“Because a leopard doesn’t change his spots, India. Knowing the truth about him will save you a lot of heartache. You wouldn’t be the first woman in this area to fall for his lies and lines and you won’t be the last.” Cat pushed onto her elbows and looked at India over her shoulder. “Besides, didn’t Blake West ask you out?”“Yeah he did.”“What happened?”Colt happened. “We decided to stay friends.”“Was that before or after you and Colt hooked up?”“Before.”“See! That’s what I mean. You and Colt had been friends forever, and when his cousin starts paying attention to you, a cousin he’s always had a rivalry with, then Colt becomes interested in you?Isn’t that just a little…ironic?”It wasn’t as if India hadn’t thought of that. And discounted it.She opened her mouth to protest, but Cat wasn’t done.“Almost as ironic as Carolyn McKay waltzing in here yesterday.”“She’s a regular customer of Sky Blue.”“But I’m betting she didn’t come in here to buy lotion. I’m betting she came in her
Her gaze zoomed to the flowers on the table and then back to him. “What are those for?”“They’re not given out of guilt, if that’s what you’re thinkin’.”She frowned. “Why would I think that?”Was India really going to play dumb? “I heard you and Cat talkin’. Brought to mind Ma tellin’ me when I was a kid that eavesdroppers never hear anything good about themselves. Guess she was right. But then again, I didn’t exactly hear you leaping to my defense, Indy, when Cat started in on my character—both past and present.” He looked at her with a mix of misery and anger. “I expected more from the woman I’m dating.”“How was I supposed to respond? Anything I said would’ve been the wrong thing.”“Some of the things she said were an outright lie. Any positive response about me or our relationship would’ve been better than the flip crack that we’re just havin’ fun and you weren’t pickin’ out wedding announcements.”“Aren’t we just having fun? Dating for kicks? Nothing serious, right? Especially s
India winced.“You wanna tell me what’s going on?”“Domini didn’t tell you?” After India talked to Bert, she’d called Domini. Usually India relied on Skylar for personal problems, but she was dealing with two sick babies and an equipment breakdown at the factory. The last thing Skylar needed was more stress.So India had sobbed on Domini’s shoulder for half the damn night. In addition to being a great listener, Domini gave practical advice. Which was why India had allowed a cooling off period before she set about making things right…only to realize Colt had all but disappeared.“No, I haven’t talked to Domini, besides when she swings by to refill my coffee. She’s been a little busy around here.”“Why? Did Cat take off again?”“Huh-uh. Cat got fired.”“What! When?”Cam beckoned her closer. “You didn’t hear this from me. But after Domini’s, ah, talk with you the other night, she was furious.She got Macie and Velma on a conference call and gave them what-for. Said she was sick of coveri
“Indy said that? To Ma?”“Yep. Caro was a little stunned. She was even more stunned when India said she agreed with Cam, that we’re all a bunch of idiots and hypocrites. Demanding you change and when you do, not believing that you have.” His dad picked up a rock and threw it in the pond. “I’ll admit that accusation threw me for a loop.”“Why?”“’Cause it’s true. ’Cause we’ve all been pretty selfish for years.And yeah, I’m includin’ myself in that group. It pisses me off I was so busy judgin’ you, that I didn’t see what was happenin’ right in my own damn family. Saw your brothers had followed my lead and were wrongly judgin’ you too. It took Cam to bring it to a head.” He scowled. “Although, now that I think back, Keely mentioned something along those same lines, what’s the point in changin’ if no one believes you can.” He shot Colt a sidelong glance. “I’ll admit she was right. To you. Be no livin’ with that girl if I admit it to her.”Colt smiled.“Son, I’m just gonna say this flat o
“Yeah? Anyway, I wanted to give you something tangible, so I brought you a bag of tokens from the pizza place in Moorcroft where we had our first date.”“As a token of your affection?”“Pretty pun-tastic, huh?” She gave him a small head butt. “See?I knew you’d get it. You know me so well, Colt. Better than anyone ever has.”“Same goes. So you have to know my meeting with Ginger Paulson—”India put her fingers over his lips. “You don’t have to explain. I was a jerk. I trust you. Period.”He nipped her fingertips. “I’m gonna tell you anyway. Her son Hayden is Buck’s little buddy. Hayden wanted to do something special for Buck, and Ginger thought I could give them some ideas.”“That’s all?”“Yep. So now—”“Now you need to listen,” India blurted. “First, I’m sorry. For not defending you, for acting like a lump of shit when Cat spewed all those horrible things about you. I lashed out at you when I should’ve lashed out at her. It’ll never happen again and I’ll beat the living shit out of a
New Series: Chapter One“Get your goddamn hands off my wife.”Quinn McKay was in a rage. A red rage. An aneurysm-inducing rage. A going-postal rage.And the worst part? His wife, his helpmate, his lover, his partner, his…everything—goddammit, Libby was his everything—didn’t give two shits about his foul mood.Not. Two. Hot. Shits.Which enraged him further.“Walk it off, Quinn,” Libby McKay tossed over her shoulder, letting the young buck lead her deeper into the crowd on the dance floor. The last thing Quinn saw was the sassy head shake of her sassy new hairdo.“I’m gonna fuckin’ kill him. See how goddamn happy his hands are after I break ’em off at the wrists.”“Jesus, Q, will you sit the hell down? People are starin’ at you.”“Let ’em look.”His brother Ben hissed, “Screw that. Get your dumb ass back to the table or I’m leavin’ and you can hoof it home.”“Be worth it to punch that sonuvabitch in the face.”“I ain’t bailin’ you outta jail neither.”Quinn scowled, reluctantly followi
“I wish you were my teacher, Mrs. McKay,” she announced before flouncing away.I wish I had a little girl just like you.Libby briefly squeezed her eyes shut. Don’t go there. She had enough issues and failures to deal with, thank you very much, starting with the demise of her marriage to Quinn McKay.Damn stubborn man. What would spur him into action? To get across this wasn’t a game? This was their life hanging in the balance.Quinn hadn’t balked at her demand of a trial separation. He’d taken it in stride and blithely continued his day-to-day life on the ranch, content to hole up in the horse trailer until she “came to her senses”.Three months had gone by and they were at an impasse.It didn’t help Libby hadn’t spoken directly to her husband in that time frame. Her involvement with their ranching operation made their lack of daily communication a real dilemma. Being the efficient sort, she’d created a schedule for ranch business and bill paying, and for personal issues, such as whe
Dishes washed, counters cleaned, he had nothing to do but wait. He’d gotten used to his own company in the evenings in recent months. Didn’t mean he liked it.After turning the burner to simmer, Quinn snuck upstairs and stood in the doorway to their bedroom.The same faded wedding ring quilt adorned the brass bed. The usual explosion of pillows were piled at the head and the extra wool blanket dangled off the foot.The room smelled the same, Libby’s cherry-almond hand lotion and a hint of wood from the cedar-lined closet. If Quinn peeled back the bedcovers, he’d catch a whiff of Libby’s apple shampoo and the underlying musky-sweet fragrance of just Libby.He stared mindlessly, trying to remember the last time he and Libby had made love in that bed. In the months prior to their separation, they may as well have been sleeping in separate rooms.A memory came to him, leaving him as breathless and embarrassed as he’d been at the time. Missing his wife, feeling adrift and lonely, Quinn had