Stepbrother Cowboy: A Western Romance by Lee Moore, Angela Kelly

stink like sex,” she whispered to me grinning.
    “Yes ma’am.”
    “Give me your keys; I’ll drive the Jeep back.”
    “Pants pocket.”
    “Which is where?”
    “By the bed.”
    “It was dark…”
    “Hurry back,” I said walking into the bathroom and closing the door, hoping I just scored a point in the continuing game of irking her.
    “Don’t think about last night while you are soaping yourself up,” she said, scratching the outside of the door.
    Dammit! As soon as she said that, it was the only thing I could think of, and I let out a string of obscenities after I heard the front door close and started the water. No need to worry about hot water today. This morning, my shower was going to be cold. I finished as quickly as I could stand it. I stood in the kitchenette in a towel, lost in thought and sipping my second cup of coffee of the day when I saw Sandy walking up the path to the cabin. I had barely got my clothes on when she knocked on the door.
    “Sandy, come in.”
    “Thank you. Has Jackson been in yet?”
    “No, we’re supposed to pick him up.”
    “Oh ok. I wanted to ride in with you guys. This has to be so hard on Carl.”
    My mind started spinning. Was Sandy the woman that Dade had been alluding to? Did Sandy and Carl Bart… I shook my head to clear the thought. Thinking about Carl made me think about his brother, the sheriff, which made me think about Karen. Everything in that train of thought went back in circles and reminded me of the bad soap operas and TV shows my mom watched when the weather was bad outside. Could she be the one?
    “No problem. Alison is bringing the Jeep by, unless you guys want me to see if there’s one of the bigger trucks?”
    “I’m sure your Jeep will be fine.”
    “Ok.”
    “I’m a little worried,” Really? This had my head spinning possibilities again.
    “Yeah, if what happens with Tim today ends the problems the ranch is having,” I didn’t see that one coming, but I’d been thinking the same thing earlier.
    “You think the tumor or whatever it is, caused Tim to go off the wall?”
    “It did something to him, that’s for sure. Can I trouble you for a cup of coffee?”
    “Sure, I have half a pot left,” I kicked myself for not offering. Hospitality went out the window when I started bunking 7 deep with a bunch of guys from all over the world.
    I pulled a cup down from the sink and poured her some of the Columbian brew. She started drinking it immediately and we stood there for a moment, looking out the window.
    “I used to be best friends with Tyler and Carl’s older sister. She died about twenty years ago. Drunk driver.”
    I didn’t know what to say.
    “Carl and Tyler changed that day. They became mean, or meaner than they were. I think it will break them if something happens to Tim.”
    “But what he did wasn’t right.”
    “We don’t know yet. If it was the tumor…”
    “Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” I admitted, having the same line of thoughts myself.
    “Those boys are the last in a long line of Bart’s. I think that’s why Tyler married that young lady.”
    “Karen? Yeah, I don’t really think it’s a marriage of love…”
    “He wants sons and she wants his prestige or perception of power.”
    “Yeah, I think so. She was kind of bold at the party…”
    “If you hadn’t moved your head, she probably would have accused you of trying to kiss her and would have made a bigger scene.”
    “You saw all that?”
    “As soon as that tramp walked in, I knew there was going to be trouble,” she finished her cup and handed it to me. I filled it again.
    “Yeah, subtle isn’t her thing I guess.”
    “Neither was Alison.”
    “What?”
    “You didn’t see it, but as soon as you guys left our side, she started cussing a blue streak,” she sipped her cup smiling at me, the wrinkles in her face smoothing out as she smiles at me.
    “Yeah, about Alison. I wanted to talk to you about something.”
    “Oh? I expect you do. I