“Looks that way to me.” Steele’s tone hardened and his eyes flashed with the anger Wyatt had been expecting. “And since she’s never really been yours to begin with, you need to do the right thing by Mr. Hallock and give her back.”

Next to him Greta was openly trembling.

Steele gentled his expression and finally spoke to Greta. “Is everything McQuaid said about your arrangement true?”

“Yes.” The word was a constricted whisper.

“You’ve been living as his housekeeper and not his wife?”

“Now, come on, Steele—”

“Let her answer.”

Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck, frustration and fury rising to tighten his muscles. This wasn’t working out at all the way he’d intended. In fact, it was going by the way of the boneyard fast.

“Have you been living as his housekeeper or his wife?” Steele said again.

She stared at the floor, her expression still mortified. “I guess it’s been more like a housekeeper.”

“There.” Steele smiled at Hallock. “See? It’ll all work out for the best after all.”

“Maybe so.” Hallock peeked shyly at Greta before he focused on his hands folded in front of him.

Wyatt had the sudden need to drag Greta out the door and home to the ranch as fast as he could. Greta was his. He loved her. They belonged together.

But what about Hallock?

Wyatt’s mind jumped back to the previous summer when the sluice box had been as empty as his belly. He’d been down in the mouth, sitting outside his tent taking off his wet socks and airing out his sore feet when he noticed several miners laughing and pushing someone around. Of course he hadn’t been able to sit idly by. He jumped up and elbowed his way into the fray, rescuing Hallock and in the process gaining an unlikely friend.

After that, Hallock had taken to inviting him to dinner at his newly constructed house several times a week. While they were complete opposites in nearly every possible way, Wyatt had come to see the good in the gentle-spirited man. He made sure the fellas gave Hallock the respect he was due. And Hallock made sure Wyatt had enough grub to fill him.

While Wyatt didn’t want to give up Greta, how could he keep from hurting this kind and trusting man?

“Don’t forget.” Steele narrowed his gaze upon Wyatt again. “Mr. Hallock’s the one who paid for Greta and Astrid to come to Fairplay. They’re indebted to him, not you. And if anyone deserves to have her as a bride, Hallock’s first in line.”