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"Rockslide," Tenn answered

Thatcher's eyes fleide and his face fell "Oh man, that's bad I'm sorry—"

"I'ain, he turned in his seat to meet Thatcher's eyes "I'm not sorry, and I don't want you to be either Whatever happens, I won't regret leaving to coet you You're more important Your mom is more important The rest is just stuff"

"It's not just stuff," I insisted

Tenn looked over at et a job somewhere else, you'd be upset? You wanted to live at Heartstone? Wantdiamond?"

"No! I don't care about all of that You know I don't But I care about you I want you to have what you deserve What's yours And more than that—" I sed hard, afraid to ad the reason you lost everything"

"Scarlett—" Tenn's voice ith affection Maybe so more than affection "You could never be the reason I lost anything You're the reason I have everything"

"Tenn—"

"No," he went on as if I hadn't interrupted, "I need you to understand The money, the house, the Inn—none of that isthe Inn because I love that place and I love the job But in the end, it's just a job There are other jobs There is no other you There is no other Thatcher It wasn't even a question forhad happened to Thatcher, it would have destroyed you"

I reached up to wipe away a tear He was right I couldn't fatho to one of er at Elliott washed over me How could he have put Thatcher anywhere near the Learys? I should have grabbed one of the guns and shot him

"But what if we don't make it? I don't want to be the reason you lose it all"

"You aren't getting it, Scarlett My inheritance is just another way for my dad to yank my chain He could have left the Inn to Royal andit for almost a decade He didn't, he left it to Griffen just to remind us that none of it was ours Same with the trusts That money isn't mine It may never be Griffen could decide to buy a small country and clean us all out"

"Griffen isn't going to steal froh to be sure, but I didn't need to I was sure anyway