Not willing to commit to anything, Duncan said nothing and got to his feet. Propping a hip on the railing, he watched Ace pull out and drive away. “Did you see how miserable Erin looked before she left?”
“Yeah.” Reese lowered himself to the top step. “I did. I hate that she thinks we don’t trust her. Her secrecy about Cramer and the fact that he not only showed up here, but stayed, worries the hell out of me. And now with the Feds watching him…”
Reaching deep for anger, Duncan could only manage to come up with fear. “I wonder if she knows about the Feds. She’s usually honest as hell and up-front about everything.”
Reese nodded, staring out into the yard. “I know. But I have to admit she surprised me a little. I expected her to turn on us like a rattler. Instead, she just got up and left. If she knew why Cramer was here, she’d tell us.”
Reese jumped up. “Shit!”
Duncan stiffened, evidently coming to the same conclusion as his brother. “Fuck. She’s going to go see Cramer and ask him herself.”
Jared came around the corner, squealing tires as he pulled into the driveway. “Get in.”
Duncan nodded as he crossed the yard. “Yeah, we just figured it out, too. Took us fucking long enough.”
Sliding into the passenger seat, Duncan smiled.
Jared scowled at him as he pulled out of the driveway again. “What the fuck are you smiling at?”
“I’m smiling because I feel a hell of a lot better.” Scrubbing a hand over his face, he glanced back at Reese. “I was so damned scared when I realized that she kept that phone call from us that I wasn’t thinking. Erin always thinks things out. She would have told us when she got over her shock. I saw her face. She was just as shocked when she found out that Cramer was still in town.”
Jared nodded, smiling faintly. “And since she doesn’t know why, she’d march over there and find out for herself. Yep. That’s our woman.”
Duncan blew out a breath, his insides unclenching. “Christ, I feel better. No wonder she was looking at us as if we’d lost our minds.”
From the back seat, Reese sat forward. “Yeah, but we still have no idea why Cramer’s here.”
Reese’s tone and the muscle working in Jared’s jaw told Duncan they were once again thinking along the same lines.
“There’s only one thing he could want.” Duncan looked at each of his brothers in turn. “He wants Erin.”
Reese clenched his jaw. “Yeah, and the Feds are watching him.”
Jared whipped around. “What?”
Duncan blew out a breath, the sense of urgency making his heart pound faster. “Ace just told us. Hurry up. We’ve got to get there before she does.”
* * * *
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Wes smiled and opened the door wider. “Good morning. Direct as ever. I’m glad to see that that hasn’t changed. Come in. I’ve been expecting you.”
Erin blinked and then frowned in confusion. “Why the hell would you be expecting me?”
Wes reached out to grip her hand to pull her farther into the room, but Erin yanked her hand away, pushing against the door he’d been trying to close. Frowning, he dropped his hand. “What’s wrong, darling?”
Erin blinked, suddenly finding herself staring at a stranger. “Darling? What the hell are you talking about?”
Reaching out a hand again, he smiled. “Erin, I felt it, too. I knew you were really like this under the conservative suits you used to wear. I felt it the second I saw you.”
Erin blinked again, running a hand through her hair just to make sure she wasn’t in the middle of some kind of crazy nightmare. “Wes, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but I don’t have time to play games with you.”
His smile widened, his eyes dancing. “Of course you do. Once we get back to Dallas, you and I can play all the games you want. Just think of it, you and me together again. You’re fucking three men, Erin. You don’t have to play hard to get with me.”
Taking a step back toward the open door, Erin eyed Wes warily, wondering when he’d become delusional. “You and I were never together, Wes. I don’t even know why you would ever think such a thing.”
She fisted her hands at her sides, furious that he’d made something as beautiful and loving as her marriage sound sinful and dirty.
Taking a step closer, he reached for her again. “Darling, don’t say that.”
“Don’t call me that!” Furious now, Erin shoved at him. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”
“Erin, when we dated back in Dallas—”