Ride Me Cowboy #3 (The Cowboy Romance Series - Book #3) by Alycia Taylor Page B

ridiculous
pout.
    “Yeah, I have somewhere I need to be.”
    “Aw, come on and hang with us for a while. It’s been
a long time since we’ve all been together. Jamie and Karen are here.” I looked
over where she pointed. Jamie and Karen had been our best friends in high
school. They were still together. A guy named Vic and his girlfriend Lily were
there too. Taylor seemed to be the only single one, and we seem to be the only
two who weren’t still stuck in high school. Or maybe, that was only me. I just wasn’t
interested in helping her out in the fifth wheel department. Not tonight and
not ever.
      “Please,” she
said, now batting her eyes at me. I wasn’t impressed in the least. I have a
pair of dark brown eyes with long, thick chocolate lashes on my mind. Damn, I
miss her already.
    “I’ll say hello to everyone, but then I have to go.”
    She hooked her arm through mine and I pulled away.
She shot me a glare and said, “Where are you in such a hurry to get off to? You
have a date with…”
    “Don’t say it, Taylor!”
    She giggled. I wanted to choke her. Then she lowered
her voice and in a conspiratorial tone she whispered, “Okay, it’ll be our
secret that you’re fucking your step-sister. The more I think about it, it’s
kind of hot. I’ve never messed around with a guy who was banging his sister.” I
really almost hit her. Thank God for impulse control. Instead, I turned around
and left. I could hear her calling after me even after I was in the truck.
Maybe she has a death wish, I don’t know. She made what I felt for Lexi sound
so dirty. It wasn’t like that…but that was how everyone would see it, I’m sure.
I know my dad would.
    I sighed. I can probably be sure that before I get
down the road, she’ll tell everyone her theory about me and
Lexi . This town loved a rumor. It would spread like wildfire and poor
Lydia would have to fend off questions every time she went into town. God, what
have I done to my family?
    I couldn’t help that now….I guess I’d deal with the
fallout when I had to, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to follow the little witch
Taylor around and kiss her ass to keep her from telling. I stopped and got a
hamburger and took it back home. I also sent Lexi a text about the rodeo again.
Maybe if she went with me, this time instead of having sex, we could talk and
figure some of this out.
    I parked the truck behind the barn, hoping Dad
wouldn’t hear me drive up . I got a text on my way into
the house. It said, “Don’t hold your
breath.” Damn! Harsh!
    I passed the parlor where Dad and Lydia were
sitting. They were both looking at the television and I didn’t think either of
them saw me as I sneaked past. I should have known my luck wasn’t that good
lately. I was halfway up the stairs when I heard my father say,
    “Mark!” Shit!
    “Yeah Dad?”
    “Bob needs some help rounding the calves up out on
the South side and bringing them up to the north side tomorrow morning.”
    “Okay.” I started back up and I heard his footsteps.
I stopped again and he came to the edge of the stairs. Looking over his
shoulder to make sure that Lydia wasn’t listening he said,
    “Maybe you can earn some of that money you’ve been
helping yourself to.”
    I was finally pushed to my limit. Between Taylor and
Lexi and him…I felt like I’d lost all of my patience and all of my
self-control. I usually prided myself on my ability to stay cool in situations.
This time, I just couldn’t do it. “I came down the stairs and got in his face.
He didn’t flinch, or budge, but I could tell he was surprised. He was also
going to be pissed when he recovered from the fact that his son wasn’t really a
wimp after all. He’s used to picking on me without much of a visceral response
in return. I’m sure he has it in his head that I’m a wuss. The truth is it’s
just never been worth fighting over. Now, it was different. He was accusing me
of something that went against all I believed