Rough, Raw and Ready(75)
“Because I can. And I’m telling my sister you’re still swearing in front of the baby.”
India stepped forward and propped her hand on her hip. “Or maybe I won’t tattle because I’d totally pay to see the look on Sky’s face when Eliza’s first word is cocksucker. And by pay, I mean see you pay. For years, McKay.”
“Ha ha, you wish. Eliza’s already said her first word.” He beamed at Chassie. “It was Daddy.”
“Figures,” Chassie muttered.
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“It was doo doo and you extrapolated from there, daddy-o,” India inserted.
Trevor grinned. India was as funny and rude as he’d heard. Lord, he’d be afraid to be in a room with her and Keely McKay.
Kade stood and shifted sleeping Eliza, turning his shoulder when India tried to sneak in and steal the baby from him. “Huh-uh, this girl is all mine today. We’ll go before India ruins your meal.”
“Hey!”
“Great seein’ you guys. Keep in touch.” Kade managed to slip Eliza’s hat on with one hand without waking her. “Indy, would you go up to the register and grab the to-go package for Sky?”
“Did you pay for it?”
“Nope.” He winked and strode out.
“Cheap bastard,” she shot at his back.
“Are they always like that?” Edgard asked.
“Yep. Don’t let their sniping fool you. They’re crazy about each other. Kade has always wanted an annoying little sister and India is more’n happy to oblige.” A wistful look crossed her face. “I’m jealous actually. Trev’s fallin’ out with his family means I’ve lost my chance for any sisters-in-law.”
“That ain’t such a great loss,” Trevor mumbled.
After they’d finished and requested another coffee refill, Chassie grabbed the newspaper. “Guess what? There’s a rodeo in Gillette this weekend.”
“So? There’s a rodeo every weekend.”
“But this one has a guaranteed purse of ten grand. Plus, the entry fee is like next to nothin’.” Her gaze flicked between him and Edgard. “You guys bein’ former ropin’ pros could win it.”
Edgard laughed.
“Seriously. You guys could walk away with a pocketful of cash and we’d be closer to the down payment we need.”
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“We’d still be short and it’d just piss me off.” Goddamn, it rankled he couldn’t get a handle on that situation. Time was running out, too.
“Think about it.” Chassie scooted out of the booth. “I’m hittin’ the ladies room. I’ll meetcha out front.”
He and Edgard were lost in their own thoughts. Trevor studied the people in the diner going about their daily business. Running errands, waiting for calving season to start, worried about money, dealing with relationship issues. His gaze landed on a pair of older ranchers, heads bent together, deep in discussion. He wouldn’t assume they were anything but good friends. So who was to say those old gents hadn’t been fucking each other silly at every opportunity for the last forty years?
And who really cares?
It was arrogant to assume people would gawk at him and Edgard sitting together sipping coffee and judge them to be longtime lovers.
Besides, lots of guys maintained close friendships and shared a place to hang their hats. Buck, Colt and Kade McKay had bunked together for half a dozen years before Kade got married. Hell, Chassie’s cousins Remy and Chet West even built a house together. No one thought it odd.
A doubtful voice reminded him those examples were family. If Edgard moved in with him and Chassie permanently it’d be a topic of gossip all over the county.
Wouldn’t it? Especially if Edgard ignored the come-ons from local women who’d believe he was unattached? Or would the backlash come down on Chassie?
“Trev?” Edgard prompted. “I’ve been thinking about something.”
“What?” Trevor watched Edgard’s scarred fingers smoothing the folds in his paper napkin. He tried not to imagine those same fingers smoothing the zipper marks on Trevor’s cock, which was getting harder by the second.
“Chass has gone out of her way to push our buttons all morning, hasn’t she?”
Trevor glanced up and a warning pinged in his head. “Yeah, but I’ll admit that look in your eye scares me a little.”
“It should.”
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“What’re you gonna do?”
Edgard’s confident smile glinted as dark and dangerous as a shark’s. “Push back.”
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