Not Their First Rodeo by Christy Jeffries

Author:Christy Jeffries
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-04-11T22:32:17+00:00

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“You’re not staying for dinner?” Aunt Freckles asked Marcus the following Friday evening when he dropped off the twins at the main house for the weekly meal that was becoming a bit too frequent. It was also a bit too tension-filled—even by King standards—now that peacekeeping Duke had returned to duty on his aircraft carrier.

“Nah. I’m covering a shift for one of my deputies who needed the night off.”

“What a coincidence.” Freckles pursed her coral-painted lips. “Violet won’t be here for dinner, either.”

“Where’s she going?” Marcus asked more suspiciously than he’d intended.

“I didn’t ask, seeing as how she’s a grown woman and it’s not my business.” Freckles challenged Marcus with an impish grin.

“Is that your way of telling me that it’s not my business, either?”

“Of course it’s his business,” Sherilee King said sarcastically as she came striding into the kitchen. “Didn’t you hear, Freckles? My son is the sheriff of the whole entire county and thinks he’s in charge of everything and everyone in his jurisdiction.”

Marcus didn’t give his mother the satisfaction of rolling his eyes. He was not going to engage in the same old argument that neither of them would win.

“Now, Sherilee, don’t give the boy such a hard time for doing his job.”

“Thank you, Aunt Freckles.” Finally someone was on his side.

But before he could relish in his triumph, Freckles pointed an oven mitt in his direction. “And you don’t give your mama a hard time for doing her job and protecting her babies.”

“You mean baby, singular,” Marcus corrected. “Only one of her young cubs is getting the full mama-bear protection, and it certainly isn’t me.”

“Oh, I’m protecting you, Marcus.” His mother reached for the hunk of cheddar Freckles had been shredding for her baked macaroni and cheese casserole. His mom only ate dairy products when she was stressed. Or when she was annoyed. Or when she thought no one was watching. She chewed before adding, “You’re just too stubborn to see it.”

“You’re protecting me?” Marcus snorted. “How? By undermining my job and my role in the community? Or by installing my ex-girlfriend in our family home to argue with me at every turn?”

“You think I’m enjoying all the increased tension around here?” His mom slapped a manicured hand on the counter. “Every time I turn around, you’re squabbling with Violet, or Freckles is bickering with Rider. Even my sweet Duke was getting testy on some secret phone call before he left. And then there’s troublemaking Finn egging everyone on like she’s an announcer at the state rodeo. My husband—the love of my life—just died, yet my home is filled with so much damn chaos and shouting I can’t even hear myself think.”

“You eat any more of my cheese, Sherilee, and you’re going to have plenty of time alone to think. In the bathroom.” Freckles took the wedge of decimated cheddar away from her sister-in-law. “Besides, Rider and I don’t bicker. We engage in verbal wrestling, which isn’t nearly as fun as our mattress wrestling—”

“Really, Freckles?” His mom thankfully interrupted his aunt.

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