Page 56 of Rocky Mountain Home

Dare snickered. She was too tired for this. Any moment now she might start laughing hysterically.

Jesse stepped around Walker and pulled Dare into his arms. “Glad you made it home safe.”

Then right there in front of her brothers he kissed her. Not a simple peck, either, but with a whole lot of heat and possessiveness. At this point she wasn’t sure what was going on, but who was she to tell him no?

The man obviously had a death wish.

Then again, as she kissed him back enthusiastically, she realized Jesse was the only one of the lot of them not wearing something out of the girls’ dress-up stash.

She gave a tug on the back of his shirt, and he slowed and let her up for air, full-fledged Coleman grin in place.

She looked him over carefully. “How come you’re the only normal one?”

“I object,” Luke spouted from the table.

“You’re wearing a tiara,” Dare pointed out, leaning into Jesse’s body as she took another peek around the table. “Oh, you’re right, there’s absolutely nothing unusual about you.”

Luke cracked a grin briefly before picking up his cards and staring at them.

“Not that I want to interrupt what looks to be a scintillating evening, but can we turn down the volume? Ginny’s putting the girls to bed.”

Caleb stood, nodding slowly. “I’ll go tuck them in. You have a good day shopping?”

“Not as much fun as I think you’ve had,” Dare offered to his retreating back before turning her confusion on Jesse. “Explain.”

Inside the house, Caleb hit the master volume and the music went down to normal levels. Dustin had laid his head on the table, and one of his ears had gotten twisted, the long pink-and-white faux fur standing upright like a broken TV antenna.

Walker was finishing his beer, drinking from the bottle through the opening in the monkey mask and looking like a King Kong wannabe. Luke was looking at the cards Caleb had left on the table in front of him…

She raised a brow at Jesse.

He lifted his hands innocently. “Just getting to know your brothers.”

He had another cut on his face, and she brushed her fingers over it. “Dustin?”

“Walker.”

“He had it coming,” her brother announced hotly.

It was too late for this type of conversation. Dare planted her fists on her hips and glared at the only two Stone boys within earshot sober enough to bitch to. “I would like all of you to stop beating on my boyfriend. He seems a decent guy, but I’m never going to find out for sure if you keep damaging him.”

Walker peeled off the mask so he could exchange a confused glance with Luke.

Exactly how drunk were they? “You do understand boyfriend, yes?”

“Fiancé,” Jesse whispered. “Remember?”

“Right. Fiancé,” Luke agreed with a flourish.

“Jeez, Dare, I didn’t hit him because of what he did with you.” Walker made a face. “You already told us to mind our own business about that.”

“Then why were you two fighting?”

Jesse caught her fingers in his and pulled her toward the table. “He didn’t like the first forfeit he had to pay. I think you looked good with the pig snout,” he offered casually to Walker.

Walker flashed him the finger. “Are we playing anymore?”

“I’m done for the night. Time to make sure Dare gets her rest.” Jesse folded his cards and tossed them in the middle of the table. One of them landed on the side of Dustin’s face.