Corralled
Page 28Lainie went motionless. “You didn’t have to do that, Kyle. Avoid a whole city because of my paranoia.”
“It’s no big deal. It is a shortcut, okay? Driving through Cheyenne, right past Frontier Park, ain’t something you need to deal with right now.”
She lifted her cool fingers to his face to trace the outline of his mustache and goatee. “Thank you. I’m really glad to be seeing this sweet and sentimental side of you too.”
Kyle angled his head and kissed her palm. “Anytime.”
Not long after that, Lainie yawned and slumped against the door. Neither of his snoring passengers woke when he topped off the tank in Laramie.
Five miles from the turnoff to the Lawson ranch, Hank stirred.
He sat up and draped his forearms over the middle of the front seat. “Man. Talk about sawing logs.” He jerked his chin toward Lainie. “How long’s she been out?”
“Since outside of Fort Collins.”
“How’re you holding up?”
Kyle yawned. “Don’t mind telling ya, I’m hitting a bed for a few hours before we load the camper and all that shit.”
Lainie stretched. Yawned. “Where are we?”
“We’re just about home, darlin’.”
It’s not like you can offer that to Lainie. You don’t have anything to offer her. Hank does.
Fuck. That thought jarred him wide-awake.
She smoothed her hair and cracked her neck side to side. “Well, boys, as long as we have a few minutes, let’s get our stories straight.”
“What stories?” Hank asked.
“Why I’m traveling with both of you. I doubt Hank wants his family to know he’s sharing me with you, Kyle. So the question is, when I’m asked, which one of you guys am I ‘officially’ with?”
Kyle and Hank answered, “Me,” simultaneously.
Chapter Eight
Hank was groggy. But not that goddamn groggy. No f**king way was Kyle getting the upper hand on Hank’s home turf.fucking “We’re staying at my f**king house, driving my goddamn
“We’re staying at my f**king house, driving my goddamn truck, so it makes sense that Abe and Celia believe Lainie is with me.”
“Which is exactly why it makes more sense for them to think Lainie is with me,” Kyle said calmly.
Which just pissed Hank off more. “That don’t make a lick of sense, Kyle.”
“Maybe we oughta have Lainie choose.” Kyle sent Hank a smug look.
That’d sounded confident. Had something happened between them while he’d conked out? Hank looked at Lainie. “Well?”
She shook her head. “I won’t choose. Try again.”
“You said it yourself, Hank. I have a reputation—a former reputation, I might add—as a player, so Abe and Celia would think nothin’ of me shacking up on the road with a sexpot like Lainie.” Kyle waggled his eyebrows at her.
“Should I be offended by that statement, Kyle?”
“Sugar, you oughta be flattered. Unlike some people, I’ve never brought a woman home to meet the family.”
Hank bit back a sarcastic remark at Kyle’s cheap shot. “Your reputation precedes you, Kyle, but that’s exactly why my family would be skeptical. They ain’t gonna believe I’ll travel with you and your woman of the month, driving my truck, living in my camper for three weeks. But they’d have no problem believing you’d tag along with me and my woman.”
After fifteen seconds, Kyle muttered, “Shit. You’re right.”
Hank fought the urge to gloat. And lost.
Lainie didn’t say anything, although he sensed her questions as her gaze winged between him and Kyle.
The sun was starting to peep over the horizon when the turnoff to the ranch came into view. Kyle cranked a hard left on the gravel road leading to the house.
“Yep. Lainie? You all right with that?”
“I guess.” She studied Kyle quizzically, rather than meeting Hank’s gaze.
Which bugged the crap out of him—not that he’d say anything.
The road snaked three-quarters of a mile around trees and up a hill until the house, barns, and outbuildings appeared. The house wasn’t fancy, just a one-story ranch that’d been added onto over the years. Abe’s truck was parked in his usual spot. Celia’s pickup was absent. Where the devil could that girl be at five thirty in the morning? Dollars to doughnuts she wasn’t up doing chores.
The lights were on in the kitchen. Abe started chores every morning at six, just like clockwork.
Kyle parked beside Abe’s rig and shut off the engine. He turned around, resentment in his eyes. “I’m agreeing to this on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“If Lainie’s in your bed alone with you for one night, turnabout is fair play.”
The thought of Kyle and Lainie alone together made him gnash his teeth, but it also strengthened Hank’s determination that his time alone with Lainie tonight would be memorable. Maybe even unforgettable. He said, “Fine.”
By the time they’d unloaded the luggage, Abe leaned on the front rail with a mug of coffee, watching them.
“Hey, bro,” Hank greeted. “Is there coffee left or did you drink it all?”