She had had enough!
Placing the dish towel on the counter, she turned and left the room. Heading for the front door, she slammed it as she walked out onto the front porch. Trying to contain her anger toward the men, she took a deep breath. She knew they didn’t mean to be rude. Then again, it was their nature to ignore the obvious. She couldn’t hold it against them, but damn, she wanted to surprise them. She worked hard making that meal for them. Was it too much to ask for a little recognition before they started bickering back and forth like children?
Sitting in one of the three rockers on the porch, she looked out over the vast landscape before her. Everywhere she looked, she saw mountains. It was absolutely stunning. The sun was beginning to set, and the temperature was dropping. The simple sounds of cattle and horses in their element sounded like music when Mother Nature chirped in. Crickets, birds, and the wind added to the symphony before her. It was soothing.
The sound of crunching rocks caught her attention. Looking to her left, she spotted a man walking up onto the porch. “Ma’am, my name is Dexter. Are you going to be out here long?”
“I’m just sitting for a bit. Do I need to move?” she asked.
“No. Mr. Conner just asked me and West to look after you if he wasn’t around, that’s all,” he said, moving closer. Just then, another man came up on her right, sitting on the front porch steps.
“You’re West?” she asked, looking at the large cowboy.
“Yes, ma’am,” he muttered softly.
“Great. Now I have two more babysitters,” she mumbled. Trying to ignore the two men, she looked up in time to see a car coming up the long, winding driveway. She was about to head back into the house when she remembered Neil telling her that his mother and Kelly were coming over. She missed her friend. Hell, she missed living in town. Just as the car stopped, Dexter and West crowded around her, while several other men with guns drawn approached the vehicle.
“That’s Kelly and Ms. Anne!” she yelled at the men.
“Until we make sure, they are intruders, ma’am,” West stated flatly, raising his rifle toward the car.
That was it!
Hazel jumped from the rocker and started shouting. “What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you know better than to aim a gun at women? Get the hell away from that car!” she screamed, pushing past the two cowboys, making her way toward the vehicle.
The front door burst open, and the bickering men all converged onto the porch with Steven and Neil leading the charge. “Hazel!” Steven yelled, running toward her.
Rounding on him, she got right in his face. Pointing a finger into his chest, she let him have it. “You asshole! That is your mother and sister in that car. Those men came out running with loaded weapons in their hands. They were going to shoot them if I hadn’t said anything. This has gone on far enough! I am tired of everyone doing everything for me. I am tired of everyone protecting me. I appreciate it, but I cannot live like this. Nobody can! It isn’t right, and it isn’t normal! I won’t do it, Steven. I will leave on the next damn plane, I swear I will.”
“Hazel, we are only looking out for you. I will talk with the boys. They should have known better than to scare Mom and Kelly like that. Everyone is just antsy. It will calm down when we catch this bastard.”
“No it won’t!” she screamed. “It will never end!”
Running back into the house, she didn’t care where she went. She couldn’t take it anymore. She was putting too many people in danger. They didn’t ask for her problems. They didn’t deserve to have their lives uprooted because of her.
* * * *
“Boss, I didn’t mean to make her mad. Before I could explain, she just started yelling,” Dexter explained quickly.
Steven knew it wasn’t his fault. Hell, this whole situation wasn’t anyone’s fault. Helping his mother from the car, he quickly hugged her. “Dex, don’t worry about it. You did exactly as I asked. You were there for her when I wasn’t it,” he said to the worried ranch hand. Looking at the rest of the men who came running, he sighed. “Men, I know this isn’t part of your job description, and I’ll understand if you don’t want any part of it. I promise it won’t be like this much longer. I hope that bastard will show his face, and then the authorities catch him, soon. However, in the meantime, I need you all to continue as the Marshals suggested. Neil and I will do what we can to circumvent the redheaded ball of fury you just met.”
“Steven, Mom and I will go check on Hazel. I think she needs some female time. She’s been around too many men in the last couple of days,” Kelly said, walking toward the house.
“What my daughter means is that all of you need to check your balls at the door.” His mother huffed as she followed her daughter.
Speechless, Steven stood there, watching his mother and sister disappeared into the house. He thought dealing with Hazel’s temper was bad enough. Somehow, he had managed to piss off the rest of the women in his family.
Tonight was not going as he expected.
* * * *
Sobbing uncontrollably, she threw herself on the bed, burying her face in the soft pillows. She regretted losing her control the second the words slipped past her lips. To make matters worse, she yelled at Steven. It wasn’t his fault. He was just trying to help her. They all were, and she screamed at them, every one of them.
How could she be brave when all she wanted to do was to cower and scream in fear? Everyone around her stood beside her, protecting her bravely. They only cared that she was safe and were willing to do anything to make that happen. The Marshals who followed her were doing what their job entailed. Her brothers, who had lives of their own, stayed because they knew how hard she fought to survive. Then there was Steven and Neil who were thrust into this situation without warning.
They all stayed.
She knew each one of them, would give their lives to protect her.
Ignoring the soft knock at the door, she burrowed deeper into the pillows. She didn’t want to see anyone, especially in her present state. She wasn’t fit for company.
“Hazel, it’s Kelly,” the soft, friendly voice said, walking into the room. Looking up, Hazel cried more. Before she knew it, Kelly was holding her, hugging her tightly. She cooed, “It’s going to be all right.”
“Aw, honey child, don’t let those boys ruffle you up. They only know how to protect. They don’t understand the heart like we do. All they see is a chance to shoot someone and save the day. They don’t know what kind of strain this puts on us,” Ms. Anne, said, sitting next to her.
“I’m sorry. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t mean to yell at anyone. They have all been so nice and helpful,” Hazel said, wiping her tears away.
“They are men. There is no talking to them when one of us is in trouble. They will tell us where to piss and how to do it if it stops us from getting hurt. Hell, you should have seen my husbands. They were the worst. Controlling animals, but I loved them,” Ms. Anne said.
“Momma’s right. Micah and Daniel are the same. Even after I was shot, my men still pampered me. They did things for me so I didn’t have to deal with everything. It’s was sweet, but annoying,” Kelly added.
“So how did you stop them?” Hazel asked.
Both women laughed and said, “We didn’t!”
Kelly hugged her as Ms. Anne said, “Honey child, what you have to learn is that there is no stopping them. They are a freight train shy of a railroad track. They are going to do whatever they want. The secret is to let them think you’re okay with it. Nod, smile, and even give them a kiss for good luck. Then do exactly what the hell you want.”
* * * *
The laughter from the bedroom made Neil smile as he went back into the living room. Garrett, Zac, Gabriel, Alex, and his brother were all waiting to hear if it was safe to reenter the house. When he nodded, they grinned and walked back into the house. Once in the kitchen, Steven, Garrett, and Zac grabbed a beer, while Gabriel stood staring at the table. “Did you gen
tlemen know that Hazel cooked dinner?”
“Huh?” Neil said, grabbing a beer from the fridge himself.
“Dinner. It’s a meal you eat in the evening, Neil,” Gabriel said dryly.
“I know what it is, asshole. What about it?”
Lifting the lid off the platter, Gabriel said, “My sister cooked dinner, and none of us bothered to notice.”
“Fuck,” Neil groaned.
“We’re dead,” Steven muttered.
“It’s still warm. I say we eat,” Zac said, sitting down at the table. Garrett followed and said, “Hazel cooked for us a couple of times. She is an amazing cook. Even under the harsh conditions, she could whip up a delicious meal.”
“Better than takeout any day,” Zac agreed, dishing himself some potatoes.
“I agree with the Marshals. We should eat,” Alex said, taking a seat, then ordered firmly, “Gabriel, sit.”
Gabriel pulled up a chair and helped himself to the dinner his sister prepared. Looking at Steven, Neil shrugged his shoulders and joined the rest of the men. Steven soon followed.
Twenty minutes later, they all sat back and groaned. Neil hadn’t eaten such a good meal in a very long time. Hell, the last time he ate that well, his momma still lived at home.
“I ate too much,” Zac grumbled.
“You always eat too much,” Garrett replied.
“Wow,” Neil said, rubbing his expanding stomach.
“You should hire her for the club, Gabriel. That was just wow,” Alex advised his brother.
“Over my dead body,” Steven quipped.
“That could still be arranged if you don’t make my sister happy,” Gabriel said flatly.
“Even with full bellies, you men are still impossible,” Ms. Anne said, walking into the kitchen. “So, did you leave any for her, or were you all pigs?”
“Oh, Momma, you know Steven and Neil can put away some food. I’d be surprised if they didn’t lick the platter clean.” Kelly giggled, walking in after her.
“I thought I told you boys to stop doing that,” their mother said sternly. Kelly smiled and stuck her tongue out at him behind their mother’s back.
Oh, that little shit was begging for a noogie! However, he knew if he touched her, Micah and Daniel would be on his ass in a heartbeat. Neil knew many little things about his sister, but there was one itty-bitty thing that would surely deflect his momma’s attention back to the culprit.
“We did, Momma!” Steven cried, flinching when their mother’s stern gaze landed on him.
The men at the table tried horribly to hide their laughter. Kelly leaned against the counter, smirking triumphantly. “So, Kelly-Belly, has that new tattoo healed up nicely? I heard that Doc had to give you some extra ointment. I hope it didn’t get infected,” Neil said loud and clear.
The kitchen got eerily quiet. The men at the table didn’t move. Steven actually scooted his chair back. Kelly froze. Her eyes shot daggers at him, and all Neil did was smile.
His mother went straight for the jugular. “Explain yourself right now, young lady!”
“Momma, it’s not what you think. Micah and Daniel have one, and I thought it would be nice to have one, too. You can’t see it. It’s always hidden under my clothes, and it healed up good.”
Neil sat back as Kelly tried to squirm her way out of the lecture of the century. His mother was a sweet woman, and could be the gentlest of lambs. However, when it came to her children and what she believed was right and wrong, his mother would fight until her last breath to see that her children did the right thing. And tattoos were strictly off limits. It wasn’t that she didn’t like tattoos. It was just that his mother believed that the body was sacred and if God wanted them adorned with ink, they would have been born that way.
Of course, Neil thought their mother was a little crazy on that aspect, but he would never tell his mother that. Nope, he decided to hide his tattoo until he died.
Kelly and his mother argued all the way to the vehicle. Even when he tried to give his mother a hug good-bye, she was still lecturing his sister on ink poisoning and secondary infections. Neil thought it was rather funny, until he went to hug his sister good-bye.
The moment he tried to hug her, Kelly grabbed a hold of his left nipple and twisted, hard. “You bastard, I’m telling Micah and Daniel, and don’t think I don’t know about your horny little devil you have down where the sun don’t shine. Doc Jenkins keeps thorough records. Be afraid. Be very afraid,” she whispered and let go. Smiling, she got in the car.
With the remaining houseguests retiring to their assigned rooms, Steven and Neil headed for the master bedroom. It had been a long day on the ranch, and all they wanted was a quick shower, some hot sex, and eight hours of sleep, because four a.m. sure did come early. They walked into the room. There she slept, in the middle of the bed. Her hair fanned over the pillows. She was a siren. The small lamp illuminated her creamy skin.
From the first moment Steven met Hazel, he was in lust with her. Petite with big green eyes and flaming red hair, she was a lithe little fox that dazzled his desires. She was, of course, hopelessly out of his league. He still didn’t know why she changed her mind about him, but he figured, why ask when he really didn’t need to know the answer? All that mattered was that she was safe and here with them. She may have been angry earlier, but whatever his mother and sister said to her must have calmed her down.
She was beautiful, and he was hopelessly in love with her. She was indeed glorious. Curvy with small, firm breasts, flaring hips, and long, slender legs hidden by the thin sheet that barely reached her ass. Her long, red hair, curled slightly, hung loosely around her shoulders, which were dotted with freckles. Her nose and cheeks were slightly freckled, too, a trait that only added to her sexiness.
Steven stood there staring at her. His cock was already rock hard. He would never get enough of her. Neil stripped and walked naked into the bathroom. The shower started, leaving him alone with her. He wanted so much to touch her, but after working with cattle all day, he thought better. He, too, needed to shower. Removing his clothes, he headed for the shower. The sooner he was clean, the quicker he could touch her.
“Move over, asshole,” Steven said, stepping into the oversized shower. Together, they had remodeled the complete master suite for their future bride. At the time, they had no idea it was going to be the feisty bakery owner. They tried to pick out colors that a female would think were soothing, yet still manly. He wondered if they made the right choices. Hazel hadn’t said anything about the room yet. He prayed she liked it.
“She still looks exhausted,” Neil said.
“I know. We have to make sure she gets plenty of rest. The trail was hard on her. I know she hasn’t said anything, but I can see it in her eyes and the way she holds herself.”
“She is doing too much. I should have stayed with her today. I should have made sure she rested more. She didn’t need to be up cooking for us.”
“I don’t think we’re going to be able to stop her when she puts her mind to something. I think we’d be best just making sure that she doesn’t have to deal with all the major stuff, and we have to take it slow.”
“Brother, we have been on her like white on rice since the mountains. If we start easing up on her, she will think we don’t want her. I say we continue on. We need to make her see that it can work. If we give her time to think, she will retreat, and I am not losing her again,” Neil said firmly.
“It feels like the calm before the storm. I’m worried about our tempers. We have been holding back because we were trying to dodge her ex. Now that we’re back where there is some semblance of normalcy, I am afraid we’re going to go back to our old ways.”
“Then don’t. Think before you speak.”
“I’m trying. Do you know how hard it was for me to hold my tongue when she was yelling at me in front of the men? I got why she was angry, but I literally had to bite my tongue.”
“But she was right. I think that’s what bugge
d you the most. You were wrong, and she called you on it. Both of you speak your mind, and you both do it rather vocally. Just understand that she is a girl, not a ranch hand, and if at all possible, try to voice your differences in private,” Neil said, leaving the shower.
Steven considered what his brother said as he finished showering. He had worked hard over the time separated from her, working with Matthias on his temper. Deciding it would help the situation, before chores tomorrow morning he would call the club and let Matthias know he was going to continue the training. If it helped keep his temper in check, and allowed him the relationship he wanted with the woman he loved, then she was worth it. He would do anything to make her happy.
Stepping out of the shower, he dried off and headed for the bedroom. He really wanted to make love to Hazel, but he agreed with Neil. She needed her rest.
Neil was already snuggling next to her when he pulled back the sheets.
Hazel looked up at him as she pushed back toward Neil. She grinned as her arm moved under the sheets toward Neil’s groin. She gripped his cock, and Neil growled.
“Are you sure, baby? We can just sleep tonight,” Steven asked. Hazel smiled as she stroked his brother. Neil shot him a look of retribution.
“I want you. I want you both,” she said.
The sheet had fallen around her waist as she stroked Neil’s cock, which rapidly grew under her touch. Her eyes never left his. Neil leaned his head back on the pillow as she stroked his member to full erection under the bed sheet. Steven’s hand moved of its own accord as it stroked his hard cock. Hazel watched smiling, licking her lips.
The instant her tongue moistened her bottom lip, that did it for him. Steven wanted to fuck his gorgeous girl. Throwing the towel on the floor, he swept the sheet off the bed.
Hazel patted the bed on her other side, and he slid in next to her. She reached for his throbbing dick. Her slender fingers wrapped gently around him. She squeezed him before beginning the same slow, deliberate stroking motion she’d been giving Neil. Sandwiched between them, she stroked them. Her soft little hands felt like silk rubbing his cock. Laying his head back on the pillows, he relished the feel of his woman’s ministrations as she showed him affection.
Fighting for Hazel [The Men of Treasure Cove 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 18