Page 2 of Daddy's Grumpy Cowboy

“Stop staring and pick your jaw up,” my brother commands, laughing. “He looked mid-twenties maybe.”

“Did you catch his name?” I ask hopefully, licking my lips as the horse takes off.

Abel snorts but nods. “Yeah, he said it’s Caleb. Caleb Burke.”

Well, hello, Caleb Burke.

“Uh-oh,” Erin utters. “He’s in love.”

Now it’s my turn to laugh. Elias Masondo has never done love.

I’m the kind of guy who gives you the fuck of your life, makes you laugh a little, and sends you home with no hopes of anything more. I’m not the commitment kind, at least, no one seems to think so. I could never put a spouse through my hectic schedule anyway. So, ‘no strings attached’ has been what I’ve been relegated to for years.

Whether it was my choice or not.

Abel was the same way, a stubborn voice reminds me. Look at him now.

Yeah, yeah. My brother was an even bigger workaholic than me before Erin came along. But one look at her and he dropped responsibilities without her asking in an instant, hiring people to shorten his hours to give him more free time.

I’m not against the concept of love, don’t get me wrong. I’d fucking love to have a husband someday. But there’s just something about me that guys see as fun for a good time but not a long time. Maybe it’s my fault for not putting myself out there, but being vulnerable is hard.

“Doesn’t need to be love to be fun,” I reply, waving Erin off. “He’s probably not interested in getting with a guest anyway. He looks like he takes work seriously.”

You don’t get a body like that by slacking off on the job.

My brother claps a hand on my back, squeezing my shoulder. He thinks I should give myself more credit, but he can’t exactly judge. We Masondo boys have a habit of putting ourselves down while bringing everyone else up.

“Last one to the lake gets thrown off the dock?” I ask, grinning while seamlessly shifting the mood. A Masondo family skill is lightening the mood, and I’m the best at it.

Erin pouts, lips pursing. “But I take longer to get ready.”

Smirking, I smack a quick kiss to the side of her face. “I’ll be gentle when I throw you in, don’t worry.”

Scowling, she slaps my chest with the back of her hand. “Asshole.”

“You love me,” I counter, grabbing my duffle bag from the SUV I rented and slinging it over my shoulder. “Better get moving, darlin’.”

She scowls. “I’m going to push you into the water so hard.”

“Promises, promises.”

Chapter 2

Elias

“How’s that for a promise?” Erin asks, arms folded over her chest in victory.

I sputter lake water from my lips and glare up at her. “Using my own flesh and blood against me, that’s cold even for you, you wench.”

She had Abel push my ass into the lake before I could toss her in for taking her sweet time getting ready. I should have seen it coming, my sister-in-law has a bit of a vicious streak, and she is not above cheating.

Erin gasps at the name-calling. “Take it back or I’m jumping in and tickling you,” she demands, taking a threatening step to the edge of the dock.

“Come and get me,” I challenge, holding my arms out wide.

I think she’s going to back down, knowing I can swim faster than her, but she doesn’t. Like a crazy person, she jumps… right at me. I have to scramble to catch her in a way that doesn’t hurt the both of us, but luckily, I’m able to figure it out. Still in my arms, she attacks, fingers digging into my sides.

“Ahhh,” I complain, thrusting her off of me and into the water to stand on her own. “You married a psycho,” I tell my brother, walking back to distance myself from the fucking tickle monster.

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