Free Rustler's Heart (A Kinnison Legacy Novel) by Amanda McIntyre Page B

have overheard some of the conversation between me and Caroline.”
    “Hank’s sister? The snooty one who wanted you to go to Europe? The one we all thought you were going to marry?”
    “One in the same. Hank brought her. She wanted to see me.”
    Wyatt raised his dark brows. “Is she still pretty?”
    “Yeah, and just as snooty. Guess maybe I didn’t see that before.”
    Wyatt chuckled. “You had your head in the clouds, maybe up your butt, as I recall. You were oblivious to damn near everything except her. I always got the impression that she put herself a bit higher than the rest of us. Strange, Hank’s never acted that way.”
    Rein nodded. “That’s just it. I think it’s all an act. The woman doesn’t seem to be comfortable unless she’s tearing down someone else. I think I might have dodged a bullet on that one.” Rein gave his brother a guilty look. “I left her down there with Dalton.”
    “Oh shit. You didn’t.” Wyatt face broke into a wide smile. “I don’t know which I’d find more interesting to watch, Dal with Miss Caroline, or you trying to appease Liberty’s anger.”
    “Angry, you think she’s angry?” God help him if there was a lick of truth to what Caroline said.
    Wyatt offered him an ornery grin. “You may want to make sure she’s put away the knife from cutting cucumbers, before you speak to her.”

 
     
     
Chapter Five
     
     
    Glad for a few moments to collect herself, Liberty hadn’t anticipated how hearing a complete stranger pronounce such vicious judgments about her would cut so deeply. Added to the fact her comments had garnered the stares of several guests nearby as well. Thankfully, she snuck out the back door, and hurried to the main house without encountering any guests. It infuriated her that her thoughts about the gorgeous woman fawning all over Rein were just as distasteful.
    The woman was a fake from her clothing, to her laugh, appearing to be better than everyone around her. Mostly, it killed her to think she would be the type to capture Rein’s attention. Little Miss Perfect—too perfect, to Liberty’s way of thinking. The kind of woman that only has to “want” something and it’s given to her on a silver platter. And it appeared she wanted Rein. Her thoughtless manner, her hurtful words, had bruised her ego, but far worse, far more devastating a blow was Rein’s toss-away response—
    “She’s a good kid.”
    She leaned her head on the back of the couch and released a sigh. What kind of futile game was she playing here? Did she really think that someone like Rein Mackenzie could be the least bit interested in her? They were polar opposite—he the proverbial representation of all things good and right, while she came from a life in Sin City and had a seriously blurred definition of what constituted as good .
    She heard the front door open and assumed Wyatt had returned to pick up something more for Aimee’s nausea. She’d been happy to help him earlier. Glad he’d trusted her. At least she had that. A swelling of pride bubbled inside her. He was a good man, and so too, Dalton. Which gave her hope that she too, would find her purpose—if not here, then somewhere. With her family’s support, she could overcome most anything.
    “The ginger should help the nausea,” she called out as she padded barefoot to the front door to meet him. To her surprise, Rein emerged from the foyer. She came to an abrupt stop. The minimal light made it difficult to capture his expression. He was the last person she expected to see. “Oh, it’s you.”
    “Wyatt said you were here.” He reached up, unfastened his top button and loosened his bolero tie. Unaffected apparently by her icy stare, he sidestepped her and sat down on one of the couches. Releasing a deep sigh, he leaned back and closed his eyes. She had no interest in being alone with him, which of course, was a complete lie. Under different circumstances, she’d have liked nothing better. But things