Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(113)

“I doubt I’ll ever get married.” Ben’s gaze automatically sought out Ainsley. She

was talking animatedly with his Uncle Carson and Uncle Cal. And she didn’t miss a beat

when Steve Talbot horned in on their conversation. What a rude *.


“You seem to know the new bank prez pretty well.”


“Sundance is a small town.”


“So there’s nothin’ goin’ on between you and the banker?” Chase asked.


Ben curbed his intent to remind Chase that Ainsley had a name beyond the banker.

“Nothin’ worth mentioning.”


“That wasn’t really an answer. You lyin’ to me? Or just lyin’ to yourself?”


Both. “It’s not something I can talk about, okay? Can we just leave it at that?”


“I guess. But I’ll remind you of all the times you felt entitled to poke your nose in

my love life.” He laughed. “Although, to be honest, it only became a love life after

I met the love of my life.”


“Don’t you mean the missus?” Ben made soft kissing noises.


“Jesus, you’re an * sometimes. And nice try, deflecting my questions. I just

wanted to throw out that anytime you wanna talk about this, or anything else…just call

me. I owe you, for all the times you pulled my head outta my ass.”


“Thanks, Chase. I appreciate it.”


“I ain’t one to brag, but I’ve gotten good at this touchy feely shit since meeting

my Ava Rose.” Chase belched. “Speakin’ of…gotta see what my missus is up to.”


Ben had a strange pang of jealousy when Chase swept Ava into his arms and plopped her

on his lap, kissing her soundly. They were so in love, so attuned to each other—so

oblivious to assorted family members shouting at them to get a room.


He had time to study how his family clustered together. His cousin’s wives, Channing,

Macie, AJ, Ginger and India had babies propped on their hips. His mom, Aunt Carolyn and

Aunt Kimi were carting around their grandkids. Tell, Dalton, Brandt and Jessie had

formed their own group in the living room corner. The rest of his cousins were outside

because it was damn hot in here. The horde of kids running in and out every ten seconds

hadn’t done much to cool the place off.


No one bothered him. The groups shifted. He saw his sister-in-law Libby bustling around

in the kitchen with Domini and Skylar. No surprise Keely had cornered Gavin, but from

the looks of it, Gavin was holding his own.


He realized while amusing himself with his family’s antics, he’d lost track of

Ainsley. He turned and there she was. “Hey. I was wondering where you’d gone off to.

”


“I’ve been behind you the last fifteen minutes.”


“Really?”


“It’d be easy to get overlooked in this family, wouldn’t it?”


Ben let her insightful comment pass. “You’re welcome to share my section of wall if

you don’t mind bein’ overlooked.”


“Thank you.” She scooted next to him, but not right next to him. “You’re pretty

quiet around your family.”


“Sorta hard to get a word in edgewise, if you hadn’t noticed,” he said dryly.