Page 13

Chapter Twelve

L uke had to admit, Rory McConnell was a brave guy. He’d been dragged, shot at, drugged, and yelled at by his assistant, and now he was sitting by the fire in Matt’s front room, eating chili and cornbread.

This was utterly fucking surreal. All the shit he’d done in the service—all the missions, the bombs and explosions and pain—and this was weirder. Scarier.

This was an attack on his brother, on his brother’s land. Deliberate. Now, it was Rory who’d been hurt, but that fact didn’t lessen the impact at all.

He had to say, the son of a bitch had cowboy’d up. Matt said the whole time Rory had been focused on the horses. Luke watched Rory sip a cup of coffee, then have a bite of chili. Gingerly.

The next bite was a little more eager, and Rory smiled in obvious approval.

“This is good shit.” Rory said. “Cornbread, too? Man, you guys are awesome.”

“Thanks, man. I… I really appreciate your help with the ho rses today. That was neighborly.” That had to sting Matt’s pride to say it.

Rory snorted. “I was on the way to apologize to your brother. I figure I went above and beyond, so now Luke can buy me lunch.”

Luke blinked over at Rory. Seriously? Did the man never let up?

Rory winked at him. Lori, the assistant, snored a little where she’d sacked out on the couch.

What a weird day. He didn’t know exactly how the hell he’d gotten to this point, but he was sitting in his brother’s house, in a wheelchair, with a girl, a man who may or may not be Matt’s mortal enemy, and a bowl of chili.

Luke began to laugh, making Matt stare at him.

Rory, though, nodded and chuckled, then began to really hoot.

They were grinning at each other like idiots, cackling madly.

“You’ve lost your minds.” Matt shook his head, rolling his eyes.

“That surprises no one, yes?” Rory didn’t seem the least bit sorry.

“No, sir. I knew you were insane a long time ago.”

Luke wailed with laughter. “What’s my excuse?”

“Shell shock?”

He flipped Rory right off.

“Name the time and place, man. I am totally in.” Rory’s eyes crossed as if he was trying to look at his own mouth. Like he couldn’t believe that had popped out.

Luke snorted, but this time it didn’t hurt so bad. In fact, he sort of thought McConnell meant it, and that felt good. Why else would the man keep after it, even when he was clearly in no condition to go for it ?

“Don’t push it, or you’ll owe him another apology,” Matt muttered.

“Yes, sir, Mister Older Brother, sir. Although y’all have one ahead and one behind, don’t you?”

“Yep.” Luke chuckled. “Mom worked hard to get that last gospel.”

“What would she have done if Johnny’d been a girl?”

Matt snorted like a rampaging bull moose. “Called her Joanna.”

“Johnette.”

Rory cackled like a big bird, and Lori shifted on the couch. “Juanita. Oh, I’m gonna have to call Johnny that when I see him next.” Rory was altogether too tickled.

“Y’all get together a lot?” Luke asked. John was living outside San Fran, working at Google and making babies as fast as he could. Totally different from them and Mark, who was bartending at some little dive in Guadalajara and being clear about how he wasn’t interested in familial complications.

“We Skype sometimes, yeah, and I see him when I’m on the West Coast.”

“You get around, huh?” Luke had really had enough travel being deployed all the damned time. He was ready to settle for a bit.

“Less than he used to. He’s becoming a regular homebody.” Lori waggled her painted-on eyebrows playfully.

“I have teenaged sisters.”

Like that explained anything. Luke shook his head. Maybe Rory was a little addled from the dragging after all.

Rory smiled. “Sorry. I get cryptic.” He set aside his chili. “I think I’d better head home.”

“Are you sure you can drive, boss? I’ll…”

“I got this. I came to apologize, which I did. Now I need to get home to lick my wounds. ”

Luke stared a moment. “Look, let Matt follow you, at least.”

“Thanks, but I’m starting to hurt and, let’s be honest, so far I’ve handed you paper towels, almost puked on your lap, and let you check out my bloody cock.

It’s not a love match, I’m thinking.” Rory winked at him, the expression shockingly self-deprecating.

“Shame as it is. Someone is a lucky guy.”

Luke opened his mouth, then snapped it shut, not sure what the fuck to say to that. Then he pulled out his phone. “Give me your number.”

Rory rattled it off, and Lori handed him a business card, the action automatic.

“Thanks. This way I can call you when you’re not so addled. About lunch.”

Matt stared at him as if he’d lost his mind, but Luke trained his gaze on Rory.

“I’d like that, Luke. Very much.”

The soft, serious words went right to his balls. Rory McConnell was not teasing him, not at all. Rory wanted him and wasn’t ashamed of that fact, not one bit. His mouth went dry, and he set his chili aside in favor of rolling toward the door.

“Come on, man. I’ll see you to your truck.”

“Thank you. Thanks for the rescue and the chili, Matt.”

“I owe you one, man.”

Rory winked again, all his sly humor back in evidence. “You so do.”

“I’m going to head out, boss. I’ll call first thing and get you in at the clinic.” Lori kissed Rory’s cheek. “Stay home until I call.”

Rory nodded easily, but his mouth firmed in a stubborn line. “Sure, hon.”

The way she rolled her eyes proved that Lori and Rory played this game together a lot .

A lot like him and Matt, he thought.

Rory walked next to him, limping a little, but otherwise steady. Surprisingly so.

“You sure you’re good, man?”

“I’ve driven more torn up than this, Luke, but thank you.”

Luke stared. “That’s a story you’ll have to tell me sometime.”

“Mmm.” Rory shut right down. Luke saw it happen. “Thanks for the meal.”

“Hey.” He grabbed Rory’s wrist—not the tore up one, thank God. “Thank you for your help. Seriously.”

“I would say anytime, but that would be pushing even what I will do for goodwill.”

Luke laughed. “I bet. Next time I see your dick I want it to be not torn up.”

Rory grinned at him, then leaned down and kissed him, right on the mouth, bold as brass. “It’s a date.”

Luke tried not to sputter when Rory creaked down the steps, waving when he climbed up into his truck. The big diesel roared to life, and Luke was still staring, his fingers on his lips.

He heard Matt walk up behind him. “He kissed you.”

“Uh-huh. Does that make me a traitor?”

Matt snorted loud. “Hell if I know. I never expected him to get shot at for our horses.”

“I didn’t, either. What’s his story, do you know?”

“I got nothing, man, except that he’s out and proud, and that’s not something you see here every day.”

“No shit? Like everyone knows?” Luke hadn’t ever heard of anyone surviving that around these parts.

“Like everyone. I swear, he doesn’t hold back, but the McConnells are old money and, as much as I hate it, every old guy he’s bought out is living on that land and working it. ”

“So why is he buying?” Luke scowled, ready to pick apart the mystery.

“Ask him at lunch.” Matt cuffed his shoulder.

“I will.” He did love himself a puzzle.

“Freak. Let’s go make sure no one got injured, huh?”

“Mother hen.” Luke would finish his chili later.

“Yep. I can’t believe that bastard kissed you, man. He’s ballsy, I’ll give him that.”

“He’s something else.” Luke wasn’t sure what, but he sure hoped he’d find out. Soon.

Wasn’t that amazing? He wanted to know about Rory McConnell. Wanted another kiss, too.

He’d call tomorrow.

Surely that wasn’t too soon for lunch.