Page 8 of The Cowboy's Temporary Solution

"Serenity's my girl." Ranger growls possessively, taking half a step forward without letting his grip around me loosen.

With that announcement, several heads turn to stare at Ranger as if he's just said he's going to the moon.

"Told ya," Archer reaches over and claims the flask that Beryl's still holding toward me. "He just showed up with her. Never mentioned her to anyone, not even Mom."

"Fuckin hell, man." Flint strides forward, gives Ranger what sounds like a very hard slap against his shoulder, and then takes my hand gently to kiss the back of it.

"You ever wanna level up, darlin', you give me a call, hear?"

The man gives me a wink, dropping my hand as he steps back.

"Bernie must be losing her shit." Lynx chuckles as he hands off the flask.

"Should have seen her face when we got off the plane." Ranger chuckles, relaxing beside me and taking his turn with the flask.

"Yeah, real funny." Gunner's gruff voice joins the small group with a disapproving tone that I'm learning is his baseline. "Made Mom feel like a fool and damn near broke her heart."

Ranger and his brother glare at each other in silence for a beat and the tension between them is palpable.

I've only gotten part of the story, but my understanding is that Gunner isn't thrilled about Ranger coming back to run the ranch and Ranger isn't thrilled about his brother not being thrilled.

"Few of us headed down to Virgie's. Thought y'all might want a proper belt or two and maybe get your sinner asses out of the church yard 'fore ya get stuck by lightning out here."

That's all Gunner has to say to the group at large before he turns on the heel of his polished boot and marches toward the parking lot.

Ranger

Gun's been prettyclear about his thoughts on me coming back to the Delta O since long before he walked into Ma's kitchen and saw me yesterday.

He's not in favor.

Too bad it's not his call. I made a promise to our dad before he passed, and I plan on keeping it. I'll be back in Slow River for good soon, and my brother's going to have to get used to me being around to take on my share of the ranch duties.

"Is he always so grumpy?"

Serenity's voice is laced with amused sarcasm as she slips her hand into mine while we head out to the parking lot where we pile into the back of Buck Savage's pick-up along with my younger brothers and at least six other guys for the short ride over to O'Hare's Saloon.

After helping Seri into the bed of the truck while managing to keep Lynx and Beryl from putting their fucking hands on her-- I don't give a damn if they're just trying to be helpful or not, I don't want them touching my girl-- I answer her question with a rough grunt that serves as a sort of laugh.

"Thatwashappy Gunner. Best mood I've seen him in since we were kids."

"Yeah, Gunner's the only guy I know who actually gets meaner when he's having agoodday," Beryl tells Seri as the truck bounces its way along the river road on the back way into town. "I don't expect he's going to be tolerable now that he's all loved up."

I share a short laugh with the guys.

Yeah, seeing my younger brother fuss over his new woman has been a shock, for sure. You'd think he'd have some nicer words for me, seeing as how I'm the one that hired her and all.

But Gunner's been holding a grudge against me since I left the ranch, and he's been sure to make his feelings about the idea of me getting involved with operations after Dad passed clear-- he's happy to run the Delta O with our younger brothers and I'm welcome to stay back in Houston working for in the corporate sector.

Across from us, Lynx laughs, taking one last swig from the flask before pocketing it in his suit jacket.

Not that there's likely to be a deputy on duty who'd pull us over, whatwith most of the department attending the services and anyone left on patrol knowing what's up with all the blackhats and ties that only come out for funerals and court dates around here.

The younger guys cut it up, joshin' each other about whatever shenanigans they've been getting up to of late. Beryl's taking a ribbing about having such a short season after a hard landing where he got stomped by a bull that wasn't quite satisfied with merely throwing him at the five second mark back in May; Lance, my youngest brother, is giving hell to Lynx over some girl he hasn't closed the deal with yet; while Archer frowns at Rowan when Row mentions his baby sister's holding a table for us at Virgie's.

It's a damn happy group for a bunch of guys coming from a funeral. But that's how Dad would have wanted it-- his boys all together again, emptying glasses around the table in his honor. He might not have been so supportive of the stories that are about to get told in his memory though. I've got a feeling, with this group of ruffians, there's gonna be a lot of shit talk about the old man going down tonight.

Buck hits a rut in the dirt road that catches Lynx off guard and damn near sends him out of the truck. Lynx pounds on the roof of the cab and gets the finger from Colt, who's riding shotgun with Buck at the wheel.

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