Tied Up, Tied Down (Rough Riders #4)(10)

India stared at him for the longest time. “You said your last name is McKay?”


“Yeah.”


“You related to all the McKays living around Sundance?”


He resisted the urge to deny it. “Yeah.”


“Those McKay men have reputations as wild men and womanizers, boozers and brawlers and I cannot believe my straight-laced sister would get mixed up with one of them.”


Story of his life. “I’ve been out of the loop, so I have no earthly idea what some of my rowdier cousins might’ve been doin’.”


India cocked her head. “My first thought when Sky became an unwed mother, was that she was embarrassed by who knocked her up, so that’s why she didn’t want anyone to know.”


Very evenly, Kade said, “Did you ask her who the father was?”


“Repeatedly. Can’t say I blamed her on keeping mum. I made no secret I’d planned on tracking down the lowlife to beat him within an inch of his life.”


“There you go with the name callin’ again.”


“If the spur fits.” She smiled nastily. “Far as I know, she didn’t tell anybody else either. I didn’t even know she’d been seeing anyone, so her pregnancy was a complete shock.”


“Hell, I didn’t even have time to get used to the pregnancy; I gotta wrap my head around my baby.” Kade sighed. “And like you said, my family has quite the reputation.

Maybe she was embarrassed. Can’t say as I blame her since I wasn’t around.”


“What really happened between you two?” India shifted from boot to boot.

Her nervous energy set Kade on edge. “I did a dumb thing, she broke it off when she found out, wouldn’t let me explain, and I ended up leavin’ because of it. I wasn’t happy, but she’d left me no choice but to let her be.”


“She’s good at pushing people away.”


“I sorta figured that out,” Kade said dryly.

“Tell me this. If the misunderstanding between you two would’ve been cleared up, would you have left?” He shook his head. “Does she know that?”


“Not yet.”


“When do you plan on telling her?”


“When the time is right.”


“You play your cards pretty close to the vest, McKay.”


Kade thought that was better than wearing his heart on his sleeve.

An uncomfortable moment followed.

“Fine.” India threw up her hands. “Pull that strong, silent cowboy crap. So what happens now?”


“If you’re askin’ if my intentions toward your sister are honorable, I asked her to marry me today.”


“She immediately said no, didn’t she?”


He frowned. “Yeah. How did you know?”


“Because she’s been…” India shook her head. “Because I don’t think she has a spontaneous bone in her body. She’s always been that way. So, in addition to her all-pro status of pushing people away, Skylar excels at taking an eternity to make a decision, any decision. She’s meticulous. She weighs every opinion, thought, word, action and deed from every conceivable angle before she really gets down to the nitty-gritty of making a final determination on a course of action.”


“Great.” He squinted at her and challenged, “Doesn’t sound like you like her much.”


India’s blue eyes nearly turned black with anger. “I worship her, I’d do anything in the world for her, and I’m thinking about punching you in the mouth for suggesting I don’t, McKay.”


Kade held up his hands. “Sorry.”


“Skylar and I are polar opposites, but that doesn’t change the fact she’s the greatest person in the world and she’s a wonderful mother.”


“Which is all good and well, even if she won’t agree to become my wife, I am movin’ in to help care for Eliza.”


“You are?”


He nodded.

Another pause hung in the air. Then India smiled like a loon. “That’s hysterical. She won’t marry you, so you just bulled your way into being her roommate?”


“Pretty much.”


“Surprises me she allowed it.”


“Me too. Sky might be all kinds of reserved, but I am damn determined to have my way on this, India.”


“I can see that. Since I’ve already given you the 4-1-1 on her, I should also warn you Skylar is used to being in charge of everything.”


“So am I.”


“Yeah? Then it oughta be interesting to see if she’ll even let you be a father to Eliza.”


“Let me? I am Eliza’s father. I ain’t givin’ her a choice. I’m here for good. Eliza better get used to it. Sky’d better get used to it.” Kade sent Skylar’s sister a half-menacing smile. “You’d better get used to it too.”


“Please. You don’t scare me, cowboy. I deal with drunks and druggies and bikers all damn day. But one thing my sister and I do have in common? We’re both fighters.