daughter. She’s the spitting image of you.”
Genny’s face softened at the mention of Sophie. “Yes, she is. She nagged me for weeks to attend since we’d never gone to anything like it. Remembers your brother’s shooting too.”
Lee forced himself not to squirm under her stare. The girl had already told him she remembered so why should he feel embarrassed?
“He’s always had a good eye and a steady hand. Best tracker in the Devils too.” Zeke’s praise went a long way to chasing away Lee’s discomfort.
“The Devils?” Genny looked between them. “I’m not going to hell for hiring him, am I?”
If Lee didn’t know any better, he would swear she winked at him. Jesus, the woman flaunted convention right and left.
He could fall in love with her so easily.
“The Devils on Horseback was the nickname of our group during the war, ma’am. We sort of used it to name our business, D.H. Enterprises, when we were looking for work after it was over.” Zeke tugged at the brim of his hat. The memories of the dark months after the war when starvation rode their backs were likely prickling at his mind too.
“I don’t think I have to ask why you were called that. I’ve heard you and your friends ride as if you were born in the saddle. So there were four of you?” Genny tried to brush the dirt off the front of her faded blue dress, but it seemed to be permanently embedded in the fabric.
“Five of us actually. One of the Devils, Nate Marchand, lives over in Grayton with his wife.” Zeke smiled. “You remind me a bit of his Elisa actually.”
“I assume that’s a compliment. Marchand? Sounds French.” Her curls began to tighten as the breeze dried the sweat on her forehead. They swayed gently, tickling her cheeks until she batted them away.
Lee noted that Zeke’s gaze followed the movement. What the hell was that about? “Oh yep, it’s a compliment. She’s a fighter, strongest woman I’ve ever met. And Marchand is French. Lee used to call him Frenchie all the time.” Zeke pushed at Lee’s shoulder. “The two of them were like brothers who bickered constantly.”
Genny’s brows rose and a smile played around her lips. “I can’t imagine Lee bickering with anyone.”
That comment stung. “I’m not that bad.”
“Oh yes you are.” Zeke folded his arms and rocked back on his heels. “Nobody can be a bigger pain in the ass than you.”
Then Genny shared a look with Zeke. It was an unspoken communication, one that scraped at Lee’s heart like a rusty nail. “What the hell are you doing, Zeke?”
Zeke frowned. “I’m having a conversation with your Genny.”
Lee’s breath caught in his throat at the expression on her face. He shouldn’t have told his brother anything. “She’s not my Genny.”
“No, I’m not, and I don’t appreciate you two talking over me.” Genny’s brows drew together.
“I wasn’t the one flirting with my brother.”
Her mouth dropped open at the same time Zeke growled at him. “Lee, what the hell is wrong with you?” His brother leaned toward him. “You’re acting foolish.”
Old hurts opened anew and Lee was overcome with dark emotions he thought he’d left behind. “At least I’m not cheating on my wife.”
“You’re on dangerous ground, little brother.” The air pulsed with tension as the brothers faced each other down.
“This is ridiculous. I’m not flirting, no one is cheating, and you are acting like an ass.” Genny stood beside his brother.
Zeke pointed his finger. “Don’t you dare bring Naomi into this. You’ll regret that. I don’t need to see another one of your rants, Lee. Grow up and be a man.”
Lee felt it coming and was helpless to stop it. It was as if his instincts had overtaken his mind and self-preservation took precedence over common sense. “Fuck you, Zeke. Do you have to constantly make me feel as if I’m a little kid who needs a scolding? Me and Nate didn’t like each other most of the time, so the hell
Genny’s face softened at the mention of Sophie. “Yes, she is. She nagged me for weeks to attend since we’d never gone to anything like it. Remembers your brother’s shooting too.”
Lee forced himself not to squirm under her stare. The girl had already told him she remembered so why should he feel embarrassed?
“He’s always had a good eye and a steady hand. Best tracker in the Devils too.” Zeke’s praise went a long way to chasing away Lee’s discomfort.
“The Devils?” Genny looked between them. “I’m not going to hell for hiring him, am I?”
If Lee didn’t know any better, he would swear she winked at him. Jesus, the woman flaunted convention right and left.
He could fall in love with her so easily.
“The Devils on Horseback was the nickname of our group during the war, ma’am. We sort of used it to name our business, D.H. Enterprises, when we were looking for work after it was over.” Zeke tugged at the brim of his hat. The memories of the dark months after the war when starvation rode their backs were likely prickling at his mind too.
“I don’t think I have to ask why you were called that. I’ve heard you and your friends ride as if you were born in the saddle. So there were four of you?” Genny tried to brush the dirt off the front of her faded blue dress, but it seemed to be permanently embedded in the fabric.
“Five of us actually. One of the Devils, Nate Marchand, lives over in Grayton with his wife.” Zeke smiled. “You remind me a bit of his Elisa actually.”
“I assume that’s a compliment. Marchand? Sounds French.” Her curls began to tighten as the breeze dried the sweat on her forehead. They swayed gently, tickling her cheeks until she batted them away.
Lee noted that Zeke’s gaze followed the movement. What the hell was that about? “Oh yep, it’s a compliment. She’s a fighter, strongest woman I’ve ever met. And Marchand is French. Lee used to call him Frenchie all the time.” Zeke pushed at Lee’s shoulder. “The two of them were like brothers who bickered constantly.”
Genny’s brows rose and a smile played around her lips. “I can’t imagine Lee bickering with anyone.”
That comment stung. “I’m not that bad.”
“Oh yes you are.” Zeke folded his arms and rocked back on his heels. “Nobody can be a bigger pain in the ass than you.”
Then Genny shared a look with Zeke. It was an unspoken communication, one that scraped at Lee’s heart like a rusty nail. “What the hell are you doing, Zeke?”
Zeke frowned. “I’m having a conversation with your Genny.”
Lee’s breath caught in his throat at the expression on her face. He shouldn’t have told his brother anything. “She’s not my Genny.”
“No, I’m not, and I don’t appreciate you two talking over me.” Genny’s brows drew together.
“I wasn’t the one flirting with my brother.”
Her mouth dropped open at the same time Zeke growled at him. “Lee, what the hell is wrong with you?” His brother leaned toward him. “You’re acting foolish.”
Old hurts opened anew and Lee was overcome with dark emotions he thought he’d left behind. “At least I’m not cheating on my wife.”
“You’re on dangerous ground, little brother.” The air pulsed with tension as the brothers faced each other down.
“This is ridiculous. I’m not flirting, no one is cheating, and you are acting like an ass.” Genny stood beside his brother.
Zeke pointed his finger. “Don’t you dare bring Naomi into this. You’ll regret that. I don’t need to see another one of your rants, Lee. Grow up and be a man.”
Lee felt it coming and was helpless to stop it. It was as if his instincts had overtaken his mind and self-preservation took precedence over common sense. “Fuck you, Zeke. Do you have to constantly make me feel as if I’m a little kid who needs a scolding? Me and Nate didn’t like each other most of the time, so the hell
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