The older man offered a kindly smile, one he’d probably practiced for decades to pull out at shindigs like this one.

I took North’s elbow and steered her away from the man, turning to the right and into a huge living room. Animal heads lined the walls and a huge ten or twelve point elk hung over a cold fireplace. I veered around the guests and into the connecting room. Another sitting room. How many did this place have? I saw an open door and led her through, then shut it behind me, only after the dog followed, then dropped down on the rug and promptly went to sleep. We were in an office with a huge desk. Smaller animal heads lined one wall, antique and vintage guns lined the other.

“Jesus, what is this place?” I asked, taking in the carnage.

“My father’s sanctuary,” she stated, crossing her arms over her chest. The neckline of her dress wasn’t flashy, but the motion pushed up her tits and I couldn’t miss the soft swells.

I blinked, then looked away. “You planning on mounting him too?” I asked.

Her eyes widened at the suggestion, then she laughed. Her head tipped back and I couldn’t miss the long column of her neck.

She was so fucking pretty.

“I thought about it over the years, but now’s the time, isn’t it? He’ll be in the ground in a few hours.”

Her voice was deep and husky. Sexy and surprising.

“Say the word, princess, and I’ll have it done.”

She cocked her head to the side, studied me. “I remember you.”

“I remember you, too.”

The smile slipped. “Jock’s older brother.”

“That’s right. Jed Barnett. You and Jock have a history.” She’d dated my brother. Probably gave him her V-card. Then dumped him, which had made her daddy dump a deal to buy my parents’ land.

She glanced away but didn’t look remorseful. She looked… icy. “That was a long time ago. Heard he’s married with two kids now.”

“Three,” I corrected. I might be over ten years older than Jock, but he was the one who’d found someone and settled down. “Had a baby girl in April.”

“I’m glad he found the woman he was supposed to love.”

I frowned at her answer. I was expecting something a little more aloof. Calculating.

“What is it you want?” she asked.

“What makes you think I want something?”

“You lied to a minister and got me in here, Jed Barnett.” She lifted her hand to indicate a room alone together.

“The whole town’s here. Half are to see the inside of this place.” I glanced around at the over-the-top office. “Half are here to see your daddy in a casket.”

“Which one are you?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

“Neither.”