Shoulda Been a Cowboy Read online

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  Bizarre conversational change, but then again, it was typical Keely behavior, so Domini went with it. “Umm. Sure. ”

  “Cool. What the hell happened to our waitress?”

  “I wondered the same thing, K,” Ramona said.

  “No worries. I’ll be right back. ” Keely popped up and exited into the main part of the bar.

  While she was gone, the ladies dispensed more detailed advice on how to handle Cam. Some of the raunchier suggestions made Domini blush, but were very intriguing. Mostly because these seemingly mild-mannered mothers were obviously very sexually satisfied with their McKay men. Hard not to be even more jealous of them.

  Keely returned with a pack of unfriendly women on her bootheels. She slid the tray on the table and faced the gatecrashers.

  Ramona hopped up in a show of support. “What the fuck are they doing here?”

  “Grazing,” Keely said.

  “So this is where the skank meeting is,” a chubby blonde sneered.

  “We saved a seat for you, Amanda, but damn, I don’t think your fat ass will fit in the chair,” Keely shot back.

  India coughed to cover a laugh.

  “You could always get on your knees,” Ramona suggested, “since we all know that’s a natural position for you. ”

  “Fuck you, Ramona. Your mouth has always been bigger than your brain,” another woman snapped.

  “You think I’m all talk, Margo? Try me. ”

  Holy cow. Domini had never seen a real live bar fight, let alone seen women in a bar fight.

  The sneering blonde—Amanda—crossed her arms over her chest. “I’d still break you like a twig. I’ll spare you the pain and humiliation in front of your friends. ”

  “Generous of you. But you’re a fucking idiot if you think I’m scared of you now. I no longer play nice because God and Mommy say I have to. ”

  Domini swallowed a laugh. Man. She’d lived that statement.

  Amanda shuffled closer. “Bring it. I owe you serious payback anyway. ”

  “Payback for what?” Ramona asked innocently.

  “Don’t pretend you’ve forgotten, after you rubbed it in my face for months afterward. ”

  Ramona shrugged. “It’s pretty sad that you haven’t gotten over it by now. Old news, Amanda. ”

  “Gotten over what?” Ginger asked.

  “Me and Ramona banged their boyfriends a couple years back,” Keely said. “Some people hold a grudge. ”

  “Ryan and me were practically engaged!” Margo shrieked.

  “Not according to him. Besides, it’s not my problem your lover boy couldn’t keep his little winky in his pants,” Ramona cooed.

  Amanda’s upper lip curled with disgust. “Sluts. ”

  Keely and Ramona exchanged a look and laughed. “Was that supposed to be an insult?”

  “Only a McKay would take that as a compliment,” Margo said. “Everyone in the entire state knows a McKay or West will fuck anything that walks. ”

  “Except for you, apparently,” Keely retorted. “How many of my brothers and cousins have you propositioned? And how many turned you down flat? All of them. ”

  “Not all. ” Margo smiled nastily. “Apparently you haven’t been talking to Luke lately. Where is sweet little Jessie? Did she run on home? Does she even know where her husband is?”

  The group of women behind the two in the front guffawed.

  Keely’s stance changed, as did her demeanor—to absolute fury. “Get the fuck out of my sight, Margo, or I will beat you bloody. ”

  “Oh, I don’t know. The odds look pretty good. ” Margo’s gaze swept the women seated around the table. “None of your other ‘friends’ have jumped in to save your smart mouth from getting your dumb butt kicked. ”

  “That’s because Keely knows we have her back,” AJ said, and stood up on the other side of Keely.

  Amanda’s eyes widened with recognition. “Amy Jo Foster. Still a McKay hanger-on I see. How pathetic. ”

  Chassie pushed to her feet. “No one here gives a shit about your opinions, so crawl back to the swamp you slithered out of. ”

  “So the little squaw is allowed to speak?” Margo tsk-tsked. “But I see they’re still makin’ you sit at the back of the table. ”

  Domini caught Chassie as she lunged at Margo.

  More laughter.

  “Why don’t you load up your freakshow friends—” Margo jerked her head toward India, “—and get the hell out of here. ”

  Keely didn’t budge. “Make me. ”

  “Remember you said that when you’re cryin’ for your mama, McKay. ”

  No one moved.

  This was going to get ugly.

  “Afraid to take the first swing?” Margo taunted.

  Casually, Ginger said, “Keely? Can I offer a suggestion?”

  “Sure. ”

  “Kick her ass. I’ll bail you out. ”

  All hell broke loose.

  Keely lunged for Margo; Ramona charged Amanda. Chairs were kicked aside. Tables fell over. Drink glasses and beer bottles crashed to the floor. Shrieks, grunts, sounds of flesh hitting flesh, cries and curses bounced off the concrete walls.

  AJ, Chassie, and India yelled encouragement to Keely, while Domini, Channing, and Macie closed off the circle, keeping Margo’s friends from joining the fray.

  Someone pushed Domini from behind. She turned and got a fist to the jaw. Rather than turning the other cheek, she slammed her hands on the woman’s shoulders and sent her flying with a terse, “Don’t touch me. ”

  Macie said, “Whoa. You okay?”

  “Yeah. ” Domini touched the spot and winced. “Maybe. ”

  The fight didn’t last long. The noise brought staff running from the restaurant to break it up.

  But not before Keely McKay beat the living crap out of Margo. Margo’s hair stuck up every which way. Her shirt was ripped. Her mouth was bleeding. She’d curled into a ball on the floor. And she was crying, not Keely.

  Ramona had pinned Amanda’s arms behind her back. Some man separated them and immediately herded Ramona through the wall of people between the two warring groups.

  When Keely wobbled backward, her head smacked into Domini’s jaw and Domini sucked in a surprised breath. Holy crap that hurt.

  “Sorry. ”

  “Maybe you should sit. ” Domini snagged a napkin and handed it to Keely. “Your nose is bleeding. ”

  “Thanks. ” Keely half swayed, half fell to the floor. She patted the open space. “First bar fight?”

  “Uh-huh. ” Domini hunkered down next to her.

  “They get easier. ” When Keely tried to smile, she hissed in a breath and blood trickled out of her mouth. “Damn. I’m getting to old for this shit. ”

  The room buzzed with confusion and excitement.

  Ramona ambled over, a shit-eating grin on her face, still looking as if she’d just stepped out of a western fashion magazine. Not a wrinkle on her clothes, not an auburn curl out of place. Her brown eyes sparkled with victory. “You okay, cuz?”

  “Never been better. You?”

  “Awesome. I’ve been wanting to do that forever. ”

  “Me too. Felt good. Damn good. And we’re the ones who owed them payback. ”

  At Domini’s quizzical look, Keely explained, “This rivalry has been going on forever. We didn’t go to the same school but we attended the same church. Summer church camp was torture. Our moms forced us to go every year until we got kicked out. ”

  “You guys were kicked out of church camp?”

  “Yep. ” Keely and Ramona high-fived each other.

  “Fighting with them was totally worth whatever time we spend in jail. ”

  Keely scowled at Ramona. “Jail? What the hell are you talking about?”

  “You’ll be goddamn lucky if hauling you to jail is all I do to you, little sis. ”

  Domi
ni looked up.

  An infuriated Cam loomed over them.

  Chapter Two

  “I can explain,” Keely said.

  Cam held up his hand. “Save it. ”

  “But—”

  “Not another word, Keely West McKay, or so help me God, I will cuff you and gag you. ”

  Ramona snickered.

  He whirled on her. “Got something to say, Miz West?”

  “Nope, cuz. Umm. I mean, no, sir, Deputy, sir. ” Ramona snapped to attention and mimed zipping her lip.

  Chassie giggled.

  Cam’s gaze encompassed the motley crew of women, who were trying very hard to look…sober. “Sweet Jesus. Are you all drunk?”

  “Hey. It was a party. We’re in a bar. You do the math,” Keely responded with a loud hiccup.

  Which sent them all into gales of laughter.

  “I’m not drunk,” India said.

  AJ waggled her fingers. “I am. ”

  “Me too. ” Macie laughed. “Those cherry bombs were the bomb, Keely. ”

  “No kidding. ” Channing swayed as she craned her neck to look toward the bar. “Think we can have one more for the road? To toast Keely’s victory?”

  “No one is sucking down any more booze,” Cam barked. He glared at Domini. “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  His gaze landed on a bump on Domini’s jaw. Briefly his focus jumped to her succulent mouth—bad idea—and lust squeezed his balls. “Were you in on this bar fight too?”

  Those full pink lips flattened. Those aquamarine eyes became chips of ice. “Never confuse being soft-spoken with being weak-willed. I stand up for my friends. I don’t run away. ”

  A female chorus of ooooh rang out.

  “Fine. All of you stay here while I straighten this out. ” He tossed a quick look over his shoulder and dropped his voice. “And off the record? Thanks a helluva lot. You think I wanna call my brothers and tell them their wives got drunk and were in a bar fight tonight? While I was on duty?”

  Silence.