Cowgirl Up and Ride (Rough Riders #3)(54)

Somehow he managed to put AJ out of his mind for the rest of the grueling day’s work. Dissecting Colt not showing up again was pointless too. By the time he’d run the John Deere out of gas and bumped his way across the various pastures to the house, Cord admitted he and Colt needed a break from each other. Working with family was tough.


He and his father had been at loggerheads for years until Cord had left for Seattle.


Sometimes the best decision to keep the peace was distance. Literally. Luckily there were plenty of other sections on the McKay ranch for his brother to work.


Cord parked in the yard at seven-thirty. No sign of AJ. No message. No note. No doubt he’d think up a suitable penalty for her cheeky behavior.


After cleaning himself up, he slapped together a roast beef sandwich made from dry bread and washed it down with a Fat Tire beer. Ky was amazingly talkative and seemed to be missing him. By the time Cord hung up, he was surprised to see darkness had fallen and it was damn near nine o’clock.


He sat on his couch in his dark living room, bone tired. Knowing he had another full day of the same planned for tomorrow, the best thing would be for him to crawl into bed and rest up while he could.
 


Cord jammed the tobacco in his cheek next to his molars. He only chewed occasionally, and only when Ky wasn’t around.


Kade said, “Before you ask, no, I don’t know where your stupid brother is either.


Been busy after work with Ma’s side of the family. First Uncle Darren wanted my help.”


He sighed. “You know how our dads are about Uncle Harland, so I couldn’t exactly tell him I’ve been helpin’ out Uncle H since Dag went on another bender. Spent the last coupla nights at his place. Early this mornin’ I get to the northeast corner where we been fixin’ fence and Kane tells me Dag had enough of Uncle H’s naggin’ and me tryin’ to—


quote ‘be the son Dag could never be’ so he packed his shit and now he’s livin’ at the Boars Nest in my old room.”


“Uncle H tell you what went on to make Dag bail?”


“Hell no. Truth is, I don’t know why Dag’d move up there besides the free-for-all-anyway you want sex. The place is a f*ckin’ pigsty. Kane and me cleaned it up a couple of times in the last month, Colt can’t be bothered, but we ain’t the ones makin’ the messes.”


“Who is?”


“Some of them people Colt has over every damn night.”


“People like that Jasmine chick?”


Kade’s gaze snapped up.


“I was there when she offered you and Colt a threesome, remember?” Cord watched his cousin closely and sure enough, Kade blushed. “Ended up bein’ a foursome or more, did it?”


“Yeah. I ain’t gonna lie, I thought it’d be hot as hell. Once in a while some variety is good, but it didn’t turn out as sexy hot as it does in porn flicks. Besides, Jazz and her friends are…”


“What?”


“Freaks. Squatters. The place is even nastier to live in than usual. Booze bottles and cans, condoms and food wrappers everywhere. Dirty clothes, dirty dishes, bags of trash.


My mama would faint if she saw it.”


“Which means mine would too. How much has Colt been drinkin’, Kade?”


“More’n I’ve ever seen. I ain’t so sure he’s not drinkin’ before work. Been signs of drugs around too. Pot, mostly. A couple of vials of other shit I didn’t want to know nothin’ about.”