Kiss Me (Fool's Gold #17)(35)

Zane took the reins and headed toward the trail. As he passed Chase, he gave him the death-ray look. Chase knew what he was thinking. If Chase hadn’t messed up in the first place, none of this would be happening.

It was just unfair, he grumbled to himself as he headed back to the dust cloud at the rear of the herd. He’d made a mistake, and now he was being punished. But was that enough for Zane? No. Nothing was ever enough.

He broke through the trees and found Maya waiting for him.

“Everyone all right?” she asked.

“Andrea’s fine,” he said. “Not that it matters. This sucks. I can’t make what I did right, and that’s what he can’t forgive me for. Saying I’m sorry doesn’t matter for shit. You know? Like it’s my fault that I can’t change the space-time continuum and rewrite the past. So sue me.”

Maya lowered her sunglasses and looked at him. “Are you about finished with the pity party or should I go get some chips and drinks?”

“I’m just about done. Except that, no matter what, it’s not going to be right. At the end of this cattle drive Zane’s going to be just as mad at me as he is now. Punishing me won’t make him happy.”

“I’m not sure Zane is capable of being happy,” Maya said. “But that’s not the point. Everyone makes mistakes.”

“Not ever-perfect Zane.”

“Even Zane,” she insisted. “The difference is the whole world doesn’t know when he gets things wrong.”

“I wish they did. It would even the score.”

She nodded in sympathy. “I know it feels really unfair right now, Chase, but the truth is this time you—”

He cut her off with a flick of his hand. “I know. This time I went too far, even for me. I deserve to be punished. I am being punished, and when all this is over, do you think for one second, it’s going to be okay with Zane? Do you think he’ll ever let it go?”

“He won’t talk about it.”

“Sure. But it will still be there. We’ll both know it.”

She nodded. “You’re right. Zane doesn’t hold a grudge, but he’s not exactly forgiving, either. I’m sorry, Chase. You have to live with the fact that your brother is a hard-ass. Under normal circumstances I’d consider his tight butt one of his best features, but this time I mean it in a bad way.”

He winced. “Don’t talk about Zane that way. It grosses me out.”

“What? Zane and any woman or Zane and me?”

“Zane and you. You’re my sister.”

She grinned. “Don’t sweat it. Zane and I have never had even a flicker of interest between us.” She tilted her head. “Maybe Zane and a woman isn’t such a bad idea, though.”

“Ha. That would require him to have an actual conversation that wasn’t about business. I’m not sure he can.”

“I suspect that under the right circumstances Zane can be charming.”

Chase stared at her. Maya held up one hand. “Okay. I take it back. I can’t imagine him being anything but himself. Still, he must have needs. Doesn’t he get lonely?”

“Zane doesn’t have weaknesses, remember?”

“Not that he’ll let us see, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Is he seeing anyone?”

“No. There hasn’t been a steady woman since Sally.”

Maya looked surprised. “Does he date?”

“I don’t know. I guess. Maybe. When he goes to town or maybe on his business trips.”

“How often does he do that?”

“A couple times a year.”

“Maybe his bad temper comes from not getting laid,” she said.

“Another problem I can’t fix,” he grumbled.

Maya started to respond, then shook her head. “Hold on. Phoebe looks like she’s in trouble. I’ll be right back.”

He watched as she rode on ahead. About fifty feet in front of them, Phoebe was doing a piss-poor job of turning around her horse. Maya demonstrated how to tug on the reins, and Rocky slowly rotated in the direction Phoebe indicated. Chase urged his mount to trot forward so he could join them.

“What’s up?” he asked, mindful of Andrea’s close encounter with the forest.

Phoebe shifted on her saddle. “I was wondering about rest stops. When do we make them? And where? I haven’t seen any facilities. Is there a campsite or something?”

Chase stared at her. Maya’s mouth dropped open.

“What?” Phoebe looked from one to the other. “What did I say? Are you trying to tell me that real cowboys don’t go to the bathroom?”

Maya reached out and patted Phoebe’s arm. “I thought you knew.”

Phoebe’s eyes narrowed. “Knew what?”

“We use nature’s restroom.”

Chase knew it was rude to laugh, but he couldn’t keep himself from grinning as Phoebe’s eyes widened with horror.

“Outdoors? In the bushes? But what about sanitation? What about washing my hands?”

“What about back to nature?” Maya asked.

“I’m not sure I want the two of us to be that close.”

Chase shook his head. “You don’t get out much, do you?”