Free Kissin' Tell: Rough Riders, Book 13 by Lorelei James

Tell weren’t far behind.
    The first thing Tell heard? Sweet Jessie snapping, “For Christsake, Brandt, will you move your ass and let me out of the damn car?”
    Okay. Maybe she wasn’t so sweet today.
    “What’s wrong?” Brandt demanded.
    “Nothin’ is wrong. I saw you forgot your water bottle and I knew it’d be hot out here, so I brought it to you.” She hoofed it up the small incline and gestured to Tell and Dalton, panting, “Brought you guys some too.”
    Seemed Jess’s belly had grown another six inches in the last week. She looked like she’d swallowed a beach ball.
    Not that Tell would share that observation with her.
    “Thanks, sweetheart,” Brandt said. “That’s mighty thoughtful, but aren’t you supposed to be—”
    “Locked in the damn house going out of my freakin’ mind? I’m supposed to sit around with my feet up so I can watch my ankles swell up like toads?”
    “Jess—”
    “Don’t you tell me to calm down or use that patronizing tone with me, mister. You’ll be in the doghouse right along with Lexi. The little shit pissed me off today.”
    “Your dog pissed you off?”
    Jessie’s gaze pierced Dalton. “Yes. And if you spout off anything smart, Dalton McKay, you’re liable to piss me off too.”
    Dalton’s hands went up in the air. “Forget I said anything.”
    “Good idea.” When she turned to her husband—too fast—and started to lose her balance, Brandt was right there, keeping her steady. He was smart enough not to warn her to be careful. Or to open his mouth at all.
    “The other reason I came out here was because some guy called the house phone and needs to talk to you right away about irrigation sprinkler heads. Something about a back order? He’s only going to be in the office another hour and then he goes on vacation for two weeks.”
    “Goddammit. Those have already been on back order for six weeks. I ain’t waiting another month and a half for them. Let’s go. I’ll drive your car and Dalton can bring my truck to the house.”
    “You go on,” Jessie said. “Now that I’m out of jail and see how nice it is, I’m taking a few minutes to breathe in some fresh air.”
    Brandt looked torn, wanting to command her to get in the car, but also wanting to keep his head attached to his body. “Fine. But don’t wander off. Dalton just killed a rattler.” He set his hands on her belly, kissed her—twice—and whispered something that made her smile. Then he whacked her butt before he jogged to his truck.
    Once Brandt was gone, Jessie put her hands on her hips and squared off with both of them. “I lied about needing fresh air.”
    Awesome.
    “I wanted to talk to you guys without your brother hovering.”
    Tell and Dalton exchanged a look. “What’s up?”
    “You tell me. Brandt is beyond tense. Like heart attack and stroke-level stressed out, and I’m scared. He won’t talk to me. So I wondered if maybe something was going on with Casper or your mom or Landon or the ranch, or if you two boneheads are sneaking around, trying to buy some land again, and my husband is hiding all of this secret family shit from me so I don’t get upset!”
    Jessie’s voice had become louder until she shouted the last part.
    Dalton popped the tailgate on the pickup. “You can yell and scream at us all you want, Jess, but you’re gonna do it while you’re sittin’ down. So park it.”
    Surprisingly, Jessie didn’t quibble. “Sorry. It’s just…you have no idea how on edge Brandt is.”
    “Yeah, we do. We were just talkin’ about it.”
    “And did you come up with a solution to get him to calm the fuck down?”
    Tell stepped in front of her, bracing himself for her wrath. “Know what I think? You need to calm the fuck down too.”
    Jessie’s stubborn chin came up. “What the hell are you talking about? I am calm. I’m as calm as the fucking sea of tranquility! No one is more goddamn calm than me!”
    A crow cawed in the silence.
    Then Dalton started laughing.