Bear The Burn (Firebear Brides 1) by Anya Nowlan Page B

profits constantly on her brain.
    All in all, Idaho was turning out to be incredibly relaxing. Not only because she kept finding out new things about Royce, who was as fantastic a conversationalist as he was a talented lover, but because she felt like she had a purpose that didn’t want to drag her apart. Working on the barn all day, with breaks in between to lavish some affection on Royce, and then baking all evening before tucking in for a long night felt so good! No spa vacation or an extended tropical vacation could measure up to it.
    It was the evening of the day that Redmond showed up and Tiana was busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Usually, it was Royce who’d take dinner duty, but Tiana had wanted to give him time to reconnect with his brother. It was obvious that the two hadn’t seen each other in a while. There was a modicum of awkwardness between them that could only be overcome by talking to each other.
    The window that overlooked a part of the porch and the backyard was open, with two loaves of pumpkin bread cooling on the sill. Tiana was fussing around with the salad when part of Royce’s and Redmond’s conversation reached her ears unintentionally. Redmond’s voice was growing louder with each word.
    “You can’t be fucking serious, Royce!” Redmond barked, stopping Tiana in her tracks. “You put up a goddamn mail-order bride ad? Do you even know this girl? She could be some kind of a gold digger, just wanting a piece of the pie,” he said, growling.
    “Redmond, you better watch your tongue,” Royce said, his voice steady but threatening.
    “I get that you care about the grounds,” Redmond railed on. “But that is no reason to marry a girl who could be a real psycho for all you know. I don’t care how good that pussy tastes,” Redmond hissed.
    The next thing Tiana heard was the crack of a fist against a cheek and a dull thud as Redmond fell on the ground. In a second, he was back up, charging at Royce with a snarl.
    “You can’t be this fucking stupid. Has the smoke eaten what little sense you had?” Redmond said, obviously not choosing his words at this point.
    “You don’t know the whole story, Redmond,” Royce said, his voice so dark and low now that it made the blood stop in Tiana’s veins. “If you’d let me explain…”
    But his words were cut off as Redmond plowed into Royce, sending them both crashing into the deck chairs. Tiana dropped the spoons she’d been using to toss the salad, cupping her hands over her mouth. Her body shook with chills as she watched Redmond throwing Royce off and both of them scrambling to their feet, fists balled.
    It’s all your fault, she thought desperately.
    Having no real family of her own anymore, it broke her heart to see the two brothers fight. The cold feeling in her gut she’d been battling for a while returned with full force, making doubtful questions run through her head in a constant river of uncertainty.
    “I don’t think you could explain a goddamn thing to me, man,” Redmond snarled, making a dismissive motion with his hand and turning away from Royce, then storming down the steps.
    Royce stood there for a while with a hard look on his face, watching Redmond leave. He didn’t move an inch to stop his brother. Tiana’s breath caught in her chest and she let her legs carry her away before her brain caught up. Grabbing her purse from the hall, she picked up the keys to her Ford truck from a little bowl next to the door and ran out. She was in the pickup, barreling down the thin, dusty road away from Hamilton House before Royce could even make it to the front of the house.
    She saw him running after her as the sun set, casting an ominous red glow on everything that previously had made her think of beauty, but now just read anger. Tears were in her eyes and guilt strangled her chest. She drove straight for Shifter Grove, reactions taking the place of rational thought and calm introspection.
    I don’t want them to fight