming from a guy who sleeps with more mule deer than women these days.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Beau with a woman, preferring to spend his time out on the trail as a hunting guide, camping out in the brush for weeks at a time even when he wasn’t on the job. “If your beard gets any longer, you’ll be a prime catch for the mountain goats this winter.”

“Screw you.” Quick as lightning, Beau landed a bruising punch to his thigh before Clay could twist away.

“Mother-fucker!” Rubbing out the sting, Clay punched him back, but Beau blocked him. The Jeep swerved off the road, and Beau jerked it back in line, both of them laughing despite nearly crashing into a cluster of thorny scrub brush.

He had another smart rebuke primed and ready to fire, but the taunt stuck in his throat when Beau’s smile faded and a familiar, remote look haunted his brother’s eyes. Clay studied him, watching as he took another drag from his cigarette, then flicked the ashes out the window. That’s when it hit him. He’d said another woman.

Holy shit.

Like Pop, Beau wasn’t big on sharing his feelings, or much of anything, for that matter, but they’d all known he hadn’t up and quit college for no reason ten years ago. Clay’d just joined the Air Force and was living in New Mexico when Beau had come home with his tail tucked between his legs. He hadn’t been there to witness the aftermath, but they’d all suspected a woman was behind his unexpected return, and subsequent years of isolation that followed. Which made no sense. No one could top his own fucked-up record with relationships, unless their kid brother, Jackson, had slept with Beau’s girlfriend, too.

The unwelcomed memory churned up the acid in his empty stomach and Clay shoved it from his mind. None of that mattered anymore. He had Dani now, and all he had to do was convince her dads that he was the right man for her. The only man for her.