by Becca Van
“I’m not sure,” Maddox answered.
“We could ask someone,” Haden suggested.
“If we’re going to ask anyone, it will be Sammy.”
“Does she have to work tomorrow?” Logan asked.
“I have no idea.” Maddox frowned. “I don’t think she does. I’m sure I heard Shyann say that she’s the only one who works on a Saturday morning at the library.”
“Are we still going to sign up for library cards?” Haden sipped at his beer.
“What do you think?” Maddox quirked a brow.
Haden grinned and nodded. “Did you think she was going to accept?”
“I think she would have stood her ground if Axel hadn’t backed us up.” Logan stood, taking his empty beer bottle to the recycle bin. “I’d love to get my hands on the fucker and beat the hell out of him.”
Maddox nodded. “We all would, Logan, but that would be bringing ourselves down to his level, and we’d probably scare the shit out of Sammy. She’s already dealt with one violent asshole—she doesn’t need to deal with three more.”
“We’re not violent. At least now that we’re out of the Marines and working the ranch.” Haden sighed.
“You’re right. We aren’t, but Sammy doesn’t know that. We need to give her time to get to know us and for us to become familiar with her before we start doing anything drastic.”
“We already have,” Logan said.
“How do you figure that?” Haden asked.
“We invited Sammy to live with us.”
Maddox shook his head. “That wasn’t drastic. That was a necessity.”
“Amen to that,” Logan and Haden said simultaneously.
“We should turn in. I have a feeling we’re going to need to have our wits about us to deal with the two Reilly women.”
“Do you think Sammy didn’t put her ex’s surname on Lily’s birth certificate?” Haden frowned.
“How the hell should I know?” Maddox asked. “I hope not, but maybe the asshole refused to acknowledge Lily was his, let alone her existence.”
“That fucker sounds like a real piece of work,” Logan said.
“Yeah, he does.” Maddox scrubbed a hand down his face.
“I’m just glad that he doesn’t want anything to do with them,” Haden said. “His loss and our gain.”
Logan nodded as he tried to ignore the slight flutter of anxiety in his gut. There was no way in hell Lily’s father would want his daughter back after everything he’d done to ignore her.
Would he?
* * * *
Sammy stretched as she came awake with a smile on her face. She slept like the dead and felt so much better. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so well. When she rolled over and saw the sunlight peeking around the edges of the blinds, she gasped. In a flurry of activity, she flung the covers aside and hurried toward the adjoining bathroom. After taking care of her needs and having the fastest shower on record, she dressed, sans panties, brushed her teeth with a new toothbrush and combed out of her hair.
When she was done, she quickly made the bed and went in search of her daughter. Her heart pounded when she saw the large empty bed Lily had slept in the night before. The pillows that had been placed around her daughter’s body to stop her from rolling too close to the edge of the mattress were still there.
She turned from the room with the intention of coming back to make the bed later, but first she needed to find her baby. She rushed out to the kitchen, looking about as she went, but there was no one about.
Her heart thundered so hard and fast, her chest hurt and she was panting. She ran toward the back door and gaze out but all she could see were cows grazing in the paddocks. After closing the door, she raced toward the front, and her knees almost buckled when she stepped out onto the porch to find the truck was no longer parked where it had been last night.
Tears of fear and panic welled up, but she kept them at bay if only just. She remembered seeing a few outbuildings when she’d looked out the back and that the men had mentioned showing her baby the horses today. Heading back inside, closing the door behind her, she hurried toward the back door again. She almost lost her footing when she saw Maddox leaning against the kitchen counter while he chugged down a glass of water.
He must have seen her from the corner of his eye because he lowered the glass and turned toward her.
“Where’s Lily?” she asked, hoping he didn’t hear the fear in her voice.
He stepped closer to her, clasped her upper arms in his large hands and frowned. “She’s in the barn with Logan. She wanted to see the horsies as soon as she’d finished eating breakfast.”
Sammy nodded and swallowed around the lump in her throat and then cleared it before she asked, “What did she have for breakfast?”
“Scrambled eggs on toast.”
“What?” Sammy asked incredulously. Lily hated scrambled eggs.
“She wanted to eat what we were, and from the way she was shoveling the food into her mouth, she really enjoyed it.”
“She hates scrambled eggs.”
“Do you put cheese in yours?” Maddox asked.
Sammy shook her head. If she’d been more flush with cash, she would have, but having the staples was all she could afford and on rarely. After buying eggs, milk, and vegetables for Lily, she never had enough money left to buy cheese. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten anything other than noodles, unless Shyann’s men bought her lunch. All the good food she’d been able to afford had been for Lily.
“Were you that worried, baby?” Maddox asked.
“About what?” she asked, even though she knew what he was talking about.
“You don’t trust us,” he stated. “We’ve already told you we’d never hurt a woman or a child.” He released her arms and stepped back.
Sammy thought she saw a flash of hurt in his blue eyes, but it was gone before she could be sure, but she knew deep in her heart, that she’d hurt him and that hurt her. “I’m not used to anyone else looking out for my daughter. Todd told me before Lily was born that he didn’t want his name on her birth certificate.” She paused to quell the sob rising in her throat. “He said that if things didn’t work out between us, he didn’t want to have to pay alimony for his kid.
“I’ve done everything for her ever since she was born. It’s not that I don’t trust you, Maddox. Or Logan and Haden, but I don’t know you. Not really.”
“I understand, Sammy, but I hope in time you’ll realize that we like to help people, not hurt them.” She blinked when he changed the subject. “Now, what would you like for breakfast, Sammy?”
“Just some coffee.” She turned to the kitchen. “I can get it. Do you want some?”
“No.” He moved into her way blocking her path. “You’re going to eat.”
Before she could dissuade him, he turned to the fridge and started pulling things out. He chopped and mixed until he was done. He pointed at a stool as he put an omelet on the counter and then got out a knife and fork.
She gave him a disgruntled look and then blushed when her stomach let out a loud gurgle. Sammy ducked her head and started eating. The omelet was one of the best she’d ever tasted. There were red and green bell peppers, onion, and bacon pieces as well as salt, pepper, and cheese. It was so big it covered the whole plate, and she could only eat half. “Thank you,” she said as she pushed the plate away. Picking up her coffee, she drained it and gathered up the dirty dishes. “Do you want to finish off the omelet?” she asked.
“No thanks, baby. You can scrape it into the trash.”
Sammy didn’t like to waste food since she’d had to go without, but she did as he said before rinsing the dishes and loading them into the dishwasher. She washed the skillet by hand and was about to dry it, but Maddox took it out of her hand. When she glanced at the clock, she noticed it was just after 8:00 a.m. She hadn’t slept that late in years.
“Do you want to head out to the barn?” Maddox asked as he d
ried the pan and put it back in the cupboard.
“Yes please.”
Maddox winked at her, laced his fingers with hers, and guided her out. She couldn’t believe how clear and fresh the air was. Living in New York City, she’d gotten used to the smog, the traffic noise, and the stench of garbage. She loved Slick Rock, Colorado, which was one of the reasons she’d decided to stay. It had taken her ten months of traveling from place to place to find somewhere she could see her and Lily staying for the rest of her lives. Now she was glad she’d hopped onto another bus because if she hadn’t, she might not have met all the wonderful people she had. She really liked Shyann and her men as well as Kat, and now she’d met Maddox, Logan, and Haden. She didn’t want to move anywhere else. The people in the small country town were all so friendly even if she’d tried to keep to herself.
When she’d first arrived and had noticed how many polyamorous relationships there’d been, she’d been shocked. The first lot of people she’d met involved in a ménage were Shyann and her men. At first she’d been wary, but after seeing how much they loved their woman and how caring they were toward Shyann’s needs, she’d begun to imagine what it would be like to have what her boss had. Nevertheless, she’d vowed to steer clear of the opposite sex, but what she wouldn’t give to push her fear aside and let another man, or men, into her life. But Lily came first and always would. She was still a baby, and her needs would always become before her own, no matter what they were.
“That was a heavy sigh,” Maddox said, drawing her attention.
Sammy shrugged, hoping her cheeks weren’t as red as they felt as she looked about. She was so intent on taking everything in, she didn’t see the small hole she stepped into. If Maddox hadn’t tugged her against his large, muscular body, she would have ended up on her ass. Again!
“Are you okay, baby?” he asked. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”
“Just my pride.” She gave him a sheepish look.
“You have plenty of time to see everything, Sammy.”
She nodded as she stared at the chicken coop. The door was wide open, and the chickens were roaming about clucking and pecking the ground. “How many chickens do you have?”
“Ten.” Maddox brushed the hair back from her face.
As soon as he met his gaze, she knew it was a mistake. Every time she stared into one of the Keegan brothers’ eyes, she felt as if she was drowning. They might be caring men, but they were also very intense. Maddox more so than his brothers. Logan was next in line, and then there was Haden. Haden seemed to take everything in stride and had a lighter outlook on life. Of course she could be wrong, since she’d only just met them.
“Do they all lay eggs?” she asked breathily.
“Yeah,” Maddox whispered his answer as if he was scared about breaking the spell they were under.
Sammy wanted to reach up and wrap her arms around his neck. She wanted to press her lips against his and kiss him until they were both breathless. When she realized the dangerous territory she was in, she tugged her hand from his and stepped back. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
“Do you use them all, or do you sell them? How many horses and cattle do you have?”
“We have ten horses in all and about five thousand cattle.”
“Wow, that’s a lot.”
“I suppose it is.”
“What do you do with them?”
Maddox started walking toward the buildings, and Sammy fell in step with him. “We sell them.”
“Are they all beef cows?”
He shook his head. “We have four hundred Holstein-Friesian cattle. They are the highest milk-producing cattle in the world.”
“Do you have ranch hands to help you do all the chores?”
“We do.” Maddox glanced at her. “We have a few high school kids working here to earn money in the afternoons and on weekends, and we have a few men who live in the bunkhouse.” He pointed to a building off to the side of what looked like the barn. That’s when she noticed the vehicles parked on the far end of the bunkhouse. She’d had no idea that there were other men living here and wasn’t sure she liked the idea of her daughter around so many men, but she’d wait and reserve her judgment about the fact. They were all probably good men, otherwise Maddox and his brothers wouldn’t have hired them.
Would they?
He must have seen the worry on her face. He stopped walking, clasped her hand in his, and faced her. “Stay away from the ranch hands, Sammy. They shouldn’t give you any trouble, but if any of them do, I want to hear about it right away. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
He squeezed her hand and guided her along again. “A few of the men are pretty rough around the edges, but since there was only us, we weren’t that concerned. I’ll have a word with them to be polite, but you and they shouldn’t have a need to be interacting.”
Sammy was relieved she wouldn’t have to talk to the hands if she didn’t want to, but she was more worried for Lily. If the men swore, she didn’t want her daughter picking up bad language or any other bad habits.
She blinked when they entered the barn, trying to adjust her vision from the bright sunlight to the dimmer interior. A smile curved her lips when she heard Lily chattering away a mile a minute. Her baby sounded so excited and happy. Sammy just hoped that she and the Keegan men got along and they had patience to deal with a toddler. Sometimes her daughter could be downright incorrigible. Other times she could be totally surly. Especially when she woke up in a grumpy mood, which didn’t happen often, thank goodness. Usually Lily was a happy-go-lucky little girl. It was only when she was sick, in pain or overtired that she became difficult, but then, so did her momma.
“Momma!” Lily yelled when she saw her and Maddox. “Come and see the horsies.”
“There’s no need to yell, Lily. You don’t want to scare the horses, do you?”
“They aren’t scared of me, momma.” Lily gave her disgruntled look before turning back to the horse she was patting.
Logan was holding her in his arms with her butt resting on the stall gate. Sammy sucked in a worried breath. If Lily startled the horse or inadvertently hurt it with her enthusiasm, the horse might take offense and end up taking a bite out of her little girl.
Once again, Maddox seemed to easily read her. “Logan won’t let anything happen to Lily, baby. The horse she’s patting is one of our most placid equines. He wouldn’t jeopardize her safety.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so distrustful.”
“I’m hoping in time that you’ll realize we aren’t out to hurt you or Lily, Sammy.”
Sammy nodded her agreement because she wanted that, too. She pulled her hand free from Maddox’s and went to stand beside Lily and Logan. “Where’s Haden?”
Logan met her gaze briefly before turning back to watch Lily. “He had to go and pick something up in town. He’ll be back soon.”
Sammy tensed when Maddox came up behind her, but when she noticed what she was doing, she consciously relaxed her muscles. “It’s so big.”
“Nah.” Logan winked at her. “You’re just a tiny little thing.
Sammy snorted and then laughed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had something to laugh over other than her daughter’s antics and hoped she had many more humorous moments with the Keegan brothers.
What had her tied up in knots was how much she liked being around them. They were great with Lily and had been wonderful to her.
Sammy had a feeling that she would have no trouble falling head over heels in love with the three brothers.
Chapter Five
Haden got out of the truck after turning the ignition off and got to work. He’d read the instructions twice before he was satisfied he knew what he was doing and had the car seat secured into position ten minutes later. He tugged at the straps to make sure nothing was going to move if he or one of his brothers ended up in a car wreck while driving Lily around. The last thing they wanted was for
the little girl or her mother to get hurt or worse.
As soon as he was done, he walked around the house and headed toward the barn. Logan had been showing Lily the horses, much to the cherub’s delight. She was such a beautiful well-adjusted child even though her father wasn’t in the picture anymore. He’d liked to get his hands on that fucker and teach him a lesson he wouldn’t forget, but that wasn’t his way. Nor was it his brothers’. That didn’t mean they didn’t step in if they saw someone being hurt, but after serving in the Marines with all that violence, they preferred to use their heads instead of their hands. However, if the situation warranted it, he’d step into a melee with his fists at the ready.
He pushed his thoughts aside as he entered the barn. Logan’s heart flipped, and his breath caught in his throat at the scene. Lily was patting and chattering away to one of the horses, but Sammy was also gently rubbing her hand over the mare’s neck and scratching behind its ears.
His cock went from rest to a full-blown hard-on in a matter of seconds. His jeans became uncomfortably tight, and he had to adjust the fit of his pants. When he saw Maddox had his arm wrapped around Sammy’s waist and that she was leaning back against his older brother, he became envious. He wanted, needed to have their woman in his arms, too. Haden wanted to tug her away from Maddox and kiss her like he’d been yearning, too. Taking a deep breath, he tried to ignore his eager throbbing dick as he moved closer to them.
Warmth filled his heart when Sammy turned toward him when she heard him coming. “Hi,” she greeted.
“Hey, sweetheart. Did you have a good sleep?”
She blushed and nodded, but before she turned away, she eyed his body over. What he wouldn’t give to have a taste of that lush mouth. Her lips were full and a perfect Cupid’s bow, and while he wanted to taste them, he wanted to taste the rest of her more.
“Everything go okay?” Maddox asked.
“Yep. All set.”
Logan glanced at his watch. “If we’re going to do this, we should go now. We have to move the cattle from the northwest pasture to the southeast one.”