Chasin' Eight (Rough Riders #11)(31)

Ava smirked at Chase and yelled, “Of course I remember, you, Ben. Hang on, let me throw on some clothes and I’ll be right there.”

“Are you f*ckin’ serious?” Chase hissed in her ear. “You cannot let my brother in.”

“Sure I can. And if you don’t want to be found out as my dirty little secret, you’d better stay in the bedroom.” Ava sidestepped him, slipped on her Juicy jacket and fluffed her hair. Then she made a shooing motion at him. “Go.”

“I don’t believe this,” he muttered, stealthily snagging his duffel bag. He left the bedroom door ajar, hoping the hallway had decent acoustics.
“Ben! Wow. You look great. Thanks so much for taking the time to check on this poor city mouse.”

“It’s no trouble. Just bein’ neighborly.”

Bullshit. Ben lived twenty-five f*cking miles from here. Maybe Ben would see Ava was fine and skedaddle on home. Chase just hoped Ava wouldn’t offer him a beer.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Ava asked with entirely too much cheer for Chase’s liking.
“A beer would be great.”

Dammit. They sat in the easy chairs, which meant Chase had no way to see them and could only hear his brother making charming small talk with Ava.
“Kane and Ginger swung by today, and told me you’d seen my car out front.”

“Gotta admit I was surprised that we had a beautiful celebrity in our midst again.”

Jesus. When Ben spewed that lame bullshit, he actually got laid? Unbelievable.
“More like a fugitive than a celebrity since I’m on the lamb from my life.”

“I read about that nasty business with your ex. You okay?”

“Getting there. Needed time to clear my head and there’s too much smog in LA to do that, so I headed for wide-open spaces.”

“You’re not finding it too isolated out here?”

Why don’t you just come out and ask to spend the night so you can keep her safe?
“Not yet.”

“If you get bored or lonely, or hell, just hungry, call me. I’m a decent cook and I get tired of cooking for one.”

“Thank you, Ben, I may do that.”

Their voices dropped. All Chase could hear were Ben’s deep murmurs and Ava’s occasional trills of laughter. He fumed, wondering how Ben’s impromptu visit had turned into an extended stay.
Then Ben’s voice reached him, clear as a bell. “You might as well come out, Chase. I know you’re back there. I recognize that damn cologne you bathe in. And your boots are by the door.”

Chase wandered out of the bedroom and faced his older brother. Even as a kid Ben owned an air of fortitude. Since Ben smiled and laughed more than their oldest brother, Quinn, everyone assumed Ben was easygoing. Laid-back.
But he wasn’t. Not by a long shot. Ben had a level of intensity that could be downright scary. Luckily Ben hadn’t inherited the tendency to use his fists to solve problems, a trait some of their McKay cousins shared. He didn’t mince words, didn’t have time for bullshit or lies. When a man was defined by how hard he worked, Chase always thought of Bennett McKay first.
“Would you excuse us?” Ben asked as he stood. “I need to talk to my little brother outside for a minute.”

Ava tossed off a breezy, “Sure.”

Ben exited the trailer. He kept walking until they were by the barn. Then he faced Chase, hands on his hips, his tone as cold as steel. “What the hell is wrong with you? You come home and stay at Kane’s place and don’t let any of your family know you’re here?”