“Give me a minute. Just one all by myself. You and Mitzi can go on inside. I’ll be there in a little bit.” Paula needed a little time to settle her nerves. A fast-beating heart, a racing pulse, and a brain that was about to explode couldn’t be good for the baby.

“You got it,” Jody said. “Holy shit!”

Paula looked up to see a new white double-cab truck pulling in behind her car and Lyle getting out of the driver’s seat. She slung open her door, anger replacing hurt, and went to Jody’s side.

Jody exploded out of the car, meeting Lyle halfway from his truck. “How dare you even show your face on this property.”

“Hey!” He held up both palms.

He was dressed in a fancy western shirt with pearl snaps, creased jeans, and if his boots didn’t cost five hundred dollars, Paula would eat that big silver belt buckle. “I just came to get your signature on the title to the motorcycle. It’s in both our names, and I’m selling it.”

“Why?” Jody asked.

He handed her a piece of paper. “I’ve got this truck and don’t need it. Besides, I’m going to be a father and my image has changed.”

Jody ripped it in half and handed it back to him. “You can wipe your sorry butt on that. I’m not helping you with anything.”

All of the emotions that Paula had felt at her mother’s house were suddenly transferred to Lyle. How dare he show up looking like a fancy rancher in his new truck and ask her friend to sign any damn thing?

“You best get your sorry ass out of here,” Paula growled.

Mitzi joined them. “Or else you could get blood on your fancy new truck seats.”

“So you have to have your fat friends take up for you these days, do you?” Lyle sneered.

Jody took several steps forward. “I can fight my own battles. I’m not signing any papers, so leave.”

“Come on, Jody. You know things weren’t good with us for a while, and I can’t sell the cycle without both our names on the title. Thank God your name isn’t on the property,” he said.

“And what does that mean?” she fired back at him.

Lyle crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. “It means that I’m working on a deal with Quincy Roberts. When he buys the land, I’m going to use the money for a down payment to have a house built on the ranch. Kennedy deserves something better than a trailer house. Her dad gave us an acre of land for a wedding present.”

“And whose name is that in?” Jody asked. “Is your new bimbo going to work her ass off to pay for it like I did ours?”