Fiona gazed up at her nephew. He stood a good foot above her, but Fiona always gave the impression that she was the more powerful force. Her white hair was pulled back in a no-nonsense knot from which a strand rarely came loose. She wore her customary rubber boots, which gave her traction, she said, for the ups and downs of a busy life. “I expect you to have plenty of gumption where Taylor is concerned. You won’t disappoint me, I’m sure.”
He leaned against a wood rail, recognizing his aunt had something on her mind. “Forthcoming about what?”
“What Wolf wants.”
“I don’t know.”
She shook her head. “He didn’t try to drag you off for a chat because he’s the world’s most caring uncle.” Fiona touched Falcon’s cheek lightly over the bruise. “I’m sorry this happened. But you’re going to have to be straightforward with me.”
“Says the aunt who’s trying to fix up the woman I like with a string of bachelors.” He grimaced. “My guess is Wolf is trying to scare us. This is his second attack. Since he tried to take Kendall before, he either thinks he can get information from us, or he believes we’ll get spooked. Spooked people make mistakes.”
“Maybe.” Fiona sat next to him on the rail. “I want you to take me to Wolf’s hideout.”
Falcon shook his head. “I can’t do it. It’s too dangerous.”
“As your beloved aunt, I insist.”
He sighed. “I know you do. It won’t do any good. There’s nothing there. My brothers and sister already paid the cave a visit.”
“Find anything?”
“Not a thing. They were gone.”
“Good.” She hopped off the rail. “Then if nothing’s there, you won’t be worried about taking your aunt out for a small look-see.”
“I’m not going to do it,” Falcon said, “no matter how much I love you.”
“I love you, too, but don’t try to sweet-talk me, because this time it won’t work. Let’s go.”
Falcon wondered if there was another family on earth whose aunt ruled the roost with such vigor. “I could be persuaded to compromise.”
“You want me to end the search for Taylor’s prince.”
“Perhaps not be quite so enthusiastic about it.”
She smiled, her eyes twinkling. “You’re not afraid of a little competition, are you?”
He took a deep breath. “Look. I promised Jillian—well, I didn’t really promise Jillian, she posed a challenge I thought was aggravating but respectable—that I wouldn’t crowd Taylor. It’s sort of a may-the-best-man-win thing. I have no doubt of my best-man status where Taylor is concerned. But it’d be nice if my aunt wasn’t stacking the deck against me.”
“I understand and can probably agree to your terms,” Fiona said. “Partially, anyway. I have to take into consideration what’s best for both of you, you know. Still, I’ve been known to parlay on occasion.”
“You really want to see that cave, don’t you?”
She nodded. “About as much as you want your girl.”
Falcon wasn’t really surprised. There was very little that didn’t interest the redoubtable aunt. “Come on,” he said. “Don’t tell my brothers, and definitely not Ash, that I gave in to your gentle persuasion.”
Fiona grinned. “I believe I have something of a reputation for being able to keep a secret.”
Didn’t he know it.
* * *
A SH MADE SURE HER POST was covered, then sneaked off to the canyons to hunt for her elusive crush. Xav Phillips was hiding from her and had been for months, though he wouldn’t admit it. He’d taken over the outer perimeter of the ranch as his own personal post, though any of her brothers would be willing to take turns living in the canyons. Xav had exiled himself, and Ash had a strong suspicion it was because of her.
It didn’t help that both his brothers, Shaman and Gage, and recently his sister, Kendall, had succumbed to the allure of marriage. Xav was determined to break the Phillips curse.
It wasn’t just the Phillips curse. The Callahans had a real reason to wed. Fiona had thrown down a gauntlet, letting the seven Callahan siblings know that a great deal of land north of the canyons was up for grabs, a lottery to be won by the luckiest Callahan. You had to be married and have a family to quality for Fiona’s raffle.
Everybody knew what Fiona had done to their six Callahan cousins—every last one of them hotfooting it to the altar for a stake at Rancho Diablo.
Ash wanted the land for Sister Wind Ranch, and Xav Phillips was her man.
But then she’d discovered that her aunt was cheating, trying to encourage them to get competitive and marry, though there was no “prize.”
Still, Xav Phillips was her man. Even without the excuse of a holy grail, she wanted him more than ever.
She intended to do something about that.
Her brothers would be furious if they knew she was in the canyons without protection, especially after what had happened to Falcon. Ash didn’t want to think about that.
She had to see Xav. It had been a solid month since she had. Never had she known a man who could go without creature comforts as long as he could, just to avoid falling in love.
She caught sight of Xav’s horse, Omega, a big black gelding that complemented his owner. Xav wasn’t in the saddle, which seemed a bit odd. He had to be close, so Ash cantered forward.
Xav’s horse whickered at her when she rode alongside him. The horse eyed her almost thankfully. Glancing around, she looked for Xav. She didn’t dare call out to him, and cell service would be dead here. “Where’s your dad?” she asked the horse, but he seemed too tired to even shake his mane or move much. This wasn’t like Xav’s powerful horse at all.
Something was wrong.
The first thing she had to do was get this horse out of the searing heat and to water. Glancing around for an outcropping or any sort of shelter, Ash headed over to the nearest narrow carve-out she could find. Xav’s horse followed, more like Eeyore than Trigger, and Ash’s unease grew.
She saw Xav under the outcropping, lying faceup, eyes closed. He was so still she feared he might be dead. He shifted at the sound of horse hooves on the dirt-packed canyon floor, but didn’t open his eyes.
“Xav?” Dismounting, Ash ran over to him. “What’s wrong?”
He barely moved—but at least he lowered his arm and opened his eyes, turning toward her.
“Hey, Ashlyn.”
“What happened?” She knelt beside him, glancing over his body. Everything looked fine—until she saw the blood leaking from his leg. “Did you fall?”
“Someone took a shot at me.”
She had to get him help. “Can you walk?”
He didn’t reply. She felt his forehead—fever, of course—swiftly thinking through her options. She could ride back for Galen and her brothers, but that would take time. Whoever shot Xav knew he’d gotten a good hit, and might be looking for him. There was no way she’d be able to lift him into the saddle, even if she could help him walk to his horse. By the amount of blood on his jeans, she guessed he’d been lying here awhile.
“I don’t suppose you can walk.”
He tried to lever himself up from the rock ledge, but although Ash pulled at his back, she couldn’t support him, and he was too weak. “Okay, listen, Xav. I’m going to ride for—”
“Is something