The McGilley Trilogy by B. J. Wane

did manage to make the effort to spend quality time with them, he made sure they had his undivided attention. The three of them learned to ride from Jed, the McGilley Farm head trainer for as long as they could remember, but Casey made sure they showed him their progress. It was Jed and the other hired hands who were responsible for making sure the three boys had chores and were supervised and didn’t get into too much trouble and stayed safe during the long summer days, but they spent the nights with their father staying up late watching movies or playing cards. It never failed to be a battle of wills when they returned to their mother’s house in time for school, a battle she inevitably always won.
    Even though he, Colin and Donovan each owned a horse for pleasure, the three of them shared a fondness for all the livestock they bred and raised and relinquishing one to a new owner was never easy. Taking the time to run his hand down the sleek necks of a few of his favorite mares as he made his way down the row of stalls, their beautiful heads nudging him in affection, Brett followed the sounds of cursing and grumbling coming from the enclosed corral attached to the stables.
    “What the hell happened out here?” he demanded when he saw the padlock strewn with hay, expensive riding gear floating in the water troughs and the neat, white fence looking like someone had taken a hammer to it.
    “Fuck if I know,” Donovan snarled as he pulled a brand new saddle from the water trough and laid it over the damaged fence before turning back to his brother. “That wall can stand up without your help. Get your ass out here and get to work.”
    “Who’d you piss off this time, Don?” Brett had dressed in jeans and a short sleeved polo shirt with the intention of taking Diablo out for a ride, but given it was Sunday and Donovan and Keith, one of four college students he employed, were the only ones on hand today, he grabbed a large rake and started gathering up hay. “Well?” he asked when all he got was a grunt in reply. His youngest brother wasn’t much for idle chit chat on a good day, and this definitely wasn’t a good day.
    Donovan sent him an icy green eyed glare which only made Brett grin. “Why do you assume this mess is because I pissed someone off?”
    “Because you’re so good at it?”
    “Bite me.”
    “Nah, you’re not my type and definitely not my gender.”
    “He prefers pretty blue eyed imps,” Colin said as he stepped out of the stable. “Who’d you piss off this time, bro?” he inquired with a raised brow and low whistle as he made a slow perusal of the damage, his comment drawing a chuckle from Brett and a snicker from Keith.
    A rare smile split Donovan’s scarred, sun weathered face. Ignoring Colin’s taunt, he asked Brett, “You hook up with your stalker again last night?”
    Leave it to his idiot brothers to bring up the one topic sure to turn his mood sour on this rare, Indian summer day. “No,” he bit out. “I didn’t hook up with her. I was with Carly last night, if you must know.”
    “Only until he spotted Kayla spying on him again. This time she saw him coming and his thunderous expression must have scared her off.” Colin turned a knowing smirk towards Brett, ignoring his glare as he started pitching in. He simply couldn’t help but needle Brett further.“Carly was so disappointed when you didn’t return, I had to console her.”
    Donovan snorted rudely. “As if that would bother him. That girl does have a fine ass. I can see why you’d want her instead of Carly.” He and Colin had gotten a kick out of watching Kayla accept her punishment last week before turning the tables on Brett.
    “I don’t want her, she...” Brett stopped himself before he said anything that would put Kayla in a bad light. “Never mind. Let’s get this cleaned up.”
    Colin knew when to back off from ribbing either of his brothers and by the look of frustration on Brett’s face, it was time to