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for you?”
    Ridge opened his mouth to answer and realized he didn’t know what the hell it had been about. Rodeo had always felt like the most important thing in the world, maybe because it was the one thing he excelled at. But damned if he could think what the point of it was.
    Great. Not only had he had his livelihood ripped away, but now his brother had taken his purpose too. At this rate, he ought to go lie down in the corral so Moonpie could kick him in the head and put him out of his misery.
    An uncomfortable silence filled the room, palpable and dense as cotton wool. Shane turned back to the sink and started on the pile of bowls and plates that were stacked on the counter, but it wasn’t long before he shook off his wet hands and strode over to the door.
    â€œBrady, get in here,” he hollered. “I’m tired of cleaning up your mess.”
    Their younger brother wandered down from upstairs with his jeans half-zipped and his hair tousled from sleep. Instead of helping with the dishes, he started opening cupboards and drawers in his endless search for victuals. He was the baby of the family but calling him that was a sure way to earn a punch on the jaw. A rookie bronc rider, he had all the attitude of a seasoned rodeo veteran and the appetite of a grizzly bear fresh from hibernation. Finding a box of Cheerios, he poured some into a soup bowl.
    â€œI’ll get to the dishes, Shane,” he said. “I just need a bite to eat first.”
    â€œGot a danged tapeworm,” Shane grumbled under his breath.
    Brady opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a carton of milk. Gulping a long slug out of the carton, he eyed Ridge. “So it’s a no go on Phoenix House?”
    Ridge nodded. “You listening at doors now?”
    â€œNo. But I saw his face.” He aimed his thumb over his shoulder at Shane. “Figured you’d spoiled his plan.” Sidetracked from the cereal by the refrigerator’s largesse, he peered into a plastic tub that contained what was left of the previous night’s cowboy stew and sniffed. It must have smelled okay, because he set the container on the counter and removed the lid.
    â€œSo, Brady,” Ridge said. “Why do you do rodeo?”
    Brady grinned. “Buckles and babes. Why? Is there some other reason?”
    Ridge shook his head. He knew better than to seek worldly wisdom from his shallow little brother.
    Brady shoved the lid toward the sink. “So you’re not going after the hot chick that runs Phoenix House? Women need to be educated in the cowboy way, you know. The cowboy way of ridin’, the cowboy way of livin’, and most of all, the cowboy way of makin’ love.”
    He drew out the last word as he opened a drawer and fished out a spoon then grabbed another bowl from a cupboard. But by the time he got back to the stew, Shane had clapped the lid back on.
    â€œThat’s dinner.”
    â€œWhat, the chick?” Brady winked at Ridge. “That would be okay with me. If you’re not interested, I might stop on over there and get acquainted.”
    Ridge felt a hot churning in his gut. He might not be interested in Sierra Dunn, but he wouldn’t let her become one of Brady’s many casualties. The kid mowed through women like a McCormick reaper, leaving them flattened in his wake. Ridge might not be good at relationships, but at least he never deliberately hurt anyone.
    Brady didn’t either, he supposed. He just expected women to have the same attitude toward sex as he did. It was a recreational activity in his eyes, no more significant than a game of pickup basketball.
    Ridge shoved his chair back and stalked over to the refrigerator to investigate the stew container while Brady doused the cereal with milk until it floated.
    â€œWell, if you’re not interested, she’s up for grabs, right?”
    Ridge slammed the refrigerator door and spun around, jostling Brady so that the cereal