Roping Ray McCullen by Rita Herron

surprise. “I see. He came here to try to buy us out of our share.”
    So she had received notification from the lawyer.
    â€œThat’s not true,” Ray said.
    Barbara fidgeted. “Whether you and your brothers like it or not, Bobby was Joe’s son,” she said. “He lost out all his life. He deserves what Joe left him and you aren’t going to deprive him of one damn cent.”
    * * *
    â€œT HAT ’ S NOT MY INTENTION ,” Ray said, although Bobby and Barbara were definitely a complication in his life.
    Bobby squeezed his mother’s arm. “Let me handle this, Mom.”
    Ray stepped outside with Bobby, braced for a confrontation. Storm clouds rolled in, darkening the sky, matching his mood.
    Any man who hit or threatened a woman was a bully and a coward. McCullen men had been taught to respect and protect women, as well as those smaller and weaker than them, especially from people like this scumbag.
    He’s your half brother. Joe’s other son, his flesh and blood.
    It didn’t matter.
    Or did it? Could Bobby be redeemed?
    â€œScarlet told me that the three of you are named in the will,” Ray began.
    â€œMom was right. You came to pay me off so I won’t show up and burst your family’s happy little bubble.”
    Ray ground his teeth. “My family doesn’t live in a bubble. We’ve had our share of problems, but we don’t take our frustrations out on women.”
    Bobby’s nostrils flared. “You don’t know what it’s like to be the kid your daddy hid.”
    â€œIs that the reason you set fire to our barns?”
    Bobby’s lip curled into a sneer. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    â€œThat’s right. You were here last night with your mother, weren’t you?”
    â€œYou’re damn right. Besides,” Bobby said in a sinister voice, “if I’m named in the will, why would I go making trouble before the reading? I’m not stupid. I want to know if my father finally did right by me.”
    He had a point. Unless Bobby had some idea what had been left to him and he was ticked off about not getting more.
    Ray squared his shoulders. “You’d better be telling the truth, because if I find out you set that fire, you’re going to jail. And you’ll never see a penny of that inheritance.”
    Bobby jerked him by the collar. “Listen to me, McCullen, your daddy screwed me over as a kid. He’d better not screw me over now that he’s dead. And if you try to stop me from getting what’s mine, you’ll be sorry.”
    Ray met his gaze with a warning one, then he gripped Bobby’s hand and peeled his fingers away. “Touch me again and you’ll be sorry.” He gestured toward the house where he could see Scarlet through the window. “About Scarlet—”
    â€œMy relationship with her is none of your business.”
    Ray gave him a menacing look. “I’m making it my business. Touch Scarlet again, and I’ll kill you.”
    * * *
    â€œW ELL , I TAKE it that didn’t go too well,” Scarlet said as they drove away.
    Ray clenched the steering wheel. “Bobby is a coward and a bully. If he hurts you or threatens you again, let me know.”
    Scarlet’s heart fluttered. “Ray, you don’t have to go to war for me. I can handle Bobby.”
    He gave her a dark look, emotions glittering in his eyes. “He may be blood related to our family, but he’s not a McCullen. My daddy taught us never to hurt a woman or child.”
    â€œJoe tried to teach him that, too,” Scarlet said. “And Bobby pretended like he followed the rules. Until Joe wasn’t around.”
    â€œLike I said, he’s a coward.”
    Her cell phone buzzed as he drove toward her house, and she checked the caller ID. It was a text from Hugh asking her to dinner. She’d turned him down so many times she