The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch - Maisey Yates Page 0,87

had rolled into town. It had been a few months since she’d seen her cousins, and she was looking forward to it.

When the front door to the house opened, the dogs charged out, chaos raining down as they went after a chicken that was roaming around in the front. They wouldn’t do anything to the chicken, but they liked to terrorize them.

“Stop it,” she said, admonishing the dogs on her way up the steps. The dogs followed her inside, and she knew that Iris would scold them and her for it, but she didn’t really care.

The house was just as chaotic as the outdoors. Her entire family was already inside. Talking, laughing and fighting over bowls of chips. Colt noticed her first, getting up from his position on the well-worn couch and moving quickly to the door.

“Squirt,” he said, pulling her into a hug. She hugged him back, but squinted slightly at the use of her old nickname.

“How are you, Hatchet Head?” She used his old nickname, which was derived from the time his brother, Jake, had accidentally pulled his hatchet back without paying attention while he was chopping wood and had driven it partway into Colt’s forehead. Which, when she really thought about it, was a bit of a mean nickname.

But she didn’t like to be called squirt.

He scrubbed his hand over the scar on his forehead, still visible after all this time. “You always were a tough cookie,” he said.

“I try,” she said.

Then she found herself being lifted up off the ground by Jake, who at least didn’t call her squirt. But, he picked her up, which was a cardinal sin akin to the first.

“Knock it off,” Ryder said, making his way across the living room to the front door, which he slammed shut. “She’s a grown woman, and a police officer. You don’t get to treat her like she’s a bratty little sister.”

That was met with a crack of laughter from Colt.

Ryder scowled. “I do, you don’t.”

Pansy rolled her eyes. “Or maybe you should take your own advice.”

She finally managed to get herself the rest of the way into the house, and she brought her goodies into the kitchen. As usual, Rose was sitting, and Iris and Sammy were cooking busily. Pansy was about to open her mouth to ask if Rose was going to actually make herself useful when Logan walked in. She was struck by something strange about him in that moment. She had known him all of his life, and she rarely took stock of his looks. He was handsome, that was obvious in the way it was obvious that he was tall, or blond.

But for the first time she noticed that his eyes were a very particular shade of blue. It was familiar. It reminded her a lot of West.

But then, it was possible that everything reminded her of West right now. Just thinking of him made her stomach churn. At the way he had been with her the other night. And the way that he... The way that he cared about those boys on the ranch. There was something about it that made her... She took a breath and tried to banish thoughts of West from her mind. She was with her family. And she didn’t need to combine West with family.

“Do you need any help?” Logan asked.

“I’m more than happy to put you to work,” Sammy said, tossing a dish towel his way.

He caught it, and chuckled, draping it over his shoulder and making his way to the sink. Pansy took a seat next to Rose.

“You know,” she said, “you could help.”

“So could you,” Rose pointed out.

“Sure,” Pansy said. “But I brought dessert. I already contributed.”

“I brought drinks,” Rose said, gesturing toward a bottle of root beer, and a bottle of cola sitting on the counter.

“That isn’t helping.” Pansy treated her little sister to a withering look.

“Then your baked goods aren’t helping, because you didn’t make them.”

“Everybody likes cake better than off-brand soda,” Pansy said.

“That isn’t true.” Rose turned her focus to Logan. “Logan, which is better? Soda or cake?”

He lifted a brow. “I’m not sure what kind of question that even is.”

“Pansy is trying to invalidate my help,” Rose said, her tone full of mutiny and irritation.

“What was your help?” Logan asked.

“I brought soda,” Rose said.

He looked between Pansy and Rose. “Well,” he said. “The soda will be a nice complement to Sammy’s homemade meal.”

Logan finished wiping up the dishes, then grabbed a stack out of the cabinet and made