Branded as Trouble (Rough Riders #6)(101)

Twice last night alone. Once the night before when he’d pulled out at the last minute.


Dammit. What if she’d gotten pregnant? She unclipped the pen attached to the top and used it to mark off days. They’d had sex a lot to make up for the five days she’d had her period.


India freaked out. She counted again. No mistake. She jumped up and ran into the living room so she had more room to pace and freak out.


This was not happening. Not happening.


God. What’d she been thinking? How could she’ve been so stupid? So irresponsible?


It takes two to tango.


Colt had brought up the condom issue right before he f*cked her against the truck. She’d been so…intent on having him in his riled up state, all sexy and masculine and needy that she hadn’t been thinking clearly. Just like he hadn’t been thinking clearly the night before when he’d used the withdrawal method.


Still, they both knew better. Especially since her sister and his cousin had an unplanned pregnancy due to a moment of recklessness.


But hadn’t Skylar and Kade turned that oops into a happily-ever-after?


Yes.


So had she subconsciously wanted to get pregnant?


No. She wouldn’t do that to Colt. She loved him. She couldn’t wait to tell him how much she loved him. But she didn’t want to start the conversation with, “These last six weeks have been the best of my life and I love you like crazy…and speaking of crazy, guess what? I’m pregnant!”


The poor guy had no choice but to marry her. Seems that’s how the Ellison women find husbands; they trap them by getting knocked up.


Colt had suffered through enough gossip.


India sat on the floor and tried to come up with a workable plan. She had two days left of her most fertile time. If she could avoid Colt, she could avoid sex.


Isn’t that a bit like closing the barn door after the cows get out?


Yes, but it was the only option that made sense—even when it made no sense.


***


Late the next morning, Colt was standing outside shooting the breeze with Trevor and Edgard after they’d sorted cattle for the upcoming sale. “Chass said Carolyn called a McKay family supper last night?”


Trevor asked.


“I think you mean a summons,” Colt said dryly.


“How’d that go? You took India, right?”


“Yep. It went fine.”


“Really?”


“Sure. It ain’t like Indy’s a stranger to anyone in the family.”


Although she had dressed and acted like one, Colt figured India wouldn’t appreciate him sharing that tidbit.


Edgard and Trevor exchanged a look.


“What?”


“I guess Chass was worried how it played out, bein’s half of ya’ll ain’t talkin’ since Cam blew up at your brothers and Carson a few weeks back.”


Colt sipped his coffee. “Seems Cam’s been avoiding everyone in the family, ’cept for me. So yeah, conversation at the dinner table was subdued. But there was enough babies cryin’ that we all pretended we didn’t notice the strain.”


Trevor said, “What the hell did Cam say that pissed everyone off anyway?”


“Chassie didn’t tell you?”


“Chassie doesn’t know,” Edgard said. “It’s driving her crazy, which means…”