Dammit. She was such a sucker. “Fine. After you answer a question for me.”

“Anything.”

“Did you honestly believe I’d be that gullible? Just take the check and skip to the bank not questioning my sudden good fortune?”

“Ah, actually, yeah, I had hoped that’d be the case.”

A growl-like snarl escaped and she sidestepped him.

“But I expected you’d at least hear me out and not be as stubborn as your daddy.”

Chassie whirled, tired, angry, frustrated and ready to pop him one square in the mouth.

Colt grinned at her. “Knew that one’d get your back up, Sassy Chassie.”

Her old nickname brought a smile. “Funny, Colt the Dolt.”

“Now that that’s out of the way, will you at least listen to me?”

She sighed. “I suppose.”

“First off. What I said wasn’t a complete lie. At one time Dag did send me money. I don’t recall how much. Coupla hundred bucks probably. Anyway, when I heard how badly you wanted Gus’s place, but couldn’t swing the down payment, I thought this was the least I could do to help you out.”

“Why do you want to help me?”

“I could give you a bullshit answer and say because you’re family. But the truth is, Dag and Uncle Harland died leavin’ you holdin’ an empty bag with no means to refill it and that don’t seem fair.”

“Your family’s always had more money than us, Colt,” she said tactfully. “I don’t begrudge you for it like my dad did.”

“You should. At least my ma squirreled away the money Granddad West left us.”

“What money?”

Colt’s face was troubled. “Granddad West left each grandkid ten thousand bucks.”

Chassie’s mouth dropped open. “You’re joking.”

“No. Ma deposited ours in the bank and wouldn’t let us have it until we turned twenty-one. I told Dag when I got mine. So Dag asked Uncle Harland about his, and…”

Ugly, thick pause.

“Dad spent it all, didn’t he?”

Colt nodded. “I’m sorry. Dag found out Uncle Harland blew every bit. My understandin’ was that was the last straw between them. Dag didn’t so much care about his inheritance, but yours was a different story.”

She felt ill.

“See you were doomed to fail before you got outta the gate, Chass. It ain’t your fault,” Colt said hotly. “I don’t want you to fail, ’cause I know all about failure.”

“Colt—”

“I’ve felt like a failure most my adult life. Cord is the oldest and a natural born rancher. Colby is the rodeo star. Cam is the hero.” Colt squeezed his eyes shut briefly.

“Cam is even more a hero now. Carter is the smart college boy. And Keely is the long-awaited girl. Which leaves me as the fuck-up, the ne’er do well middle child, the charmer, the womanizer, the drunken fool. I lived up to that bad reputation because it was all I had. All I ever saw myself as.

“My brothers’ve done noble things while I’ve done nothin’ worth mentionin’ and done plenty of things I’m ashamed of. Here’s a chance to make things right for someone besides myself.” His vivid blue eyes were beseeching. “This is something I wanna do, something that’ll let me feel as if I’m lookin’ after you like Dag might’ve wanted me to.

I’m payin’ off my debt to the past by helpin’ you to secure the future you’ve always deserved, Chass, is that so wrong?”

“By givin’ me your hard earned money?”

“How else are you gonna buy Gus’s land and increase the size of your operation?”

Chassie frowned. “But I thought your family wanted that section?”

“Fuck my family. Maybe it’s time they realized they can’t always get what they want just ’cause their last name is McKay.”

His vehemence surprised her.

Colt paced. “Do you really think we need another coupla thousand acres? No. But McKay Ranches would snap it up just because they could. That acreage won’t take a nickel away from our livelihood, but it sure as hell will make a huge difference in yours and Trevor’s. And honestly, I’ve done enough shitty things to people I care about to last me a lifetime. Jesus, Chassie, you’re one of the few that’s not on the list of folks I’ve wronged and I’d like to keep it that way. Takin’ this land out from under you feels wrong.”

Chassie placed her hand on his arm, stopping his nervous activity. When Colt looked at her, Chassie finally understood this offer was about more than money. It wasn’t about charity. It wasn’t really about guilt. It was about Colt proving he’d changed, probably when no one in his family believed he could. Proving that same streak of decency running through his brothers ran through him too, even if he and Chassie were the only ones who were aware he’d acted on it.

Colt’s problems with his family were not her issues, but a niggling voice pointed out by Colt coming to her, he’d taken on the responsibility of helping her overcome her family issues—chiefly financial, by bucking his own family’s best interests.

“If I take the money, what will you want in return?”

Colt blanched. “Nothin’. I swear.”

“No unlimited grazin’ rights? Water rights? Mineral rights? Huntin’ rights?”

He shook his head.

Seemed too good to be true. “I’ll have to clear it with Trevor.”

“I’d expect nothin’ less. I wanted to talk to you first.”

Chassie yelled, “Hey, guys, come here.”

“Guys? But—”

She locked her gaze to Colt’s. “Edgard is a permanent part of the operation and of our life now.”

After a second, Colt nodded.

That wasn’t so hard. She expected it’d get even easier in time.

When Trevor and Edgard ambled over, Chassie and Colt explained the situation.

No surprise Trevor was adamantly opposed. “Absolutely not. Like you said, Chass, if we can’t come up with the cash ourselves then ownin’ that place wasn’t meant to be.”

“You’d’ve had no problem borrowin’ the money from your dad,” Chassie pointed out.

“That’s different,” Trevor said.

“How so?” Colt demanded. “A loan from family is a loan from family. I’m Chassie’s family, which makes you family too.”

“So you’re lendin’ us the money?” Trevor asked.

“I sure as hell ain’t givin’ it to you.”

A sharp bark of laughter. “That’s a big relief.”

Colt relaxed slightly. “Think of it as a long-term investment.”

Trevor studied him distrustfully, not because Colt was dishonest, but because in Trevor’s mind, all dealings with family were suspect. “If you ain’t gettin’ interest on the loan, then what’s in it for you short term?”

“I dunno.” Colt scratched his cheek thoughtfully. “I’m lookin’ to diversify my part of the herd. How about you gimme first pick of your male calves durin’ brandin’? They’re worth about a thousand bucks at that age.”

“You want all twenty-five this spring?”

“Nope. One or two a year’ll be just fine.”

Chassie gawked at her cousin in disbelief. “But that’ll take years!”

“Like I told you, I’m lookin’ at long-term.” That flash of shame appeared in his eyes again, but he soldiered on. “Ask me where the money I’m lendin’ you came from, Chassie.”

“Where?”

“It’s what I would’ve spent on booze and women in just the last year. It’s sittin’ there starin’ me in the face like guilt and blood money. I wanna invest it in something I believe in, which is a family ranchin’ operation.” Colt looked across the field, but Chassie knew he was looking far beyond what she could see. “So many of my friends are gone to greener pastures. I couldn’t stand it if you were another one of ’em to leave, and not out of choice.”

Chassie was one of the few who knew Colt’s life hadn’t been as carefree as people assumed and he’d had fewer choices than any of his siblings.

“Anyway, when I build a house on the frontage between the creek and the bluff, we’ll be even closer neighbors, so it makes sense we look out for each other’s best interests.”

“Got a flesh and blood woman all picked out to settle down with in this phantom house you’re describin’?” Trevor prompted with a wicked grin.

“Possibly.” Colt shrugged. “Mostly I’m tired of livin’ at the Boars Nest. I want my own place. Chet and Remy drew up specs and we’re just waitin’ on the county to clear the permits.”

That surprised her. Chassie wondered if his family was privy to his plans to move away from the McKay stronghold.

“So do we have a deal?” Colt asked.

“Yes!” Chassie launched herself at Colt, hugging him tightly. “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to us.”

“Yeah, little cuz, I believe I do.”

“Contrary to what you think, you are a good guy,” she whispered. “A credit to the McKay name. Dag would be proud of you and I’ll try like hell to live up to your faith in me.”

“The fact you were one of the few who never lost faith in me is worth every damn penny.” He hugged her and climbed in his truck without another word.

“That bastard stole my thunder,” Edgard groused.

“What?”

“I’d planned on talkin’ to you and Chass about me making the down payment for Gus’s place with the money from selling my ranch in Brazil.”

Trevor caught Edgard’s golden gaze. “You serious?”

“Serious enough I spoke to Gus yesterday and guaranteed you and Chassie had the cash and asked him not to contact the McKays.”