Branded as Trouble (Rough Riders #6)(27)

“’Cause I don’t think they knew.”


Cord tipped his long neck beer bottle toward Colby. “I’ll bet you fifty bucks Aunt Vi had something to do with it.”


“You’re on.”


They chinked bottles.


Colt shifted his stance and dropped his water bottle, reminding Cord, Colby and his father he was not part of the fence.


“What do you think about it?” Carson McKay demanded.


“So they bought a pair of llamas, big deal,” Colt said. “I don’t see how it affects us. Besides givin’ us ample opportunity to razz our cousins to no end with the question: Is your mama a llama?”


Laughter broke out. Cord’s son Kyler’s obsession with that book as a toddler meant they’d all been forced to read it until they could recite the thing from memory. That’d been a happy period in Colt’s life, one of the memories of that time not tainted by alcohol.


“Seems Ky’s reading skills will come in handy with the new baby.”


All gazes zoomed to Cord.


He grinned like a loon. “AJ’s pregnant. She wanted to wait until she’s past the first trimester to tell folks, bein’s it’s her first baby and all, but I can’t help it.”


Carson clapped Cord on the back. Colby said, “Congrats. Man, must be something in the water. Channing, Macie and AJ are all pregnant at the same time.”


“Least they’re not all gonna pop durin’ calvin’ season,” Carson said.


If both his brothers’ wives were pregnant during the busiest time of the year, it meant Colt would shoulder a bigger chunk of the responsibility.


Big surprise. Didn’t it just figure everyone in the family assumed he’d be around to pick up the slack? Hell, when push came to shove, only Cam and Carter owned less of the McKay herd than he did. They both had other jobs. Colt’s sullen side silently retorted that no one expected them to do more than their fair share. In fact, with Cam’s war injury he couldn’t do much. And Carter split his time between here and his in-laws’ place in Canyon River.


“Colt?”


He shoved aside his sour thoughts and focused his attention on Colby. “Yeah?”


“Carter told me to tell you that you could stay at his and Macie’s place durin’ calvin’ so you don’t have to drive so far.”


Would it be petty to point out neither Colby nor Cord offered up their places for him to crash?


Yes.


Jesus. He was stuck in “feel sorry for me mode” tonight. It’d be best to smile and suck it up, rather than point out neither of them had to give up their comfy beds for a month. Every year.



“If you don’t wanna do that, I’m sure Cam’ll let you bunk with him for the duration.”


Cam wouldn’t look him in the eye.


And right then, Colt had enough. “I appreciate it, but it ain’t gonna be necessary.”


Cord frowned. “That’s a long damn drive. Especially with the weather bein’ shitty that time of year.”


“I’m sure you guys’ll handle the weather and the calvin’ just fine without me.”


Shocked silence. Then, Colby said, “Without you? What do you mean?”


“I ain’t gonna be here.”


“Where you gonna be?”