Paws Up for Love

by Stephanie Rowe

  "Um, what're you guys doing?"

  "Boys night out. The women don't allow us to go to bars anymore, so we nominated your house. Got some beer, some burgers and some baby name books," Robbie said.

  "Baby name books?" Weren't boys' nights supposed to be poker or something?

  "Yeah. Just found out my wife is pregnant, so I need to come up with some names. We each agreed to bring twenty names and then we'd start to eliminate." He tossed a catalog at Evan. "Plus, I need to pick out some maternity stuff for her. Make her feel better. You have class. You can help pick the good stuff."

  Maternity clothes and baby names?

  The rest of the men wandered past Evan into the kitchen, but Evan stopped Robbie. "Don't you guys know about Josie? She moved out."

  Robbie nodded. "Yeah, we heard. Too bad it didn't work out."

  "But...why are you here?"

  Robbie looked confused. "You think we'd stop coming just because Josie had the good sense to dump you? No offense." Robbie clapped Evan on the shoulder. "Dude, you're one of us. A woman isn't going to stop that. Be prepared for the weekly invasion."

  Evan was left standing in the hall while the men began to decimate his kitchen. He heard Buddy introduce himself and the sounds of cabinets opening. They were making themselves completely at home.

  So, he hadn't lost his family. He had Buddy, and he still had Josie's family.

  Then why did he still feel like he'd been run over by a cement mixer?

  The sound of an engine outside caught his attention. More brothers? There were still a couple left.

  He opened the front door, just as Josie stepped down from a rental moving truck. "Josie!"

  She looked startled. "What are you doing here?"

  "I live here."

  "But...I thought you had plans tonight. I just called two minutes ago, and no one answered."

  Right when her brothers were arriving. As if he'd have heard the phone ring over that noise. "Must have missed it." So, good to know she'd come by only because she thought he wasn't home. "You look great." She was wearing a pair of shorts and sneakers, with a loose-fitting tank top. She was tanned, and all curves.

  She lifted her chin. "I'm here to pick up my furniture."

  "You are?" That was no good.

  "Hi," Buddy said from behind him. Figured Buddy wouldn't hear the phone ring, but he'd hear Josie's voice all the way from a kitchen full of rowdy men discussing baby names.

  Josie tensed. "Hi."

  "How you been?" Buddy asked.

  Josie shrugged. "I'm here to get my furniture."

  "I never get to see you at work," Buddy persisted.

  "I know." She shot a glance at Evan, then pushed past both of them toward the room where she'd set up her belongings.

  "I start college tomorrow," Buddy said, running after her.

  Evan let them go, listening to Buddy try to woo Josie.

  His brother really did have a thing for Josie.

  And Josie really didn't want his brother.

  And he'd really missed her.

  Could barely stand to see her.

  So, he should leave.

  Evan walked to the front door and yanked it open, staring into the empty cavern of a rental truck backed up against the front door. Once her belongings were gone, she'd never have a reason to come back.

  "Excuse me." Josie pushed past him with a lamp, Buddy following closely with another lamp.

  Evan watched them set the items in the truck, and leave to retrieve more.

  Two lamps.

  Alone in the big truck.

  Lonely.

  In the big, empty truck.

  They looked sad, didn't they?

  Or maybe he was just losing his mind.

  "You could help, you know," Josie said, struggling past him with one end of the big couch, Buddy carrying the other, still rattling on about something. He could hear her brothers thudding things around and knew they were getting the rest of her furniture. With their help, she'd be out of here and his life in about three minutes.

  "Nope. Can't help you." He followed them up the ramp, then stood in the back of the truck, folded his arms across his chest and blocked the door.

  She dropped the end of the couch, eliciting a howl of pain from Buddy, which neither of them acknowledged. "Why are you being a jerk?"

  "Because."

  "Why?"

  "I don't want you to take your stuff." He hadn't planned to say it. It just came out. The last month had been too miserable.

  "Why ever not? It's not as if you can't afford to furnish the room yourself."

  "I like your stuff."

  "Why?"

  "Because it's yours. It reminds me of you."

  "Hey!" Buddy climbed over the end of the couch, tripping and crashing down onto the cushions. "What are you saying to her?"

  "Yes, what are you saying?" Her eyes were gleaming, and he could see her pulse beating on her neck.

  "I..." Evan started, but then Buddy reached the end where they were standing, and Evan looked at his little brother. The words died in his throat.

  "As I thought." Josie turned away, but the moment he saw her back directed at him, he couldn't take it.

  "Don't leave." He grabbed for her arm, but she ducked out of his reach. She tried to dart out the back of the truck, but he vaulted over the couch and caught her ankle, sending her to a tumbling heap on the faded orange couch, the one which had become his favorite.

  The moment she hit the couch, however, she gathered herself to sprint again.

  Well, he'd had it.

  It was time to get it out.

  So he sat on her.

  And it felt good to feel her body against his again.

  "Get off her!" Buddy glowered at him, his hands bunched in fists and waving dangerously near Evan's face.

  "I can't do that." He braced himself to be hit by Buddy.

  "Why not?" Buddy didn't look happy, and suddenly, Evan didn't care.

  "I've given you everything I have, Bud. I'd give you all my money, I'd give you my house, I pay off your debts, I forgive you for everything...but I can't give you the woman I love."

  Liberation. Freedom. It was incredible. He felt Josie's intake of breath between his legs, but he didn't look at her. Just picked up her hand and kept looking at Buddy. "I love you, Buddy, and I'd do anything for you, but I can't do this. I love her, too."

  Buddy's mouth dropped open and he stared at Evan. "How could you let this happen? What about our pact?"

  "I have no idea how it happened." Evan tightened his grip on Josie's hand, noticing that she wasn't trying to get away from him anymore. Was it not too late? "It just happened. I tried to step aside and give you guys a chance, but I can't do it any longer."

  "Why now?" Josie's voice was soft, and he looked down at her, sprawled on the faded couch.

  "Because you were taking the couch. I couldn't let you take the couch."

  "You fell in love with me because of an old sofa?"

  Evan shrugged. "Sounds dumb, huh?"

  She smiled. "Sounds like a perfect match. I love this couch too."

  "Hey! I'm still here!" Buddy waved his hands. "What about me?"

  Evan tore his eyes off Josie and faced his little brother. "I've done everything I could for you. I still love you, but I'm not going to protect you anymore. We're equals." It nearly killed him to say those words, to step back and make his brother be an adult, but he had no choice. It was time.

  He couldn't think of what he'd do if his brother took off again and he never saw him again.

  But he had no choice.

  He felt Josie's hand on his thigh, and he knew she would be there for him, no matter what happened.

  Buddy narrowed his eyes and stared at them for the longest time.

  "Stay in my house, Bud. I'll pay for your school. But you can't have Josie."

  His brother leaned over the couch to look at Josie. "Has it been him all along?"

  She nodded. "Sorry."

 
; Buddy glared at Evan. "You stole her."

  "You never had her."

  He knew the instant Buddy decided to hit him. So he braced himself, left his hands by his sides and let his brother get a clear shot.

  Right in the eye.

  He cursed as pain shot through his head and he tumbled off the couch. "Damn."

  Buddy looked equally pleased with himself and equally shocked.

  Josie had propped herself up on her elbow and was inspecting him with concern that made his heart thud. But she didn't say anything. He knew that would come when Buddy was gone.

  A woman after his own heart. Protecting his brother.

  "Where'd you learn to hit like that? You couldn't defend yourself when you were a kid."

  Buddy glared at him. "You learn to fight in prison."

  "Right. That would make sense." He touched his eye and flinched. Already starting to puff up.

  "That was for stealing my woman."

  "I gathered that." His head was really starting to hurt, and he was beginning to lose vision in his left eye. Which was fine. It was worth it for the way Josie was watching him. "So, you going to move out, Bud?"

  "No."

  Evan grinned, and Buddy scowled. It would take a while to rebuild the trust, but it would happen.

  "I'm going inside." Buddy glared at them both again. "And I'm going to call Ally, even if you do like her. So there."

  He stopped halfway down the ramp and turned around. "You gonna marry Josie?"

  Evan grinned. "Well, it depends on her."

  Buddy glared at Josie. "You gonna marry him?"

  She smiled. "Are you proposing for him?"

  "I just wanna know if you're going to be my sister-in-law. Are you?"

  Josie met Evan's gaze. "It depends."

  Evan tensed. "On what?"

  "My family. I don't want to marry you just so you can expand your family tree."

  He relaxed. "Your brothers are in my house right now, as you know. They announced that just because you had the good sense to send me packing didn't mean I'd gotten rid of them. Which means I get them either way. So they're out of the picture."

  Her eyes finally began to glow without reservation. "Really?"

  "Swear."

  "So, is that yes?" Buddy persisted. "I need to know how many punches I owe Evan."

  Evan looked at Josie. "I'm not letting you up until you give Buddy a firm yes."

  "Who said I want you to let me up?" She laughed. "Okay, fine. Yes, Buddy, I have a feeling I'll be becoming a part of your family."

  "Hey, Bud?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Can you give us a sec?"

  Buddy looked annoyed. "Can't you give me a break? Do you have to make me think about you two getting it on right away?"

  "He has a point," Josie said. "We have all the time in the world."

  Evan looked down at the women he loved. "We do, don't we?"

  "I'm still here," Buddy said.

  "I could stay for dinner," Josie said. "Get to know my new brother-in-law?"

  Evan grinned. "I love the sound of that."

  "And I love you."

  "This is going to suck for a while," Buddy muttered.

  Evan shifted off Josie and pulled her up even as he looked at his brother. "Thanks, Buddy."

  His brother shrugged and started to turn away, but Evan dropped Josie's hand and grabbed Buddy. "No, Bud. I mean it. Thanks."

  And then he hugged him. For the first time he could remember, he hugged his brother.

  And after a moment, Buddy hugged him back.

  And then Josie launched herself off the back of the couch and wrapped her arms around both of them. "My new family. A couple of crazy brothers."

  "You sure you want to join this family?" Evan grabbed her and hugged her tight.

  "Now that the right brother is grabbing my butt? Definitely."

  "I can't still grab your butt?"

  She peered over Evan's shoulder at Buddy. "I'm afraid you'll have to take that up with Evan."

  Evan grinned over Josie's head. "Sorry, Bud. I can't share her."

  And he couldn't.

  She was all his, and he was all hers.

  Finally, his big empty house was going to have the family it was meant for.

  Thank God his brother had been a thief for a while, or he never would have met Josie.

  But he'd wait a while before telling Buddy that.

  For now, he'd concentrate on his new bride.

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  Keep reading for sneak peeks of other Stephanie Rowe novels!

  Sneak Peek: A Real Cowboy Rides a Motorcycle

  He was tired.

  He was cranky.

  He was wet.

  Zane Stockton idled his motorcycle outside his brother's ranch house, narrowing his eyes at the darkened windows. Gone was the time when he'd let himself in and crash. There was a woman in there now, and that changed all the rules, especially when it was two in the morning.

  He probably shouldn't have come tonight, but he was here, and he was done being on the road for now. Rain had been thundering down on him for hours, and he was drenched all the way to his bones. He just wanted to sleep and forget about all the crap that had gone down today.

  Trying not to rev the engine too much, he eased his bike down the driveway past the barn and turned right into the lean-to beside the bunkhouse. He settled his bike and whipped out a couple towels to clean it off, making sure it was mud-free before calling it a night.

  He grabbed his bag from the back of the bike, scowling when he realized it had gotten wet, then sloshed across the puddles toward the front door of the bunkhouse. He retrieved the key from the doorframe, and pried the thing open.

  It was pitch dark inside, but he knew his way around and didn't bother with a light. He dropped the bag, kicked off his boots and his drenched clothes, then headed for the only bed that was still set up in the place, ever since Steen and Erin had rearranged it for their own use during their temporary stay there. At least they'd upgraded their lodging so the bunkhouse was now available again for use by the family vagrant.

  Zane jerked back the covers and collapsed onto the bed. The minute he landed, he felt the soft, very real feel of a body beneath him, including the swell of a woman's breast beneath his forearm. Shit! "What the hell?" He leapt to his feet just as a woman shrieked and slammed a pillow into the side of his head.

  "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you! I'm Chase's brother!" He grabbed the pillow as it clocked him in the side of the head again. "Stop!"

  There was a moment of silence, and all he could hear was heavy breathing. Then she spoke. "You're Chase's brother?" Her voice was breathless, and throaty, as if he'd awakened her out of a deep sleep, which he probably had. It sounded sexy as hell, and he was shocked to feel a rush of desire catapult through him.

  Shit. He hadn't responded physically to a woman in a long time, and now he'd run into a woman who could turn him on simply by speaking to him? Who the hell was she? "Yeah," he said, sounding crankier than he intended. "Who are you?"

  "You're Steen?" He heard her fumbling for something, and he wondered if she was searching for a baseball bat, pepper spray, or something that indicated she hadn't been nearly as turned on by his voice as he'd been by hers.

  "No, a different brother," he replied, his head spinning as he tried to figure what was going on, and why he was reacting to her so intensely. "I'm Zane. Harmless. Good guy. No need to decapitate me."

  There was a pause in her movements. "I wasn't going to decapitate you. I was looking for my shirt."

  "Your shirt?" he echoed blankly. "You're not wearing a shirt?" He hadn't noticed much bare skin for that brief moment he'd been on top of her. How had he misse
d it?

  "I'm wearing a camisole, but it's not exactly decent. Give me a sec." A small laugh drifted through the darkness. "You're such a guy. Of course you'd fixate on the possibility of me being naked. Do all men think only of sex?"

  He grinned, relaxing. He'd startled her, but she'd regrouped quickly, and he liked that. She wasn't a wimp who was running to the door screaming. "What's your name?" he asked.

  "Taylor Shaw. I'm Mira's best friend from home. I surprised her for a visit, but it turns out, there's no space in the house."

  "Nope. Not anymore. I'm displaced too." He suddenly wanted to see her. "You decent yet?"

  "Yes, but barely—"

  He reached over and flicked on the small light by the bed. The soft yellow glow was less harsh than the overhead light, but it still took his eyes a moment to adjust to the brightness. When they did, he saw Taylor sitting on the bed, curly blond hair tumbling around her shoulders in a disheveled mess that made her look completely adorable. Her eyes were green, fixed on him as she squinted against the sudden light. He could see the curve of her shoulders beneath the light pink, long-sleeved shirt she was wearing. The faint outline of a white camisole was evident beneath her shirt, not quite obscuring the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra. Her gray yoga pants were frayed at the knee and cuff, but they fit her hips with perfection. She looked like she'd just tumbled right out of a bed, and she was sexy as hell.

  But it was her face that caught his attention. Her gaze was wary, but there was a vulnerability in it that made him want to protect her. He had zero protective instincts when it came to women…until now, until he'd met this woman who'd tried to defend herself with a pillow.

  Then her gaze slid down his body, and his entire body went into heated overdrive. It wasn't until her eyes widened in horror when her gaze was at hip level that he remembered something very important.

  He was naked.

  Like it? Get it now!

  Sneak Peek: A Real Cowboy for Christmas

  A deathbed promise should never involve snow, subzero temperatures, and family who don't know you even exist, and sure as hell don't know you're coming.