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“It was fun being the one who hooked the last McKay man. Might sound stupid, but people around here looked at me differently. ”
“Did they look at you differently after I bailed?”
She shrugged. “Not with pity, if that’s what you mean. More like the, we all should’ve known he wouldn’t follow through with it kind of looks. ”
“I’m sorry. Jesus. I can’t seem to say that enough. ”
Addie patted his arm. “I’m over it. I won’t ever forget it, but the fact I’m fine with you in my kitchen talking about it says a lot. ”
“Thank you. ”
“So I feel entitled to ask you something. ”
His stomach tightened, but he said, “All right. ”
“What’s goin’ on between you and Rory?”
Should he toss off a breezy, I’m trying to convince her that I’m a great guy, a changed guy and she oughta spend the rest of her life with me? Nah. Addie would see it as him being flip, and he wasn’t joking. “We’re spending time together. ”
“While you’re in town visiting your father? Or are you back for good?”
“There are a few factors that’ll determine where I end up, so it’s a day by day thing. ”
“Well, as long as you don’t mind bein’ the rebound guy. ”
Dalton frowned.
“You knew she was engaged, right?”
He nodded.
“Rory’s been hiding here since she broke it off with him. She won’t talk about what happened, but I suspect she was pretty broken up about it since she hasn’t dated at all. ” Addie pushed up from the table and offered him a sad smile. “Until you. But face it, Dalton, she knows you’re not the settling-down type. Which is why this will be fun for both of you for the short term. Just don’t expect too much from her. ”
Addie was wrong about him. She was wrong about Rory, too. Wasn’t she?
“I need to do a few things so why don’t you head into the living room. Truman will be home soon. I’m sure you’ve got things to say to him too. ”
Dalton stood. “I hope we can talk with our mouths instead of our fists this time. ” He wandered through the room, looking at pictures and knickknacks. Wondering why he didn’t see a TV. He’d bent down to check out the sheet music on the piano when the front door opened.
Truman stared at him for a second from the entryway before he removed his outerwear. Then he said, “McKay. Want a beer?”
“Sure. ”
“Gotta check on my wife and then I’ll be back. ” Emphasis on my wife. “The beer’s in the den. Room at the end of the hallway. Can’t miss it. ”
It was a guys’ room—no windows, no frilly curtains or throw pillows. Just a big-ass TV, and reclining furniture.
Truman arrived and reached into the bar fridge, handing Dalton a can of Coors Light. “Have a seat. ”
It’d never been awkward between them. They’d been friends since sixth grade. Since Truman’s brother Thurman and Tell were best pals, they’d pulled pranks on their older brothers. They’d double dated. They’d gone to strip clubs and concerts and rodeos together. They’d gone fishing and hunting and talked about cars, girls, sex, guns and sex nonstop.
And right now, Dalton couldn’t think of a damn thing to say. A younger version of him wouldn’t have been comfortable with the silence. He would’ve blurted out something inappropriate to break the ice. He sipped his beer and waited.
“I heard about your dad. How’s he doin’?”
“Casper is Casper. ”
“Thurman said that Tell wasn’t sure if you’d come back. ”
“About didn’t. ”
“How long you here for?”
Dalton shrugged. “I’m at the wait-and-see point for a lot of things. ” He took another drink. “Addie looks good. Congrats on…everything. ”
Truman sighed. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have beaten the crap outta you that day. But Jesus, Dalton. I had no idea what the fuck was wrong with you and why you’d do that to Addie. Just walk away from her. Seein’ her cry…I wanted to put the hurt on anyone who made her cry. ”
“You certainly put the hurt on me that day. ”
“Yeah, well. You deserved it. At the time. Now I can’t thank you enough for walking away. ’Cause Addie is it for me. ”
“Did you feel that way about her when me’n Addie were engaged?”
“I was jealous as hell. I knew you didn’t appreciate what you had in her. ”
“You’re right. I didn’t deserve her. I think I knew that all along. ”
Truman smiled. “I ain’t gonna argue with you. ”
“So we good?”
“Just as long as you ain’t here to try and get back whatcha lost. ”
I am, but Addie isn’t what I lost. “You have my word. ”
“Good. So tell me what you’ve been up to the last few years. ”
Dalton hit the high points and the low points, but he steered the conversation back to Truman. And he seemed eager to prove he could more than take care of Addie and they were blissfully happy.
They’d just cracked open their second beer when the den door opened. Addie stood in the doorway, but Dalton barely spared her a glance. His focus was entirely on the blonde bombshell behind her.
“Rory is here so if you guys wanna come into the kitchen, we can eat. ”
Truman hopped up. “I’ll help you set the table. ”
The instant Addie and Truman were out of view Dalton yanked Rory into the room, pressed her against the wall and kissed the holy hell out of her. His hand wrapped in the golden silk of her hair. His mouth on hers, owning hers. When he ended the kiss, Rory’s eyes were glazed with lust. Her mouth so full and ripe he had to kiss her again.
This time she twisted her head away. “I’m happy to see you too, but will you please quit mauling me?”
“Huh-uh. I knew you’d be pissy if I didn’t give you at least one of them bully-kisses when I first saw you. And for the rest of the night, I gotta act like this is casual between us. ”
Those green eyes blinked at him slowly. “It is casual. ”
“The fuck it is. And the fuck I’m your rebound guy from Dildo either. ”
“Rebound guy? That’s what Addie said you were?”
“Yes. ” He paused. “Am I?”
Rory didn’t deny it. She suddenly became very interested in the carpet.
His stomach roiled. “Rory?”
Addie yelled, “Come and get it!” before Rory had a chance to respond.
During dinner Dalton had fun reminiscing with Truman and hearing some of the things Addie and Rory had done over the years.
They left after dessert—the separate cars thing sucked, but Rory didn’t balk when Dalton suggested he stop by her place for a little while.
Her dog Jingle met him at the gate. “Hey there. Remember me?”
Jingle sniffed and licked. Then her tail started to wag. “You’re a good guard dog. ”
“She thinks she’s a guard dog but she’s scared of squirrels. ”
“Well, we’ve all got fears. ”
“Even you?”
Especially me, especially when it comes to you.
Seemed more of a rhetorical question as Rory held the door open for him.
Dalton stole a kiss as he brushed past her. He took a look around her place as he shed his outerwear. Such a contrast between Rory’s home and Addie’s. Nothing matched in Rory’s space. The furniture, the pictures hanging on the wall, even the objects decorating the room were colorful, funky and decidedly bohemian. He loved this place that was so perfectly Rory.
“Would you like a drink?”
“I’d love it, but I gotta drive home, so I’ll pass. ”
“Sit down. Take a load off. ”
He waited to see where she sat and then parked himself right next to her.
“So it seemed like
you and Addie were all right,” Rory said.
“I’m happy for her and Truman too. He apologized for beating me, but swore he’d do it again if I got it in my head to try and win Addie back. ”
“That’s just ridiculous. You’d never do that. And Addie is madly in love with Truman, so she wouldn’t throw him over for you anyway. ” She sighed. “Guys. It’s three things with you. My dick is bigger than yours, I make more money than you and I can beat the fuck outta you. ”
“Pretty much. ” He stretched his arm across the back of the couch so he could toy with her hair. “Add in I can outdrink you, outdrive you and whip your ass at cards and that’s the brain of a man. ”
“You forgot the ‘and I can fuck any woman I see’ too. ”
“Nope. That falls into fantasy territory for most guys. ”
“But not for you, or any of the McKays,” she retorted. “Alls you gotta do is crook your little finger and women drop to their knees in front of you. ”
Dalton tugged her closer by her hair. “Alls you gotta do is say the word, sugarplum, and I’ll be on my knees before you. ”
That shocked her.
Good.
She squirmed away. “So was it weird? Seeing Addie?”
“I guess. But to be honest, when I saw her, I felt nothing except an almost giddy sense of relief. ” Instead of meeting Rory’s eyes, he focused on a metal candleholder on the table across the room. “I walked into that house and thought, this would’ve been my life if I’d married her. Sensible couches, floral curtains, shelves of knickknacks. An ordered life. ”
“That’s not what you want?”
“No. I would’ve suffocated. I’m relieved she found a man like Truman who thrives on it. ”
Rory’s fingers touched his jaw. “I’m glad you didn’t tell her that you dodged a bullet by not marrying her. ”
“I do have some tact,” he said testily. “A lot more than I used to have. ”