Cowboy Casanova (11 page)

You had no problem pushing Angel last night.

“Earth to Ben,” Keely said.

He looked at her. “Sorry. He’s asked about our cousins. It’s a lot to absorb.”

“Spoken in the diplomatic tone I expected. Bennett McKay, the peacemaker.”

He flipped her off.

Keely grinned. “On to the next thing I want to harass you about—I mean talk to you about. You know how much I adore the log bed you made us. It’s big enough that I have my own space, in theory anyway—” she snorted, “—if Jack would ever let go of me at night. The damn man is stuck to me like Velcro.”

“You’re not really complaining.”

“True. But I didn’t know you’d talked to him about specific modifications to the original bed design. And I’ve gotta say. Very sneaky, Ben.”

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb. You built the bed with hidden hook-and-eye thingies so that depraved man could tie me to the bed any way he wanted.”

He smirked. “And again, little cuz, you ain’t really complaining.”

“Yes I am! Why didn’t you tell
me
so I could tie
him
up? I’m your cousin, your family, your flesh and blood. How could you let him have the advantage over me?”

“First of all, the submissive is always the one in control, regardless if she’s bound by rope or by her dominant’s word. Second, those are not special modifications Jack asked me for. But I knew if I added them, he’d put them to good use.” Ben pointed his beer bottle at her. “Because I suspect there are plenty of times you need to be trussed up to get your butt paddled.”

Keely wore a calculating expression. “I knew it!”

Probably pointless to deflect, but Ben tried it anyway. “Hey, Jack noticed the hardware before you did, when we assembled the bed.”

“I’m not talking about that. I’m actually good with GQ learning the ropes, so to speak. I’m talking about you. Tossing out that dominant and submissive lingo like a pro.”

Ben shrugged. “Never devalue opportunities offered by good porn.”

“Bullshit. I think—”

“I think this is a conversation I never wanna have with you, Keely. So drop it.” The way she froze, Ben realized too late he’d used his Dom voice.

“Does that tone always get you immediate obedience?”

“Not with you, apparently,” he said dryly.

Keely laughed. “Look, I don’t give a rat’s ass what consenting adults do behind the bedroom door, but I’ve gotta ask: is your…proclivity why you go to Gillette?”

Proclivity. Diplomatic way to put it. He studied her, debating on whether to give her a piece of the truth or to lie. The odd thing was, he trusted Keely. She might be a chatterbox, but he’d never heard a whisper of her being a blabbermouth. “Yeah, I suppose it is.”

“Huh.” She seemed to be deep in thought. “I know someone who hung out at the Rawhide Bar. She’d never tell me why the place had such a pull on her. She was awful secretive. Like it was a private club or something.”

Somehow, Ben kept from choking on his beer. “What’s her name?”

“Annaliese.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “I know Annaliese.”

Her gaze sharpened. “How well?”

He knew the petite blonde loved to give head after being flogged until she came. “Well enough.”

“Ah. Evasion. I’m beginning to understand why your motto is
gentlemen don’t kiss and tell
. I’m also beginning to understand why you aren’t interested in dating anyone from around here.” Keely cocked her head. “Although Jessie told me you went out with her coworker Simone a couple of times.”

“I went out with her
once
. Why? She badmouthing me or something?”

“No. You knew within a single date she wasn’t your type?”

“Simone was…” Too abrasive. He preferred his women docile. Like Annaliese. Like Angel last night.

“Simone was…what?” Keely prompted.

“Suffering from baby fever. She’s lookin’ for a man to be her husband only so she can get knocked up and experience the joys of motherhood. That sets off my warning bells.”

“What? A woman who wants to settle down?”

“No. A woman who’s only interested in getting pregnant. I doubt she’d be focused on me or the marriage, since she’s already fixated on babies.”

“So you expect your woman to devote all her energy to you? Make you the center of her existence?” Keely demanded.

Ben shook his head. “But I watched my sister-in-law Libby’s single-minded focus on having a baby nearly destroy her marriage to Quinn. I hated watching my brother suffer. I hated seeing everything they loved about each other become unimportant. They were lucky and fixed their problems, but that’s a rarity because the divorce rate is so damn high. So I ain’t gonna sign on for something for the rest of my life knowing ahead of time it ain’t what I want.”

She started to retort when two raps preceded Quinn walking in. He cast a glance at the dogs snoring in front of the woodstove. “Did you drug my usual welcoming committee?”

“No. They spent the weekend in the barn, pacing, missing their cushy life inside the house, snoozing by the fire. You want a beer?”

“Sure.” Quinn placed a tinfoil-covered plate on the counter. “Libby made brownies.”

“Ooh. Yum.” Keely moved dishes around to make space.

Ben slipped behind the bar and popped the top on a bottle of Coors Light, nudging it toward his brother. “Before we get overrun with family, what’s up with Dad? I called him on the way home today and he said he couldn’t talk. He was figuring something out.” Ben winced. “Christ. Please tell me that ain’t married man code for him and Mom havin’ sex?”

Quinn laughed. “Nope. He was lookin’ at airline schedules.”

“Why? They goin’ to see Chase and Ava in California?”

“Nope. Gavin invited them to Phoenix.”

“Really? That’s…good. Isn’t it?”

“I hope so.”

His cousins streamed in. Kane and Kade. Cord and Colby. Colt and Cam. Brandt, Tell and Dalton. They all gave Keely a rash of shit before bellying up to the bar. He handed Colt a Coke. Then he set out the beer and popped the tops.

“Man, how do you remember everyone’s favorite beer?” Dalton asked.

“Must be the time he’s spending in the bar in Gillette,” Cord said. “Do you have an owner’s stake in it?”

I wish
. “Nope. Cody and Trace own it. I help out when I can, but I mostly just hang out.”

“I don’t see why you don’t hang out in the bars around here,” Dalton said.

“Because the bars around here suck, dumbass.” Tell took a drink of his Coors.

“Maybe sometime me’n Tell will head that way since you like the place so much.”

Dalton had been saying that for a while, so Ben shrugged it off. “You should.”

“Besides, I’ll bet it ain’t your buddies that’re holding your interest. Got a woman stashed there?”

He looked at Kade, standing next to Colby, and blatantly changed the subject. “Rielle mentioned seeing Skylar last week. She said Sky had been sick. Is that why you weren’t around?”

Kade nodded. “Some flu thing. I’m just damn glad the girls and I didn’t get it.” He knocked on the wooden bar top.

“You sure the sickness wasn’t from Sky being pregnant?” Cam said slyly.

“Fuck off, lawman. Some of us know when to say when.”

“And some of us not so much,” Colby muttered.

“No way. Channing is pregnant
again
?” Kane asked.

“God no.” Colby also knocked on wood.

“Libby ain’t pregnant either,” Quinn offered.

“Ditto for Indy.”

“Add AJ to the
not
list,” Cord said.

“Did this conversation have a point?” Tell demanded. “Or all you gonna whip out baby pics next?”

“Yeah, cause you don’t have a picture of your nephew Landon in yours,” Keely inserted.

“We’re just tryin’ to figure out who’s pregnant,” Kane said. “Cause at least one woman in this family is always knocked up.”

All eyes zoomed to Brandt.

“What the hell? Jessie’s not pregnant.”

A beat passed. Then all everyone turned and looked at Keely.

She bristled. “What did I do now?”

“We’re just wondering…” Colt drawled.

“If you’ve got a bun in the oven?” Cord finished.

“I’ve got a whole package of them right here.” Keely whipped a roll at Cord’s head. “Jerk.” Then she pegged Colt with one. “Asshole. You telling me I look fat?”

“Put away the dinner rolls, Nolan Ryan. We ain’t sayin’ you look fat. We’re just tryin’ to figure out who Ma is knitting the new baby blanket for.”

“Not me. Jesus. Jack and I have only been married a year. And after I saw AJ in labor with Beau?” She shuddered. “Maybe never.”

“Oh, it wasn’t that bad.”

Keely threw another roll at Cord. “Not that bad? Didn’t AJ threaten to cut off your
big swinging dick filled with demon
seed
if she ever saw it again?”

Cord smirked. “She didn’t mean it, trust me.”

“Kiss and make up with your
big swinging dick
, did she?” Colt said with a snicker.

More laughter broke out.

“How did we get on this subject anyway? I was hoping there’d be no baby talk for a change,” Dalton complained.

“We got on the subject because my brother was avoiding your question about the women keeping his interest in Gillette,” Quinn said.

Ben scowled at him.

“Or maybe he only wants us to think that. Maybe he really has his eye on a woman closer to home,” Keely tossed out.

Thanks a fuckload, Keely.

Quinn’s beer bottle stopped halfway to his mouth. “Ah hell. I should’ve seen that one comin’.”

“I’m confused,” Ben said. “Should’ve seen what one comin’?”

“Not what,
who
. You know, your hot, sexy, single neighbor, Rielle Wetzler?” Keely added, “How’s she doin’ with that bed and breakfast? I don’t ever hear anything about it, which can’t be good.”

Dalton stood. “Count me out of the conversation when it comes to the Wetzler girls.”

“And count me out of the conversation where you guys are tryin’ to marry off the last of us single McKays,” Tell said. “We like livin’ the carefree bachelor life.”

Ben noticed his married cousins exchanging smug looks after he, Dalton and Tell high-fived.

“Nothin’ goin’ on between me and Rielle. We’re friends. I’ve built some furniture for her. Done some repairs at the B&B. She keeps an eye on my dogs when I’m gone. Just normal neighborly stuff. Plus, she’s at least ten years older than me.”

Cord grinned. “Age ain’t nothin’ but a number. Trust me.”

“Maybe she does all that stuff because she wants to be more than just friends. You should ask her out,” Cam suggested.

“You might even get to put one of the beds you made her to good use,” Quinn teased.

“Very fucking funny.”

“Ooh. Someone’s sensitive.”

Male laughter erupted.

He snapped, “We watchin’ bull riding or didja bring nail polish so we could give each other manicures while we gossip?”

Keely rang a cowbell in the kitchen. “Come and get it!”

While plates were being filled, Ben shooed his dogs outside and turned on VERSUS. Once everyone was settled, Ben brought another round of beer before he fixed a plate for himself. He looked around, glad his cousins had put their differences aside and not only worked together, but could hang out together occasionally. They were all too hotheaded and stubborn for their working relationship to always be sunshine and roses, but at least that relationship wasn’t combative day in and day out.

A collective groan rippled through the room when a bull stomped the crap out of a rider’s leg.

Low stakes betting didn’t last more than ten riders because Tell won all rounds. Being a PRCA rough stock judge was an advantage.

Buck-offs were more common than an eight-second ride so the speculation was high that Chase had a shot at the championship round, since his first score put him in the top twelve.

After Keely ended her cell phone call, she squeezed between Cam and Colt on the couch. “Carter and Jack say hey to everyone.”

“You couldn’t go an entire afternoon without checking in with your lord and master?” Cord asked.

“I don’t have to check in, jerkface. Jack called me because he misses me.”

“I’ll bet he was drunk,” Cam said.

Keely elbowed him in the gut.

“Brandt, have you checked in with Jessie yet? It’s been at least an hour since you’ve talked to her.” Dalton added kissing noises and Tell muttered about being pussy-whipped. Brandt cuffed them both in the back of the head.