Authors: Amanda Renee
Back to Texas (19 page)
Good luck with that.
They had asked all sorts of questions about Rylan’s latest rodeo conquests and were well into the meal when Duke brought up the subject of Rylan’s camper.
“I noticed you set up your RV,” Duke said as he cut into his steak. “That’s a great little rig. You must like it when you’re traveling.”
Rylan nodded. “It’s smaller than some, but there’s only one of me. Doesn’t take long to set up and suits me just fine.” Truthfully, he’d had something bigger but it had been a pain in the ass, heavier to haul, more space than he’d needed. He’d sold it in February and had bought the smaller set-up. On the heels of his latest win, he’d been flush with cash for a few weeks.
Including over Valentine’s Day.
“I made up the spare room with fresh sheets,” Lacey broke in, handing a basket of buns to Quinn. “Same one you slept in at Christmas.”
Rylan put down his fork. “Not necessary, sis.” He smiled. “I’m happy in the camper.”
“Rylan Joseph Duggan. You are not sleeping in a camper!”
He raised one eyebrow as all eyes turned to look at her. “Wow,” Quinn said. “You’ve got the mother voice down cold.”
“Can I sleep in your camper, Uncle Ry?” Amber speared a piece of steak that her father had cut for her. “I’s never been camping.”
“We’ll see, pumpkin.”
Lacey regarded him with disapproval. “Rylan, really. There’s no need to sleep in the yard when there’s a perfectly good room here with your name on it.”
Right. Just what he needed. To horn in on her relationship with Quinn. Maybe the manager hadn’t formally moved in yet, but it was clear as the nose on Rylan’s face that the three of them had a cozy little vibe going on. Besides, the wedding was in less than a month. The last thing he wanted was to be smack in the middle of their newlywed love nest.
“I like it,” he contradicted mildly. “I’ve got my own space. My own privacy. And I won’t be invading your privacy either.”
“There’s a much better mattress on the bed upstairs.” Lacey frowned. “You surely didn’t come all this way to sleep in that contraption.”
“I prefer it.”
“What if you have to go to the bathroom in the night?”
Rylan couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing and smiles bloomed on faces around the table. “Really? What am I, five?”
Amber lifted her chin. “You can’t be five, Uncle Ry. I’m gonna be five in two weeks.” She rolled her eyes.
“See?” He reached over and ruffled Amber’s hair. “Five, huh? Guess that means you start school in September.”
“Real school,” she replied importantly.
Amber’s insertion into the conversation had mollified Lacey a little bit. “You’re sure?” she asked. “There’s lots of room.”
“I’m sure. I also know how to do my own laundry. Make food.”
Quinn stepped in. “You’re going to want to take advantage of the food thing. Your sister’s a heck of a cook.” Rylan watched as Quinn turned a tender gaze on his fiancée. “Even when you don’t want it, she’s going to press food on you. You might as well accept it and enjoy.”
Lacey turned pleading eyes on him. “Yes, Rylan, please eat your meals here.”
“I can probably do that,” he conceded. The small concession would get her off his back, and he’d eat a lot better than if he cooked for himself.
Duke joined the conversation. “You’re always welcome at the bunkhouse, too, Ry. Carrie and I have room. At least until the baby comes.”
Which would be in a few months. Carrie was already glowing with motherhood, her hand resting on her rounded belly. And Rylan smiled through it all, feeling incredibly claustrophobic and smothered.
“I’ll stick to the camper for now, but thanks for the invites.” His jaw felt tight and he forced himself to relax it. “Heck, I’m going to be rodeoing a fair bit of the time anyway. Easier to just hook up and go, you know?”
This would be his home base. No commitments, no ties. He was still going to run this life the way he had for the past several years. On his terms, coming and going as he pleased.
He knew at times it must have seemed as if he didn’t care for his family, but nothing could have been further from the truth. That he was here was proof of that. He wanted this for them, if it was what would make them happy, and he was strangely happy that he could finally do something right rather than merely being an afterthought.
He just hoped they could accept that he needed to run his life his own way, too, and understand when the time came for him to leave again.
Copyright © 2015 by Donna Alward
ISBN-13: 9781460381403
Back to Texas
Copyright © 2015 by Amanda Renee
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