Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Thanks for that info, Steve Irwin,” Brady says, making me laugh, and Mac tosses a pillow at him, hitting him in the head.
“What’s up with you and Abbi?” I ask my brother, who immediately sobers and leans on the throw pillow.
“Absolutely nothing.”
“Didn’t look like nothing,” Mac adds.
“We bought popcorn and hotdogs,” Brady says with a scowl. “So what?”
“You’re awfully defensive for someone who has nothing going on with the hot single mom,” I reply and sip my Coke.
“Abbi is hot,” Mac agrees. “Nice curves on that one. Good hair. I’ll bet she’s fun—”
“Okay, shut the fuck up,” Brady grumbles and reaches over to snatch my Coke out of my hand, taking a sip. “Why can’t we have beer again?”
“Because it’s a bad influence on those teenage boys in there.”
“Fuck.” Brady scowls and stares out into the darkness. “I don’t know her, okay? I mean, I barely do. She comes around with Erin and the other girls, and her kid is cute. That’s all I know.”
“Is that all you want to know?” I ask him, and my brother continues to scowl.
“She has a kid.”
“So?” Mac and I ask at the same time.
“You already said she’s cute, and you’re good with the kid,” I add.
“It just adds a level of responsibility. Sure, I’d like to take her to bed. She’s…well, she’s every man’s fucking wet dream, but she’s a mom, and you don’t fuck around with that.”
“At least you know that much,” Mac says with a shrug. “Maybe you want more than to fuck around.”
“No time for that,” Brady replies, shaking his head. “I’m practically married to the rodeo. When I’m not there, I’m working the ranch, and I eek out a few minutes here and there to see the family. That’s it. A woman takes too much time.”
I think of Polly and all the time that I’ve missed with her this past week.
“Sometimes, you want to give them your time.”
“I know, and that’s what I’m saying. I don’t have it to give. So, it’s not even worth talking about. Are you seeing anyone, Mac?”
“Fuck no,” my best friend says, shaking his head. “No time for that shit.” Brady and I both bust up laughing at that answer.
“Hell, I don’t necessarily have time,” I reply and drag my hand down my face. “And the past week, there has been no time together because of her business, but sometimes you have to just make it the priority. I want to see her. So, I get up at two in the morning to work, or I don’t go to sleep at all.”
“You don’t sleep?” Brady demands.
“If that’s what it takes.”
“Never thought I’d see the day,” Brady says, shaking his head.
“Be careful what you say next,” Mac warns him. “He’s dating my sister.”
“That’s right.” Brady laughs again. “Well, that’s kind of cool. At least you know you like her family.”
“True. I do.”
“And you wish she was here instead of us,” Mac guesses. I simply grin at him, and he busts up laughing. “Totally cock blocked you there.”
“It’s not like I would have sex with her with twenty kids in my house,” I point out, and Mac scowls.
“I like to think that you don’t have sex. You just play gin rummy or something.”
“You go on thinking that. It’s absolutely not true, but if it helps you sleep at night, you stick with it.”
“Damn,” Mac grumbles.
“Is it good?” Brady asks with a grin. “The gin rummy?”
“Best gin rummy I’ve ever had.”
“Okay, I’m outta here,” Mac announces and abruptly stands. “We’ve crossed a line.”
“Like you’ve never played gin rummy,” I call after him as he walks away, around the house toward his truck in the driveway.
“Fuck off,” he calls back, and Brady and I dissolve into laughter again.
“That was fun,” Brady decides after a minute.
“It was too easy,” I add.
“Is it going to get weird between you and Mac if things progress with Polly?”
“I hope not.” I frown. “So far, things have been normal. I just won’t talk about boning his sister every chance I get.”
“Good plan. You don’t want him to punch you out.”
“So, you’re really not going to ask Abbi out?”
“No.” He sighs deeply. “I’m not. End of.”
“Okay.” I hold my hands up, palms out, as if in surrender. “I’ll drop it.”
“How’s your security situation been? I know there were issues for a while.”
“I had a meeting with the team this morning. It’s been mostly quiet for months now, so we’re going to lighten up on things a bit, at least here at the house. One man on duty at a time. With the cameras and everything, I’m comfortable with that.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that things are calming down. People are just weird, man.”
“You’re not kidding.”
“I think I’ll head home. I have a ride tomorrow afternoon, and I should probably get some sleep.”
“I wish you’d let us come watch you,” I reply and hear the frustration in my voice. Brady has ridden bulls for years. He competes nationally and makes good money doing it.