Gone Country (47 page)

“You know something?”

“What?”

“This is the first time I’ve been here and you haven’t offered to feed me.”

So much for a personal moment. She smiled. “Let’s scrounge up food so you’re not sorting through piles and piles of papers on an empty stomach.”

He leveled that bad boy grin at her. “You are a taskmaster, McKay. But a promise is a promise, right?”

“Right. And I hold everyone to their promises.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Gavin and Rielle hammered out details on the housing situation. She agreed to her name being put on the title to the house, but they’d opted to keep their original land split. Rielle retained her forty acres; Gavin kept his one hundred acres.

He’d been prepared to deal with backlash from her when he mentioned leaving the land unimproved seemed like a waste of resources. But she’d confessed part of the reason it’d remained fallow under her ownership was she hadn’t the time, money or drive to make improvements. Since he now owned it, she didn’t much care what he did with it as long as his plans didn’t encroach on her growing space.

During the spring he’d been so busy he hadn’t revisited his conversation with Dalton about future land usage possibilities. Thinking back, Gavin hadn’t gotten the impression Dalton was scheming to undercut potential lease and land expansion for his closest McKay relatives. Now that he’d received the green light from Rielle, he needed to broach the subject with his brothers.

Ben had offered to tour the area with him, but Gavin found himself calling Quinn instead. Quinn showed up with the two horses. They saddled up and began to explore, picking their way through overgrown scrub cedar, weaving around scraggly pine trees and dodging the multitude of rock outcroppings. The piece of land was small, but it took them over two hours to forge a path to the creek.

Quinn dismounted and held the reins as he led his horse through the mud to the water. “I gotta say, you’re doin’ much better on horseback, Gavin.”

“Riding at least,” Gavin said. “Saddling shouldn’t be the hardest part.”

“Neither one would be hard if you rode every day.”

Gavin followed Quinn, and Duchess didn’t fight him as much as she used to. He just hoped she didn’t try to bolt when he released the reins to let her drink. He squinted at the stream flowing in front of them. It ran higher in the spring, so it’d be harder to cross now, but not impossible. He couldn’t tell where the land Dalton, Tell and Brandt had leased started on the opposite bank.

“I figured you’d have a horse of your own by now,” Quinn commented.

“Why would I do that when all’s I have to do is call you and you bring the horses and the tack right to me?”

Quinn laughed. “True. I’m makin’ it too easy on ya. Sometimes because of your greenhorn status I have to remind myself you’re my older brother, not younger.”

“Does it bother you that people are calling me Charlie and Vi’s oldest son?”

“No. Why would it? You
are
their oldest son.”

Matter of fact—that was Quinn.

“Besides, I’ve never put much belief in them rules about birth order determining anything. Bunch of mumbo-jumbo if you ask me. We’ve already broken them rules by not bein’ raised together. Would we be different people if we had? Yep. But we weren’t.”

“You never had any qualms about me just showing up? What I might want? What I might do? The problems my existence caused?”

“I wasn’t worried you’d insist on havin’ a piece of the ranch as your birthright. I’m a good judge of character and yours has always been sound. I’ll admit some…concern when we first found out about you, what level of involvement you’d have with us—but that was more concern for our folks. I didn’t want Mom or Dad feelin’ less than, if that makes sense.” He shrugged. “You’re here now. You’re part of the family. We’re all glad for it.”

“I am too.” Gavin watched Quinn urge his horse back from the creek. “Now that you’ve seen this piece of dirt, what do you think?”

Quinn pushed up his hat. Then he smirked. “Honestly? I think you probably overpaid for it. By a lot.”

Gavin laughed, but he withheld additional comment, wondering if Quinn had as good a poker face as Dalton.

“Look, I know the initial purchase of this place caused a rift between you and Ben, and I’m glad you two got it sorted out. I didn’t take sides, mostly because I never understood the big push for havin’ access to this section anyway. Probably just a McKay pride thing, since it wasn’t in McKay hands, or a competition thing between Dad and Uncle Casper. If I brought Dad out here now, he’d shake his head and consider us better off for not payin’ taxes on land we can’t use for nothin’.”

A harsh assessment. “So this section doesn’t have any redeeming value?”

“I didn’t say that,” Quinn said evenly. “It just doesn’t have value for us.” He gestured to the overgrown trees along the creek bed. “It’d take one helluva lot of work to get it remotely useable. Since it’s just me’n Ben runnin’ our ranch since Dad retired, I don’t see takin’ that workload on as any kind of long term benefit.”

“You think Ben would feel the same way?”

“Probably now he would. The time of the failed land deal he was in a whole other mindset. He’s got a different life these days and his extra time is spent with Ainsley or on his furniture business. Ben won’t wanna spend months clearing brush when we’ve already got enough goin’ on to keep both of us busy fulltime. And I’d rather be with my darlin’ wife and kids than wasting time tryin’ to improve something that ain’t gonna give us much in return.” Quinn’s eyes narrowed on him. “What’s up with all the questions?”

Gavin shrugged. “Like you said, this piece of land has been a point of contention. I thought I’d gauge your interest in it now that you’ve seen it up close.”

“Fair enough. I’d put it at zero.”

“I appreciate your honesty. Between us, Dalton and Tell have some interest so I might hear them out.”

“Be interestin’ to hear what they come up with.”

And that was that. He could discuss partnership possibilities with Dalton, Tell and Brandt without guilt.

Hanging out with Quinn was very low-key. Almost peaceful. He didn’t fill the silence with meaningless chatter. Quinn was so different from Ben—yet, in some ways they were exactly alike, and strangely enough, Gavin had many of the same characteristics of his brothers. Gavin was starting to believe he had a place in this family besides being an object of curiosity and regret.

They mounted up and skirted the inner section in favor of following the fence line that ran on flatter land.

Once they returned to Gavin’s place and dealt with the horses, he handed Quinn a beer and sat next to him on the tailgate of Quinn’s truck.

“So I have to ask you something a little random.”

“That’s a scary start to a conversation, but go ahead.”

“The first time I showed up here and we had the meeting? Vi got upset telling her story and Charlie told her to calm down because of her high blood pressure.”

After lowering his beer bottle, Quinn looked at him curiously. “That is a random thing to remember. What’re you askin’?”

“How bad
is
Vi’s blood pressure?”

“Better than it was. Mom ain’t the type to talk about it. She don’t wanna be seen as anything less than Teflon-coated.”

That did fit with Gavin’s impression of Vi.

“Me’n Ben did get Dad to tell us that the doc had put her on high blood pressure meds and ordered a change in diet. But after a year, she lost weight, they switched meds and her health is a lot better.” He raised his bottle again and drank. “Why?”

Gavin swung his feet. “I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a few months after that meeting.”

“No shit?”

“Surprised me too. I was a little overweight, but not bad. So I wondered if high blood pressure is hereditary, and on which side. The McKays or the Bennetts.”

“It comes from the Bennett side. Mine has been steadily climbin’ in the last five years.” Quinn swiveled his head to look at him. “I take it you haven’t said anything to Mom?”

“No reason to. It’s under control. I just wondered if that health issue might be a double whammy from both sides.”

“Dad is healthy as an ox.” Quinn snorted. “Course, when Ma went on a diet, Dad did too, whether he wanted to or not. He ended up losing weight and that improved his overall health. I ain’t gonna claim all the McKays are a hale and hearty bunch—Grandpop had a heart attack, but it wasn’t early on. And the uncles seem to be fine. Aging well, if you ask me.” He frowned. “But there is one other thing.”

“What?”

“No one in the family talks much about it.” Quinn sent him a look. “Sierra didn’t find any mention of it in the family archives?”

“No. What are you talking about?”

“A…physical thing.”

“What kind of physical thing?”

“A physical anomaly.”

“What the hell? Like a heart murmur or something?”

He shook his head.

“Do you have this anomaly?”

Quinn’s gaze dropped. “Not yet. This condition shows up at a specific age.”

“What age?”

“Forty-four.”

Now Gavin was getting spooked. “What is it?”

“I don’t know if it’s my place to say. Maybe you oughta ask Dad.”

“Ask him what?”

“If you can see it.”

“See what?”

“His third nipple.”

Gavin turned toward Quinn and repeated, “He has a third nipple.”

Quinn didn’t say anything.

“Are you serious?”

A pause, then, “Nope. Just pullin’ your leg.”

“Really fucking funny.”

“It was.” Quinn grinned. “I’da given anything to see the look on Dad’s face when you demanded to see his extra nipple.”

“Fuck off, Quinn.”

He laughed. “I almost said we McKays grew a third testicle. And since Dad is the McKay castration king, he’d just whack off your extra ball during branding.”

“Like I said. Fuck. Off.” Gavin groaned. “Jesus. I’m not that green. Am I?”

“Yep. But we’re workin’ on ya.”

Marin’s Blazer ripped up the driveway, music blasting out the windows.

Quinn muttered, “Amelia’s teen years are gonna kill me, huh?”

“If Adam’s don’t do you in first. I hear boys are worse than girls.”

“Thanks for the sympathy, bro,” he said dryly.

Sierra hopped out of the car, holding her backpack on her left side.

Marin backed up and yelled, “Bye, McKay, don’t forget to call me later!” out the car window before she sped off.

McKay? That was new. Wasn’t it?

Sierra stopped a few feet from the tailgate. “Hey, Q.”

Quinn smiled widely at her. “So, McKay, huh?”

Sierra shot Gavin a quick glance before looking at Quinn. “Yeah. That’s what the kids at school call me.”

Why hadn’t Sierra mentioned this?

Because it’d gone over so well when you found out she called Vi
Grams
.

“I guess that’s a better nickname than Trouble,” Quinn said. “Though to hear most folks around here talk, McKay and trouble mean the same thing.”

Sierra grinned. “I’ve heard some of the stories about the wild McKay boys.”

“All lies,” Quinn said with a straight face.

“That’s what Grandpa Charlie says too.”

“Find any proof of those wild ways as you’re doin’ your family research project?”

“A few. I found out a lot of stuff about the McKays and Wests and I can’t wait to talk about it at the branding.” She made a face. “Grandpa Charlie and Grams are making me give an oral report to the entire McKay family.”

Gavin could see Sierra’s excitement and pride, even when she tried to pass it off as a chore.

“But most of the recent McKay dirt I’ve heard has come from Kyler or Keely.”

“Speaking of Keely…” Gavin said. “Grab a snack and we’ll hit the road in about ten minutes for your physical therapy session.”

She sighed. “Do I have to? My collarbone feels completely healed.” She rotated her arm forward and back. “See? It’s fine. The sessions are a waste of my time and Keely’s time and your money.”

“Not according to Doc Monroe.”

Sierra shifted her stance, acting as if she needed to talk but wasn’t comfortable doing so in front of Quinn.

Quinn caught the vibe and slid off the tailgate. “I best be goin’.”

“Thanks for bringing the horses over today.”

“Not a problem. Just holler anytime you wanna ride.” Quinn tugged on Sierra’s hair. “You can ride any time you want
after
you get the doctor’s official all clear on your physical therapy.”

“You’re gonna be so surprised when I just show up, demanding riding lessons, Q.”

“I look forward to it.” Quinn drove off.

Sierra dropped her backpack on the ground and moved in to hug him. “Hey Dad.”

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, enjoying this sweet spontaneous hug. She held onto him for the longest time. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him. “You okay?”