Page 37 of Rogue Cowboy
“So to sum up,” she said to Rohan, Boone and Cole, “if I want to take a date to the steak dinner I will.If I want to go alone—” she turned her glare on Cole, who wasn’t earning any points toward being the calm, sweet, protective man of reason she’d thought he was “—I will.”
“I can take you, Miss Riley,” Parker said cheerfully, “if that Texas guy’s too lame for your taste.”
That elicited a lot of laughter and some playful verbal pushback of the young, sweet cowboy, who was Tucker’s nephew.
“Thank you, Parker, maybe in a few years I’ll take you up on it when I won’t be arrested.”
Cole’s dark gaze shifted to Parker, and she had the urge to stick out her tongue at him.Yup, men were idiots.And cowboys could be worse.She wasn’t some piece of land to plant a flag on.
More laughter and ribbing of Parker and calls of ‘swing and a miss’ and ‘don’t let your boots get over your horse.’
“Men,” Riley muttered one more time and spun on her heel and then marched back into the stable and straight to Cinnamon.“Horses have so much more sense.”She scratched Cinnamon’s face and ears, fed her an apple slice and then finger-combed her mane, wondering who would follow her in.
Cinnamon nuzzled her hair, and she felt the pull of teeth.“Nope,” she said and quickly braided her hair.She knew better and trying to hide the bruise was dumb as everyone had probably already heard all about Rohan’s bad aim.
“I wasn’t really going to fight your brother,” Cole said softly.She hadn’t even heard him enter.“He’s worried about you.He rightly suspects something happened in LA, and he’s looking for a place to stuff all that fear.”
And just like that, the guilt was back.
“Well-aimed kick though.”Cole almost smiled.
“I can do better.”
“I hope so.One of the many charms of a cowgirl.”
“I’m not trying to be charming.I’m trying to get my work done, so if you’re here, you work.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Ma’am my patootie.”Riley fought the urge to stick her tongue out.Now look who was being immature.
She indicated the wheelbarrow and shovel.
“Assume you know what to do with that.”
“Story of my life in one way or another.”
She smiled at him, and watched the way something happened in his eyes that made her tummy heat and limbs feel spongy.
Cole took the wheelbarrow and moved toward the first stall just as Rohan and Boone walked back in.
“Hope you brought a leash this time,” she said to Boone who shoved his hands in his front pockets and shrugged.
“It’s okay, Riley.”Cole’s voice was gentle, and she felt herself softening toward him, which only pissed her off more.“He’s your big brother.He should be protecting you.Both of your brothers should have been protecting you.”
She hoped only she could hear his tone harden and the shift in verb tense.
“The only thing I need protecting from now is being late with my chores,” she said pointedly.
Rohan nodded, but when Cole reached to unlatch Cinnamon’s stall, Rohan’s hand was there, blocking him.
“Walk with me,” Rohan said.“Talk.Boone will help Riley.”
Cole released the wheelbarrow.
Riley opened her mouth to object.
“I’ll be fine, Riley.And you can do what you need to do, Boone,” Cole said, his manner easy, reasonable.“I’ll be back soon to help Riley finish her chores.”
