King's Treasure (Oil Kings Book 3) by Marie Johnston (great novels .TXT) 📗

exactly like the tech mogul that Xander had described and Eva looked like she designed video games.

“I heard Dawson evaded Grams yesterday.”

Kendall laughed but snuck a glance at Kate and sobered. Xander had speculated that Aiden hadn’t told Kate about the stipulations of the trust, but I couldn’t imagine why that would be kept from her. She and Aiden had been married more than a year. It shouldn’t matter by now. “Grams is a force. It was nice that she stopped by at least.”

Eva screwed her nose up, but spoke quieter. “Does she ever stop by when it isn’t about money?”

“She’s not that type of grandmother,” Kendall said, almost fondly. I think she respected Grams as a powerful woman, not so much as a grandmother.

“She seemed nice,” I said.

Eva softened her doubt with a smile. “She wouldn’t want to scare you away.”

Kate ripped her gaze off her husband, who was straddling either side of the chute that a cow was stopped in and giving her an overall exam. His ass could grace a billboard and sell any damn thing he wanted—just like all his brothers’ asses, though the only one that got to me was Xander’s, and I’d done my share of peeking while he was swaggering around in his boots and cowboy hat.

Kate hopped down and scurried over to us. I swallowed the shame I’d first experienced when I’d met her and Aiden. When Dawson had answered the door, I’d caught sight of Aiden first as he’d brought their luggage upstairs. Aiden was all sharp angles, precise in every fold and wrinkle of clothing to the point where even Chief would say damn, and he exuded a seriousness that naturally made tension bloom in any room.

After seeing him, I’d expected a leggy woman who was catwalk-ready at any moment. So when Kate had stepped inside, chatting with Dawson on the landing as she shrugged out of her coat, shock had stalled me dead. Some might call her plain, but only because her beauty was quiet, understated. She had rounded curves on a frame a few inches shorter than mine. Her soft, bright presence balanced all of Aiden’s hard edges. It’d be easy to write her off as a nobody, but as soon as Dawson introduced me to her, my respect for Aiden grew. Intelligence shone in Kate’s eyes and when she smiled, I wanted her to be my friend forever. She was the type of woman lesser men would ignore rather than try to be worthy of. She didn’t cower like she was meek, but she was either shy or didn’t need one second of the spotlight.

My new hobby had become studying Xander’s family. They all seemed to accept me as readily as my family had accepted him. The guys acted like Hector—respectful, but willing to put me to work. Their wives were more like Eris than Rina—except for Eva. She might be a little more like Rina once she got to know me.

It was exciting.

I was making friends with people who weren’t my family and could decide to have nothing to do with me.

That they all cared about Xander was obvious. He needed to talk to his dad. He needed to quit avoiding him.

Kendall spoke up. “Listen, Savvy. We thought the guys could have some time tonight to be charming assholes with each other while we steal you and go to the Tap.”

“Are you asking me out?”

Kendall grinned and her breath puffed out. “Savvy, would you do me the honor of having a few drinks with me in a dive bar tonight?”

“I’d get down on one knee, but . . .” Eva picked up her boot and grimaced at what was stuck to the bottom. They looked newish, but not fresh out of the box. All the women’s clothing and footwear had seen dirt and manure a few times before.

“It’s not like an interrogation or anything, is it? You three aren’t going to torture me to see if I’m worthy of Xander?”

“Honestly, we don’t know Xander well enough to decide that,” Kate said quietly, but with a slight smile to take the edge off her little land mine of a statement.

Kendall chuckled and squinted into the sun. “Maybe we should’ve done that with him when we first met him.”

“Full disclosure, I’ve seen him in his underwear.” We all stared at Eva and she put her hands up. “I was using his room when I first came here as Beckett’s assistant.” She rolled her eyes. “Fake fiancée.”

“I’ve heard the story. The fake fiancée part, not the underwear.” Add it to the list of things Xander didn’t talk about.

“Anyway,” Eva continued, “I was in Xander’s room because we didn’t even know he was coming, but he showed up in the middle of the night and crawled into what he thought was an empty bed.” Her cheeks flushed. “I haven’t thanked him for scaring me into Beckett’s bed that night.”

Kate giggled. “Who scared who more?”

“Since I fell on my ass between the bed and the wall, I think it was me. Xander thought it was hilarious, more so after Beckett came rushing in.”

Kendall fiddled with her bun. “I’m going to risk sounding like Grams, but I can’t wait to see what scares some girl into Dawson’s bed.” We all blinked at her. None of the King men had to work hard to get women into their bed. Kendall sputtered when she realized what she’d said. “I mean . . . Lord. You know what I mean.”

Laughter broke out between us. Tonight was going to be fun.

Xander

The girls spilled out of the house on a wave of laughter and perfume. The sight of Savvy laughing and joking with all of them wormed its way inside me. How often would Savvy and I come to Montana so I could see her like this?

Dawson set five long-necks on the counter. “Now that the vegetarian is gone, can we grill?”

I snagged a bottle before my brothers got there. “She’s not a strict vegetarian. You’d just get interrogated about where