Cowgirl Up and Ride (14 page)

“Who knows? Once I graduate I’ll actually have a way to support myself, since the

‘princess and knight’ scenario we dreamed up in third grade hasn’t panned out for either of us.”

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Lorelei James

“Speak for yourself. Noah treats me like a princess even if he is welding armor rather than wearing it.”

“True. I am happy for you, Liza. How did we get sidetracked from the stripper story?

Who’s flashing their butt for bucks?”

“Have you talked to Keely? Will she be here for the bachelorette party?”

“Shoot. I forgot to ask her.” That was an odd question. Out of the blue. “Why?”

Liza started chomping on her straw, a sure sign of distress. When they’d been in school, by the end of the year everything in Liza’s pencil box looked as if beavers had gnawed on it. “Along the rumor vein…I heard if Colt McKay has enough to drink he’ll start stripping. Doesn’t care where, or when, if it’s a private gig or right out in public.”

“Holy crap, Liza, you weren’t thinking of hiring
him
for your party?”

“God, no. But that’s the thing. He’s been everywhere with that female stripper and the male stripper I’m considering is a coworker of hers. Colt is a party crasher. Keely would freak if she saw firsthand some of the rank stuff he’s been doing.”

AJ hadn’t heard anything out of the norm where Colt was concerned, besides him hitting the bottle hard. “I’m sure she can’t make it because of tests. A stripper? Really, Liza? Why?”

“Because I’ve always been the goody-two-shoes-girl-next-door. Just once, I’m dying to throw an outrageous party that’ll be the talk of the county for ten years. I want everyone to say, ‘Hey, remember Liza’s bachelorette bash? Now that was one helluva wild time!’ instead of tea and cookies and stupid bridal shower games.”

AJ empathized. Neither she nor Liza craved the attention wild child Keely McKay garnered without trying, but once in a while—or once in a lifetime in Liza’s case—it’d be fun to shatter perceptions about shy girls and cut loose in a way that’d leave Keely’s mouth hanging open in shock.

“AJ?”

“I’m in. You need help planning it?”

“Some. I’ve rented the backroom. My sister and I are making the food.” A mischievous smile appeared. “Cocktail weenies, brats, Rocky Mountain Oysters, 110

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meatballs. We’re gonna have a brat sucking and ball licking contest. And we went online and ordered a bunch of really raunchy party favors.”

“Ooh, we’ve gotta have an official drink. Something super sweet with a naughty name and you won’t know you’ve had too much to drink until it’s too late. Wyoming Doodle Whacker.”

“Ooh. I like that one.”

“Who’da thunk wild women lurked beneath our pigtails and bootcut 501s a few short years ago?”

“Not the guys in our class who voted us ‘bland and blander’. There will be something very satisfying about flipping them the bird, and slamming the door in their faces because at this party no men are allowed.”

For the next hour AJ and Liza made lists, planned and laughed. Noah finished his dart league and squired Liza away, leaving AJ to fend for herself.

Not for long.

She was dancing with Mikey when Cord waltzed in. She didn’t acknowledge him, since she suspected the reverse was true. AJ danced and hung out with her friends, feeling melancholy about not having many nights like this left in her hometown.

Her cell phone rang. She hustled down the hallway away from the music to try and hear Keely, but it was pointless. She turned around and saw Cord blocking the exit.

Lord. The man defined bad-boy rancher hottie, the ultimate man, in her opinion. The real deal, not some cowboy wannabe. His muscles were earned from hours of hard, physical work, not hours spent pumping iron at the gym. His steely-eyed determination was honed from spending years fighting the elements. She suppressed a soft sigh. He wore a pressed cotton shirt the color of vine-ripened tomatoes, which emphasized his

‘black Irish’ dark good looks, crisp jeans and a straw hat. He probably smelled great too, like shaving cream and soap and the great outdoors.

Shoot. She had no experience with this stuff either. Did she ignore him? Play it cool?

Play it like a bitch on wheels? Pretend she hadn’t waited at his house for over an hour for him and he never bothered to call and cancel?

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Lorelei James

While she argued with herself about an appropriate response, he said, “You didn’t show up tonight.”

“Wrong. I waited for you but
you
didn’t show up.”

“So you came to the Golden Boot instead?”

“What’s it to you what I do?”
Childish, AJ
. “I figured you had other plans so I made some of my own. No big deal. It’s not like we’re going steady.”

His jaw went rigid. “Wrong. You broke the rules. Which means you’ve earned another penalty.”

“Put it on my bill with the other ones.”

He gestured to her phone with a jerk of his hat brim. “Who’re you talkin’ to?”

She blinked at him.

“Who?”

“My stockbroker. My Microsoft stock took a huge hit today.”

“You’re a real riot, AJ. Who were you talkin’ to?”

“You gonna keep asking me until I tell you?”

“Yep.”

“Fine. I was trying to talk to Keely. But don’t worry, I didn’t say a thing about you or the incredible sex we had the other night.” Crap. That hadn’t come out right.

Cord tipped his hat back. No smile, just a smug look. “Incredible, huh?”

“You know it was. You don’t need to get cocky about it because there won’t be a repeat performance tonight. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

“You ain’t goin’ no place. Get your stuff and be out by my truck in five minutes.”

“No.”

“No?”

“Is there an echo in here? I said
no
. You had your chance to be with me tonight. You blew it. Better luck tomorrow.”

“Don’t push me, baby doll.”

“Then get out of my way. Unless you want me to really push you aside and make a scene?”

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A hard expression flattened his lips.

“Didn’t think so.” She sidestepped him and strutted to the bar.

Nice goin’ McKay. You handled that like a fuckin’ pro.

Jesus. That smartypants blond was so gonna get it when he got his hands on her.

He’d stick around and see what other trouble she caused, see if she provided reasons to add to her punishments.

Cord snagged a corner table near the dance floor, where he could watch the entrance, the exits and her every move. Perverted? Yep. But if she took off, he’d know it. Just as well as he knew he’d chase her down—and guaranteed there’d be hell to pay when he caught her.

He nursed a beer, keeping a mental tally of who AJ danced with and how many times. Obsessive? Yep. A feeling which didn’t bother him in the least.

A couple of his dad’s friends swung by to congratulate him on buying the Foster place. He shot a covert glance at AJ to see if she’d figured out why so much traffic passed his table.

He shooed the guys off instead of discussing his plans for the new McKay acquisition. With AJ within earshot it seemed disrespectful. Not only that, he didn’t want anyone in the community believing the Fosters had fallen on hard times and had no choice but to sell. Cord knew how much it’d bug him if local folks made such assumptions about him or his family or the way they ran their operation. Gossip ruled in Crook County and the men were just as bad as the ladies.

Kade strolled in, snagged a beer and slipped into the booth seat across from him.

“How’s it goin’?”

“Shitty. You?”

“Shittier.”

“Where’s Kane?”

“Who the hell knows?” Kade fiddled with the metal tab on his beer can. “Did you hear I moved out of the Boars Nest?”

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Lorelei James

“No. I was a little fuckin’ busy mowin’ the goddamn south hayfield for the last couple of days to indulge in idle conversation.”

“By yourself?”

Cord nodded.

“Shit. Sorry. I woulda been over to help you, if I’da known.” Kade fished his can of Skoal bandits from his front pocket, shook out a pouch and passed the can across the table.

Cord jammed the tobacco in his cheek next to his molars. He only chewed occasionally, and only when Ky wasn’t around.

Kade said, “Before you ask, no, I don’t know where your stupid brother is either.

Been busy after work with Ma’s side of the family. First Uncle Darren wanted my help.”

He sighed. “You know how our dads are about Uncle Harland, so I couldn’t exactly tell him I’ve been helpin’ out Uncle H since Dag went on another bender. Spent the last coupla nights at his place. Early this mornin’ I get to the northeast corner where we been fixin’ fence and Kane tells me Dag had enough of Uncle H’s naggin’ and me tryin’ to—

quote ‘be the son Dag could never be’ so he packed his shit and now
he’s
livin’ at the Boars Nest in my old room.”

“Uncle H tell you what went on to make Dag bail?”

“Hell no. Truth is, I don’t know why Dag’d move up there besides the free-for-all-anyway you want sex. The place is a fuckin’ pigsty. Kane and me cleaned it up a couple of times in the last month, Colt can’t be bothered, but we ain’t the ones makin’ the messes.”

“Who is?”

“Some of them people Colt has over every damn night.”

“People like that Jasmine chick?”

Kade’s gaze snapped up.

“I was there when she offered you and Colt a threesome, remember?” Cord watched his cousin closely and sure enough, Kade blushed. “Ended up bein’ a foursome or more, did it?”

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“Yeah. I ain’t gonna lie, I thought it’d be hot as hell. Once in a while some variety is good, but it didn’t turn out as sexy hot as it does in porn flicks. Besides, Jazz and her friends are…”

“What?”

“Freaks. Squatters. The place is even nastier to live in than usual. Booze bottles and cans, condoms and food wrappers everywhere. Dirty clothes, dirty dishes, bags of trash.

My mama would faint if she saw it.”

“Which means mine would too. How much has Colt been drinkin’, Kade?”

“More’n I’ve ever seen. I ain’t so sure he’s not drinkin’ before work. Been signs of drugs around too. Pot, mostly. A couple of vials of other shit I didn’t want to know nothin’ about.”

Cord tried to rein in his temper and the underlying fear for his wayward brother.

“Come clean with me, no bullshit. Is Colt doin’ drugs?”

“I doan know. I jus’ know he’s a train wreck waitin’ to happen and I doan wanna be no place around when he finally goes off the rails.”

Cord drained his beer. “Too late. He’s here.”

“He alone?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s surprisin’.”

He watched Colt stop at the bar and knock back three shots of something before he carried two beers over to another table.

“Think he saw us?”

“Hell yeah he saw us. I’d avoid me too.” Cord stood. “Head on home. I’ll handle this.”

“Think I’ll stick around.”

The second Cord stopped in front of Colt’s table Colt said, “Look. I know you’re pissed off. You’ve got a right to be, okay? I had a rough fuckin’ night. I blacked out.

Woke up naked in my bed around four this afternoon, hungover as hell, no idea what happened. Don’t know why my cousins couldn’t bother to wake me up.”

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Lorelei James

“They ain’t your mama.”

“No shit. But it ain’t like I haven’t done it for them a time or two.”

He studied his brother’s disheveled appearance. Scraggly hair, bags under his eyes, marks on his neck. Incredibly swollen lips. “Didja get punched in the mouth last night?

’Cause it’s puffed up like a bee sting.”

Colt brushed his hand over his lips and frowned. “Not that I recall.”

“That seems to be the problem, bro. Even if Kane and Kade and even Dag would’ve been around to wake your drunken ass up, I’d’ve sent you home.”

“Why? ’Cause I had a little too much liquid fun last night? It ain’t like you didn’t do shit like that.”

“Wrong. I never once blacked out. I never once missed a day of ranch work because of drinkin’ and you’ve missed two this week alone.”

“I knew you’d be a self-righteous prick about this.”

Heavy pause. “What the
fuck
did you just say to me?”

“You heard me.” Colt deigned to look at him. “Precious Ky’s gone so you’ve got nothin’ else to do ’cept work. Some of us have a life outside of the ranch. Some of us are tryin’ damn hard not to end up like you: cold, cruel, a bitter woman-hater, a fuckin’

recluse, a workaholic loser with a stash of porn and a sore hand.”

Never in all the years that he’d been dealing with his overbearing family had he wanted to kill one of them.

Until tonight. Until now.

Cord grabbed Colt by the shirtfront and hauled Colt across the table. The second he had a free hand he punched Colt in the jaw hard enough Colt’s head snapped back. A beer can crashed and rolled off the table, spewing foam everywhere.

He cocked his arm and punched Colt in the mouth, feeling the scrape of his brother’s teeth on his bare knuckles. Before Colt’s nose met his fist, Colt landed a blow alongside Cord’s temple and nearly knocked his head from his neck.

Cord staggered back, taking Colt with him.

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They crashed into another table. Bottles shattered and beer splashed on the floor.

Shirts ripped, flesh connected with flesh. Grunts, curses and groans of pain were intermingled with more curses, blood and crunching glass.

Kade intervened.

Cord forgot what a big guy Kade was until his younger cousin literally picked him up and set him aside like he was an eighty-pound hay bale, not a two-hundred-pound pissed-off man.

“Cord, what the hell is wrong with you?”