Cowboy Take Me Away(58)
“Caro?”
She turned and her forehead bumped into the cut on his cheek and he hissed. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. How many guys did you take on last night?”
“A few.”
She stood on tiptoe and placed her lips on the wound. Then the one by his eye. Then the bruise on his jaw. And finally his upper and lower lip.
Wrapped in his arms, she was surprised to feel his heart pounding so hard.
“Am I forgiven?”
Carolyn arched back, locking her gaze to his. “Yes. But if I see your hands or any other part of you on another woman? I’ll do what needs to be done. To both of you.”
“Won’t happen again.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “What were your plans for after church?”
“I put a pork roast in the oven and told my family I’d be home to dish it up after church let out.”
“Is there enough food for me?”
She looked at him, seeing the wariness mixed with hope. “You’re serious.”
“Very serious. I won’t be throwin’ any punches—unless I’m defending myself or you—but your family needs to know they ain’t scarin’ me off. We’re done sneaking around, Carolyn. Let’s do this. Meet each other’s families and make it official that we’re together.”
Carson had on his brooding face as they drove to her house. But he kept contact with her, absentmindedly stroking his thumb over the inside of her wrist in a way that soothed her, yet awakened every nerve ending beneath that section of skin.
When they pulled into the driveway, she noticed her brother Harland’s vehicle was there, as well as Darren’s. Strange. They never showed up for Sunday dinner.
“Looks like the gang’s all here,” Carson said dryly. “You think Thomas might’ve tipped ’em off that I didn’t give a damn about their threats?”
“Maybe. More likely is someone saw us together at church and called my mother.”
“Sugar. You all right?”
She looked at him. Really looked at him, this handsome man, who’d changed her from the moment he’d entered her life ten short days ago. Here he was, battered and bruised, but still willing to stand beside her. She kissed him very gently. “This won’t be easy.”
“Nothin’ worthwhile ever is.”
The front door slammed and her brothers filed out and spread out, arms crossed, poses belligerent. Her dad eased down the steps and waited in the center of his line of sons.
“Stay put. I’ll come around and help you out.”
Both hers and Carson’s palms were sweaty when they met, but Carson kept a determined lock on her hand as they approached the line of Wests.
“I’d offer to introduce you to my boyfriend, Carson McKay, but I’ve heard you’ve already met.”
“You have a death wish showin’ up here, McKay?” Harland snapped.
Her oldest brother had been born angry. Normally she tiptoed around him, but not anymore. “Why are you even here, Harland? You don’t live here. Who I date doesn’t concern you, so butt out.”
“The hell it doesn’t! You’re my little sister and I’m protecting you. Not only that, you stepping out with a McKay puts us all in a bad light.”
Carson’s hand tightened, as did his jaw, but he didn’t speak.
Darren, her blond-haired blue-eyed bruiser of a brother, stepped forward. “We thought we all made it clear that you’re expected to stay away from Carolyn.”
“Yeah, what we said to you weren’t suggestions,” Stuart tossed out. “But God’s honest truth, turn around and drive away from here or we’ll fulfill all of them promises.”
“Times five,” Marshall added.
Thomas said nothing.
Carolyn held her breath when her father opened his mouth.
“Go on and get in the house, Carolyn. We’ll talk about your lapse in judgment later.”
“No. I’m not a child. You can’t send me to my room. I’m dating Carson. End of discussion. You all better find a way to deal with it, but if you can’t that’s your issue, not mine.”
“Bullshit. You’re so damn naïve, Carolyn. You haven’t been around. You have no idea what kind of lowlife scum he is.”
She glared at Harland. “You haven’t been around me either, so I won’t allow you to sit in judgment of me. Or him. Worry about your own love life and go home to the wife you have waiting there.”
Her brothers huffed and puffed but didn’t retort.
Then her father spit a stream of tobacco juice that almost landed on Carson’s boot tip. “I’m just supposed to accept you’re with him? No can do. I raised you better than this.”