Raising Kane (Rough Riders #9)(27)

“McKay, I apologize. I can be a bit of a curmudgeon sometimes.”


At least the members of the Paulson family didn’t have a problem admitting when they were wrong.


“I understand. We’re cool. Know what’s funny? My mama used that same word to describe my grandpa. Course, me’n Kade thought it meant mean.”


Dash smiled. “Thanks for bringing me here today.”


“You’re welcome.”


Hayden bounded back, grinning from ear to ear. “This is so great. I wish we could do guy stuff like this with all of us every weekend.”


Kane looked at Dash, who rather pointedly focused his gaze on his hands in his lap and didn’t respond.


“Me too, sport,” Kane said. “Me too.”


Chapter Seven


“Kimi, don’t feel obligated to stay if you have other things to do,” Ginger said, after twenty minutes of general small talk.


“I’m happy to stick around. And to be honest? You’d be doin’ me a favor by lettin’ me stay.”


Ginger eyed the petite blonde. How this small woman birthed twins boggled her mind. “How would you getting stuck with me be a favor?”


Kimi cracked open a can of diet soda and poured the fizzy liquid over a glass of ice. “First off, it’s Sunday. Which means football, which I don’t care a lick about. But my husband and his brother Carson are huge fans. They turn the TV so damn loud I can’t stand to be in the same room with them.” She winked.


“I’m pretty sure that’s what they’re countin’ on.”


“You’re left to your own devices every Sunday?”


“It ain’t so bad. About half the time I head over to my sister Caro’s place, since Carson is parked in my den. But today, Caro has all her grandkids over. Now don’t get me wrong, I adore my grandnephews and grandnieces. There are just so darn many of them. Cryin’, fightin’, screamin’, kids and dogs runnin’ in and out of the house. Plus diapers, and at least one of them always vomits. Caro’s in her element, but she’s used to bein’ surrounded by kids, as she had half a dozen.”


Kimi set the soda on a coaster next to Ginger, and then poured herself a soda on ice too.


“Of course, my granddaughters are perfect angels. Here. See for yourself.” From a saddle-shaped purse, Kimi whipped out a four-by-six photo album and handed it over. “Since Sky works so much during the week, her and Kade’s weekends are devoted to their girls, and I can’t fault them for that. Even when I don’t get to see my girlies as much as I’d like.”


“Do you ever hang out with Kane on Sundays?”


“Rarely.”


“Why’s that?”


Kimi shrugged. “Used to be he’d still be enjoying female companionship from his Saturday night adventures in whatever bar he’d been trolling in the night before.”


“Used to be?”


“Not for lack of women vying for his attention. My boys are good lookin’ men. Lord, they’ve been rating a second and third glance from women of all ages since they turned fourteen. Kane took advantage of Raising Kane


that female attention, way more than Kade ever did. But in the last few years, it’s like Kane had a complete personality makeover.”


Getting the goods on Kane McKay straight from his mother’s mouth? Too good an opportunity to pass up. “How’s he changed?”


“His cousin Dag died. Colt went into rehab. Cord got married. Kade got married. Then they sold the Boars Nest to Cam. It was like everybody grew up and moved on. Everyone but him. And don’t get me started on that ridiculous name change.


“I’ve thought a lot about it and the bottom line is this—I don’t think Kane wanted to give up his party-boy ways. It’s made him a little bitter, so he keeps to himself. It bugs the crap out of me that he’s alone so much.” Kimi sighed. “Then again, near as I can figure, he’s not bouncing on every woman with a pulse in the tri-county area. Good Lord. That man had lousy taste in women.”


Cheeks burning, Ginger sipped her soda, keeping her mouth shut.


But Kimi was perceptive and recognized Ginger’s intentional silence. “If you’ve got something to say about Kane, by all means, spit it out.”


Her internal debate lasted all of fifteen seconds. “No offense, Kimi. I hate to say you’re wrong about your son…but you’re wrong. Kane keeps to himself because he’s just plain tired. Sounds to me like he’s picked up a considerable amount of slack since Kade became a family man.” Ginger lifted a finger when Kimi started to argue. “He wasn’t whining or complaining when we talked about it, just explaining.


“Kane spends time with Hayden at least once a week. Maybe he isn’t hanging out with his married McKay cousins, but he plays poker with his single McKay cousins every other week. Maybe the difference is Kane doesn’t feel compelled to live up to his former wild reputation. And near as I can tell? He isn’t bitter. But I suspect he is lonely.”


Kimi flat-out gaped at her. Then she got up and walked into the kitchen. She stared out the window, keeping her back to Ginger.