Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 128801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
He crossed his arms over his chest, brow arching for the sky. “Um, says little miss Dakota who I have on good word had a date with Brad Geller this week.”
Date?
Brad?
Right.
That felt like a million years ago.
The catalyst that had tossed Ryder and I together.
I bit down on my bottom lip.
“Now who’s looking guilty?” he challenged.
I huffed. “It was just dinner.”
“Just dinner? Think I’m going to need a few more details about how this dinner actually went.”
Kayla scoffed. “Who Dakota and I date and how it goes are none of your concern unless we offer up the information. I swear, there isn’t a single guy in this town who will even ask me out because of you.”
He grinned. “Great. Sounds like I’m doing my job right.”
“Yet, he dips it in every girl he meets.” Kayla’s eyes widened as they met mine.
Mom choked. “That is a visual I don’t need, thank you very much. But your sister is right. It’s high time you stop going around chasing off anyone who even looks their way. They don’t need you hovering over them.”
“Just looking out for them, Ma. The way I was taught to do when I was young.”
A flash of grief ran beneath the casual cloak he wore, gone so fast I wasn’t sure if I’d made it up.
Somewhere in that messed up brain of my brother’s, I knew he did think it was his duty.
To protect Kayla and me. To protect our mom.
“I’m not saying it’s not a good thing for you all to look after each other, but I think Kayla and Dakota deserve a little breathing room, don’t you? I think they can make that decision on their own.”
She dipped back into the kitchen.
“Don’t want any assholes doing my sisters wrong.”
“Asshoe.” Kayden pointed at Cody, leaning that way as he said it.
Kayla’s hand shot to her mouth to cover her laugh as she balanced Kayden in the other. “Oh my God.”
“Um, do you think you could watch what you say around my son? The last thing I need is him learning any of your bad habits.”
He covered his guilt with another of those grins. “Just teaching our Kayden over here the ones to watch out for.”
“Yeah, you,” I said, smacking his chest when I got to him. I pulled Kayden out of Kayla’s arms.
“Don’t listen to a thing that comes out of Uncle Cody’s mouth,” I told him.
“Asshoe?” He looked up at me when he asked it.
Cody cracked up.
I pressed one of Kayden’s ears to my chest and covered the other with my hand. “I am going to murder you. Don’t expect Cody to show up for breakfast next week, Mom,” I hollered in her direction. “He’s going to be buried somewhere out on Paisley and Caleb’s ranch. No one is ever going to find his body.”
He laughed harder as both he and Kayla followed me into the kitchen. “Since when did my sister get violent?”
“I don’t know…since I was thirteen and you saw Timmy Brunhill kiss me at the front door, and you told him if you ever saw him again you were going to drown him in the stream out back. He took off running so fast he tripped when he got to the street, and he never talked to me again. I’ve been plotting your death ever since.”
“You’re seriously going to blame me when that little asshole was trying to get his hand under your shirt?”
“Maybe I wanted him to. I was totally into it.”
Okay, I hadn’t been, but I figured it served Cody right if he thought he’d interfered with the love of my life.
“Gross, Dakota. That guy wasn’t anything but a little weasel.”
I sent him a scowl, and he softened as he reached out and gave a tiny tug to my ponytail. “Never meant to be a jerk. I mean it. I just can’t stand the idea of someone doing you wrong.”
I didn’t miss the way his attention flashed to Kayden for the barest beat.
“In my mind, I can’t see how anyone is ever going to be good enough for you. Not for you or Kayla.”
“How about you let us decide who’s going to be good enough?” Kayla shot at him as she wound around the small island in the middle of the kitchen and went to the toaster on the far counter. She placed four pieces of bread into the slots and pushed down the button.
“And trust your judgment?” It was purely a razzing out of Cody’s mouth.
“Hit him for me, Dakota. You’re closer,” she said.
I swatted him again. “Like I said…violent,” he drew out as he clung to the spot as if I’d inflicted a mortal wound.
An amused smile was on my face as I rounded the island, and I sidled up to my mom where she’d cracked a bunch of eggs in the same skillet that she’d cooked the bacon in. “What can I do to help?”