“It would apply if Em was threatened to marry him,” Ash explains.
“Well, nope. Nobody can threaten our sister withanythin’. She’s always the one doin’ the threatenin’,” EJ says with a visible shudder.Is he scared of his sister?The thought makes me grin.
“Mental incapacity?” BJ looks me up and down. “Well, apart from bein’ a Cooper, Jude’s not so bad now that we’ve gotten to know him.” That has all the Wilson’s chuckling.
“Thanks,” I reply dryly.
“Underage status without consent—nope. Intoxication—nope. And lastly, undisclosed permanent impotence.” That brings a smirk to BJ’s mouth. Looking around his brothers, he’s not the only one finding this funny. “Got somethin’ to tell us brother-in-law?”
I snort and shake my head. “Been a while, but nope. Not an issue.”
BJ goes to open his mouth but Asher beats him to it. “Wait. It’s been a while?”
“Yep,” I tell him, staring him straight in the eye.
“And you’re just straight up admittin’ that to us?”
I shrug. “Yep. It’s the truth, so why lie about it. It’s been a busy year so far, with movin’ states, gettin’ the ranch into semi-workin’ order, meetin’ the future love of my life—my One—on my rival’s ranch and marryin’ her at the request of her dyin’ dad. Suffice to say, gettin’ laid hasn’t been high on my priority list.Besides, I’m a married man.” I smirk at the stunned mullet looks on all of the Wilson brothers’ faces.
It’s then I catch a flicker of respect in Dare’s eyes, something I soon see reflected in Asher’s gaze too. “Not sure what to say to that.”
“There’s nothin’tosay.”
It’s then I see when my words register. “Wait. YourOne?” Asher asks.
“You mean like the Call?” BJ says.
EJ frowns. “Wait. I thought we weren’t eligible or whatever because the mountain wasn’t all ours?”
“It’s not about bein’ eligible,” I explain. “It started with the Cooper bloodline at Moose Mountain as a way for the spirit to reward the protectors of her land with their soulmates. From what I understand, there’s no set order orlistof people who hear the Call.”
“You’re tellin’ us it’s luck of the draw? Are you serious?” That was EJ again.
I realize Dare has stayed quiet. When I look over at him, he’s watching me closely. “How do you know that Em is your One?”
This is the important part. It doesn’t matter if our marriage is legal or not. Or if Em’s brothers believe that it was an accident. This is about me proving that this is bigger than the rivalry and the history between our families. This is me—as a man—showing the most important, protective people in Em’s life that my intentions are pure.
“The moment Dare got the call that Sully had takin’ a turn for the worse, I knew I had to come here. I didn’t know why, just that it was somethin’ I needed to do. When I stepped out of the truck, somethin’ felt different.”
“That’s not exactly unique. Our land is awesome. Maybe you just wanted to see our ranch. Maybe you wanted to help with Dad,” BJ adds.
“When I saw Em for the first time, it was like walkin’ face first into a brick wall then bein’ slapped in the face.”
“Wouldn’t mind repeatin’ that myself right now,” Ash mutters making the twins laugh. Dare doesn’t look away though.
"You want us to believe that yousawour sister and suddenly knew she was your soulmate?” EJ asks, leaning forward in his seat. There’s no disbelief in his voice this time. He seems genuinely interested.
“How did that lead to y’all gettin’ married?” BJ continues.
“You were there, BJ. I hadn’t even spoken to your sister before Sully asked what he did of me.”
“Just… one… thing, Cooper. Then I can leave this earth in peace,” he rasps.
“What is it, sir?”
“Take care of my girl.”
“I will.”