Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(110)

Ben shoved his hands in his pockets. “Ah, my folks are havin’ a family thing at their

place since Chase is in town, as well as our brother Gavin.”


“Of course your family wants to gather and celebrate Chase’s success. I’m sure you’

ll have a great time.”


“If you think dodging screamin’ kids and nosy relatives is fun,” he muttered.


“Excuse me?”


“Nothin’. It’s just all the McKays are comin’, which means all of their kids. God

love ’em, but I’m ready to schedule a vasectomy after about an hour. And guaranteed

this shindig will last much longer than an hour.”


“Large families are almost another culture to people like me, who have one sibling and

half a dozen cousins, total.”


“I don’t suppose you’d wanna come with me?” he blurted.


That shocked her. “Really? Me?”


“Why not?” That too-blue gaze pinned her in place. “Do you have plans?”


“Well, no, but won’t your family think it’s odd that you’re showing up with me?”


He shrugged. “Steve Talbot will be there. It’s only fair the rep from the other bank

gets an invite too.”


So this wasn’t personal. She wouldn’t be showing up on Ben McKay’s arm as his date.

Another shard of disappointment sliced her. “Although I appreciate the invite…” She

fiddled with the sleeve of her sweater. “I’m sure—”


“Look at me.”


Her gaze zoomed to his at his command.


“That was a lie, okay? I don’t want you to come because your bank contributed to

Chase’s fund. I want you to come for me. I mean, I’d like it if you came with me. Not

as my girlfriend or anything, because Christ, no one in my family would leave either of

us alone, and I wouldn’t put anyone through that.” He offered her a shy smile. “So

would you consider goin’ as my…friend?”


Why did Ben’s honesty surprise her? Even when it hurt her a little? And was he trying

to kill her with that sweet little boy smile?


“I’d like that. Do I need to change?”


“Why? You look fantastic.”


“Flattery won’t get you anywhere, friend.” A thought occurred to her. “You aren’t

using me to fend off questions from your family about why you’re not in a

relationship?”


He hung his head. “Busted.”


“Ben!”


“I’m kiddin’. Sounds like you’ve had the same ‘when are you gonna find a nice girl

and settle down?’ questions from your family that I’ve had from mine.”


“No, mine are more along the lines of ‘don’t let the bitterness from your divorce

keep you from finding a good man’ and then my mother asks how many cats I’ve got.”



Ben chuckled. “If anyone asks, let’s tell them we’re too busy f*cking like rabbits

to find someone decent to settle down with.”


“I swear if anything remotely close to that leaves your lips, Bennett McKay, the only

thing you’ll be f*cking in the very near future is your fist.”