Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Carson
“How’s work?” Colt asked as we all got settled in Maverick’s truck for the drive to my mom’s house in town.
I was sharing the backseat with Colt’s daughter Willow and Maverick’s niece Hannah, and I had never more acutely missed being able to drive. Both teen girls were playing around on their phones, which left Colt ample time to grill me while Maverick drove.
“Decent.” It had been a full week of work, and I couldn’t complain.
Sure, shoveling horse shit was hard work, but exercising the horses and seeing to their needs was a welcome escape from all the folks trying to watch over me.
Plus, as the week had dragged on, Grayson and Kat had backed off their hovering and given me more responsibility.
Now, if only I could say the same for my family.
“Everyone treating you all right?” Colt prodded as we headed into Lovelorn.
“Yep.” Wasn’t even noon yet, and my head throbbed. It was going to be a long day. I wanted to save my conversational energy, but Colt made a frustrated noise.
“Look, I know you’d rather not go to this thing, but Mom wants all of us there. We won’t stay long.”
“I’m good.” I was going to hold Colt to that promise of an early exit though.
Kat had offered me the full day off, but I’d volunteered to do some chores before dinner. Checking feed and water sounded way better than a birthday party for our brother with all our relatives in attendance, many of whom hadn’t seen me since my injury.
“I had no clue what to get Kane for his birthday,” Maverick chimed in.
“Trouble,” I deadpanned, which earned a snort from Colt.
It was true though. Kane had a knack for finding trouble, and he’d had a wild reputation all through school. He’d continued to raise hell as an adult, but that didn’t stop our mom from wanting to throw him a birthday party.
“I settled on a gift card.” Maverick chuckled. “And maybe he’s reformed.”
“Or not.” I echoed Colt’s snort.
“Aren’t you and Kane friends?” Maverick asked, meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror. “You two were closest in age, so I always assumed you were buddies.”
“More like oil and water,” Colt answered for me, but he wasn’t wrong. “Lord, could those two fight. I had to break up some epic wrestling matches.”
“Poor you.” Maverick reached over and gave Colt a quick pat. They weren’t huge on PDA, but their easy familiarity with each other made my insides clench with something between jealousy and discomfort. “And poor Carson.”
“I won some.” I had to defend myself. “Kane was a trouble…” I grasped for the right word. “Magician…magnet…maker.”
Well, I got it on the third try, but not before Maverick and Colt both laughed.
“Trouble magician isn’t that far off.” Maverick kept right on chuckling. “Think Kane will bring the newest kid?”
“No clue.” I shrugged.
Truth be told, Kane wasn’t an especially nice person, and as his little brother, I’d been singled out for more than my share of bullying.
We hadn’t been close as kids and weren’t now.
I’d heard the gossip that Kane had had two kids inside a year with two different women, but I’d been a bit busy, what with being deployed and then rehabbing my injuries, to sort out what was fact and what was the Disappointment County rumor mill at work.
“It would make my mom happy if Kane settled down, but I don’t see that ever happening.” Colt gave a heavy sigh. He’d sure tried his part over the years, bailing Kane out of countless scrapes.
“Never say never.” Maverick shot Colt a look warm enough to raise the temperature in the truck cab ten degrees. And this was why I was happy to be in the bunkhouse, nicely removed from all this domestic bliss.
We arrived at my mom’s small house in town, which was teeming with people.
Cousins on the porch. Aunts in the backyard.
Nieces and nephews running wild, both my sisters holding court in the living room.
Everyone wanting to say hello and catch up.
My Aunt Georgia was running the grill. The backyard had been set up with multiple folding tables and a line of coolers filled with ice.
I took it upon myself to fetch more water and soda from Mom’s garage and replenish the coolers before finding a seat at a table.
Another aunt and my sister Tiffany were gossiping about how Kane had brought both his baby mamas and toddlers to the party.
Luckily, a pack of kids ran through with water blasters before the two women could rope me into the conversation.
Tiffany and my aunt went to corral the kids, leaving me alone at the table.
“Hey, little bro!” Naturally, Kane chose that moment to seek me out. He was tall like Colt, but leaner than either of us with a scruffier beard. Same dark hair and hazel eyes though. “Glad you made it.” He gestured at a nearby cooler of beer. “What are you drinking?”
“Water.” I held up the bottle I’d already opened as he pulled a can of beer out of the cooler.
“That doctor’s orders, or you just getting old and boring?” Kane asked as he popped the top on his beer.
“Both.” I made my tone firm.
I’d been known to enjoy a beer here and there, but Kane’s drunken exploits in high school had put me off ever being a big drinker.
And I’d seen too many promising military careers go south because of booze.
My current medication regimen didn’t allow for alcohol, but I missed driving far worse than beer.
“Well, you do you, Sergeant Tight Ass.” Kane saluted me with his beer before taking a long sip.
He flopped down in the chair next to me, apparently intending to stay awhile.
“I hear you’re working as a hand at Maverick’s ranch.
I keep calling it Lovelorn Ranch, but Maverick went and gave it a spiffy new name. ”
“Second Chance Ranch.” I got all three words out, a victory in and of itself. I liked the new name a lot. Suited the place, and the name gave me a warm feeling in my chest, like maybe I might make something of myself there.
“That’s the one.” Kane leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Listen, you get bored of playing cowboy, I got a business opportunity I want to talk to you about.”
“What sort?” My tone was understandably weary. I’d heard all about Kane’s mass-level marketing schemes, used car and cell phone sales, and questionable online auctions over the years.
“You got disability pay, right?” Kane was not one to be thwarted. “You could be a ground-level investor in the business my buddy and I want to start.”
“Business?” I gave him a skeptical look.
“We’re calling it Weed & Whiskey. Artisanal distillery and refinery under one roof,” Kane said proudly.
“Good luck.” I wasn’t up on Colorado liquor laws, but I wasn’t at all sure his scheme to sell hard liquor and marijuana out of the same business was legal.
“I bet some medical marijuana could help you.” Kane clapped me on the shoulder, expression intent, like he was only now registering my scars. “CBD oil or the right strain of cannabis. Fix you right up.”
“CBD fixes brains?” Wow. Look at me, making jokes and sentences both. My speech therapist would be so proud. I even added a grin.
“Might. Never know. Worth a shot.” Kane shrugged like someone who’d never spared a moment to think about what a brain injury might mean.
“No thank you.” I wanted to head him off before he could come around offering samples or some such.
“Still got manners, I see.” Kane had forever been teasing me about being polite. A good kid, like Colt. I’d tried to mimic Colt’s manners, and what I hadn’t learned from Colt, the military had filled in. Not that Kane seemed all that appreciative.
“Still finding trouble.” I gestured toward the back door of Mom’s house, where two women in their late twenties or early thirties had emerged, each with a toddler in tow.
“Hey, now, we all get along.” Kane held up his hands. “Was a bit of a surprise, but don’t be like Colt and get all judgmental over those of us allergic to monogamy.”
“Not judging.” I’d lived a fair number of years. I knew some folks with open relationships and such. Didn’t mean I trusted Kane to do it ethically.
“Good.” His smile turned thoughtful again. “You know, Keira has a sister…”
“No match…match maybe…matchmaking.” Crap. I’d gone and gotten too cocky about my earlier speech successes.
“Okay.” Kane pursed his lips like he’d tasted something bitter. He did an even worse job than Colt at covering his discomfort as he pushed back up to standing. “Listen, you take care of yourself. I better go help with the kids.”
“Will do.” I was honestly grateful when Kane walked away to greet his girlfriends or whatever the two of them were. He didn’t bother introducing me. Oh well. More solitude for me.
I was, however, damned relieved when Colt and Maverick showed back up not long after lunch and the cake were served.
“Ready to go?” Colt asked me. “It’s getting pretty hot now.”
“Yep.” I was happy enough to blame the weather, although this dry heat was nothing like the Middle East or jungles I’d been stationed at.
“Thank goodness.” Maverick grinned at me as we made our way to his truck. “You’re the perfect excuse for us to leave early. The girls are going to stay over with your mom.”
“Glad to help.” My voice was drier than paint chips, but Maverick didn’t seem to notice. “Got chores anyway.”
“Don’t work too hard in this heat.” Colt frowned.
“Says Sheriff Overtime.” I managed the quick retort, which earned a full-on belly laugh from Maverick.
“He’s got you there, Colt.” Sobering a little, Maverick turned toward me with a sheepish expression. “Sorry. We keep hovering. You’re doing an awesome job by all accounts. Keep up the good work.”
“Thanks.” I stayed quiet on the ride back to the ranch, content to let Maverick and Colt yammer on about the party and family politics. I escaped to the horse barn as soon as I could, though, eager for some alone time and a chance to stretch my muscles.
In fact, I was so intent on the job ahead that I almost walked right into Jude.
“Hey there.” Jude had a warm smile for me. In addition to Monday, I’d seen him around the ranch two other times over the course of the week, but only long enough for a wave and a howdy. “Figured you’d be at that party for your other brother.”
“Was. Back now.” If Jude was here on a Saturday, there had to be a reason. I scanned the row of stalls behind him. “Sick horse?”
“One of the stallions started limping, so Kat called me in to take a look.” Jude shrugged like he routinely worried over the fit of horseshoes on his weekends. I could relate because I’d never been able to fully go off duty myself. “I’m hoping it’s a shoe issue and not something more serious.”
“Hope so.” Horse feet were delicate things, and leg issues could be tricky, especially in a stallion worth more than a lot of fancy cars.
“And luckily, this was my last call for the day. I try not to take on too many weekend calls, but somehow work always finds me.” He chuckled.
Yep. Man like me. Kane might be allergic to monogamy, but I was allergic to vacations. It sounded like Jude was the same.
“Know how that goes.” I smiled knowingly at him.
“What work do you have left today?” he asked.
Thank God, he didn’t add on a warning about the heat or some such. From the start, Jude had acted like I could do this job, which I very much appreciated.
“Feed. Water. Not much.” I gave him an honest answer. Kat hadn’t assigned me many tasks, but I’d been happy enough for the excuse to use with Maverick and Colt.
“What do you say I give you a hand?” Jude offered. “I was thinking of heading into Durango to that veterans’ group I mentioned. I’d love some company for the drive.”
“Colt needs…” I groaned as I searched for the right words. “To stop meddling.”
“Not his idea or request.” Jude shifted his medical pack, but his expression was innocent enough that I believed him. “Just me craving a burger after the meeting and not wanting to eat alone.”
“Fair.” I’d eaten alone in new places too many times to keep track.
The thing about being single as long as I had was that all my army buddies kept marrying off, and the older I got, the more likely I was to be the one in charge, as opposed to a new recruit with plenty of other entry-level enlisted personnel to socialize with.
I was damn good at being a leader, but not so much a friend.
Been a long while since I’d had one of those.
“That a yes?” Jude smiled hopefully.
He had a kind face. Dark hair. Beard. Brown eyes with more gold than mine, which I had no business noticing.
I also had no business going along to some support group, but a burger with the one person who seemed to see me as competent and who didn’t expect much talking from me did sound nice.
Since I couldn’t drive, I’d been limited to ranch food all week.
No offense to Casey’s cooking or the ranch, but I could use a change.
“Might as well.” I gave a casual stretch.
“Excellent. Let’s get to work.”
Jude dropped his medical bag, looking for all the world like he couldn’t wait to feed some horses. With eagerness like that, it was easy to anticipate a good evening, unwanted support meeting and all.