Cowgirl Up and Ride (Rough Riders #3)(88)

Kade’s whole posture went rigid.


“What?”


“Nothin’.”


“I ain’t lookin’ to get hitched again any time soon.”


“That’s odd, what with your brothers finally takin’ the plunge. Least now any woman you brung home as a bride would have other female family around.”


“Worried about me becomin’ a grouchy ol’ bachelor, cuz?”


“Worried about a lot of my kinfolk, but you’d be damn near the bottom of the list.”


Cord swigged his beer. “Who’s on the top?”


“Colt. Followed by Dag. Then Cam since he’s gettin’ shot at in Iraq. Kane.”


“Why Kane?”


“He’s been influenced by Colt. Neither of our mamas would be happy to learn how they’ve been treatin’ women.”


“That why you moved out?”


“Partially. Mostly because I found myself skatin’ toward that callous attitude. It ain’t right. I don’t wanna go through life with that sense of entitlement. Any woman oughta open her legs for me just ’cause I smiled at her or my last name is McKay. Leads to a bad outlook on all women.”


Cord wondered if that last comment was a shot at him. “When you find a woman you wanna date, I’m sure she’ll appreciate you not bein’ a bitter dickhead only lookin’ for a piece of tail.”


“I am datin’ someone now.”


“Yeah?” Cord didn’t hide his surprise. “How come I haven’t heard about it?”


“Keepin’ a low profile. Don’t wanna mess it up and introduce her to our crazy family before I have to. And I definitely didn’t want her knowin’ what was goin’ on at the Boars Nest.”


“Do I know her?”


Kade shook his head. “She’s from out of state. She and her sister inherited a small family place and she relocated.”


“You ain’t gonna tell me her name?”


“Nope. But I will tell you I ain’t never met anyone like her. Makes me sound totally f*ckin’ moon-eyed, but she’s funny and smart, sexy as shit, and she don’t take no shit, neither. There’s somethin’ there worth stickin’ around for.”


“I assume you’re bangin’ her anyway despite your respectin’ women spiel?”


A hangdog look crossed Kade’s face. “No. Ironic, huh? The guy who weeks ago couldn’t talk about nothin’ but gettin’ laid is…not gettin’ any at all. And I’m good with that. What about you?”


Cord thought of hedging, but as long as Kade hadn’t named names, he wouldn’t either. “Actually, I am seein’ someone.”


Kade’s eyes widened like Cord smacked him upside the head with a 2x4. “Get the f*ck out. Seriously?”


“No, it ain’t serious. It’s casual,” he lied, mostly to himself. “Probably last until Ky gets back home.”


“I assume you’re bangin’ her?”


Cord grinned. “Every chance I can get.”


Kade chinked his bottle to Cord’s. “’Bout time.”


Another beer loosened Cord’s tongue. “I wanna run somethin’ by you that Dad and I’d been talkin’ about before all this shit happened with Colt.”