Rough, Raw and Ready(34)
90
Lorelei James
“Poor Mama, cookin’ up another wild cowboy.” Colby rubbed circles on the baby bump. “Gib in bed?”
“He wasn’t happy you weren’t here to tuck him in and play horsy. But he settled for Chassie reading to him.”
Colby finally looked at her. “Hey, Chass.”
“Hi.”
“I’m off to bed so you two can talk.” Channing gave Chassie a wan smile. “Try to get some sleep tonight, okay?”
“I’ll try. Thanks for lettin’ me just barge in and cry on your shoulder.”
“No problem. That’s what family is for.”
Family. Maybe for the first time she really thought of Channing as her family too.
Colby said to Chassie, “Hang tight. I could use a beer, you?”
“Yeah.”
“Why don’t you get them while I tuck my wife in. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Ten minutes later Colby returned. He tossed another log on the fire before he flopped across from her. He knocked back a drink of beer and sighed.
“Long day?” Chassie noticed Colby looked unusually exhausted.
“I hate bein’ away from Channing because I know she’s doin’ stuff she ain’t supposed to when I ain’t keepin’ an eye on her.”
“Is everything okay with the pregnancy?”
Colby swigged his beer. “She’s already had some contractions. Some spotting. She’s not even supposed to be liftin’ Gib, and that’s the hardest thing for her not to do. She says it’s normal, but I worry.”
Shame swamped Chassie for busting in on Channing without warning and monopolizing her time. “I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have—”
“I’m glad you were here. Havin’ company is a treat for her. Chan’s been housebound with this pregnancy and Gib can be a real pistol.”
“He definitely has energy to spare.”
“That’s my boy.” Colby’s grin was there and gone.
91
Rough, Raw, and Ready
The logs in the fireplace crackled.
“I’m whupped, so let’s get to it. When did Edgard show up?”
“Two weeks ago.” Chassie purposely droned on so this retelling had less tears, figuring Colby wouldn’t appreciate them. Truth be told, she hated to cry. It was so damn pointless, it changed nothing.
After she finished, Colby grabbed two more beers. He appeared to be in a mental tug of war as he slowly peeled the label from the bottle.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m sure Channing already explained, since she and I are on the same page. But I’ll say it again.” Colby looked at her. “It’s not my secret to share. I imagine you feel a little betrayed by me too.”
Chassie nodded.
“Trevor and I’ve been best friends since kindiegarten. We weathered some rough shit together. I have four brothers, and they’re great, but Trevor’s like the brother…I chose.
And it’s the same for him, bein’s that everyone in his family is a complete dickhead.”
“I’ve heard about his family but I haven’t met them.”
“Consider yourself lucky,” he said derisively. “If it threw me for a goddamn loop when I figured out him and Edgard were more than ropin’ partners, I can’t imagine how them assholes in his family woulda reacted. I didn’t pass judgment, mostly because I didn’t understand. That said, I still covered for them on the circuit and no one ever found out.”
It pained Chassie to ask, but she did anyway. “Do you think Trevor and Edgard were in love?”
“Ah hell, Chass, how am I supposed to answer that?” Colby downed half his beer.
“I’m dyin’ here. I found out the man I love, the man I married for Christsake, had a long time love affair with another man that I knew nothin’ about.”
Colby brooded for a bit. “Lemme ask you something. Would it’ve been better or worse if a woman showed up knockin’ on your door?”
“Worse,” she said automatically.
92
Lorelei James
“Why?”
“With Edgard, I suspect it isn’t the same type of love Trevor has given me. It’s completely different. Separate. It doesn’t have anything to do with the way Trevor loves me.”
The truth of that statement hit her hard as a hammer to the head. Was it possible she wasn’t jealous about Edgard, just hurt because she hadn’t known about him? Chassie met Colby’s stare.
“Think on that statement very carefully before you make any rash decisions.”
She opened her mouth. Closed it. She couldn’t argue with that.