Last Chance Rodeo by Kari Lynn Dell

Author:Kari Lynn Dell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2019-06-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

While Mary went inside to change out of her work clothes, David unloaded the horses and watered them at the tank behind the barn, smacking Muddy on the neck when he nipped at Frosty. “Play nice. The two of you are gonna be spending a lot of time together.”

He put Frosty in the extra stall in the barn, fed both horses and unhooked his trailer. Maybe it wasn’t exactly a date, but it seemed like he should drive since he’d done the asking. He hopped into the living quarters, stuck his dented cowboy hat on the rack, scrubbed off today’s layer of grit and dust and changed into the semiclean clothes he’d worn for the previous evening’s trip to the mountains, once again pulling his Finals jacket on over the gray Henley to ward off the cool edge of the breeze.

Mary was standing beside his pickup when he stepped outside. She’d swapped the khakis, blouse, and jacket she’d worn to the seminar for jeans and a soft green fleece pullover. Her sunglasses were firmly in place, hiding her eyes. She stared at him for a beat, and one corner of her mouth curled into an off-kilter smile.

“What?” he asked.

She shook her head and climbed into the pickup. David followed suit. When they were rolling over the hills toward East Glacier, he asked, “How are JoJo and Kylan related?”

“Kylan’s dad and JoJo’s sister were together for a few years when Kylan was little.”

David had to think about that for a minute. “So they’re not really cousins.”

“Technically, no, but JoJo’s sister treated Kylan like he belonged to her. Even when she wasn’t with his dad anymore, she’d look after him when his mother didn’t. If I hadn’t taken custody of him, she would’ve.” Mary’s mouth curved into a soft smile. “JoJo gets carried away, but he’s got a good heart and we can always count on him.”

“What about Kylan’s dad?” David asked. “Where is he?”

“Last I heard, down east at Fort Belknap. That’s where he’s from.”

“Does Kylan ever see him?”

“Once in a while. He’s not the kind to provide a kid with a stable home, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Actually, I was surprised when you mentioned him,” David admitted. “I thought maybe Kylan didn’t know his dad.”

Mary snorted. “A fair assumption where my sister is concerned. She only insisted on a paternity test because his dad is Assiniboine, so Kylan gets benefits from both tribes if there’s any money being handed out.”

“Does that happen often?”

“Now and then. We get a few bucks at Christmas, and a couple of years ago there was a big oil-rights settlement and everybody on the Fort Belknap rez got a thousand bucks.” Mary tilted her head back against the seat and rolled it sideways to look at him. “I should warn you, I had a killer headache so I took one of my migraine pills. They make me kind of loopy.”

“I’ll watch so you don’t end up facedown in the pie.”

She laughed, and it eased his mind to see her relax a little.

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