Unbridled by Beth Williamson Page B

He was afraid she’d run to the bathroom again to vomit. Connor readied himself to follow her, then realized what he was doing.
    He was preparing to take care of her. Well, holy fucking shit.
    “I don’t want it.”
    “It’s yours whether you want it or not, Miss Finley.” Mike put the envelope on the desk in front of her. “I’m going to find Bernice and get some coffee. Connor, you can find me in the mess hall.”
    The attorney left the room, obviously unwilling to be there with Alex any longer. Grant had been loved by everyone, including Mike. As a young attorney, he’d been given a chance to make his career by the rancher. Loyalty to Grant Finley ran deep, even after his death.
    Alex stared at the envelope, then stood so abruptly, it slid toward Connor. “I’ve got to get out of here.”
    He didn’t get a word in before she ran out the door. It wasn’t even eleven in the morning and he was already caught up in Alex’s pain.
     
     
    Connor finally finished his work after nine p.m. Bernice had disapprovingly brought him dinner at seven, for which he’d been absurdly grateful. He’d missed lunch, and the food was absolutely delicious in his lonely office.
    The main building was quiet, with only the soft murmur of a few guests near the fireplace. He nodded to Jeremiah, the night clerk, as he stepped out the door. The moon was a bright coin in the velvet black sky. He shivered as the cool air surrounded him, made him wish he’d actually brought a coat.
    The hot coffee that morning had warmed him up so much he hadn’t thought to bring one. Now he regretted the lack as he walked to his cabin, his breath coming in white puffs.
    The horses were all in the barns, likely with their jackets on and ready for the cool fall night. The music of the night creatures filled his ears as he walked, his boots the only other sound.
    Until he heard a woman’s voice somewhere in the distance. He stopped and cocked his head to listen. The voice was far away, near the hill that led to the fishing hole, perhaps near the family cemetery. Somehow he knew it was Alex even before he turned to follow the sound. She hadn’t reappeared since she’d left his office in the morning. He had tried not to think about where she was, unsuccessfully.
    As he got closer, he realized it was definitely Alex and, if he wasn’t mistaken, she’d been drinking. He shivered as he approached her location. She was in the cemetery, which meant she was either visiting her mother or yelling at her father. His money was on the latter, considering she’d had a gander at his will that morning.
    The moon painted the hill in silver, outlining the sole human occupant aboveground. She was pacing back and forth, the glint of a bottle in her hand. He could almost smell the bourbon, apparently her drink of choice.
    At first he was going to simply walk up and make her go back to the VIP cabin; then he thought twice and decided to see what she was doing out there first. For all he knew, she might simply need to visit her parents’ graves. Fat chance, but it was still a possibility.
    He stood just out of her sight, but close enough to hear her. At first it was just mumbling, but then her words grew sharper and louder.
    “I mean, Jesus Christ, Daddy, how do you expect me to handle this? I don’t want to like Claire and I sure as hell don’t want to like Daniel. Although I’m sure he was everything you wanted and finally got.” Her voice caught on a small sob. “You’re going to force me to stay here a year before I can sell. What kind of shit is that? I don’t want to stay here. I want to be somewhere else, anywhere else.”
    Connor immediately felt guilty for eavesdropping on her private moment. But if he stood up then, she would see him and it would make matters worse. Her circle widened and she came within ten feet of him. He was stuck right where he was until she was finished. That would teach him to meddle in her life.
    “I came home to have it out with