Authors: Lorelei James
Tags: #Romance, #Contemporary, #Adult, #Western, #Red Hots!, #Western Romance
Raising Kane (21 page)
Uncle Carson had quadrupled the size of his holding, and that didn’t include the pieces of land his sons had purchased. Kane’s dad had added to his original section too, but not as substantially. He only had Kane and Kade to help him work it, not four or five sons. Uncle Charles had added acreage in the last few years when he’d turned over the majority of the ranch responsibility to Quinn and Bennett. Chase returned to Wyoming and helped his brothers when he wasn’t on tour with the PBR. Except it seemed Chase’s
Raising Kane
return home lately was to avoid the tabloids. Kane admitted pride in the kid, for taking the bad-boy, hell-raisin’ McKay reputation to a whole ’nother level—a national level.
But the biggest reason for them spending time together, besides the fact they were all still single, happened after Luke McKay’s death.
The remaining sons had a falling out with their father, a rift that still hadn’t healed. Uncle Casper had a bug up his ass about something, and he’d further alienated his brothers and nephews. It made for awkward conversation when dealing with ranch business. Especially since Brandt, Tell and Dalton purchased a tract of land on their own. As their father was the only McKay descendant who hadn’t added on—it’d always been a bitter point of contention for Uncle Casper and he’d taken it out on his sons.
Yeah, they were just one big happy fucking family.
Kane knew this type of poker game wouldn’t have happened in his younger years, when he was in the same age group as Brandt, Tell, Dalton, Bennett and Chase. At almost thirty-seven, Kane was the old man in the group. Uncle Casper and Aunt Joan had started their family later than his brothers, and had four boys in six years. Luke had been just turned twenty-seven when he died. Brandt had just turned twenty-five; Tell had turned twenty-four and Dalton twenty-one.
On the Charles McKay branch of the family, Quinn was going on thirty-four. Bennett was twenty-nine and Chase had passed the quarter-century mark and turned twenty-six.
Why did age—his and his other family members’—matter to him?
Because all Kane’s male cousins had been married by his age. Most married with families. And he wasn’t enjoying the bachelor lifestyle these days, not like he had when he’d lived at the Boars Nest. Hell, he hadn’t even missed having an active sex life. He avoided the bars, knowing he’d run into a woman or fifteen he’d fucked at some point in the last two decades, usually a woman he’d fucked over. The sad truth was, Kane had been with so many women…he didn’t remember all of them.
Talk about great husband and father material. Jesus. No wonder he was single.
His thoughts drifted to Ginger. At times, he believed they could make a good life together. But other times, he wondered why she’d want him long-term. They were already getting it on every chance they had.
He was already a father figure to her son. She wasn’t looking for security or a provider. Hell, she probably made more money in two months than he made all year. He knew she wasn’t looking to take this to another level.
And that sucked.
“He’s thinkin’ about bein’ on his knees in front of some big biker dude with a pierced cock, wearin’
leathers, holdin’ a whip.”
Kane’s focus zoomed back to the present and he stared at his cousin Tell. “What the hell were you talkin’ about?”
“You. Dreamin’ of your new boyfriend,” Tell answered.
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Chase made kissing noises.
Laughter.
“Fuck off. All of you.”
“Just sayin’…we tried to get your attention, but you were off in dreamland. We’re all mighty curious to know whatcha were thinkin’ about.”
“I was thinkin’ about all the ways I’m gonna spend the money I win tonight when I kick your pansy-asses.”
“Bring it.” Tell pointed to Kane. “No one raised after you, so show your hand.”
“Full house. Threes over queens.”
Bennett threw down three kings.
Dalton had a flush, all spades.
Tell showed a straight, ten high.
Brandt spread out a full house, aces over jacks, and grinned. “Kitty pay me.”
Boos, fuck yous and cards flew. Chase passed out another round of beer. And they settled in to the next game.
“So Chase,” Dalton drawled, “which buckle bunny hottie you bangin’ this week?”
“Maybe you oughta ask him which buckle bunny he’s runnin’ from this week,” Bennett said slyly.
Chase took a long pull of his beer. “Neither. I’ve given up women for Lent.”
Guffaws broke out.
“No, I’m serious.”
“Right. We ain’t Catholic and it’s a goddamn long time until Easter.”
“True story, I swear. Since that tabloid shit went down with Vivica, my publicist said to cool it. And my buddy Marshall bet me I couldn’t go four months without sex. So cousins, I’m sittin’ here before you, a man who hasn’t fucked a woman since New Year’s Eve.”
Silence. Then laugher.
“You’ve got to be pullin’ our leg,” Tell said.
Chase shook his head. “Ten thousand dollars is on the line.”
Dalton’s eyes widened. “Christ, cuz, you bet that kinda money on keepin’ your dick in your pants?”
“It ain’t a cash bet. If I can do it, Marshall’s givin’ me a quarter share in this up and comin’ buckin’
bull named Atomic Fireball.” Chase pointed his beer bottle at the guys at the table. “So you all need to be getting some serious ass to make up for my lack of it.”
Tell and Dalton high-fived, and Tell said, “We’ve got ya covered.”
“With who?” Brandt demanded.
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“The Sweeney twins. Kristol and Marisol. And here’s the kicker.” Dalton leaned in. “They wanna play musical brothers. Hell, when we go out, we ain’t ever sure which one we’ll end up with that night.”
They high-fived again.
Kane shifted in his seat. He remembered those days. Mostly. Quite a few days, even a few months were a blur, but he’d been in plenty of threesomes with Colt and their woman of the night. Funny thing was, he couldn’t recall the faces of the female players.
But he could recount every freckle on Ginger’s skin.
What did that say about him?
You’re pussy-whipped, boy. Big time.
“How about you, Bennett?” Chase asked.
“I’ve got a hook up whenever I want it.” He shrugged. “And gentlemen don’t kiss and tell.”
“Since when are the McKays considered gentlemen?” Dalton volleyed back.
Laughter.
Kane expected the question to be directed at him next, because none of his cousins had uttered a peep about Ginger showing up on his doorstep two weeks ago. And it’d been apparent the only briefs he and the fiery redhead had intended to discuss were the ones on his body.
Brandt’s phone rang.
Tell and Dalton exchanged a look before Brandt picked up.
“Jessie? Why’re you—” He stood abruptly. “No. It’s okay. I can be there in twenty-five minutes.
Come on, Jess, calm down. I’m on my way.” Brandt clicked his phone shut. “Sorry guys, I’ve gotta go.”
“What’s goin’ on this time?” Dalton asked. “Is her kitty-cat stuck in a tree?”
“And big, brave, Brandt is the only one who can rescue her poor little pussy?”
Kane sucked in a breath. Talk about harsh.
Brandt stiffened. “Fuck off, both of you. Jessie had a pipe freeze in her trailer.”
“So have her call a plumber,” Tell said.
“Tomorrow,” Dalton added.
“Why you guys bein’ such a dicks about me wantin’ to help her?” Brandt demanded.
Tell leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Because she’s always needin’ your help, bro.
And every time she calls, you drop whatever you’re doin’ and go to her.”
“Run to her is more like it,” Dalton corrected.
“Do you need me to remind you that dad kicked her off the place she shared with Luke? Left her damn near destitute?”
“No. It’s the reason we all took a stand against Dad.” Tell spit tobacco juice into an empty beer can.
“Look, we get that you have feelings for her, Brandt. And without bein’ an ass, she ain’t reciprocating those feelings or else you’d be together.”
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“Luke’s been dead a little over a year,” Brandt snapped. “She ain’t hardly had time to get used to bein’ a wife and then she was a widow. So yeah, maybe I feel guilty for what Dad done. Hell, I feel guilty for what Luke done to her. What am I supposed to do?”
“Say no,” Dalton said quietly.
Brandt whirled on him. “What the fuck did you say?”
“You heard me. Say no.”
“She’s usin’ you. Knowin’ Jessie, she ain’t even aware she’s doin’ it.”
Tell nodded and Dalton kept talking. “In the year before Luke died, she’d started callin’ you when she couldn’t rely on Luke to get anything done. Don’t deny it.”
Kane’s gut twisted. Brandt carrying a torch for Jessie would only end badly. But he admired Brandt’s brothers for addressing something that’d been building for a long time.
“We all care about Jessie. But there comes a point where you’ve gotta man up.”
Brandt sagged against the wall as he pulled on his boots in angry, jerking movements. “Meanin’
what?”
“Let her know you don’t wanna be her handyman. If she ain’t interested in bein’ with you, walk away.” Tell’s voice dropped. “Me’n Dalton see how it’s rippin’ you up. Seein’ her everyday… We’re all still hurtin’ about Luke. Seein’ her makes it worse.”
“For some of us more than others.” Brandt stomped his feet into his boots and clapped his hat on his head.
“What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?” Dalton demanded.
“Grieving over Luke hasn’t stopped you and Tell from getting all the pussy you possibly can every goddamn weekend, has it?”
Tell and Dalton stood simultaneously.
“Just cause you can’t get the pussy you want—Jessie’s—don’t mean you can take it out on us,”
Dalton said hotly.
“There are plenty of women around here who’d take you on if you’d take the fuckin’ blinders off,”
Tell said.
“Like the skanky bar rats you two are screwing on a regular basis?” Brandt shot back. “No thanks.”
“Fine. Jack off all alone in your trailer until your goddamn hand falls off, thinking about your precious Jessie. But I can guaran-damn-tee she ain’t sitting around home, thinking about you,” Dalton sneered.
Kane intervened. “Enough. Everybody sit down and calm down.”
“Shut up, Kane. This don’t concern you,” Tell said.
“The fuck it don’t. I won’t sit here and watch brothers cut each other down to the bone just because you can. Just because you’re all hurtin’. Jesus. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to lose Kade.” He gestured 126
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to Bennett and Chase. “I’d bet they feel the same way about Quinn. For Christsake, our fathers can still turn on one another in a heartbeat. Don’t make their mistakes. Don’t do something or say something you can’t undo.”
Silence.
Dalton spoke first. “Will you at least help us talk some sense into him? Bein’ at Jessie’s beck and call ain’t good for either of them. Jessie needs to learn to do things herself.”
Kane looked at Brandt, slumped against the door. “Come clean, cuz. Do they have a reason to be concerned about this?”
“Do we have a reason to be concerned about you and Colt takin’ cheap shots at each other every chance you get? Jesus. What’s goin’ on with you two?”
I don’t know.
They’d never gone this long without trying to patch up their differences. Kane pointed at Brandt. “This ain’t about me. So I’ll ask you again. Do your brothers have a reason to be concerned?”
Brandt didn’t answer immediately. Finally, he said, “I don’t know how to say no to her. The hell of it is, I don’t want to say no to her. I wanna be there for her because Luke never was. I fuckin’ hate that she only sees me as the guy who’ll change her battery, or help her haul feed, or fix her goddamn pipes. I shouldn’t care about her so damn much. She’s my brother’s wife.”
No one corrected him that she was now Luke’s widow.
“Your brothers are right,” Bennett said. “You have to find out how Jessie feels. Maybe part of the reason she’s callin’ you all the time is because she wants you. Havin’ you do ‘man stuff’ for her is the only way she can get you to come over.”
“You really think so?” Brandt asked.
Heads nodded. None of them really believed it, but they were too conscious of Brandt’s difficult position to point it out.
“Look, sorry I was a dick. I appreciate your concern and I’ll think over what you said.” He gave his brothers an apologetic look. “All of you.”
Then he was gone.
Beer was consumed in the quiet. Kane changed out all the poker chips on the table for real money, just to have something to do.
“Well, that was fun…
not
,” Tell said.
“Good strategy, bringing it up in front of witnesses when we weren’t out feedin’ cattle or something,”
Dalton said to Tell. “He’da put us both on the ground and beat the livin’ shit outta us.”
Chase looked back and forth between them. “Seriously?”
“Uncle Carson’s kids ain’t the only ones to settle sibling matters with their fists.” Tell drained his beer. “Christ. Brandt and Luke used to get into a knock-down, drag-out fistfight at least once a month.
Me’n Dalton let them have at and stayed on the sidelines. It never solved a damn thing anyway.”
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Yeah, Kane understood that reaction but it’d never seemed to matter to him or Colt. They tended to let fists fly first and then worry about the talking bullshit afterward.
“Were their fights about ranch business?”
“Sometimes. But mostly, in the last year, they were about Jessie.”
“I tell you what. I ain’t ever gonna be at the beck and call of any woman.”
“Amen, brother.” Dalton and Tell high-fived. As did Bennett and Chase.
Fools. He’d love to be at Ginger’s beck and call. He’d just be goddamn happy if she called him at all.