Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(153)

Colt. It ain’t helpin’.”


“Will somebody please tell me what the f*ck is goin’ on?” Ben demanded.


Colt said, “I stopped by to get something Casper asked for. These guys won’t let me

in the house to get it.”


“Because he won’t tell us where Dad is.”



Kane drawled, “Ain’t this fun? Been at this point since I called you.”


Ben addressed Colt. “So is Casper staying with you or something?”


“Or something would cover it.”


He sensed Colt wanted to talk, but their cousins had pushed him in the corner and he

wouldn’t be the first to back out. “Come on, Colt, give ’em more than that.

Obviously they’re worried.”


“Coulda fooled me,” he muttered.


“You are such a smug *,” Tell hissed.


Ben glared at his cousin. “Not helping. And I wouldn’t talk to you either if you said

shit like that to me, so shut it, Tell.”


No one said anything for a solid minute.


Colt dropped the defensive posture. “Fine. Casper is in alcohol treatment.”


Stunned silence.


“Are you f*ckin’ serious?” Brandt said.


“Yes.”


“When? How?”


“He called me.” Colt rubbed the back of his neck. “Actually he called Indy because

she’s one of the only family members Casper hasn’t crossed. But I ended up answering

her phone and talking to him.”


“When was this?” Tell demanded.


“A couple weeks ago. He was drunk as hell. I told him no one could help him until he

walked away from the booze. I didn’t figure he would. If you knew how many phone calls

I’ve gotten, from folks wantin’ my help…” He sighed. “So to be honest, I didn’t

put much store in it. Until he showed up at my house.”


“When?” Dalton barked.


“Five days ago.”


“Where’d you take him?”


“To get dried out.”


Tell wouldn’t let it go. “Where?”


Colt remained mute.


When it appeared all three of Casper’s sons intended to beat the answers out of Colt,

Ben stepped in. “This macho bullshit posturing is pointless.” He addressed Brandt,

Tell and Dalton. “Jesus, guys, stop and think. Colt can’t tell you because of AA

confidentiality rules.”


“Without bein’ a dick, if Casper would’ve wanted you guys to know where he was, he

would’ve told you,” Kane added.


“Wouldn’t be the first f*ckin’ time Dad’s kept us in the dark,” Dalton retorted.


“You just…helped him? No questions asked?” Brandt asked Colt. “After all the bad

shit he’s done to the family?”


Colt simply said, “Yes.”


“Don’t matter where he is, ’cause you can bet he won’t make it through treatment.

He’ll be back home, same mean SOB as before, same drunken * as before,” Tell

said.


Colt shoved Ben aside and pushed Tell with enough force he almost fell on his ass.