Page 55 of A Cowboy's Claim
“You guys cut it close,” Cody cautioned as they closed the final gate.
Declan thought for a minute, but nothing came to mind. “For what?”
“Shit. Tonight is Chance’s bachelor party,” Zach said with a quick glance at his watch. “Half an hour and I’m good.”
“I’ll need a little longer,” Declan admitted.
Cody gave him a warning glance. “Don’t even think about heading back to High Water and ghosting on the rest of the night. Your brothers already said that they would be here.”
“Tell them to bring you some clean clothes, and you can shower here at the bunkhouse,” Zach suggested. He offered his usual enthusiastic grin. “It’s not like we have to impress anybody. As far as I know, our agenda is steaks and beer and some good old-fashioned teasing of the groom-to-be.”
In under an hour, Declan found himself seated in a comfortable chair with a beer in hand and a mouthwatering scent teasing him from the nearby grill.
“We missed you,” Jake offered, settling into the chair at his side.
“No, we didn’t,” Aidan rebutted. “It’s not as if Declan’s the noisy one I have to ignore most of the time.”
Declan quietly grinned into his beer and kept his mouth shut.
“Oh, so you’re sayingI’mthe noisy type?” Jake demanded.
“Just telling you the next time you and Tansy are fooling around in the hayloft, we need to set up some kind of warning system. Like a sock on a doorknob, because there are some things I just don’t need to hear.” Aiden winked at Declan where Jake couldn’t see.
Instead of getting cranky, their middle brother’s expression bloomed into a wide smile. The happiest smile Declan had seen him wear in a long time. “I’d apologize, but I’d be absolutely lying,” Jake said.
“Ass.”
“Jerk.”
A deep rumble of laughter bubbled up and Declan didn’t even try to stop it. He met both of his brothers’ eyes in turn. “I’m really happy for you both.”
He wasn’t bitter. Not even close. But damn if their good luck didn’t stir up the want in his own chest a little more clearly.
Aiden raised his glass, but Jake examined Declan more seriously for a moment. “You know we want good things for you as well, right?”
Declan pretended not to understand. “I’ve got a great steak and a drink and I’m pretty damn comfy. Thanks, anyway.”
His brother opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Cody rising to his feet and announcing a toast to the demise of his brother’s imminent solo status.
“He’s the best type of brother,” Cody began. “One I would’ve picked myself, but I didn’t have to because someone else in my family was smart enough to make that choice.” Cody glanced around, smiling at the friends there. “So we have to first say thanks to our mom and dad for being smart enough to put us together as a family.”
Chance nodded his head and raised his glass. “To your mom and me Da. Best possible folks a man could choose.” His eyes danced with merriment as he took over being host. “And raise your glass to the Fields family, who are brave enough to welcome not only one buttwoof the Gabrielle men into their fold.”
Overhead, lightning shot across the sky in a ragged flash and a blast of thunder drowned out the ensuing cheer. The roiling black clouds moved eerily as the wind picked up, and everybody grabbed their chairs and headed into the big ranch house.
Safely inside, some people were setting up with card tables and a group headed downstairs to a rec room with a pool table and foosball tables for more active entertainment.
They were a great group of guys, but after a week of being out of town, Declan was itching for something different. It’d been too long since he’d seen Sydney, and enough was enough.
He leaned in and spoke quietly to Jake. “What are the girls up to tonight?”
“Bridal shower for Rose,” Jake informed him. “At Ivy Stone’s place on the edge of town.” His lips twitched with amusement. “You plan to crash it?”
Tempting, but no. “There’s a couple things I need to do while the ladies are occupied,” Declan offered smoothly, not mentioning that it was things he needed to do at Sydney’s house. She’d be occupied tonight, and that was all he needed to know.
Jake raised a brow but didn’t say anything. At least not until he put down the deck of cards in his hand and followed Declan to the door, waiting quietly while Declan pulled on his coat and hat.
Declan raised a brow at his brother. “Need something?”
