Richmond, Virginia, March 1888

Bo, the youngest of the five Forester brothers, headed towards the parlor where their sister had been sent as if she were a child. It hadn't been a smart move in his opinion. She'd be furious even before he broke the news.

His brother Jacob strode along beside him. The heavy strike of their boot heels against the wood floor sounded virtually in unison. Behind them, another brother stood leaning against the doorframe of their male domain watching their progress, while the two eldest waited inside to hear how she took the news. Not that it mattered. What was decided wouldn't change.

A few feet from the closed parlor door, Bo stopped as though to stare a hole through it while he gathered his thoughts. How they bushwhacked him into passing along their decision, they knew she'd object to, remained a mystery.

Jacob leaned a shoulder against the wall staring at Bo's foreboding face. "I'd encourage you, but nothing I say will change her reaction. She'll either be incensed or shed enough tears to make you feel like a jackass."

Bo's shoulders sagged. "Likely, it'll be anger. I haven't seen a tear in years."

"Just tell her and make your escape. Let Frank do the cleanup. He's the one who should be explaining in the first place."

Bo's eyes darted back towards the study where Frank remained in the doorway. "A lot of good it does me. When I argued that Frank could tell her in such a way she'd be eager, he said she'd need to vent her frustrations without feeling guilt. Apparently, I'm to be her target when she rants and begins throwing things."

Bo jerked his attention back to getting the godawful job done with, took a fortifying breath, and gave the door to the parlor a perfunctory tap. He peeked inside to see his sister militantly pacing back and forth by the fireplace mumbling and twisting a long golden curl into a tight snarl. One might think by looking at her she'd be an angel. Yeah—one with a fiery sword in her hand.

Because she hadn't heard him knock, he rapped louder to gain her attention. She came to an abrupt halt and looked his way.

"Well don't just stand there; tell me what's happened."

Bo shut the door in Jacob's face. It would be hard enough without him watching. He raked his palm over the back of his neck as he crossed the room to the sofa.

Lori watched him with pity on her face. "Short straw again?" His shoulder rose and fell in a shrug. "Figures. What's all the secrecy? The last time I was told to leave the room all of you discussed sending me away to finishing school."

The tone of her accusation caused his guilt to grow. That had been four years ago, and he'd been the one to tell her about that decision too. Thankfully, she'd marched right to Frank to complain. In an effort to avoid the same reaction, they each gave him their opinion on how she should be told. The unanimous decision—get it said without any hem-hawing around. The same way you'd tell a man. He looked straight into her baby blues and mentally braced himself for the fireworks.

"It's about the store. We've sold it."

Lori's hands flew to her chest as if he'd shot her in the heart. "You did what!"

Bo raced to get it said. "We've sold it so we can join Brad and Thomas in Texas."

Her hands dropped to her waist and fisted there. "Well, that's thoughtful of all of you! What am I expected to do, move in with Aunt Emily?"

This possibility hadn't been discussed, and it left him with a dilemma for a second. He chose to ignore it. "That's ridiculous. You're coming with us just like we planned years ago; unless you've set your mind on marrying one of those annoying suitors who've been sniffing around your newly acquired petticoats."

Up until then, her anger only simmered, but he figured his suggestion tipped the scales. She was quite a sight to watch when she became riled. She began sputtering while the foul word in her mouth fought for freedom. When it came out, she shouted it.

"Married!" At her next breath, her arms flew straight out. "What a laugh. Every time I've had male company, one of you has run him off."

His chin raised a fraction in defense. "Of course we did. If those citified dandies can be scared off, they aren't man enough for you."

"Dandies?" She almost choked on the word. "That's absurd. Just because they don't wear a gun strapped to their hip, and choose to dress in something other than denim when they call on me, doesn't make them incapable."

His sigh could have knocked her down. "I'm not blaming the suits. It's their character. We don't want to see you saddled with a man who looks to you for protection, Brat, but if your life here means more to you than we do, then you need to get married in order to stay." The truth was they wouldn't have let her marry any of them, regardless.

"I'll do no such thing!" She had begun to scream, but stopped and took a calming breath, which didn't appear to work. "Of all the lamebrain, idiotic... this has to be the most outrageous thing I've ever heard."

Bo felt his shoulders sag with relief when she refused. Her rebelliousness could have gone the other way, creating a bigger problem.

Lori's eyes squinted with suspicion. "Did it ever occur to any of you big strong men that I might object to all of this?" His refusal to look at her was a dead giveaway. "Of course it did. That's exactly why you left me out of the discussion," she growled. The tone of her voice turned brittle as she shouted, "What makes any of you think you can change my entire life without consulting me?"

He wasn't stupid, so he remained quiet and let her burn off the injustice.

Her skirts whirled around her legs as she started pacing once again. "I can't believe none of you had enough compassion to discuss this with me, especially since it directly affects me." She came to an abrupt halt and glared at him. "This is foolhardy, and you can march right back in there and tell them I said so."

Bo doggedly shook his head. "You're not going to win this one. You knew we would eventually go. And you couldn't have run the store without us so we all agreed. You're coming with us whether you like it or not." He instantly wished to take his words back as he saw her eyes blaze with challenge.

"I am, am I? That's what you think!" Her arms stiffened as her fists curled tight. She did everything but stomp her foot.

He fought his own anger and lost. "It's what I know, little sister, and you'd better get used to the idea because we're leaving before the month is out. That gives you just enough time to practice your quick draw." Her expression told him she thought he'd gone loco.

"That's the most half-baked statement you've said so far and it's obvious... you've lost your senses. What the devil does moving to Texas have to do with the way I draw a gun?"

"Men outnumber the women twenty-to-one there, Brat. That makes them desperate. One look at you and kidnapping would be mighty tempting. So a gun may well be your only defense." While she continued sputtering, he figured now was a good time to leave, but he couldn't resist ... "And while you're at it, leave your sidesaddle behind because it makes it too easy for a man to pluck a woman right off her mount."

She glared pure fire pointing at the door, and roared, "GET – OUT!"

In his brief hesitation, she reached for a heavy book he knew she had no intention of reading. As if a bull was charging, Bo turned on his heels and dashed for the door. He had no sooner ducked through, slamming it behind him, when a decisive thunk hit on the opposite side where his head would have been.

Jacob burst out laughing.

With eyes tight with anger, Bo growled, "Don't know what you're laughing at." He reached out, yanked the whiskey from his brother's hand and tossed the contents down his throat.

"The look on your face as you rushed through that door," Jacob said with humor.

With a frown meant to suggest his brother go to Hades, he replied, "You mean I still have one after she bit my head off?"

Jacob clasped a hand on Bo's shoulder and gave it a slight shake. "Don't get your back up. You knew she would get her dander up about this. Who wouldn't? Be grateful she didn't cry all over you. I much prefer her spunk."

"You're simply relieved you didn't have to deal with it. Left to you, she would have only heard, 'We're moving to Texas. Go pack.' "

Jacob gave a lazy shrug. "Yeah. Saves time. She understands I don't deal with tantrums or tears."

Bo ignored him and marched down the hall to join the others. As soon as he came into the room, they all turned to hear what happened. Instead of telling them, he wanted to voice his objection to being roped into this kind of aggravation once again, but he didn't.

Frank quickly asked, "How'd she take it?"

The question was absurd. How the hell did Frank think she would take it? Couldn't they hear her shouts? But before he could say a word, Jacob took the honors.

"He barely escaped with his head. I do believe her aim's improving."

Bo's brow drew together and then his eyes flashed to the ceiling with disgust as he moved to the liquor cabinet to pour another shot of whiskey. "She thinks we're out to ruin her life. I thought she was gonna hit me when I suggested she could get married to stay here."

Brad started to say something, but Thomas interrupted. "Is that what provoked her attack?"

"Not exactly." Bo filled his glass a fraction from the top and jammed the stopper back into the crystal container. "She threatened to stay and my temper slipped. I told her she had no choice about going with us." He tipped the whiskey to his lips and swallowed half, feeling the burn warm his tortured nerves.

Jacob shook his head. "You're not telling them all of it. He actually told her she had just enough time to work on her quick draw. When she asked why..." laughter almost bent him over, "he told her she'd need to defend herself from those men willing to kidnap a woman since their so scarce."

Thomas immediately turned his head in order to hide his laughter and caught the expression of disgust on Brad's face. It was too much. His laugh escaped as part cough part snort.

Frank reacted quite differently. He winced. "No wonder her temper exploded. You made a mess of it." His eyes closed in an effort to hold his temper in check. "Tell me one thing." When Bo looked up, he hoarsely yelled, "Why in the hell would you tell her something like that?"

But Jacob, still finding humor in the situation, answered for him, "He obviously wanted to get even for her backtalk."

His remark gained another murderous glare from Bo. "You know that can happen, so I warned her."

Thomas barely kept his humor under control. "I'd say it was brave after dumping that kind of news on her. If she'd been armed, she'd have blown your head off."

Bo ignored him and his perspective on how he handled the situation. Maybe next time they wouldn't be shoving the job in his face.

"Enough!" Brad shouted. "As far as I'm concerned the whole thing is settled. I'll notify Sheraton of our plans."

Bo cringed at what they hadn't been told. "Actually, Brad, she threatened to stay here. If I were you, I wouldn't go assuming anything. You know how she gets."

Brad looked at him with incredulity. "Didn't you explain there were two choices? Either go with us to Texas or get married?"

"Sure I did, but she mentioned going to Aunt Emily's back in Boston."

Brad slammed his hand down on the mantle making a vase vibrate. "That is not an option."