Branded as Trouble (Rough Riders #6)(20)

Pause. “That motherf*cker.” Buck looked at her. “You didn’t know?”


India shook her head.


“Just say the word and I’ll kick his ass.” Buck swore and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Ah, honey, I’m sorry.”


“No wonder he’s been dodging my phone calls all week.”


“Stupid bastard.”


That caused a small smile. For the hundredth time India wished she could fall in love with Buck McKay. He wanted the same thing she did—what Kade and Skylar had—true love, mutual respect, great sex, a real home, sweet kids, the whole shebang. Buck looked out for her, treating her like a little sister, which was the problem.


It’d feel incestuous if they became more than friends.


It should feel incestuous with Colt too, since they’d been friends longer, but somehow…it didn’t.


She pulled back in mind and body. “Thanks.”


Hayden bounded up. Refusing his gentlemanly offer of his punch, India retreated to the shadows by the bathroom.


Her eyes continually scanned the crowd for Colt. Finally she caught sight of him on the dance floor. God. He was stunning.


Absolutely freakin’ stunning. He spun the woman in his arms around twice and kept zipping along the outskirts so she didn’t get a good look at his date’s face.


Why does it matter what she looks like?


It just did.


When they performed the forward turn, India scrutinized her.


The woman was tall. Sturdy. Blonde, with a wide smile that almost hid her horse face. She was maybe five or six years younger than Colt. She dressed in the style of a ranch woman, dark jeans, a brightly colored blouse dotted with geometric shapes and rhinestone snaps. Well-worn ropers the same turquoise as her shirt.


Sad thing was, if Colt married her, local people would assume Colt had settled, especially in light of his reputation of preferring good-looking, wild women—of which this prim and proper lady was neither.


Oh, Ms. Horse Woman would pop out a couple of halfway cute kids, be the perfect FFA mom, she’d help Colt run the ranch at top efficiency. She’d…fit in, in ways India never would. It made India sick, because she figured Colt would be back on the booze within six months of committing his life to such a lackluster woman.


Colt needed someone like India in his life.


Right. He’ll be dropping on bended knee after you called him a dickhead.


A fake smile creased Colt’s face as he danced the woman backward and the couple disappeared into the crowd.


When the song finished, the lights clicked on and the auctioneer randomly selected prizes for bidding. First, a massage package donated by AJ McKay, of Healing Touch Massage, which earned a respectable bid of two hundred dollars. The band kicked off another song. As soon as it ended, the auctioneer took the stage.


And so it went for three more tunes.


Skylar’s basket sold for three hundred bucks. The private cooking lessons with Domini, head cook at Dewey’s Delish Dish, fetched fifteen hundred dollars from an anonymous bidder. Domini was clearly flustered by the attention, but extremely pleased.


Buck placed the winning bid on the fly-fishing trip. He and Hayden waved to her as they claimed their prize and headed out.


After a snappy rendition of “Oh Lonesome Me” the moment India dreaded arrived. She kept to the back of the room, hidden in the alcove by the drinking fountain.


The auctioneer snapped the paper in his hand. “Well, I’ll be.