Page 8 of Brooke's Bliss
She’d told herself thatnocame from a place oflogic and reason.She was leaving, so it would be nothing more than a one-nightstand.They didn’t have a place in her life, and it was so obvious they werelooking for something more.They needed.She’d felt it, and it called to herand… Damn it.She’d said no because she felt something for them and it scaredher.
Max growled.“Little fuckers called me old.”
“They called you vintage,” Rye corrected.
“They asked me if I remember when JR was shot.”Max’s jawtightened.“I wasn’t born then.I don’t even think our momma was born then.”
So the Kent brothers were having fun with hers.She wonderedif they knew she was their sister.Likely not.They probably thought she was atourist having fun for the night.Or a relative visiting, which she had been.That feeling she got from them had probably been nothing more than her ownprojection.She read way too many romance novels.“Mom was born, but she wouldhave been a baby.So the Kent brothers are back in town?I know they were herefor the holidays, but I assumed they would go back to whatever ranch they wereworking.I think the older one mentioned they were between jobs and would beworking again after the new year.”
“They decided to hang around,” Max said with a frown.“Steftalked to Jamie and McNamara, and now they are living and working on the G.”
They were here?Not herehere.Buthere in town.Not in town since the Circle G was absolutely outside of town,but here.
Her brain was threatening to fritz.Lack of sleep.That wasit.It wasn’t her libido turning on and thinking about how well those cowboyscould handle her.
“Are you talking about Shane and Bay?”Stella stood at theend of the booth.She was dressed in blinged-out jeans, a Western shirt, andsome serious diamond jewelry that Brooke would suspect was lab created, butStella’s hubs was the CEO of Talbot Industries, so those puppies were real.Thecowboy hat on her head, though, had almost certainly come from The TradingPost.The café owner was a study in contrasts.A bit like the town itself.
“I’m talking about those two assholes who better not sniffaround my sister like they sniffed around my wife,” Max said as primly as asix-foot two-inch cowboy could be.“My sister is a good girl.She’s savingherself for marriage, and it won’t be with two lowly cowpokes.”
Brooke looked to Rye.“He’s joking, right?”
Rye winced.“Just let him live in a haze of delusion.Itdoes him good.He’s going to find you a husband, and we’ll pay the family yourbride price in well-trained horses.And maybe the barn cat.She’s good at whatshe does.”
Stella’s grin told Brooke she was thrilled with the drama.She filled the coffee cup in front of Brooke, despite the fact that it wasafternoon.“I’m going to be honest.I thought those two boys would hit theground running when they got here.I’ve told all the younger women around to beon the lookout, if you know what I mean.”
Max used his free hand to point Stella’s way.“See, that isa public service.”
Brooke didn’t think that was what Stella meant, but shewasn’t getting her brother spun up again.They hadn’t even gotten to pay forher lunch yet.
“Oh, I was telling them where to go if they had an itch toscratch.”Stella never had minded spinning Max up.She seemed to think it was afun game.
Max’s frown went even frownier.“Well, Doc better run ablood panel on those two because I’m pretty sure they’ve already run throughhalf of Southern Colorado.I’m glad Trev’s baby girl is too young for them totry anything on.”
“She’s just a kid,” Brooke pointed out, though she knew itwouldn’t do any good.When Max got going, he did not stop.
“I wouldn’t put anything past them.They might take one lookat little Miranda and think she’s the way to riches.”Max nodded like he’dfinally figured out their evil plans.“That’s what they’re doing.Looking for ameal ticket.”
Stella’s eyes rolled.“Well, then they are the dumbest consin the history of time since Stef offered to set them up wherever they liked soBay can work as an artist.He offered them their own cabin.They turned himdown.”
Max gestured Stella’s way like she’d just made his point.“Because they are holding out for more, and they are going to take one look atmy rich, successful baby sister and think they can mooch off her for the restof their lives.”
She shook her head.“Not rich.They would not fit into thetiny thing I call an apartment.”
Max plowed on.“They’ll probably want her to introduce themto all her artsyfartsyfriends in New York City.”
Another head shake.“They’re mostlyfartsy,and they’re poorer than I am.”
Not that she had many friends.The people she’d thought wereher friends were the same people who turned on her and went along with thelet’sget rid of the chick who doesn’t like having her work stolen and won’t blow adude to keep her jobplan.
She looked to Stella, determined to change the topic.Shewasn’t going to think about those two men.She was here to take a breath andfigure out her next steps.“Could I get a burger?Georgia’s on a health kickbecause Logan’s cholesterol came back out of range.You should have seen Sethtrying to choke down his beet salad.Surprisingly, Logan was cool with it.”
“That boy’s been eating beets since he could have solidfood,” Stella admitted.“And yes, I’ll get you a juicy burger, baby girl.It’sgood to have you back.Are you in town for the weekend?”
“I’m here for a couple of weeks.The company I work fortakes a sabbatical this time of year when the owners all head to Milan.”Not anuntruth, but not the whole truth.She had four weeks before she was gettingkicked out of her apartment.Unless she found a job, which she wasn’t going todo here in Bliss.Deep breath.Two weeks.She was taking two weeks to figureout what she wanted to do.She gave Stella what she hoped was a confidentsmile.“I’m here to help Rachel with the party and to finish up the guesthouse.Although I’m wondering if the guesthouse isn’t really the doghouse.How manytimes have you had to sleep there, Max?”
Max shrugged.“It’s comfy if I do say so myself.But I didnot sleep out there because my wife was angry.She prefers I sleep on the couchso she can wake me up and yell at me some more.The tiny house is for guestsand those times when I need to be close to the mares.We’ve got two who aregoing to foal in a couple of months.I’ll sleep out there when we’re gettingclose, and it’s got a place for Noah, too, so Animal Doc and I can switch offif the birth gets difficult.”
“It’s a cute place.”Rye sat back.“I’m afraid all of ourbedrooms are taken now, so if we’re going to have our sister spend time with usand not sleep in Paige’s room, we needed some space.”
