Cowgirl Up and Ride (Rough Riders #3)(117)

“You want me to call your brothers?”


“No. They have enough shit to deal with. Call Keely. Have her find a place in Denver. Someplace away from here.”


“You sure?”


“Yeah.”


“Okay. But I’ll hafta tell the family why I ain’t gonna be able to help out the next coupla days. The truth about you goin’ in for treatment oughta come from you, cuz, not me.”


Colt nodded and took Kade’s cell phone and disappeared into the kitchen.


Kade McKay to the rescue again. While he waited for Colt, he took stock of his own situation.


His life was a screwed up mess. Living with his parents. He’d try like hell to get Skylar to forgive him and give him another chance, but he figured with his luck, he’d already lost her. Not that he blamed her. He’d done a stupid thing by not telling her the truth and now he was paying for it. Just like Colt was.


Losing a woman like that seemed a damn steep price to pay. He hoped Cord was smart enough to not make the same mistakes he had. One of them deserved a shot at happiness that didn’t have a goddamn thing to do with the f*cking ranch.


Ten minutes later Colt shouldered an overnight bag and trudged past Kade to his truck without another word.


They’d have plenty of time to talk on the road, if Colt wanted to. But Kade wouldn’t be surprised if the trip to Denver toward sobriety was completely silent.


Chapter Thirty-one


Three days later…


“Daddy, how come Gran-gran is so sad?”


“Because Uncle Colt made some bad decisions and he had to go away. Gran-gran misses him like I missed you.”


“Did he go away like Dag went away?”


Cord looked up from buttering toast. “Not the same, Ky. Dag ain’t comin’ back. Colt will be back next month.”


“Okay. Is that how come you’re sad too?”


“Yeah.” But Cord couldn’t help feeling relieved that his brother finally acknowledged a problem and had taken control of his life. They’d deal with the changes when Colt returned.


“I know what’d make ya happy.”


AJ. Seeing AJ would make him very happy. “What?”


“Playin’ Go Fish.”


“You know, that’d probably do it. We’ll play a game first thing when I get home later this afternoon.”


“How come I gotta go to Gran-gran’s? Why can’t I help you?”


Cord counted to ten. “As I’ve already explained three times, I can’t be worryin’ about you today while I’m changin’ out the pump. And Gran-gran missed you bad. Don’t you wanna cheer her up?”


“No.” The spoon in the cereal bowl clattered. “I wanna stay with you. Why are you sendin’ me away? I wanna stay in my own house and play with my own tools and be with my own daddy—”


Ky launched himself off the barstool, coiled himself around Cord’s legs and blubbered. He’d been clingy too—another thing Cord hadn’t dealt with before. He hoisted his son up and tried to calm him.


When Ky quit sobbing, Cord finally understood what Ky had been saying over and over— I don’t wancha to die too.


No way could he leave the kid today. No way.


He called his folks’ house. “Ma. No, we’re not runnin’ late. He’s not comin’ over today. Because he needs another day with me, and I could use another one with him.