Page 40 of Country Music Cowboy

“Did you buy the store out?” Krystal asked, scooping from several different cartons.

“It was Dad’s idea.” Travis shrugged. “We didn’t know what everyone liked so…”

Brock nodded. “I’m not picky.”

“It was very sweet of you, Daddy.” Emmy Lou gave her father a hug. “Want some more mint chocolate chip?” At his nod, Emmy Lou piled her father’s bowl high with the bright green ice cream.

“Thank you. For the ice cream.” Loretta glanced at Brock then said, “And for letting me beat you.”

Brock chuckled. “Whatever.”

Loretta was smiling as she scooped brownie sundae into her bowl, then added a scoop of coffee.

“I can’t believe you posted that picture,” Krystal said, staring at her phone. “We were supposed to be relaxing.”

“We were relaxing.” Emmy Lou pointed her spoon at her sister. “It was my picture for the day. And it’s a good one.”

Loretta had learned that Emmy Lou was trying to scale back her social media posts. Instead of multiple posts a day, she posted once and set aside a specific time to respond to comments.

“What picture?” Travis asked.

“From the spa.” Krystal shook her head. “Your hair looks gorgeous, Loretta. You look all sleek and sexy. I look like I need my hair brushed and someone to tweeze my eyebrows.”

Loretta had no idea what Krystal was talking about. By now, she was pretty convinced it was impossible for any of the Kings to look bad. Krystal’s eyebrows? On point.

“You’re gorgeous.” Jace slid his arms around her from behind, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I like your eyebrows just the way they are.”

Travis made a huge deal out of leaning forward and inspecting Krystal’s eyebrows. “Justlike that?” He burst out laughing.

Krystal pinched Travis on the arm, causing her brother to wince and pull away—but he was still laughing.

Travis rubbing his arm had Loretta staring at his arm. His incredibly thick and heavily muscled arm. She swallowed, hard.

There was a momentary lull in conversation as the focus went from conversation to ice cream.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Emmy Lou jumped up. “I have my bridal portrait proofs and I need an opinion on which to give toHome & Stylemagazine.”

“I can’t.” Brock held up his hands. “Bad luck.”

“I’m out—in solidarity.” Jace nodded at Brock.

“That was a pretty solid excuse.” Travis chuckled. “In a chicken shit sort of way.”

Jace laughed.

Krystal took the pictures, her green gaze darting toward her sister’s face. “Gosh, which one? The one where you look like a fairy-tale princess or the one where you look like a fairy-tale princess?”

“Loretta, help me out.” Emmy Lou collected the pictures and offered them to Loretta.

“Really, Em, there’s not a bad picture in the bunch.” Krystal sighed. “Tell her, Loretta.”

Loretta took the stack of photo proofs. “Oh, Emmy Lou.” She smiled. “Every bit a fairy-tale princess.” She moved on the next one. Then the next. Until she’d looked through the stack. “Krystal has a point. You look perfect in all of them.” She offered them to Travis.

“Nope.” He held his hand up. “I know you’re getting married and I guess Brock is okay, but I’m not ready to see my little sister in a wedding dress. I’ll get all damn choked up.”

He wasn’t teasing. Loretta heard the gruffness to his voice—the way his jaw muscle clenched.

“Land sakes, that was a nap.” Margot came in then, her eyes puffy. “What did I miss?”