Spurred (Steele Ranch 1)

I slid out of the booth, held out my hand and helped her up. “Thanks,” she replied as she stood before me. With a repentant last look at both of us, she headed toward the hallway to the restrooms, phone back to her ear.

I sat back down, took a sip of my beer. “I thought her sister was in rehab,” I commented, turning the pint glass back and forth between my fingers.

“She is. Haven’t heard otherwise from the investigator in Philadelphia.” Cord shrugged. “I guess there’s no phone restrictions.” He set his forearms on the table, leaned in. “Her sister’s a problem. Did you see Kady’s face?”

I sighed. “Yeah, worry and guilt. Sounds like the sister’s working that one. The whole ‘I’m in rehab while you’re having fun on a date’ bullshit.”

Cord frowned, leaned back in his chair. “Her sister’s a grown-ass woman. She needs to be responsible for her own shit,” he replied.

I held up a hand. “I agree, but I’m hoping Kady thinks that, too.”

We were quiet for a minute and Cord said, “That dress.” He took a big swig of his beer, as if it were going to help him cool down. Nothing was going to do that except a dip in the river chilled by the mountain snow run-off or a wild night with Kady between us.

I chuckled. He didn’t have to say more than that because I knew exactly what he meant. That dress of hers was modest, prim, flirty and was sexy as hell. Just like the woman herself.

I looked toward the restrooms, then back at Cord. “Every single thing about her is completely ridiculous for ranch living,” I said, leaning in and tipping my voice low. “I mean, did you see her shoes?”

“Yeah, sexy as fuck,” Cord replied, slowly shaking his head.

“That’s right. Sexy. As. Fuck.” I shifted in my seat, my cock uncomfortable in my jeans. I wasn’t going to find relief anytime soon.

“So you’re complaining?” he asked, his fingers strumming on the wood table.

I gave him a withering look. “No. I’m just saying. She wears heels to a ranch, her nails have pretty pink polish, and I bet she doesn’t know which end of a horse is the front.”

Cord laughed. He leaned back in so no one else could hear us. “She also has hips I can grip as I fuck her. Tits that will even fill my palms.” He held his hands up, mimicking the motion.

The thought of Kady’s breasts only made me harder. I swore under my breath.

“That’s right, fuck,” he replied. “We’ve got a high-maintenance, gentle, sweet little thing who we want to claim. I don’t give a shit if she’s up for ranch life. Once she’s ours, she won’t be living on the ranch, she’ll be with us. In town.”

“Damn straight,” I added.

Kady came around the corner from the restrooms and we stood.

“Everything all right?” I asked, letting her slide back into her spot before I sat beside her. This time, when I got in her bubble, she didn’t say anything. With the slight pinched shape of her mouth, her sister had to have said something to upset her.

She offered us a fake smile. “What has your investigator told you about Beth? You know she’s into drugs.”

Cord nodded. His face took on the serious expression I was used to. We might think Kady out of place in Montana, but we didn’t think her stupid. Neither of us was going to patronize her.

“In rehab. Four months, right?”

Kady took the last sip of her wine, and I raised my hand to signal to the waiter to bring her another.

“Yes. At first, she wasn’t allowed to call, but now she can. She knows I’m here and is, well, not happy. The call was to let me know that.”

I didn’t like knowing that her sister, her only living relative, was a bitch to Kady. I felt fiercely protective of her.

“So she was complaining you went on vacation and she’s stuck in rehab. It’s not your fault she’s there.”

“I know that, and deep down she probably knows that too. But she sees this”—She waved her hand casually through the air—“as an example of how the world is against her. She didn’t become a millionaire overnight. I did.”

“That’s right. You had zero control over that. She has a choice, control over her drug use,” Cord added, reaching out and putting his hand over hers on the table.

She took a deep breath, let it out. “I know. I’ve known for years. It’s just hard. I’ve tried and tried to help her. She just refuses to help herself while at the same time, blames me. That’s why I’m here.”

Our girl was so fucking brave. And alone. Losing her parents and having her sister sink into drugs. She had so much to handle, the pressure was pretty hefty for her slim shoulders, but she did it with a fucking smile on her face.