Shoulda Been a Cowboy (Rough Riders #7)(8)

Macie said, “Whoa. You okay?”


“Yeah.” Domini touched the spot and winced. “Maybe.”


The fight didn’t last long. The noise brought staff running from the restaurant to break it up.


But not before Keely McKay beat the living crap out of Margo. Margo’s hair stuck up every which way. Her shirt was ripped. Her mouth was bleeding. She’d curled into a ball on the floor. And she was crying, not Keely.


Ramona had pinned Amanda’s arms behind her back. Some man separated them and immediately herded Ramona through the wall of people between the two warring groups.


When Keely wobbled backward, her head smacked into Domini’s jaw and Domini sucked in a surprised breath. Holy crap that hurt.


“Sorry.”


“Maybe you should sit.” Domini snagged a napkin and handed it to Keely. “Your nose is bleeding.”


“Thanks.” Keely half swayed, half fell to the floor. She patted the open space. “First bar fight?”


“Uh-huh.” Domini hunkered down next to her.


“They get easier.” When Keely tried to smile, she hissed in a breath and blood trickled out of her mouth. “Damn. I’m getting to old for this shit.”


The room buzzed with confusion and excitement.


Ramona ambled over, a shit-eating grin on her face, still looking as if she’d just stepped out of a western fashion magazine. Not a wrinkle on her clothes, not an auburn curl out of place. Her brown eyes sparkled with victory. “You okay, cuz?”


“Never been better. You?”


“Awesome. I’ve been wanting to do that forever.”


“Me too. Felt good. Damn good. And we’re the ones who owed them payback.”


At Domini’s quizzical look, Keely explained, “This rivalry has been going on forever. We didn’t go to the same school but we attended the same church. Summer church camp was torture. Our moms forced us to go every year until we got kicked out.”


“You guys were kicked out of church camp?”


“Yep.” Keely and Ramona high-fived each other.


“Fighting with them was totally worth whatever time we spend in jail.”


Keely scowled at Ramona. “Jail? What the hell are you talking about?”


“You’ll be goddamn lucky if hauling you to jail is all I do to you, little sis.”


Domini looked up.


An infuriated Cam loomed over them.


Chapter Two


“I can explain,” Keely said.


Cam held up his hand. “Save it.”


“But—”


“Not another word, Keely West McKay, or so help me God, I will cuff you and gag you.”


Ramona snickered.


He whirled on her. “Got something to say, Miz West?”


“Nope, cuz. Umm. I mean, no, sir, Deputy, sir.” Ramona snapped to attention and mimed zipping her lip.


Chassie giggled.


Cam’s gaze encompassed the motley crew of women, who were trying very hard to look…sober. “Sweet Jesus. Are you all drunk?”


“Hey. It was a party. We’re in a bar. You do the math,” Keely responded with a loud hiccup.


Which sent them all into gales of laughter.


“I’m not drunk,” India said.


AJ waggled her fingers. “I am.”


“Me too.” Macie laughed. “Those cherry bombs were the bomb, Keely.”


“No kidding.” Channing swayed as she craned her neck to look toward the bar. “Think we can have one more for the road? To toast Keely’s victory?”


“No one is sucking down any more booze,” Cam barked. He glared at Domini. “What about you?”


“What about me?”


His gaze landed on a bump on Domini’s jaw. Briefly his focus jumped to her succulent mouth—bad idea—and lust squeezed his balls. “Were you in on this bar fight too?”


Those full pink lips flattened. Those aquamarine eyes became chips of ice. “Never confuse being soft-spoken with being weak-willed. I stand up for my friends. I don’t run away.”


A female chorus of ooooh rang out.


“Fine. All of you stay here while I straighten this out.” He tossed a quick look over his shoulder and dropped his voice. “And off the record? Thanks a helluva lot. You think I wanna call my brothers and tell them their wives got drunk and were in a bar fight tonight? While I was on duty?”


Silence.



Then they descended on Cam like a pack of hyenas.


AJ drilled him in the chest with her finger. “FYI Deputy McKay, I’m a big girl. And if I wanna get shitfaced, I’ll get shitfaced, so back off.”


“Don’t you dare call Carter in Canyon River, or so help me, I will ban you for life from Dewey’s,” Macie warned.


“Yeah,” Channing chimed in. “If you tattle to Colby before I have a chance to explain, I will call your mother and suggest weekly instead of monthly McKay family dinners.”