Page 74 of The Rogue

“Do you need an invite?”

She shrugged. “I’m not Four Corners people.”

“You’ve been plenty of times.”

She wrinkled her nose. “It’s a special thing. Everybody’s making cookies.”

“AmImaking cookies?” he asked, lifting a brow.

“I’ll bring cookies if it’s okay for them to have bacon in them,” Denver said, walking in.

“Nobody wants your cookies, Denver,” Bix said.

“Speak for yourself, Bix,” Denver said, grinning. “Many ladies like my cookies.”

“Ew,” Arizona and Bix said at the same time.

“Not the prevailing opinion,” Denver said.

Rue, for her part, was silent. He wondered if the double entendre was less amusing to her given their whole situation last night. He knew that made it less amusing to him.

“I’ll happily make your portion of the cookies,” she said to Justice.

“Seems sexist,” he said.

“Sexist, or is it in the name of good taste?”

“I couldn’t say,” he responded.

“Somehow I think you can,” Bix said.

“All right. That sounds like a deal, given that youwould have been completely invited to go either way. With or without an invitation from these two sprockets.”

“I don’t want to freeload,” she said. “I’ve been on my extended vacation here at the ranch, and it isn’t like I’m doing any farm chores.”

“You aren’t invited to do farm chores,” said Denver. “Because the question becomes whether or not you have the credentials to do farm chores.”

“She doesn’t,” said Justice.

“That’s just mean,” she said. “I could knit leg warmers for the cows.”

“Yeah. I’m sure they would appreciate it.”

Bix’s eyes suddenly went round. “Please do that. It would be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I mean, I could.”

“You do not need to knit anything for the cows. You might as well knit a turtleneck for that steak over there.”

All three women looked indignant about that, but Denver howled with laughter. And that was when Daughtry came in from his work out on patrol, still dressed in his uniform. They caught him up on the joke as they all sat down to dinner, and this at least felt somewhat normal.

This was why he was here. This thing they had made. It had nothing to do with the King family name. It had to do with getting something back. This family life they never had. He hadn’t realized that about himself before, but it was true. He wanted this. Genuinely. And it felt good to be back on even footing. The whole thing with Rue would blow over. It hadto. Because she was one of the most important people in his life. She was part of this family that he created.

He wouldn’t let anything disrupt that.

She looked up at him from across the table, her blue eyes shiny. And he felt something grab hold of him, low in his gut.

Hell.

---