Page 993 of One More Kiss

“Isn’t this frowned upon at the police academy?” I teased him.

James shrugged. “Gotta get caught first.”

I grabbed a beer, popped the top, and took a long drink. I wasn’t ready to get wasted, though I had no doubt that was coming someday soon. Just felt like the easy way to get through things and I wasn’t one to take the easy road.

“So what now?” Thomas asked.

“I don’t know. I guess I just keep working and hanging with you jerks until I figure it all out. Right now I think I’m just in shock.”

“It’s been a big day,” Clay noted.

“I’ve got a date this weekend and she has a twin sister. If you want, I could hook you up. We could double,” Emmett offered.

“Don’t be such an ass,” Thomas said. “He needs time to heal.”

“Yeah, I’m swearing off women completely for now. I don’t even want them hanging out with us.”

“Not even Syd?” Thomas asked.

“Especially not Syd.”

He shrugged. “Okay. I’ll tell her we need to take a break for a bit then. It’ll make life easier.”

“You can’t keep toying with Sydney like that, Thomas. Either mate her or let her go for good, not just on a break this time,” Clay advised.

“Nah, I’m not ready for that.”

“Which?”

“Either. I’m too young to settle down and take a mate. And Syd’s my girl. She’ll always be there for me. But you’re my boys and the Six Pack always comes first. She’ll probably be pissed for a day and then it’ll be fine. Always is.”

“One of these days she’s going to find someone else and leave your ass,” Emmett told him.

“Nah. Sydney knows how things are. Someday we’ll mate, I’m sure of it, but for now, we’re young and need to live and experience life a bit more. It’s all cool. I’ll handle it.”

“Well this sucks,” Austin said.

“What?”

“I can’t swear off stupid girls like you guys. My cousin’s moving in with us and my mother has made it clear that I am to include her in everything. Apparently her parents are separating and she needs to get away from it all. So I’m going to have a tagalong for the next month at least.”

I groaned.

“You have a cousin?” James asked. “Who?”

“Yes, you asshole. I do have family,” Austin insisted. “Her mom is sisters with my mom. When Aunt Carol married she took a Longhorn as a mate so Kate grew up there. She’s used to working around a ranch and will be helping out around the barn. I already cleared it with Mr. Draper.”

“Is she cute?” Emmett asked.

I punched him in the gut. “Does it matter? No girls allowed.”

“You gotta make an exception for Kate, man. I’m serious. She’s having a rough time and I’m not going to get out of hanging out with her while she’s here.”

“Fine, but only if she’s just one of the guys. Swear it.”

They all agreed.

I still didn’t like it, but I’d deal with Austin’s ugly ass cousin as a tagalong if I had to. Otherwise I planned to do all the things Ashley complained about and kept me from doing over the years. As I started formulating a plan in my head, I quickly realized I’d given up too damn much for her over the years. No more. She wanted to break up with me and not even have the balls to call or tell me to my face, then fine. I was a free man and I intended to stay that way for a very long time.

---