Rode Hard, Put Up Wet (Rough Riders #2)(74)

Chapter Thirty


“Dumbass. Get away from me.”


“Macie—”


“Don’t. Talk. To. Me.”


“Please.”


“No. Go.” She slammed the camper door in his face and locked it. Then she cranked Dwight Yoakam to a million decibels, effectively cutting off all communication.


Damn. Carter kicked a dirt clod as he lumbered back to his pickup. How had everything gotten out of control? One second he’d been striding across the yard, looking forward to seeing Macie’s smiling face. Looking forward to showing his family what they were together. The next second he’d seen her perched on the back of that bucking bull and his heart just…stopped. He didn’t think; he just reacted.


Badly.


No shit. Now he’d pissed off Macie and her father.


But he knew what he’d said hadn’t been totally out of line, merely bad timing. Macie was so eager for any kind of family connection, especially with Cash, Carter suspected she would do anything. Or listen to whatever free or bad advice her dad offered. Yeah, Carter could just hear that conversation:


Forget about McKay. He’s proven he’s an insensitive prick, just like the rest of the goddamn McKays. Besides, you’re young. Don’t make the same mistakes I did when I was young. There’s no need for you to settle down. Or to settle for a hothead like him.


Then the son of a bitch would probably hand over the keys to his camper and encourage her to hit the road—allowing Cash uninterrupted time with Gemma. If and when Macie returned, Carter McKay would be long gone. Which is exactly what Cash Big Crow wanted.


“Fuck.” He could totally see that scenario happening, since he knew Macie had no intention of sticking around here beyond summer’s end.


How could he make her stay?


He couldn’t. Not today, anyway. His only other option was to skulk around her door like some…whipped dog. Begging for scraps of her attention.


Like that would work.


Or he could go home and work.


On pictures of her.


Great.


He wondered if his day could get any worse.


“Hey, bro, when did you turn into such a macho jerk? That was quite the display of testosterone.”


Keely. Carter thunked his head on his hood. The universe f*cking hated him today.


“Yeah, well, I wanted to prove I was a true McKay, * behavior and all.”


“Now that you mention it, you sorta were actin’ like Dad.”


“Great, Keely, just what I wanted to hear.”


“At any rate, I brought you a beer.”


He looked up.


She waggled a bottle of Bud Light at him. “I thought you could use one.”


“Thanks.” He popped the cap off and drank. “What’re you doin’ out here?”


“Hidin’ from the bull rider wannabes and lettin’ Amy Jo deal with them.”


“Meanin’, you ditched her and you were sneakin’ off to drink a beer and you were afraid I’d caught you.”


Keely grinned. “I knew there was a reason you’re my favorite brother.”


“Favorite. Right.” Why wasn’t he surprised his sister hadn’t really come looking for him? No one else had either.


Maybe it’s because you’re acting like a shithead who deserves to be alone.


Keely blithely continued, “Besides, Amy Jo will probably come barreling over to Macie’s camper to listen to her rant and rave about you.”


“Why would Amy Jo care?”


“She and Macie hit it off like gangbusters. And let’s just say Amy Jo is well-versed on dealing with a hot-headed McKay male who can’t see the forest for the trees.”


Carter frowned. “Who are you talkin’ about? She got a thing for Colt?” Lord help the girl if she did. Colt would charm her, bed her, and leave her. And feel no guilt about it whatsoever.


“No. Cord.”


That was worse for poor sweet Amy Jo. Way worse.


“So, how long have you been with Macie?”


He said nothing.


“Puh-lease. Even before your he-man tactics today, your eyes devoured her while you were supposed to be eatin’ supper last night. And I noticed this morning she had a streak of paint—yellow umber to be exact, your favorite color to be even more exact—on her neck. So, I figured you’d been doin’ a little finger painting after the bonfire.”


Carter sighed.


Softly, Keely said, “You have it bad for her, don’t you?”



His head snapped up. “What makes you say that?”


“Because you didn’t bother with niceties today. You were scared, you were pissed, and you didn’t hide it from anyone, least of all her.”


He clamped his teeth together.


“You work really hard at disguising your intense side, Carter. Almost everyone believes you are this calm, cool, laid-back kinda guy.” She plucked the beer from him and drank. “I’ve spent more time with you than the rest of our brothers have, so you’ve never fooled me. I know what you’re really like. Macie knows that side of you too. Or, if she didn’t, she got a taste of it today. But she knew before, didn’t she?”