Cowgirl Up and Ride (Rough Riders #3)(56)

Kade intervened.


Cord forgot what a big guy Kade was until his younger cousin literally picked him up and set him aside like he was an eighty-pound hay bale, not a two-hundred-pound pissed-off man.


“Cord, what the hell is wrong with you?”


“That cocksucker said some shit that don’t fly with me. I called him on it.”


Colt laughed. Picked himself up off the floor. Fell back down in a pile.


Cord knew Colt wasn’t staggering because he’d thrown such accurate punches. His brother was hammered beyond all reason. Again. In public.


What were they gonna do? How had Colt gotten so hopelessly off track? How in the hell could he help him?


Once Colt made it to a chair, he spit a hunk of bloody saliva on the floor. “I ain’t apologizin’ for nothin’, bro. You’re a f*ckin’ prick like Dad and everyone knows it—”


Sympathy vanished and Cord lunged for him and they were rolling around on the floor. Punching. Kicking. Bleeding.


By that time, the bouncers showed up and separated them for good. A crowd gathered. His dad’s and his uncle’s longtime buddies. The guy who owned the feed store.


He hoped his eyes were playing tricks on him and that wasn’t the family banker back by the jukebox.


So much for not making a scene. He scanned the crowd and his gaze caught AJ’s.


Hers was somber. Not full of pity or some mislaid compassion, but understanding.


For the first time he wondered why he’d put up such stupid parameters of no public acknowledgment of their relationship. And like it or not, it was a relationship, a relationship based on sex, but that didn’t change the basic definition of it.


Also didn’t change the knowledge that he, cold, bitter, woman-hating, reclusive Cord McKay would like nothing better than to walk straight into her arms. Right here, right now, right in front of Toots the bartender, Sam the banker, Bebe the town gossip and everyone else.


Kade took him aside. “He’s wasted.”


“Yeah. I noticed.”


“Says he wants to press assault charges against you.”


“I ain’t surprised.”


“Toots ain’t callin’ the sheriff. I’m gonna take him home.”


“Thanks.” Cord knew that wasn’t enough, so he repeated it. “Thanks, Kade. I really appreciate it.”


“No problem. But I will tell you that you’re gonna hafta come up with a way to deal with him, Cord, and I doan mean with your fists. I lived with the son of a bitch and I’d no idea it’d gotten this bad.”


“Appears he’s been good at hidin’ it up until now.”


“Appears so. But it’s out there now. Whole damn town’s gonna know about it by tomorrow. I doan envy you tellin’ Uncle Carson and Aunt Carolyn ’bout this. I’d call them right away before someone else does.” Kade focused on Cord’s cheek. “Get someone to look at that cut. You’re bleedin’ pretty good.”


Someone. Right. He had no one.


Cord made it to the exit when he smelled her behind him. He slowly turned around and wondered if he looked as pathetic as he felt.


“You okay?”


No. “Sore. Pissed off. Embarrassed.”


“I figured. You going home?”


“Yeah. But first I get to wake my folks up and tell ’em their son’s a drunk and caused a scene in public. Then I get to call my brothers and my baby sis and tell them the same damn thing.” He sighed. “What the hell am I gonna do about him?”