Cowboy Up (Lucas Brothers)

“Well, let’s be honest. She has an ulterior motive there. She wants you and I to get together,” Parker laughs.

“That’s where I’m sure you’re wrong,” I correct him.

“What?” he asks, totally surprised. Men really are the last to catch on when it comes to what a woman is thinking—even smart ones like Parker.

“I think she’s hoping you and I dating might wake Faye up.”

“And possibly Blue?”

“There’s no shot there. Blue hates me.”

“It’s a thin line between love and hate, Meadow. Have I told you that?”

“Seems like I recall someone telling me that,” I laugh. “How about we stop talking in circles and just agree not to discuss Blue, Faye, or Ida Sue for the rest of the night,” I suggest.

“That works for me. Since you don’t have to get home to Adam, what would you say if we drive into the city after this? They still have the ice-skating rink up in Dallas.”

“You ice skate?” I ask, shocked.

“If I didn’t love baseball so much, I would have tried my hand at hockey,” he responds.

“Fine, you’re on,” I agree, enjoying myself. It feels good. I know Ida Sue had ulterior motives, but I’ll have to thank her. I needed tonight—especially after my conversation with Blue last night.

No more thinking about what might have been for me. It’s time to move on and leave my past where it belongs.

Behind me.

Chapter 10

Blue

Two Weeks Later

* * *

“I’m thinking we need to switch the bulls over into the south pasture tomorrow. We can get them banded this week and get them ready to sell,” Jansen announces.

“Sounds good. It will be nice to get some new blood—”

I stop talking when I hear my mom. Hell, every neighbor we have can hear her. She’s that loud.

“I’m going to kill him! I’ll string him up by his balls, slather him in honey, and put him out in desert for the ants to feast!” Mom yells, slamming the door and marching into the kitchen mad as a wet hen.

“Jesus Christ,” Jansen mutters under his breath.

“Death’s too good for him. I need to make him suffer.”

“Lovey—”

“Don’t talk to me right now, Jan.”

“What the hell did I do?” Jansen growls.

“What do I know? You’re a man. You all are pigs and think with your dick and not your brains.”

“I didn’t you hear bitching about me thinking with my dick last night when I bent you over—”

“Woah! Woah!” I gripe. “I don’t need to hear this shit. Save it for when Cyan is back home.” Seriously, I don’t want to listen to Jansen talking about bending my mother over. It’s damn embarrassing that my mother is getting more action than me, not to mention no one wants to imagine their parents having sex and Jansen—even if not by blood—is my dad in every way that counts.

“You can just shut your mouth, Blue Moon Lucas! This is your fault.”

“What’s my fault?” I ask, confused as fuck.

“You’re the reason my Meddie is in this pickle. Why the hell my boys can’t stop dragging their feet, I have no clue. I’m a failure as a mother,” she cries.

I try to ignore everything she says except for the fact that something is going on with Meadow. My heart starts beating harder, and I fight down the panic that tries to bubble up inside of me.

“Mom—”

“I’m so disappointed in Parker. I thought he was safe for my Meddie.”

“Mom—”

“I’m going to kill him!”

“For fuck’s sake, Mom, stop.”

“Don’t you use the F-word on me, Blue. You aren’t so big that I can’t teach you some manners.”

“Is Meadow okay? What the hell did Parker do to her?”

“Oh, she’s fine,” Mom snaps. “She’s just knocked up.”

My brain turns off. My heart squeezes in my chest as the world crashes around me.

She’s just knocked up.

I shove away from the table, my chair scraping against the floor and overturning. I stand up, oblivious to everything around me. I only have one thought on my mind.

I’m going to fucking kill Parker Huntington….

Chapter 11

Meadow

“Yeah, Mom, you should have seen it. The coach says if I keep hitting like that I can be on the all-stars!”

“That’s great, Adam. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks! I’m excited. River is on the all-stars, and if I get to be on it, we’ll be playing together. Ain’t that great?”

“Isn’t that great, sweetheart. And yep, it sure is.”

“Isn’t,” he corrects grudgingly.

I tousle his hair as we walk from the school to my parked car. I had to meet with his teacher after school today. It was just a normal parent-teacher conference. My boy is flourishing here in Mason and that makes me happy. I know the move has been great for him. I’m struggling, but I haven’t heard from Blue in two weeks. I’m assuming our goodbye on the phone the other night is a real thing. I wasn’t sure he would listen. Heck, I wasn’t sure I meant it. In two weeks, there’s been no calls, no seeing one another around town, and no snide remarks or hateful looks from Blue. While this a good thing, it also makes me sad, which is crazy. This is what I wanted—what needed to happen. Yet, I miss him. I’m a freaking mess.