Cowboy After Dark Read Online Free

this is a wedding gift for Damon and Phil, how about if they go in the house while the rest of us set it up?”
    “That’s a great idea.” Lexi smiled at Grady. “And while I’m perfectly willing to help, I see this as a manly bonding activity.”
    “Aha!” Cade shoved back his hat. “Perfect timing. What if we make this the first official duty of the expanded Thunder Mountain Brotherhood?” He gazed at Finn and Damon. “You good with that?”
    “Absolutely,” Damon said, “but in that case, I want to be out here helping.”
    “We can let Grady decide if you should or not.” Cade turned to him. “Here’s the deal. Finn, Damon and me, we had a few beers at lunch and sat around shooting the breeze like we always do, reminiscing about all the great times we’ve had and the stuff we got into, and—”
    “Blah, blah, blah.” Damon reached over and knocked Cade’s hat down over his eyes. “Cut to the chase.”
    “Hang on, bridegroom.” Cade repositioned his hat. “I needed to set the scene. Anyway, it occurred to us that since every guy who was at the ranch is our brother, the Thunder Mountain Brotherhood should be inclusive, not exclusive. You and Liam don’t have to go along with that idea if it doesn’t appeal to you, but—”
    “It appeals to me.” Grady glanced at Liam. “How about you, big brother? Wanna be part of the club?”
    Unexpected emotion tightened his chest. He hadn’t thought this mattered to him, but he was incredibly touched. Tucking his thumbs in his belt loops, he rocked back on his heels and grinned. “That depends. Do I get a secret decoder ring?”
    “You bet,” Finn said. “Just pop one off your next can of beer, put it on your pinky and you’re in business.”
    “Then I’m in.”
    “Good.” Cade looked incredibly pleased with himself. “It was mostly my idea, but—”
    “It was not. ” Finn rolled his eyes. “Way to hog the credit. If I remember correctly, and I’m sure I do, it was—”
    “Boys!” Rosie clapped her hands. “We’re getting off track, and I want to see that sculpture. Who’s going in the house with me?”
    Damon glanced at Grady. “Can I stay? I can help you figure out where it should go.”
    “Yeah, let him stay,” Phil said. “He has a good eye. I’m sure I’ll be happy with the placement.”
    “Okay.” Grady nodded. “You’re right. It’ll be better if one of you tells us where to put it. We won’t end up having to move it later.”
    “Then it’s settled.” Rosie motioned toward the porch. “Women, inside. Men, get to work. Call us when you’re ready for the big reveal.”
    “There’s only one thing wrong with this plan, Rosie,” Phil’s stepmother said.
    “What’s that, Edie?”
    “We don’t get to watch all these gorgeous men flex their muscles.”
    That got a laugh. Liam checked Hope’s reaction to the remark and discovered she was smiling. More than that, she was smiling at him . Maybe Grady was right. He should go for it.

3
    O NCE THEY WERE INSIDE , Hope accepted with gratitude the glass of wine Phil handed her. Somehow she kept herself from knocking it back like a shot of whiskey.
    “I’m organizing card games so nobody’s tempted to peek out the window,” Rosie said. “Who wants to play?”
    “Count Hope and me in for the second round,” Phil said. “We’re going to take inventory of beer and snacks for the guys after they finish.”
    Lexi glanced their way. “Need help?”
    “Thanks, but we can handle it.” Phil led the way into the kitchen.
    Hope followed. She hadn’t offered to help organize the food and drinks, but Phil must have guessed she needed a time-out. Plus, she and Phil hadn’t had a chance to talk by themselves all day. Until Phil and Damon left on their honeymoon, Hope was staying in one of Rosie and Herb’s guest rooms out at the ranch.
    That put her at the center of the activity, which had been great for getting to know everybody. Rosie, Herb, Cade, Finn, Damon and Lexi