Brothers of Miller Ranch Box Set

by Natalie Dean

  “I do.”

  They had decided to leave out the part about if anyone objected. Because if they did, but they hadn’t expressed it so far, they certainly weren’t welcome at the wedding.

  “Then you may kiss the bride.”

  And boy did he.

  They reached for each other like opposite ends of a magnet, their lips colliding in the perfect kiss. Chastity couldn’t tell anyone how long they stayed in each other’s embrace, but when they finally broke apart, the entire barn cheered.

  They had done it! They had really done it!

  After a whole lot of struggle, and several very large mishaps, they were finally married.

  It was time to begin their happily ever after.

  Starting with their wedding night.

  Ben carried Chastity across the threshold into the honeymoon suite at the Caribbean resort. He placed her on the bed on the cushy comforter that felt like a pillow for her whole body.

  “You look beautiful like that,” Ben said.

  “I look beautiful with unbrushed hair, still wearing yesterday’s makeup and suffering from jet lag?”

  “All I see is my new wife on our bed.” Ben leaned over to kiss her forehead.

  Chastity let out a contented sigh.

  He winked. “Are you tired? Maybe we should just rest. We’ve certainly had a long weekend.”

  “No!” Chastity declared, sitting up. “I’ve managed to keep my hands to only the appropriate places for two years. I’ve been planning this ever since you proposed, and I won’t let some pesky jet lag ruin it.”

  “Really, ever since I proposed? I feel a bit objectified now.”

  She gave him a look. “Are you trying to pretend that you didn’t feel the same?”

  “I guess you may have a point. Except for me it’s been since high school.”

  Chastity’s eyes opened wide and her eyebrows raised. With a shot of adrenaline, she rolled off the bed and stood up, her hands going to her hips, elbows jutting out. “Exactly! I need to go freshen up. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable and unpack or something.”

  “Yes, princess.” He winked again. “Your wish is my command.”

  “Shush you,” Chastity said before grabbing her suitcase and wiggling her behind at him as she marched to the bathroom.

  She rushed through washing her face and then filled the deep tub that looked so tempting. After pouring in a complimentary packet of rose oil, she stepped into the tub and shaved.

  She had to admit that her stomach was doing flip-flops with nerves. After all these years, they didn’t have to stop at just kissing. She couldn’t believe this was all real, and yet here she was, on her honeymoon with a man who adored her.

  The warm, scented water was pure heaven, relieving the strain from the wedding and the long flight. Her head lolled back, and finally, she let herself relax, trying to calm her nerves.

  When the anticipation became too great, she let the water drain out of the tub as she dried off and rubbed a romantic, scented lotion on her body. Then she put on a beautiful piece of elegant lingerie that Keiko had given her as a wedding shower gift.

  Chastity opened the bathroom door to see Ben pacing the floor. He turned to look at her, and his eyes grew wide. A huge smile appeared on his face.

  “Hey there, my beautiful wife,” Ben said, coming toward her and kissing her forehead.

  With his strong hands, he gently caressed her neck and shoulders, kissing lightly on her soft skin.

  “Mmm. You smell and taste delicious,” he said.

  “That feels wonderful,” Chastity said, her nerves starting to melt. “Please don’t stop.”

  He kissed her eyelids, cheeks, tip of her nose, then down her neck. His hands continued caressing as he took a step back to admire her body.

  “You are even more perfect than I could have imagined,” he said.

  Chastity smiled, feeling adored and loved, as she stepped to Ben, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him on the lips.

  Ben gave a low growl and wrapped his arms around her. They kissed passionately until he scooped her up in his arms. He set her on the bed and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Chastity pushed into it, heat building in her core.

  She pulled him deeper into the embrace, hoping he could feel her desire, her love through every touch. He responded, and soon he was pressing into her with a sort of urgency that they had never allowed before.

  His hands caressed over her, reverent, loving, touching her in all the ways a husband was supposed to touch. Her heart and her body sang out in happiness, finally having what they had both craved for so long.

  She looked up into his eyes, taking in every feature of his face. She wanted to burn this moment into her memory for all of time.

  They went slowly, carefully, both of them new to what they were doing. But they joined as only two souls in love could join, and Chastity swore she had never experienced such soaring bliss.

  “I love you,” tumbled from both of their lips, as they grew lost in each other.

  She loved Ben with all her heart. She would never leave him again. It was almost impossible to believe that he was really there, but he was. He wasn’t going anywhere, and for once, neither was she.

  It was a happily ever after indeed.

  Saving Her Cowboy

  Brothers of Miller Ranch Book Two

  Book Description

  He’s the man. He should be saving her. But instead, she’s the one saving him.

  After surviving a few combat fights in the military, Bart Miller is suffering from a severe case of PTSD. No matter how hard he tries, life on the ranch just isn’t the same anymore. His family thinks he’s improving, but they don’t know about the night terrors that plague him almost every night.

  Ever since Missy got laid off her beloved job as a veterinary technician, she’s struggling to make ends meet. No one wants to hire her in their small town since they associate her with her Dad, who was the town drunk. Then Mrs. Miller offers her a job at the wealthy Miller Ranch—making fifteen dollars an hour!

  Bart and Missy end up meeting in the most unlikely of circumstances. Strangers in the night both trying to find their way. Missy may just be the only person who can help Bart begin his journey to healing. But will Mrs. Miller see it that way? Especially since she’s somewhat off limits as an employee at the Miller Ranch…

  1

  Missy

  Missy held her chin high, hazel eyes locked on a certain point just in front of her. She could feel a couple of sidelong glances, some of them reproachful, some of them appreciative, but she ignored them. Just like she’d been doing for years.

  At least the weather was nice on her walk to the town’s grocery. Lately, the summer wind had decided to take a vacation, leaving the town sweltering in its own heat. But finally, the breeze was back, caressing her spine and wicking the sweat away from her brow.

  Checking herself in the window before she entered the store, Missy made sure she didn’t look a mess. Her blond hair was pulled back into a neat and sensible ponytail. She was wearing a simple button-down blouse instead of the tank top she normally sported, and her jeans were crisp, newly washed at the town’s only small laundromat.

  Wiping her palms on her jeans and willing them not to be sweaty in case she needed to shake someone’s hand, Missy strolled inside.

  She looked around for a moment, unsure who she should talk to. There were no managers in sight and only one cashier on duty. Strange, for it being summer. Normally, this was when they hired several high school students to work around the place.

  Maybe they were on the afternoon shift, and the morning was left to the veterans. That would make sense. Nodding to herself, Missy headed over to the woman with a polite smile on her face.

  “Hi, my name’s Melissa Dominic, I’m here to inquire about a resumé I sent in?”

  The woman looked up from the notebook she had in front of her, and Missy knew instantly that her expression wasn’t a welcoming one.
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  The cashier looked to be only a few years older than Missy, with chestnut hair up in a tight bun. She was largely unremarkable, but the derisive look in her eyes was certainly stinging.

  “I know who you are. You’re Vinnie’s daughter.”

  Oh. Well, that was unfortunate.

  It had been three years since her father had passed away, yet she was still known as the daughter of the town drunk. She knew that reputations liked to stick in smalls towns, but it wasn’t like he had been that way since she had been born.

  No, once he had been a functioning member of society. But then he’d had to watch his wife succumb to an incredibly painful death thanks to ovarian cancer. After that, the bottle had offered him a comfort the rest of the world didn’t have.

  It only took seven years for him to cement his reputation, and even three years after his liver gave up, it was like he had never left. People still presumed things about Missy. They still remembered his every slurred declaration and drunken mistake like it was yesterday.

  Sometimes, it felt like she was never going to escape his stumbling shadow.

  “Ah, were you friends with him?”

  The woman snorted. “Hardly.”

  It probably would have been too much to ask that she was. Still, Missy shook off the shock and plowed forward. Her mother had always told her that she was too tenacious for her own good, and that certainly hadn’t changed in the ten years since her passing.

  “I see. Anyway, about my resumé—”

  “Let me stop you right there,” the cashier said, the look in her eyes growing even more condescending. “The owners aren’t going to like you, and whoever took your application seemed to know that because nothing’s been submitted to them in weeks.”

  Missy drew herself up to her full height, letting her form tense. It wasn’t that she slouched around, but she did often find herself subconsciously trying to make herself smaller. Less… conspicuous. However, this moment seemed like the perfect time to use all of her five feet, ten inches.

  The woman did indeed seem to shrink back just a bit, the shadow of Missy’s shoulders cutting off some of the light from the window. When Missy was younger, she had hated how she was always growing, always gaining weight, always getting bigger and bigger than the other girls. But now she found it suited her.

  Somewhere between chubby and jacked, she usually felt a bit like an Amazon. Sure, it hurt when she banged her wide hips into a kitchen counter and finding bras to fit her sizable chest was possibly the most annoying thing in existence, but when she looked in the mirror, she finally felt satisfied. There was a power to her form. A softness that spoke of her femininity, but a hardness that said she wasn’t someone to mess around with.

  That second part was what she wanted the cashier to focus on.

  “I’m afraid I don’t catch your meaning,” Missy said, saccharinely sweet.

  Missy certainly didn’t mean the cashier any violence, but she didn’t need to know that.

  The cashier licked her lips, eyes darting around nervously before answering. “You know what I mean.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t. Would I be able to fill out an application with you?”

  “I-I…”

  Just when it seemed the woman was going to cave, an elderly patron pushed up a loaded shopping cart. That extra bit of company seemed to bolster the store clerk because her expression hardened.

  “Look, you’re not a good fit here, and we both know it. You should check out the bar. Plenty of them knew your father, and I’m sure you’d fit in fine behind the counter.”

  Missy’s cheeks burned. True, while she could probably go there, she didn’t want to be within a mile of alcohol if she could help it. But she wasn’t going to let this woman insult her in front of anyone, even if it was just a kind-looking old lady.

  “I’m curious why you think I wouldn’t be a good fit. You said yourself that you haven’t seen my application, so it can’t be a lack of skills.” Missy tilted her head, thinking. “So, what is it? You’re worried that I might be a bit too much like my drunk of a father? Or by not fitting in, do you mean that I might actually fill out the uniform a little too well?”

  Missy was well aware of the assumptions people made when they took in her figure. Although apparently being ‘thick’ was in lately, people certainly liked to let their imaginations run wild when they took in her hourglass figure. When she was younger, Missy would try to smother herself in layers and layers of clothes. But now that she was older, she dressed for the weather. If other people stared, that was their problem, not hers. When it was hot outside, she was going to wear her shorts and tank tops just like anyone else might do.

  Whatever confidence she had gotten from the old lady faded as another family came up, this time a woman who was trying to wrangle what looked like twins. “It’s just—I…”

  Although Missy enjoyed the cashier’s withering attitude, she knew that there wasn’t any winning this situation. Even if the woman did take Missy’s application, the cashier would probably just toss it the moment she left. Oh well. It wasn’t like this was the last option.

  “It’s all right. I think I catch your drift. You have a good day now.”

  Missy tipped her head and spun on her heel, heading toward the door. She kept her head up and her shoulders broadened all the way out the entrance, and she didn’t allow herself to slump until she was out of sight.

  Ugh.

  It wouldn’t do good to get upset in public, so Missy busied herself with grabbing one of the classifieds and opening it for a moment. She didn’t read any of the words, but it was giving her a couple of seconds to conceal her watery eyes.

  Ever since she was young, she’d had the annoying reflex of crying whenever she was angry. It was a hot, prickly sort of tearing up that made her feel even more embarrassed than the act of getting angry did. She hated it because people thought they were hurting her feelings when in reality, they were making her burn with rage. Granted, it didn’t happen very often now that she was out of high school, but every now and then, things got to her.

  “Excuse me, miss?”

  Missy took a deep breath through her nose and lowered her paper to see the little old lady from inside. Great. Was she here to drive in the point that the cashier had been trying to get across?

  “Yes, ma’am?”

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation—” Yeah, that much was obvious. Her whole presence was why the cashier had gotten a second wind in the first place. “Are you looking for work, young lady?”

  Missy nodded, tucking her newspaper under her arm. Normally she was quite on guard with strangers, but there was something disarming about the unassuming woman.

  She was short and tanned, with grey hair that was in a long braid at the nape of her neck. She had green eyes that looked quite discerning, but not in a mean way. More of a wise way.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Are you new to town?”

  “No, I’ve lived here since I was three.” The woman looked like she was expecting more explanation, and for some reason, Missy found herself indulging her. “I was working for the vet the next town over, cleaning cages, running the front desk and doing all of that stuff that didn’t require a vet degree, but he decided to retire and take care of his wife after she had a stroke.”

  “Oh goodness, well I’m glad he was there for her. Did he not sell the business?”

  “He did, but the buyer basically has his whole family working for him, so they didn’t need me at all.”

  “I suppose that I can’t blame him, but that certainly is a bummer.” The woman paused for a moment, regarding Missy, and for once she didn’t feel like she was being judged. “You know, if you’re looking for work, I have a bit of a farm outside of town, and I could use a muckraker for the stalls. Usually, my boys take care of it. But three of them left to prep for their first year of college, so we’re short this summer.

  The woman wiped her bro
w with a handkerchief, then continued.

  “It’s hard work, but it’s honest, and you look strong enough to handle it.”

  Huh. Missy didn’t think anyone had ever complimented her on looking strong, and she found she liked it a lot more than people commenting on her curves. “Are you serious?”

  The woman nodded, a small smile around her mouth. “I wouldn’t joke about something like a job in this economy. If you’re game to try, I’m game to let you.”

  Missy couldn’t believe her luck. After a whole lot of storm clouds, it seemed like the sky was finally clearing. “Yeah! Of course. I would love that.”

  “Perfect!” The woman pulled a tiny notebook from her purse and quickly jotted something down. She ripped off the small sheet with a flourish and handed it to Missy. “It’s a Thursday now, so why don’t you come on down Monday? We normally pay cash once per week, but if you’re a little strapped at the moment, I don’t mind starting my workers on paying them daily for a bit.”

  “Wait, really?” Missy’s eyes widened. She’d been budgeting like a champ since she had found out she was losing her job. And she’d been looking for work, but she was down to her last couple hundred. It sure would be nice to have something to eat other than rice and beans or mac n’ cheese and tuna.

  “Honey, I know how hard it can be in today’s day and age. Often it seems like the rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. We do what we can but…” She shrugged a bit. “Let’s not prattle on about that. I’ll see you Monday?”

  “Yes, you will!” Missy answered happily.

  A blue, extended cab pick-up pulled up, one that Missy could tell was expensive, and the woman ambled up to it. An older man came out of the driver’s seat and helped load the groceries into the back, his lean arms layered with decades of muscles and veins. Missy offered to help—the least she could do considering she had just been given a job—but he just waved her off and bid her a good day.