“Deer can be snuck up on.”

His eyes went wide again in frustration, and he flung out his hands. “What do you want me to say? Shanna’s already looking for reasons to sue. Not disclosing the herd was a breach of contract. I do one more thing like sending the whole crew to the city, and she’ll blow a gasket.”

“It’s better than Morgan being found.”

He gripped the back of his neck, his fingers holding tight while he seemed lost in thought. Then he let loose a long, drawn-out breath of air. “Fuck.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “I can tell her there is something wrong with the main house, which would make it easier to send everyone into town, but what about you?”

“I’m the only one not in the house.” I shrugged, knowing I was coming off smug and not giving one shit about that. “Your siblings need to use the other cabins, but everyone else needs to relocate.” I smirked. “For their safety.”

“Your manager will probably want to stay in your cabin then.”

“She can try.”

“It’s a two-story cabin. Your main living quarters is on the second floor, but there’s a bedroom on the first. It makes no sense that no one wouldn’t move in there.”

He was right. The cabin was a little fucked up, but I liked it when I saw it. “I need my privacy. Shanna has to go into town too. Both of them.”

“Goddamn.” Matthew lifted his head, looking out over the fields. “You know what’s funny? We have the regular horses coming tomorrow. We even had to get a new door and lock, make sure everything’s extra secure so the stallion doesn’t steal any of the mares.” He flicked a hand toward the barn. “Those stalls are going to be full of domestic horses. Morgan will start showing up because she’ll want to check on them and make sure they are cared for. That’s just how she is.”

“Perfect timing then.”

He threw me a harried look, the side of his face of grimacing. “Stay away from my sister.”

I felt his warning low in my gut. I ignored it and threw my own challenge back in his face. “So, no more late-night walks to the river?” I gave him a wry smile. “I can’t guarantee she’ll stay away from me.”

He turned to stare at me. All pretenses were gone.

I wasn’t backing the fuck down.

Matthew

Crossing into his office, he could hear the crew in the house, but he was still reeling from his last conversation. Brody Asher. A goddamn Hollywood male diva.

He knew the excitement the females and a few of the males had about this star. He could have anyone, but he had his hooks in Morgan.

Fury started boiling over inside him, and Matthew reached for the armrests on his chair. He wanted to throw the thing across the room. He wanted to trash every piece of furniture in his office, but he really wanted to smack either one of the main reasons this movie would get any attention. The director was one reason. Asher was the other. His name would draw all the attention.

Kara was easy on the eyes, but she wasn’t Brody Asher.

A growl erupted from him, and he shot back up, stalking to the other side of his office.

“What the hell is going on?”

Abby was in the doorway, her mouth slightly hanging open. She had changed into a sundress and was fixing the ties around her neck. She added, “You okay?”

He only grunted. He wasn’t mad at Abby. He didn’t want to take it out on her.

“Okay.” She sounded resigned, stepping in and closing the office door behind her. All the sounds from the crew were muted to a low murmur. “What’s going on?”

“Asher knows about Morgan.”

“Ugh—”

He turned to continue pacing but stopped at the window. His hands were on his hips, and he stared out beyond the barn to the field she always ran toward. He couldn’t see her, but she was out there. She really was like a ghost.

“Say what?” Abby came to stand next to him.

He let out a deep pocket of air. “He knows about her. He’s talked to her even.”

That same gargle sounded again, coming out like a wheeze from her.

Reaching up, he patted her on the back, but he never turned away from the view. He knew it was ridiculous. Morgan could hear a cricket moving on a blade of grass yards away. Matthew knew Morgan heard Asher and made the decision to stay.

“She’s talking to him.”

Him.

Not Matthew.

Not one of her family members.

No, she was talking to this stranger who had a reputation for being an asshole.

A sick feeling spread through him. He already knew what was going to happen.

He wanted to stop it.

He wanted to bar the asshole from his lands, from Morgan, but it was too late. If he did, the asshole would seek her out anyway.

He couldn’t control Morgan either. God knew that he’d been trying.

Abby touched his arm, both comforting and seeking comfort. “That’s good, isn’t it? That she’s talking to someone.”

Of course, Abby would see it that way.

He wanted Morgan back, so did Abby, and his sister wouldn’t care how that happened.

But he wanted to be the one. Not some Hollywood bad boy type. Asher didn’t deserve her. Not one bit.

“Yeah.” Matthew grasped her hand, covering it with his so he could pull her to him. Dipping his head down to rest against the side of hers, he said gruffly, “Unless he hurts her and she’s gone forever then.”