Redneck Romeo (Rough Riders #15)(21)

“Come spend the night with me. I’ll whip up a batch of chicken and dumplings. And I’ll make your favorite sour cream strudel cake.”


He groaned. “You win. I’ll swing by my place and pack a bag.”


“I can’t wait to see you, son. I really missed you. Drive safe.”


He texted Rory his plans to visit his mom; wouldn’t want her to think he was out catting around the night after he swore he’d prove to her he’d changed.


Dalton pulled up to his mom’s condo a little after five. He’d barely gotten out of his truck when she threw herself at him. He hugged her back just as strongly.


When she released him, she scrutinized his beard and whapped him on the chest. “If I hadn’t known your truck I would’ve believed some thug from a motorcycle gang was in my driveway.”


“You’ve been watching too many episodes of Sons of Anarchy.” He held her at arm’s length. Her hair was styled short, in a trendy cut, blond and brown mixed in with the gray. With no Casper stress in her life, a good portion of her worry lines were gone. She looked a decade younger now than she had a decade ago. Dalton kissed her cheek and caught a whiff of the perfume she wore on special occasions. Made him feel guilty his visit was considered a special occasion. “You look great. I might not’ve recognized you either.”


She looped her arm through his. “Come inside. I’ve got beer or coffee.”


“Coffee would be great.” He shot her a grin. “To go with the cake.”


“Which is for dessert,” she reminded him.


“My new motto is dessert first.”


“Then it’s a good thing I already cut you a slice, isn’t it?”


While his mother futzed around in the kitchen, he wandered through the living room of her condo. He’d never thought much about decorating styles growing up—the stuff in their house was just the stuff that’d always been there.


Her furniture—a couch, loveseat and recliner in vivid red—reflected the bold changes in her life. The end tables were simple and clutter-free except for the photos of her sons as boys, as teens and as young men. Now pictures of her grandsons were interspersed with those snapshots. Pictures of Brandt and Jessie. Tell and Georgia. He squinted at the last one on the shelf. How had she gotten a picture of him at the world poker tournament? And a rare one of him smiling during a poker game?


“I got that by watching the video of you online and freezing it. I made a print off the computer. I didn’t have any recent pics of you.”


Dalton faced her. “Are you gonna chew me out for—”


“No.” She placed her hand on his biceps and squeezed. “You needed to go, Dalton. I’m glad you did. And we don’t have to talk about this two minutes after you’ve walked in the door.”


“Thanks.”


“Dump your bag in the spare bedroom. You get to bunk in the room with the toys I keep around for my grandsons. Then wash up and come to the kitchen.”


He took his time checking out the remaining pictures in the hallway, surprised to see his parents’ wedding photo in the mix. Why would she keep that? But as he looked around, he didn’t see another picture of Casper McKay anywhere. Dalton wandered to the kitchen. “Smells good in here.”


“I sort of went overboard. Get tired of cooking for one so be warned. I hope you’re hungry.”


“Always.”


“So the last time I talked to you, you were getting ready to lead your last hunting party of the season. How’d that go?”


“Great. Hunters are always happy when they get an elk. All three guys did. They were lucky they got to see the rugged beauty of Montana and not the rugged weather.”


His mother poured him a cup of coffee and sat across from him. “I promise I will get up there sometime.” She shot him a look. “Unless you’re moving back to Sundance permanently?”


He hedged. “So you didn’t let Brandt and Tell know we’d kept in contact the last three years?”


“No. If they suspected I knew where you were they never pushed me to tell them.”


“I appreciate that.”


“I appreciate that you did keep in touch with me, Dalton. You’re a grown man, but I still worry. I’m thrilled you got out of Wyoming and saw the world. Even if you’re still trying to find your place in it.”


“You ever encourage Luke or Brandt or Tell to take off?”


She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Luke? No. Brandt? No. Wait, I take that back. Maybe after Luke started stepping out on Jessie. Brandt wanted to be anywhere besides on the ranch where he had to watch his brother act like a fool and destroy the woman Brandt loved. But Brandt was loyal to both of them even when it ripped him apart. And Tell? If you remember, I did push him to go out on the road rodeoin’ that one summer. But he had it in his head he’d never be good enough to make a living on the rodeo circuit, so he came back home.”


“Casper tellin’ him he sucked all the time might’ve played a part in that,” Dalton said dryly.


“Not that I disagree, but bein’ the cousin of Chase McKay had a lot more to do with it.”