Cal laughed. Hard. “Wild cat, I ain’t ever had whiskey dick in my life and you damn well know it.”
“Why are you being like this? You never give a damn what Caro and I talk about.”
“This time is different. I always thought we’d hear about our first grandbaby together. How would you like it if I knew about that precious baby girl and told a buncha people before I told you?”
That gave Kimi pause. “Fine. I shoulda told you first.”
“That ain’t an apology. Try again.”
At some point Cal had trapped Kimi against the wall. She put her hands on his hips to push him back. “I’m sorry.”
Cal laughed—a little snidely. “That’s one. You owe me more than one apology.”
“For what?”
“For callin’ me a dick. For callin’ me a prick. For questioning my ability to perform. And wild cat, I’ve never left you wanting on that front, have I?”
“No.”
“So apologize.”
“Sorry.”
“Huh-uh. Offer the proper apology to the injured party.”
“What?”
“On your knees.”
Kimi murmured something that caused Cal to growl and dip his head toward her chest.
That’s when Carson grabbed Carolyn’s hand and they hightailed it out of their own house.
They didn’t stop moving until they reached the barn.
“Good Lord, I didn’t need to witness that.”
“No shit,” Carson said. “That was about as awkward as the time Keely caught us playin’ master and slave in the dining room.”
Carolyn twined her arms around his neck. “Speaking of…been a long time since we’ve horsed around like that.”
He grinned. “No ball gag this time, slave, so on your knees.”
“Right here in the barn?”
He quirked that sexy eyebrow in challenge. “You doin’ something else right now?”
“No.” She lowered to her knees and looked up at him. “But I’m still not ever calling you master.”
For the first time she drifted away into the catacombs of her mind with a smile on her face and the taste of Carson on her tongue.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hospital, Day 6—afternoon
“Today on Maury: I’m retired, I’m not raising your love child! We’ll hear about one woman’s struggle after she discovered her husband had fathered a child with their grandchildren’s barely legal babysitter.”
Seriously? There was such shit on daytime TV.
But Carson secretly loved this train-wreck show.
The talk show host came back on the screen. “How do you plan to spend your retirement? Eleanor Peabody imagined she and her husband of thirty-five years would travel the world together. But during the first few months of his retirement, Henry began an affair with their grandchildren’s eighteen-year-old babysitter, Shania.” Boos echoed from the audience. “Now Shania is pregnant and she expects Henry to take responsibility for his child. Where does this leave Eleanor? Stuck helping raise her husband’s love child during her golden years? Henry is here too and he’ll tell you why Eleanor needs to step up.”
“Carson?”
He about shot out of his seat and turned to face his son-in-law. “Jesus, Jack. You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry.” He glanced up at the screen. “Am I interrupting?”
“No. I never watch this garbage. I was just bored.” He stood and clicked off the TV.
“You seem surprised to see me.”
Carson gave Jack Donohue a once-over. Dressed impeccably in a snappy suit and shined shoes. It no longer pained him to admit Keely had done well in her choice of husband. Jack was a smart, savvy businessman, who adored Keely but wasn’t a pushover for their headstrong daughter. “I thought Keely might’ve put her foot down and said you couldn’t break rank.”
Jack lifted one dark brow. “You do know me, right? When have I ever let that sassy cowgirl dictate what I can and can’t do?”
“Point taken.”
They took seats opposite each other. “Since germs are an issue, I’ll throw it out that Piper and Katie are as robustly healthy as their twin brothers.”
“Happy to hear that. I know it was a rough winter.”
“I had no idea kids got sick that much. I considered buying stock in the pharmaceutical company that manufactures amoxicillin. Summer weather seems to cure the nasty bugs, thank God.”
“What is the wild bunch up to?”
“Piper has been holding princess school for Katie because she’s been spending too much time playing with JJ and Liam.”
Carson smiled. “What fun things are the Donohue twins doin’ that’s pullin’ Katie away from her big sister?”
“That’s the thing. Nothing. It’s just Piper is so damn bossy. Katie gets sick of it.”
“Cord and Colby had those same issues, as did Cam and Carter. Poor Colt got caught in the middle.”
“Weird question, since you’re a twin. Did you and Cal have your own…language?”
That was a weird question. “Not really. We’ve got nonverbal communication, which most folks find odd. But I’m not sure it’s a twin thing as much as we’ve worked together since we were boys and we knew what needed done without havin’ to say it out loud. Why? Are your twins speakin’ in tongues or something?”
Jack shook his head. “Keely would swear they’re speaking demon. They have that nonverbal thing too. We purposely don’t dress them the same. At first when they were babies it was to tell them apart. We kept that ankle band on JJ for a year until the boys developed their own personalities.”
“Kimi and Cal had to do the same thing with Kade and Kane. By the time they were three none of us had issues tellin’ them apart. At least when they came over to our place.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because Kane immediately went lookin’ for Colt. Them two were rough-housin’ as soon as they could walk. Whereas Kade helped Caro with whatever kid of ours was a baby. Lots of experts about twins in this family.” Carson swigged from his bottle of Dr. Pepper. “Are you here on Keely’s behalf?”
“I told her I planned to stop by. She also knows I agreed with your decision to limit all access to your wife.”
“Did that cause problems?”
“I wouldn’t let it. Keely is acting like a spoiled brat and I told her so.” Jack’s eyes softened. “How are things with Carolyn?”
“No change. The docs are giving her another day. Then they’ll bring her out of it.”
“How are you holding up?”
“Been the worst six days of my life. Every goddamned minute feels like an hour.” Or a lifetime.
“I can’t imagine. You saw how much of a mess I was when Keely collapsed during her last pregnancy. And that was only a few hours I didn’t know what was going on with her. I wouldn’t have any hair left if it’d been longer.”
“Your kids will turn it gray soon enough. What’s new in the business world? Buy up any towns lately?”
“Working on it. I need some place to lock my daughters away when they turn fifteen.”
Carson snorted. “If they take after Keely it’ll start when they turn thirteen.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. Carter caught Keely kissin’ a friend of his behind the rodeo stands when she was only thirteen. I guess the poor kid about crapped his pants when Carter rounded up a bunch of McKays and warned him off his baby sister. Course, Keely took offense to bein’ called a baby and punched Carter in the gut. When Colt stepped in, she kneed him in the nuts.”
Jack mock shuddered. “She is one scary-ass woman when she’s mad.”
“She had to be or her brothers or cousins wouldn’t take her seriously. At first they called her cute when she go
t mad. Then they realized she’d take an inch of skin offa them with that razor sharp tongue of hers. Then they also realized maybe they shouldn’t have taught her how to punch so hard.”
“Lettie at the Golden Boot told me that Keely gets a lot of her scrappiness from Carolyn. Is that true?”
“Let’s just say Keely wasn’t the first woman in our family to get a lifetime ban from a local bar.”
Jack laughed. “I knew it.”
“So with her Gran-gran’s and her mom’s DNA, I’m thinkin’ Piper will be hell on wheels when she hits twenty-one.” Or seventeen—not that he wanted to worry Jack ahead of time.
“Then I’ll be pounding on your door, asking for advice. Or bail money.”
Carson raised both eyebrows. “You’re assuming I’ll be around? I’ll be damn near ninety-two.”
“You’ll be around,” Jack assured him. “Medical technology already replaced one of your worn out body parts. You might end up being the first bionic McKay.”
“Right. With just one part replaced there’s still a bunch of stuff I can’t do.”
“Not back on a horse yet?”
“I’m wondering if I’ll ever ride again.” His eyes narrowed. “Don’t you say nothin’ to Keely. She’ll get it in her head that I just need more damn therapy.”
“Maybe the better question is do you want to ride again?”
“You’re the first person who’s asked me that.”
“That’s not an answer, Carson.”
“I know. I’ve been ridin’ my whole life. It’s tough on a body. If I keep doin’ it… What’s next? Havin’ my other hip replaced? Then my knees? Then havin’ my spine fused together with metal rods? I ain’t sure I wanna spend my life in the hospital. Especially after what happened with me during surgery.”
“Can’t say as I blame you. Besides you are retired. It’s not like you have to ride a horse every day to make your living.”
Carson shifted back in his chair. “Bein’s we still live in the thick of things, the boys come over and ask for advice and help occasionally. I feel retired, but I’m not out of it completely.”
“No plans to spend winters down south?”
“Maybe a week or two. Especially if Ky ends up goin’ to ASU. But Caro won’t ever want to stay away from here for long. Too many memories.” Carson paused. “Too many grandkids.”
Jack honed in on the ASU comment and they spent the next ten minutes discussing the activities various McKay offspring were involved in, which segued into a conversation about college sports, which led to a discussion about Carter’s most recent commissions—metal sculptures depicting famous western athletes in action. Then the conversation came full circle as they talked about Jack’s projects and the growth of Keely’s physical therapy business.
“I want Keely to hire an employee, but she’s dragging her feet,” Jack said.
“Why? I thought she wanted to be home more.”
“She does. But she doesn’t think she’ll find anyone who’s qualified who only wants to work twenty hours a week. I’ve crunched the numbers for her and if she hires someone fulltime, she’ll still be in the black the first year. With another therapist, if she increases the amount of clients by a third, she’ll double her income in three years.”
“And the girl ain’t listening to you…why?”
“She’s stubborn. She says I already have enough money—” he snorted as if that couldn’t possibly be true, “—and I should retire and stay home with the kids.”
“Retirement ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“I’ve heard that.” Jack checked his watch. “Speaking of work… I have a phone conference to prepare for. Is there anything I can do for you before I take off?”
Carson shook his head. “It’s a whole lot of waitin’ around.”
“If you think of something—anything at all—call me. I say that knowing full well that you won’t.”
“You’ve already done enough if you can keep my Keely girl on an even keel throughout this.”
“She puts on a happy face for our kids but once they’re down for the night, she does a whole lot of staring into space.”
“I’m familiar with that. But I pace too, just to mix it up.”
Jack smiled. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a flask. “For when you’re missing your Irish and need a nip to get you through this last day.”
“Thanks.” Carson nestled it in the bag of magazines on the floor. “Comin’ from Mr. Moneybags, I imagine it’s higher quality stuff than Jameson.”
“Of course. Once I get you used to drinking Laphroaig you’ll never go back.”
La-froyg. Even the name sounded fancy. “Unlikely, but I appreciate the gesture.”
“Take care.” Jack paused before he turned the corner. “Keely…will swallow her pride and come see you.”
“I’d like that.” Carson studied him. “So you are here on her behalf?”
“She’s my wife, she’s miserable and it’s killing me that I can’t fix it for her.” He raked his hand through his hair. “So yeah, I have to at least try.”
Yep, his baby girl had done very well in choosing the man to spend her life with.
As he watched Jack walk away, phone to his ear, he knew the man couldn’t fathom retiring.
Funny how the years had crept up on him. One day he was a young, married man wondering how he’d support his growing family, then in the blink of an eye he was wondering how he’d spend his days because he had all this free time…
Carson, Cal and Charlie were at the Golden Boot discussing retirement after they’d handed over the reins of McKay Ranches. Casper hadn’t been invited for a celebratory beer after the stink he’d raised about being forcibly retired. Carson was glad his boys got along well, for the most part, with each other and with their cousins.
“So it will sink in at some point, right?” Cal asked. “That we don’t have to oversee what they’re doin’ on a daily basis?”
“I guess. None of us have been doin’ as much as we used to. Seems like I’ve been semi-retired for a while anyway,” Carson said.
“I hear ya.” Charlie sipped his beer. “What did Dad do in retirement?”
“It wasn’t like he officially retired. He couldn’t do the daily work after the first heart attack. Mentally he was fine, but ain’t a whole lot of ranch work that’s mental. Menial?” Carson grinned. “Hell yes.”
“After that last heart attack, he kept up with what his grandkids were doin’ as long as he didn’t have to venture too far from our place.”
“I doubt Kimi kept him entertained,” Charlie said. “So my question remains the same. What did he do all day?”
“He watched TV in his room.”
“That’s it?”
Cal shrugged. “I dunno. While Dad didn’t have nothin’ to do I sure did. I worked that section pretty much by myself. Then at night, I spent time with Kimi and the boys. After the twins went to bed if Dad was still up we’d bullshit about stuff. I never heard him say he was bored.”
“I sure as fuck don’t want my retirement to be sittin’ around and watchin’ goddamned TV,” Carson said.
“I’m sure your kids would love to dump some of the two hundred grandkids you have off on you every day,” Cal said.
“Piss off, Cal.”
“Maybe you oughta tell Carolyn you’re worried about bein’ bored. She’ll have you in the kitchen learnin’ to cook in no time,” Charlie added.
“You can piss off too, Charlie.”
Cal and Charlie laughed and knocked their beer bottles together.
Carson’s gaze traveled around the Golden Boot. “Maybe we oughta start a bar. This place needs some competition.”
“It has competition: Ziggy’s, Twin Pines, the Rusty Spur. Though I’ll admit I liked that place better when it was th
e Silver Spur years ago,” Cal said.
“Place was a fire hazard, which is why it burned to the ground. After the owners rebuilt it and renamed it the Rusty Spur, Carolyn made me take her there for a drink. She figured since the old place and old name was gone, then her lifetime ban oughta be lifted too.”
“Was it?”
“Yep. I think the new manager was a little scared of her, to be honest.”
“Any of your kids ever hear the story of their Mama’s bar fight?” Charlie asked.
Carson shook his head. “I can’t be sure someone else didn’t tell them about it.” He leaned back in the booth. “Charlie, you seem all het up about retirement.”
“I am. I never had time for hobbies besides huntin’. Don’t think I’m the sort to take up golf. Don’t wanna be in Vi’s hair all damn day.”
Cal leaned forward. “I know what you can do. Start a senior citizens bull ridin’ circuit. As the father of PBR World Finals contender Chase McKay, I’ll bet you’d get lots of interest and sponsorships.”
“Piss off, Cal,” Charlie said. “I don’t see you offerin’ up any ideas on how you’ll be spendin’ your days.”
“I’ll be bangin’ my wife.”
“That’ll kill three minutes,” Carson said dryly, “then whatcha gonna do the rest of the day?”
“And you can piss off too,” Cal said to Carson.
Another round of beers arrived. Carson looked at Lettie. “You a mind reader?”
“I’d be blushing for sure if I was reading your mind, Carson McKay,” Lettie shot back. “I’ve known you since your brawling days. Not that I ever saw that trait passed on to your sons.” She winked. “They flirt with me just as much as you do.”
Carson snorted. “You’ve been flirtin’ with me for forty-some years.”
“And you love it.” Lettie sighed. “We were hot stuff back in the day, weren’t we?”
“Yes, we were. Hot tempered, hot bodied,” he grinned at her, “hot to trot.”
“Anyway, this round has been paid for. Enjoy.”
They looked at each other and shrugged.
Cowboy Take Me Away (Rough Riders #16) Page 46
