The next morning, Remy sat in a daze and listened to Sawyer go through the property agreements. In her desire to avoid Sawyer’s gaze, she’d tried to force her attention away from the meeting entirely. Stared around the chillingly impersonal kitchen in Colonel Roman’s new house in town, counted the seconds until she could flee.

She kept glancing up to find her father watching her with a foreboding expression… which was funny, since she hadn’t done anything. And when it wasn’t her father, it was one of the Roman men giving her a meaningful look.

What made it all a thousand times worse was that Colonel Roman was in attendance, staring at Remy like a hawk eyeing a church mouse. Remy didn’t understand how The Colonel and Sawyer could look so much alike and yet have such different personalities.

He also kept making snide comments to Remy and her father. Mentioning how much they had at stake, how much the Roman family had done for the Rivers over the years, stuff like that.

It made Remy’s skin crawl, especially because she was pretty sure he was reminding her not to let the truth about Shiloh slip.

If Sawyer’s father didn’t stop staring at her with that accusing expression, Remy was either going to sink under the table and hide, or throw her water glass at his head.

Same went for Sawyer, actually… his heated hazel gaze made her squirm in a way that wasn’t exactly family-friendly.

“So just take these home and look over them,” Sawyer said to Remy’s father. “Have a lawyer look at them, if you want. It covers exactly what we’ve discussed, though. No tricky stuff.”

“I appreciate that,” her father said, standing. “Seems like you’re turning out all right, after all.”

Sawyer’s brows rose, but he was too polite to ask what that meant. “Thank you, sir.”

Sawyer offered his hand, and Remy’s father shook it after a moment’s hesitation. When her father turned to shake hands with Colonel Roman though, The Colonel just gave him a cold stare and turned away.

Nice, she thought, rolling her eyes.

“Hey,” Sawyer said, catching her wrist as she stood up.

She glared at his fingers until he released her. “What do you want?”

“Can we talk for a second?” he asked.

She glanced around, feeling The Colonel’s gaze burning into her shoulder blades. “No.”

“Remy…”

“I have to go,” she said, shaking her head.

“Will you be at the bar Wednesday?” he asked.

She gave him an impatient look, then turned to follow her father through the parlor and outside. The house was right on the main drag, across from the Piggly Wiggly grocery store.

As soon as the door closed behind them, her father gave her a stern glance.

“Remy River, you are playing with fire,” he warned.

“I’m not doing anything!” she protested.

“Come on,” he said, pointing across the street. “Your mother’s waiting.”

As they crossed, Remy found she couldn’t let it lie.

“I didn’t do anything, Daddy. I can’t keep him from pursuing me.”

“You encourage that boy every time you look at him, and you know it.”

“There’s nothing going on!” she said.

“Remy…” her father sighed.

He stopped her before they got to the old truck, shaking his finger at her.

“You were right when you said that this is our last chance.”

“I know.”

“And you also know that Sawyer’s father could blow this whole deal up if he feels like it.”

Remy frowned and crossed her arms. “He won’t.”

“To protect his family legacy, he might.”

Remy blew out a breath. “Okay.”

“I know you loved him, kiddo. I know he’s Shiloh’s daddy. But you made a decision four years ago, and now you’re going to have to carry that out. You understand?”

Remy winced.

“Yes, Daddy.”

Behind her father, she saw the door of the rusted pickup open.

“Mama!” Shiloh cried, spotting her.

Her father muttered a curse. “Move. Sawyer’s on his way over here.”

Heart leaping into her throat, Remy practically threw herself into the car, pulling Shiloh into the backseat cab.

“What’s happening?” her mother asked, looking confused.

“The Romans are coming,” her father joked, climbing into the car and starting the engine.

Remy felt guilty as she buckled Shiloh into his car seat, like she was hiding him rather than protecting him. Her father backed the truck out and Remy glanced back.

Sawyer had stopped, watching them closely, but she was pretty sure he hadn’t seen Shiloh.

“Mama! Truck!” Shiloh said, grinning.

The same shining eyes and wide smile as Sawyer. Looking at one and the other made her heart want to burst with emotions, too many to name.

Murmuring a soft prayer for her sanity, Remy leaned her head back on the seat and squeezed Shiloh’s fingers.

Keeping her secret was getting more and more impossible by the day.