Page 36 of Rogue Cowboy
“Like hell,” Rohan said stepping toward Cole.“We knew each other in the Rangers, but you can’t just show up with a fat Texas family pocketbook and ask questions about our business and the northwest stock contracting and then announce you’re courting our sister.Riley’s not on offer.”
“This is so dumb.”Riley flipped her hair back.“You pulled the big-brother act yesterday.Too little too late,” she said rashly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”Rohan demanded.
Cole’s body tensed.
“No, no, no, we are not doing this again.”Riley dodged around Cole, but Boone picked her up from behind.
“Not this time, Riles.”
It was insulting how easily Boone carried her even though she squirmed and kicked to get her freedom.“Horses,” Boone said, not even having the respect to sound upset or out of breath.“Take the male posturing outside,” Boone advised his brother.
“Good idea.”Rohan jerked his head toward the opening.He walked out all smooth, coordinated limbs and coiled energy.Cole, body relaxed, followed, and Riley wanted to call him back.
Rohan was highly trained, but she supposed Cole was too.
“Why are you encouraging them?”Riley demanded.“This is a dang, dumb repeat of yesterday, and Rohan has no say over who I date.And you both are married and fathers.You haven’t settled anything with a fistfight since high school.”
“I was always the peace broker,” Boone said serenely.“I break up fights, never start them.”
“Then break up this one.I don’t want to be the center of gossip,” Riley ordered.
“You can’t expect me and Rohan to hang out on the sidelines while some stranger starts wining and dining you.”
“I definitely can and I do.Men.”She rolled her eyes and marched outside, Boone on her heels.
Rohan and Cole faced off.Rohan looked furious, tense and was spitting words out like bullets from a Glock with a silencer.
“Keep Riley out of this,” Rohan ordered Boone, not taking his eyes off Cole.
“I’m in it.”Riley was totally exasperated with everyone.“What century are you all living in?Stop acting like schoolyard bullies with brains the size of peas.”
She kicked Cole hard in the back of his leg with the toe of her boot because he was the closest, pleased when his knee buckled.
“There will be no fighting.”
A crowd started to gather.
“Did you kick me, sweetheart?”Cole looked proud of her, and she had to force her silly heart to calm.
“Yep, and I’ll kick you again in a more important to you place if you don’t stop taking my idiot brother up on his idiotic challenges.You too.”She aimed her wrath at Rohan, who looked stunned that she was calling him out.“I’ll kick your ass if you keep this up.You are friends.Act like it.Or don’t.I don’t care.But this is not the Wild West.I’ll date who I want, if I want, when I want.”
Her words came as fast as her heartbeat, and it felt rather glorious to let loose and see the avid and amused attention her family’s little dawn drama was capturing.“You, beloved brother, and you too—” she pointed at Boone, who took a step back “—have zero say in my love life.”
Oops, she hadn’t meant to use the L word.
She rallied.“And no more flexing and acting like…like…men.”She waved her hands wide in an awkward jazz hands movement that reminded her of a bad high school musical.
Laughter rippled through the five or six cowboys gathered.Tucker Wilder poked her head out of the stable, grinning widely and giving Riley two thumbs-up.“Tell ’em, cowgirl,” Tucker called out.
Riley felt like her body was firing on all cylinders.Her energy hummed, but more people were arriving, curiosity stamped on their faces.Great.Her parents were definitely going to hear about her telling her brothers off.
“Show’s over,” she said firmly.“Get back to work.”She shooed her hands at them like they were flies buzzing.
“Ahhh, Riley, don’t be like that.”Parker Wilder, a teen who had just started competing on the junior circuit smiled at her and tipped his hat.“It’s not a rodeo until there’s at least one fistfight and some blood.I can be your champion.”
She was charmed in a weird way.“I have three too many as it is, cowboy.”She tipped Parker’s cowboy hat and caught Tucker’s vivid green gaze and warm smile.Tucker had always been her role model and a mentor as they’d grown up.Maybe Cole was right.She had been hiding.Tucker was always out loud and proud, and maybe some of the cowgirl attitude could brush back on her.
