Free Ryder (Rope 'n Ride Series Book 2) by Em Petrova Page B

keep shit from you.”
    “Except secret babies.”
    He stabbed a finger at Wynonna’s nose. “The kid is not mine!”
    “All right, let’s calm this down. Wynonna, you aren’t in any position to talk.”
    She clamped her lips so tightly shut her face looked like it might turn inside out. Her auburn hair was loose and curly, looking like something boiling over. Her eyes echoed this.
    Buck placed his hands on the table. “We’re all edgy with these people around us all the time.”
    “Can’t get away from them,” Ryder spat. Can’t even steal a kiss without them—and America—knowing it.
    Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing if they lost their contracts. He could do without the money. Peace of mind was far more important.
    Buck cleared his throat. “I know. I’m trying to be a good husband to Channing and a supportive partner to Asher with cameras down my throat too. I can barely walk because I’m pretty certain one’s wedged between my ass cheeks.” Buck’s words had the effect he’d been shooting for.
    They all laughed, tension trickling out like a poison and leaving them all feeling better.
    “Look,” Buck continued, “we just need to keep our heads on straight. Everything we do is no longer private, and that includes our relations.” He looked pointedly at their sister.
    She kept her gaze downcast. “It was a big mistake.”
    “You’re young,” Lane said as if to soothe her, but a heartbeat didn’t pass before Ryder knew he’d said the wrong thing. Their sister saw it as a red flag and charged head-first.
    “I’m two years younger than you, Lane. Age has nothing to do with it!”
    “Shhh.” Ryder tipped his head toward a group at a nearby table who were obviously eavesdropping.
    Wynonna shut her mouth with a snap, and Lane returned to nursing his beer. Buck spoke low, “It’s easy to lose our control, but we have to be more careful going forward. We can’t lose these contracts. Not right now.” Something in his tone gave Ryder a bad feeling.
    “What aren’t you telling us?”
    Buck pushed away from the table and stood. “I’ve got a baby on the way and my wife and I don’t have health insurance because nobody will insure a rodeo guy. I need this cash.”
    Ryder studied his brother. He knew Buck better than anybody. As kids, they were inseparable. And there was more to his story than he was sharing. Ryder didn’t press, though.
    “As soon as I’m soberer, I’ll apologize for the camera incident,” he said.
    Buck latched onto Ryder’s shoulder and squeezed. “I’m going back to my room. All of ya, keep your noses clean, okay?”
    As soon as he was gone, West released a low whistle. “Instead of what would Jesus do, we’ve got what would Buck do?”
    A moment’s silence and then they all burst out laughing. Ridge ordered another round of beers, and they sat drinking long into the night. When Ryder walked his sister back to her hotel room, he hugged her and told her everything would be all right.
    But in the morning, it most definitely wasn’t.
     

 
    Chapter Five
     
    A banging on her door woke Joy from a sound sleep—and a scorching dream involving Ryder’s lips on her body. She bolted upright, looking around, dazed and wondering where the hell the sound was coming from.
    “Joy! Open up!”
    She narrowed her eyes at the door. “Daddy?”
    No, it wasn’t his voice. It was…
    Ryder’s.
    She leaped out of bed and tripped over her boots she’d cast off last night. She nearly brained herself on the corner of the cheap hotel dresser but somehow caught herself.
    “Joy!” More thunderous banging. What time was it?
    She made it to the door and attempted to look out the peephole but her sleep-filled eyes weren’t working properly. Giving up, she opened it to see a very angry Ryder standing in front of her.
    His eyes looked like two red holes burned into a blanket. Beyond bloodshot into painful-to-look-at. She opened the door the rest of the way.
    His gaze dropped to her