“You. Dreamin’ of your new boyfriend,” Tell answered.
Chase made kissing noises.
Laughter.
“Fuck off. All of you.”
“Just sayin’…we tried to get your attention, but you were off in dreamland. We’re all mighty curious to know whatcha were thinkin’ about.”
“I was thinkin’ about all the ways I’m gonna spend the money I win tonight when I kick your pansy-asses.”
“Bring it.” Tell pointed to Kane. “No one raised after you, so show your hand.”
“Full house. Threes over queens.”
Bennett threw down three kings.
Dalton had a flush, all spades.
Tell showed a straight, ten high.
Brandt spread out a full house, aces over jacks, and grinned. “Kitty pay me.”
Boos, f**k yous and cards flew. Chase passed out another round of beer. And they settled in to the next game.
“So Chase,” Dalton drawled, “which buckle bunny hottie you bangin’ this week?”
“Maybe you oughta ask him which buckle bunny he’s runnin’ from this week,” Bennett said slyly.
Chase took a long pull of his beer. “Neither. I’ve given up women for Lent.”
Guffaws broke out.
“No, I’m serious.”
“Right. We ain’t Catholic and it’s a goddamn long time until Easter.”
“True story, I swear. Since that tabloid shit went down with Vivica, my publicist said to cool it. And my buddy Marshall bet me I couldn’t go four months without sex. So cousins, I’m sittin’ here before you, a man who hasn’t f**ked a woman since New Year’s Eve.”
Silence. Then laugher.
“You’ve got to be pullin’ our leg,” Tell said.
Chase shook his head. “Ten thousand dollars is on the line.”
Dalton’s eyes widened. “Christ, cuz, you bet that kinda money on keepin’ your dick in your pants?”
“It ain’t a cash bet. If I can do it, Marshall’s givin’ me a quarter share in this up and comin’ buckin’
bull named Atomic Fireball.” Chase pointed his beer bottle at the guys at the table. “So you all need to be getting some serious ass to make up for my lack of it.”
Tell and Dalton high-fived, and Tell said, “We’ve got ya covered.”
“With who?” Brandt demanded.
“The Sweeney twins. Kristol and Marisol. And here’s the kicker.” Dalton leaned in. “They wanna play musical brothers. Hell, when we go out, we ain’t ever sure which one we’ll end up with that night.”
They high-fived again.
Kane shifted in his seat. He remembered those days. Mostly. Quite a few days, even a few months were a blur, but he’d been in plenty of threesomes with Colt and their woman of the night. Funny thing was, he couldn’t recall the faces of the female players.
But he could recount every freckle on Ginger’s skin.
What did that say about him?
You’re pu**y-whipped, boy. Big time.
“How about you, Bennett?” Chase asked.
“I’ve got a hook up whenever I want it.” He shrugged. “And gentlemen don’t kiss and tell.”
“Since when are the McKays considered gentlemen?” Dalton volleyed back.
Laughter.
Kane expected the question to be directed at him next, because none of his cousins had uttered a peep about Ginger showing up on his doorstep two weeks ago. And it’d been apparent the only briefs he and the fiery redhead had intended to discuss were the ones on his body.
Brandt’s phone rang.
Tell and Dalton exchanged a look before Brandt picked up.
“Jessie? Why’re you—” He stood abruptly. “No. It’s okay. I can be there in twenty-five minutes.
Come on, Jess, calm down. I’m on my way.” Brandt clicked his phone shut. “Sorry guys, I’ve gotta go.”
“What’s goin’ on this time?” Dalton asked. “Is her kitty-cat stuck in a tree?”
“And big, brave, Brandt is the only one who can rescue her poor little pu**y?”
Kane sucked in a breath. Talk about harsh.
Brandt stiffened. “Fuck off, both of you. Jessie had a pipe freeze in her trailer.”
“So have her call a plumber,” Tell said.
“Tomorrow,” Dalton added.
“Why you guys bein’ such a dicks about me wantin’ to help her?” Brandt demanded.
Tell leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Because she’s always needin’ your help, bro.
And every time she calls, you drop whatever you’re doin’ and go to her.”
“Run to her is more like it,” Dalton corrected.
“Do you need me to remind you that dad kicked her off the place she shared with Luke? Left her damn near destitute?”
“No. It’s the reason we all took a stand against Dad.” Tell spit tobacco juice into an empty beer can.
“Look, we get that you have feelings for her, Brandt. And without bein’ an ass, she ain’t reciprocating those feelings or else you’d be together.”
“Luke’s been dead a little over a year,” Brandt snapped. “She ain’t hardly had time to get used to bein’ a wife and then she was a widow. So yeah, maybe I feel guilty for what Dad done. Hell, I feel guilty for what Luke done to her. What am I supposed to do?”
“Say no,” Dalton said quietly.
Brandt whirled on him. “What the f**k did you say?”
“You heard me. Say no.”
“She’s usin’ you. Knowin’ Jessie, she ain’t even aware she’s doin’ it.”
Tell nodded and Dalton kept talking. “In the year before Luke died, she’d started callin’ you when she couldn’t rely on Luke to get anything done. Don’t deny it.”
Kane’s gut twisted. Brandt carrying a torch for Jessie would only end badly. But he admired Brandt’s brothers for addressing something that’d been building for a long time.
“We all care about Jessie. But there comes a point where you’ve gotta man up.”
Brandt sagged against the wall as he pulled on his boots in angry, jerking movements. “Meanin’
what?”
“Let her know you don’t wanna be her handyman. If she ain’t interested in bein’ with you, walk away.” Tell’s voice dropped. “Me’n Dalton see how it’s rippin’ you up. Seein’ her everyday… We’re all still hurtin’ about Luke. Seein’ her makes it worse.”