“Good,” he replied. “Real good.”
Richard stepped outside and stood on the porch. He bowed his head to keep from bumping his noggin on the roofline. He held a towel in his hands and dried them off before he tossed the checkered cloth over his arm. “Need something, Doc?”
He cleared his throat and stared at Callie. “My uh, my friends,” he began, “you remember them, Joe…” His voice trailed off and then broke. “They’re dead. They were caught in Colorado near one of the springs, and they were killed because of their indecent activity.”
“You rode all the way out here to tell us about this?” Joe asked, gaping at him with an unsettling gaze. He looked him over real good, and the sun’s scorching heat burned a little hotter as the minutes wore on.
“I thought you might want to know,” he stated flatly.
Callie watched Joe and Doc Scott sum up one another. What she saw didn’t sit well. Little Joe looked at the crooked doctor with lust in his eyes.
Richard took a seat on the porch stoop. His age was starting to show, and his declining health troubled her. Truth told, Callie liked Doc Scott prior to the Little Joe occurrence, but she couldn’t imagine why Richard would welcome him into their home. She took one look at Richard and realized what he was planning to say long before he extended an invitation.
“We got supper on. If you’d like to stay, you’re invited.” He took the baby from her arms and turned to walk back inside. “But remember, I said dinner. That’s all I’m offering, and beyond a meal, you and Joe will have to work out the rest.”
Callie followed Richard inside. She put her hands on her hips, and when he didn’t acknowledge her, she asked, “Why did you invite him to stay?”
He kissed her cheek. “Callie, I didn’t have a choice. Men like Joe Dylan never settle down. They ain’t happy in one place, and men like me, facing age and all, worry about their family. Doc Scott showed up just in time to save us both from a little heartache. A few more days, maybe a couple of weeks, and Joe would’ve ridden on out of here on a search for his next great adventure. Now he won’t be in any unnecessary hurry.”
“You knew he was coming here, didn’t you?”
“I suggested he stop by when I ran into him at the general store.”
“And you invited him for a little more than dinner, too, didn’t you?”
A seducing sparkle twinkled in his eyes, and he waggled his eyebrows. “Joe always loved a little creamy pudding for dessert.”
Callie looked out the small glass window and watched Little Joe and Doc Scott make eyes and small talk with one another. “He’s the one that gave Little Joe that unforgettable blow, isn’t he?”
Richard looped his arms around her waist and whispered his reply. “Yep, and he’s also the only one to ever pump four bullets in his gut, too. That’s how come he was a little shocked to find Little Joe alive. He fired his gun with the intent to kill, and Little Joe survived.”
“I imagine Joe’s ready to get even,” she said, resting her head against Richard’s thick chest.
“Yeah,” he said. “By the way those two are acting, my guess is Joe’s more than ready to return the favor and pump him full of something.”
“I have no doubt he’ll give him his best shot,” she said, laughing.
Richard drew her in for a heated kiss and whispered, “Me either, Callie. I just hope we get to watch.”
THE END
WWW.BOOKSTRAND.COM/ADDISON-AVERY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Addison Avery is one pen name for a best-selling erotic romance author. Addison lives in a rural area with her husband and daughter. She enjoys traveling, volleyball, football, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Also by Addison Avery
Ménage Amour ManLove: Dancing with Darcy
Ménage Amour: Christmas with the Stallions
Ménage and More ManLove: Mighty Men with Weapons
PolyAmour: Sex Shifters and a Vampire:
An Unlikely Christmas Match
Ménage and More: I Kissed a Boy
Available at
BOOKSTRAND.COM
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Men of a Different Sort Page 7
