Redneck Romeo (Rough Riders #15)(42)

“I was takin’ Jocelyn home and the battery, ah, just died.”


Dalton lifted a brow. “The truck just crapped out in the middle of the road while you were driving it? ’Cause that sounds more serious than just a battery issue.” He paused. “Is your dad on his way to get you?”


Pure panic spread across Ky’s face and he shook his head. “I haven’t called him.”


“All right. No bullshit. Why haven’t you called him?”


“Because I told him I was at Ryland’s house studying and…”


“You were out here sucking face with Jocelyn instead? And you got so involved with sucking face that you forgot you’d what? Turned the radio on for a little mood music and drained the battery?”


Kyler hung his head. “Yeah. Dumb, huh?”


“Yep.” Dalton had done the same thing once and still remembered the nasty shit Casper had said to him for months afterward. He doubted Cord would do that to his son, but Dalton wanted to save the kid from punishment and embarrassment. “What did you plan to do?”


“I was waiting for Ryland to call me back. He was looking for his dad’s jumper cables so he could drive out here and give me a jump. If that didn’t happen, then I was gonna call my dad.”


“He’ll be more pissed that you lied than anything.”


“I know. I never do this, I swear.” He looked over his shoulder again. “But it’s Jocelyn Mears,” he said her name reverently. “She’s like the hottest girl in the senior class and when she said we oughta do something tonight…dude. It’s my chance with her so I had to take it.”


Dalton sighed.


“You’re gonna call my dad, huh?”


“Nope.”


Kyler’s head snapped up. “What?”


“I’ll give you a jump and send you on your merry way, but there are a couple of conditions.”


“Name ’em. I swear I’ll do anything.”


“First, no more lyin’ to your folks about this kind of stuff. You wanna spend time with a girl, talk to your dad and tell him it’s important. Tell him it’s Jocelyn Mears. I’m sure he’ll understand.”



Kyler looked as if he didn’t believe him.


“Second, I could use a gopher on the house I’m fixing up. I’d expect you to help me out after school, let’s say once a week.”


He nodded vigorously. “Sure, no problem. I can do that.”


The driver’s side door opened and a girl jumped out. “Ky? What’s going on?”


Jocelyn was a very pretty girl—dark hair, dark eyes, a dark hickey on the side of her neck.


Kyler said, “This is my cousin Dalton. He’s gonna give us a jump.”


“Oh. Okay.” She rubbed her arms. “It’s getting cold in there.”


Kyler immediately took off his jacket. “Here. This’ll keep you warm.”


Smooth, kid, real smooth.


Jocelyn offered Kyler a dazzling smile. “Thanks.” Then she crawled back in the cab.


Yeah. Dalton had been thrown for a loop by a smile like that a time or ten in his life. Poor Kyler hadn’t stood a chance.


He clapped him on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get that beast running so your girlfriend doesn’t freeze and your dad doesn’t send your Uncle Cam out lookin’ for ya.”


Chapter Eleven


Friday night in the Golden Boot with Rory wasn’t going as well as Dalton had hoped.


She sighed. “We’ve been sitting here alone together for ten minutes and no one has wandered up to chat.”


“Don’t you mean to ask us questions that ain’t none of their business?” Dalton countered.


“It’s Sundance, Dalton. You gotta expect we’re being gawked at and gossiped about.”


“We can leave and go someplace else if you’d rather.”


Rory shook her head.


The stiff way she held herself and the way her eyes darted around the room gave him the impression she didn’t want to be here at all.


“I didn’t mean to chase your friends off.”


She raised an eyebrow. “Yes you did.”


“Was it that obvious I wanted you all to myself?”


“Only to me. And it was sort of pissing me off, the way Vanessa drooled over you.”


“Drooled,” he scoffed. “Right.”


“You are looking particularly drool-worthy tonight, McKay. Nothing sexier than a cowboy in a crisp white shirt, a black hat and a pair of Cinch jeans.”


“How much had you been drinkin’ before I got here?”


“Not nearly enough after the week I had at work.” She drained her drink.


“Special project turning out to be not so special?”


“Frustrating. It’d be easier if all the paperwork came directly to me, but of course it’s gotta be officially stamped in Cheyenne and then forwarded to me so I can log it in which is a gigantic pain in my ass.”