Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
“I’m ignoring you,” Kenji muttered without looking up from his screen.
I winked at Tully but spoke at Kenji. “That’s okay. Your grandmother has told me enough of your stories that I can take over for you in telling them.”
His dark eyes came up and pinned me with a glare. “Reconsider your actions, McKay. Choices have consequences.”
Tully’s laughter made my entire body feel lighter. I joined him in putting away the groceries by telling him the story of how Kenji’s grandmother had used chess as a punishment without realizing that Kenji loved the game and would do anything to be able to stay in the Florida air-conditioning instead of being forced to go outside and play with the other grandkids in her retirement community.
“I played for money in college,” Kenji added. “Paid my entire tuition at UMBC by fleecing other students. Don’t tell me my Baa-Baa wasn’t proud then. She still takes full credit for my degree.”
“What about you, Dev?” Tully asked. “You got a scholarship to Yale, but what did you do for money while you were there?”
“Mucked stalls, of course. As soon as I arrived on campus, I found the nearest equestrian center. I thought if I could establish a rapport at a barn, they might cut me a deal on boarding, and I could try and bring up the mare I’d ridden at Delmar and Biddy’s ranch.” I shrugged. “It was a pipe dream. Even if I could afford the board, I couldn’t afford to trailer her all the way to New Haven. And that’s if Katie’s grandparents had meant what they said about letting me have her.”
“When did you get Trigger?”
Kenji snorted and went back to working on his laptop. I ignored him. “That mare that I left behind, the sweetest best friend a shy gay kid in Texas could have besides Katie, ended up giving birth to a stallion who went on to father several incredible additions to their ranch. They were so happy I’d encouraged them to breed her they were willing to give me one of the colts several years later as long as I agreed to let them use him to stud from time to time. The last time I brought him down was when I met you.”
Tully’s eyes met mine across the small kitchen. Memories from that night two years ago were stronger than ever and filled the room with the good kind of tension.
Kenji’s voice broke the moment. “Ask him what happened to Trigger’s foals.”
“None of your business,” I said with a surprised laugh, embarrassed by the fact I’d tracked them all down and offered obscene amounts of money to bring them to Fletcher Ranch this past year. “Did I ever tell you about the time Katie showed up to cheer for a football game after sneaking half a box of Franzia wine with the other girls on the squad?”
Tully’s eyes danced as he plucked a carrot stick out of a bag and snapped a bite of it in the side of his mouth. “How many horses, Devon?”
“What? Nothing. So they go to do the pyramid, right? And the girl who’s supposed to be on top—”
“Twelve,” Kenji said. “I’m sure you’ve met them in Majestic. Silas calls them Dev’s Dozen. Way calls them Dev’s Emotional Support Herd.”
I busied myself folding paper bags into a tidy stack. “There was no way to know if they were being properly cared for. Now I can be sure they are.”
Tully tilted his head at me. “If you’re that rich, why don’t you have more help on the ranch?”
Kenji’s entire face lit up. “Here we go. Now you’re talking. I think I need to dial in the guys.”
“Do not dial in the guys,” I warned.
“Even if you weren’t rich,” Tully continued, “I’d still wonder why you have so little personnel caring for such a large ranch. It makes no sense.”
“Agreed,” Kenji said gleefully, typing away on his keyboard. I knew what was coming.
The familiar chime of a video call preceded my groan. “Seriously?”
Landry’s voice was the first one to come through Kenji’s laptop speakers. “Did they arrest those bastards?”
I shot a look at Kenji. “How does he know already?”
Surprisingly, Kenji’s cheeks took on the barest tinge of pink. “Yes, but I’m sure they won’t hold them,” Kenji explained, ignoring my question. “They’ll book them and then release them.”
“Book and release who?” Bash asked following the chime of his addition to the call. Kenji turned the screen so I could see their faces as each member of the brotherhood appeared. I noticed Rowe seated in Bash’s lap on the sofa of their house in the Hamptons.
Silas frowned from his little square on the screen. “Tell me Zane didn’t get arrested again.” Zane’s face popped up in time to hear enough of Silas’s question to get defensive. Kenji tried to calm them all down by explaining what happened at the clinic.