Hanging out with Quinn was very low-key. Almost peaceful. He didn’t fill the silence with meaningless chatter. Quinn was so different from Ben—yet, in some ways they were exactly alike, and strangely enough, Gavin had many of the same characteristics of his brothers. Gavin was starting to believe he had a place in this family besides being an object of curiosity and regret.
They mounted up and skirted the inner section in favor of following the fence line that ran on flatter land.
Once they returned to Gavin’s place and dealt with the horses, he handed Quinn a beer and sat next to him on the tailgate of Quinn’s truck.
“So I have to ask you something a little random.”
“That’s a scary start to a conversation, but go ahead.”
“The first time I showed up here and we had the meeting? Vi got upset telling her story and Charlie told her to calm down because of her high blood pressure.”
After lowering his beer bottle, Quinn looked at him curiously. “That is a random thing to remember. What’re you askin’?”
“How bad is Vi’s blood pressure?”
“Better than it was. Mom ain’t the type to talk about it. She don’t wanna be seen as anything less than Teflon-coated.”
That did fit with Gavin’s impression of Vi.
“Me’n Ben did get Dad to tell us that the doc had put her on high blood pressure meds and ordered a change in diet. But after a year, she lost weight, they switched meds and her health is a lot better.” He raised his bottle again and drank. “Why?”
Gavin swung his feet. “I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a few months after that meeting.”
“No shit?”
“Surprised me too. I was a little overweight, but not bad. So I wondered if high blood pressure is hereditary, and on which side. The McKays or the Bennetts.”
“It comes from the Bennett side. Mine has been steadily climbin’ in the last five years.” Quinn swiveled his head to look at him. “I take it you haven’t said anything to Mom?”
“No reason to. It’s under control. I just wondered if that health issue might be a double whammy from both sides.”
“Dad is healthy as an ox.” Quinn snorted. “Course, when Ma went on a diet, Dad did too, whether he wanted to or not. He ended up losing weight and that improved his overall health. I ain’t gonna claim all the McKays are a hale and hearty bunch—Grandpop had a heart attack, but it wasn’t early on. And the uncles seem to be fine. Aging well, if you ask me.” He frowned. “But there is one other thing.”
“What?”
“No one in the family talks much about it.” Quinn sent him a look. “Sierra didn’t find any mention of it in the family archives?”
“No. What are you talking about?”
“A…physical thing.”
“What kind of physical thing?”
“A physical anomaly.”
“What the hell? Like a heart murmur or something?”
He shook his head.
“Do you have this anomaly?”
Quinn’s gaze dropped. “Not yet. This condition shows up at a specific age.”
“What age?”
“Forty-four.”
Now Gavin was getting spooked. “What is it?”
“I don’t know if it’s my place to say. Maybe you oughta ask Dad.”
“Ask him what?”
“If you can see it.”
“See what?”
“His third nipple.”
Gavin turned toward Quinn and repeated, “He has a third nipple.”
Quinn didn’t say anything.
“Are you serious?”
A pause, then, “Nope. Just pullin’ your leg.”
“Really f**king funny.”
“It was.” Quinn grinned. “I’da given anything to see the look on Dad’s face when you demanded to see his extra nipple.”
“Fuck off, Quinn.”
He laughed. “I almost said we McKays grew a third testicle. And since Dad is the McKay castration king, he’d just whack off your extra ball during branding.”
“Like I said. Fuck. Off.” Gavin groaned. “Jesus. I’m not that green. Am I?”
“Yep. But we’re workin’ on ya.”
Marin’s Blazer ripped up the driveway, music blasting out the windows.
Quinn muttered, “Amelia’s teen years are gonna kill me, huh?”
“If Adam’s don’t do you in first. I hear boys are worse than girls.”
“Thanks for the sympathy, bro,” he said dryly.
Sierra hopped out of the car, holding her backpack on her left side.
Marin backed up and yelled, “Bye, McKay, don’t forget to call me later!” out the car window before she sped off.
McKay? That was new. Wasn’t it?
Sierra stopped a few feet from the tailgate. “Hey, Q.”
Quinn smiled widely at her. “So, McKay, huh?”
Sierra shot Gavin a quick glance before looking at Quinn. “Yeah. That’s what the kids at school call me.”
Why hadn’t Sierra mentioned this?
Because it’d gone over so well when you found out she called Vi Grams.
“I guess that’s a better nickname than Trouble,” Quinn said. “Though to hear most folks around here talk, McKay and trouble mean the same thing.”
Sierra grinned. “I’ve heard some of the stories about the wild McKay boys.”
“All lies,” Quinn said with a straight face.
“That’s what Grandpa Charlie says too.”
“Find any proof of those wild ways as you’re doin’ your family research project?”
“A few. I found out a lot of stuff about the McKays and Wests and I can’t wait to talk about it at the branding.” She made a face. “Grandpa Charlie and Grams are making me give an oral report to the entire McKay family.”
Gavin could see Sierra’s excitement and pride, even when she tried to pass it off as a chore.
“But most of the recent McKay dirt I’ve heard has come from Kyler or Keely.”
“Speaking of Keely…” Gavin said. “Grab a snack and we’ll hit the road in about ten minutes for your physical therapy session.”
She sighed. “Do I have to? My collarbone feels completely healed.” She rotated her arm forward and back. “See? It’s fine. The sessions are a waste of my time and Keely’s time and your money.”
“Not according to Doc Monroe.”