Tied Up, Tied Down (Rough Riders 4)

“Keep ’em away from AJ.” Cord gave a mock shudder. “Much as we wanna have another kid or two someday, that ain’t to-day.”

“You tellin’ us everything is perfect between the newlyweds?”

Cord grinned. “Absolutely f**kin’ perfect.”

Kade wondered if they noticed he hadn’t tossed in his two cents. Probably not, he’d always been the quiet one of the boisterous McKay/West bunch. Preferring to listen rather than to talk, letting his twin muscle his way into the spotlight while he remained in the background.

As Chet, Remy and Blake yammered about the single life, Kade made wet rings on the table with the bottom of his beer bottle. Being stuck in limbo with Skylar was worse than dating. Might make him pu**y-whipped, but he’d gladly take a damn pottery class with the woman he loved, even if he hated the idea. If it was important to Sky, then it was important to him.

Why couldn’t Quinn see that? No wonder he and Libby were having problems.

Much as he hated family gossip, it’d shocked him when Skylar relayed the conversation she’d had with his cousin’s unhappy wife during the barbecue. In fact, Sky seemed pretty damn shocked at how much private information his family disclosed to her in a few short hours.

What she didn’t realize? That was not his family’s way to blab about personal issues…unless they considered her part of the family, which appeared to be the case with Sky.

So why couldn’t Sky see that? Why was she so damn resistant to a permanent relationship with him? Why couldn’t he just buck up, tell her he loved her, and they were tying the knot whether she liked it or not?

You’re taking control in every aspect of my life.

Yeah. That caveman behavior would go over like a club to the head.

“Kade? Buddy? You still here?” Cord asked.

He looked up guiltily. “Sorry, just thinkin’ about something else. What’d I miss?”

“Ben said Chase scored a ninety-one in the final go round in Lewiston on Sunday afternoon. Ended up in third place.”

“Cool. Which circuit is that?”

“Dodge. The PBR had an off week, but you know him. He’s obsessed with bull ridin’ so he found another event to feed his habit.”

“Glad to see my little cuz is keepin’ the McKay name alive in the world of rodeo,”

Colby said.

“Rumor has it Keely’s makin’ quite a name for herself on every circuit too.”

Dead quiet.

Cord slowly lowered his beer. “You’d better be explainin’ that statement, Bennett, right f**kin’ now.”

Cam and Colby shot him menacing looks too.

“Whoa whoa whoa, guys, I ain’t trash talkin’ your little sister. I’m sayin’ cousin Keely is gettin’ a reputation as a miracle worker when it comes to non-surgical physical therapy alternatives with rodeo injuries. Chase said Justin Donahue told him that the Wrangler Sports Medicine team wants her to quit school and go to work for them full time for a helluva lot of money.”

“Then why didn’t Keely tell us about that this weekend when she was home?” Colby demanded.

“She told me.” When they all turned and gaped at Cam, he said, “What? You guys don’t listen to Keely most of the time any way.”

“And you do?”

“Yep. I always have. She’s been too damn smart for her own good since the day she was born.”

Must be a girl McKay thing, Kade thought, because he knew even at four months, Eliza understood everything he said to her. He and Sky would have their hands full for the next two decades if Eliza was anything like Keely.

Chet, Remy, Ben and Blake drifted to the back room to shoot pool and were suckered into a tournament. Luckily the various women who’d been circling their table like sharks in a feeding frenzy followed the single guys into the back room. Quinn ended up talking to an old friend up at the bar, then he took off, leaving Kade with Colby, Cord, and Cam.

They discussed upcoming cattle sales, the start of haying, Carter’s impending art show, the hunting season, military life and horses. Kade was surprised to see two hours had passed.

Cam wandered into the back room to watch the pool games.

“How’s it goin’ with Eliza?”

Kade smiled at Colby. “She’s something else.”

“How’s it goin’ with Skylar?”

“Shitty.”

“That don’t sound too good.” Cord set his forearms on the table. “You wanna tell us what’s up?”

“Look, no offense, guys, but I doubt either of you had to go through any of the junk Sky and I are dealin’ with right now.”

“What kinda junk do you mean?” Colby asked. “Dealin’ with havin’ a baby type stuff?”

“No, figurin’ out relationship stuff.”

“Why the hell would you say we don’t know nothin’ about that?”

Kade scowled at Cord. “Didn’t you tell us that everything between you and AJ is perfect?”

“I meant now. It sure wasn’t always that way, especially not on my end.”

“Get out. AJ’s so sweet sugar wouldn’t melt in her mouth.”

Cord snorted. “That tongue of her can be laced with arsenic, and she ain’t afraid to put me in my place. You weren’t around, but I about did the dumbest thing ever and let AJ get away from me.”

Colby nodded. “Channing disappeared for damn near three months after I got busted up in Cheyenne. I didn’t know if I’d ever see her again or if she’d even want a crippled-up former rodeo star.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. I don’t know why you think we had it easy. Hell, none of us, includin’ Carter had a smooth go of it with our wives. Fact is, I’d say most men are dumbasses when it comes to this sort of relationship junk.”

“That’s encouragin’. Maybe I do need another beer,” Kade muttered.

So, armed with a liquid courage, Kade gave his cousins a run-down on everything that’d happened—from dating Skylar the previous summer, to the recent confrontation at Sky Blue.

Both men were quiet until Kade couldn’t stand it any longer. “What?”

“Let me get this straight. You’ve been crazy about Skylar for over a year, when you found out you knocked her up, you moved in with her to learn how to be a father to Eliza, the sex is off the charts good, and you’ve asked her to marry you numerous times, and you’re lookin’ out for her safety?”