Cowgirl Up and Ride (Rough Riders #3)(87)

After he’d finished wiping the grime off and coated the leather with leather conditioner, he picked up the next saddle. He’d bought this saddle for Marla right after they’d gotten married and she assured him she’d love being a rancher’s wife.


What’d he been thinking, marrying her in the first place? So she’d been pretty. So she’d fawned over him like he was John Wayne reincarnated. She’d lacked a sense of humor, although that wasn’t fair because most folks would say the same about him. She hadn’t been adventurous in bed, nor had she understood his occasional appetite for domination and a bit of kink. Somehow she’d equated those scenarios as a threat to her female independence.


Marla hadn’t been driven to success; she more or less floated along, flitting from one thing to the next. From the get-go she exhibited an aversion to working outdoors, and to working hard, so he didn’t know why he’d ever believed she’d’ve been happy living in Wyoming.


Why had he fallen for her? Hell, why had he imagined himself madly in love with her? Why had it crushed him that she’d left? Because he hadn’t the balls to admit he’d made a mistake and she’d made the first move to rectify it? Had his pride concocted a lie after the fact about his deep, abiding love for her just to keep him infallible in the eyes of his son? The responsible Cord McKay had loved once and would never make the same mistake twice?


That bit of truth sliced him to the bone.


Cord racked his brain to counter that thought. Seemed to be a blank spot where Marla existed in his memory. A bitter, dark hole. If he couldn’t remember the good or the bad times, just a whole lot of nothing, why was he so bitter? Why had he sworn off all women? He’d always chalked up his reasoning to the old adage that one bad apple spoiled the whole barrel, but now he had to admit his line of thinking was seriously f*cked up.


The outer door to the barn crashed open. “Cord? You in here?”


“In the tack room. Come on back.”


Kade paused in the doorway holding a six-pack. “Wanna beer?”


“Yeah.” Colt took one, twisted off the top and the metal cap pinged against the garbage can. He sucked down a mouthful. “Thanks.”


“No problem.” Kade flipped over another bucket and sat. “Whatcha doin’?”


“Cleanin’ up. Haven’t been in here since Ky’s been gone. The boy left his mark.”


They drank beer and talked about Ky’s adventures in the big city. Kade adored Ky and his son considered Kade another one of his uncles. The three of them hung out at least once a week, watching “guy” movies, taking in a rodeo, riding horses or target shooting.


“I’ve never seen that saddle before. Whose is it?”


“It was Marla’s.”


Kade picked it up and scrutinized it. “No bullet holes in it so I know you ain’t been usin’ it for target practice.”


“Har har. Forgot I even had the damn thing. Big waste of money. I think I coaxed her onto a horse maybe four times.”


“I don’t wanna be a nosy dick, but you still got it bad for her?”


Cord’s gaze zoomed to Kade’s. “No. Why’d you ask that?”


“Dunno. You ain’t been lookin’ for another woman since the divorce, at least not in this county.”


“Maybe I’m concentratin’ my efforts on the next county over.”