by Lori King
“Whoa, two scoops? What’s the occasion?” Dottie asked as she pulled out three large waffle cones.
“New beginnings,” Dalton piped up, exchanging a glance with Zoey, and then waiting for Tanner’s nod of agreement.
“I’d say that’s a great thing to celebrate. By the way, welcome home Doctor Keegan.” Dottie put the emphasis on the doctor title, and Dalton flushed a little.
“It’s still Dalton for you, Miss Dottie.”
The older woman cackled at his discomfort, “You keep calling me Miss and I’ll be calling you son before long, sugar. Now, which flavors do y’all want?”
By the time they were finishing their cones, Zoey’s heart was feeling significantly lighter, and her sides ached from laughing. It seemed that Dalton’s decision to remain in Stone River had eased some of the rift between him and Tanner. Suddenly, anything seemed possible, and she went back to formulating a plan for seducing Tanner. If she could get him into her bed, perhaps she could get him to admit his feelings for her. At which point she would be glad to share her own, and they could talk about what happened next. Until then, she couldn’t let herself fall harder for his brothers. It would hurt too much if she was forced to give them all up later.
Tanner accepted the small pint of butter pecan ice cream that Dottie made up for Clint, and tucked it carefully into the cooler surrounded by frozen food so it wouldn’t melt. Before they could climb into the truck to leave, a startled gasp slipped from Dalton, and Zoey’s heart jumped.
Standing on the sidewalk holding a small bag of charcoal briquettes was Minnie White. Her face was a colorless as her name, and her hands were shaking. Tears filled her eyes, and Zoey’s heart broke when she saw Dalton take a step back as if he had been slapped.
“Dalton Keegan?” Minnie whispered. When Dalton nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets, she let out a small laugh. “Oh don’t look like that, son. I haven’t seen you in so many years…you just look so, grown up!”
His cheeks grew ruddy, and Zoey struggled with what to do. When she would have stepped forward to facilitate the awkward meeting, Tanner wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back again. The feeling of his long hot body against her back momentarily fried her brain.
“Hi, Minnie. How are you? How is Walt?” Dalton finally said.
“We’re both as good as you would expect. Getting old, but doing okay. I heard you were in Africa?” Minnie said, taking a step closer. Dalton seemed to relax now that he knew she wasn’t going to burst into tears.
“Yeah, but I’m back for good now. I’m going to be taking over for Doc Plass.” He was holding his breath. Zoey could see the tension in his every muscle.
“That’s wonderful news! I’m sure glad to hear it, Dalton. You know, I’d like to have you come over, if you want to. To see Walt, and…to talk.” Minnie’s words seemed to shock Dalton to the core, and he went pale.
“I don’t understand,” he said, his eyes jumping to Zoey, who was still held snugly in Tanner’s grip. “I thought you two hated me, for not saving—for what happened.”
Minnie shook her head, and tears finally started to fall, “Oh no, Dalton! Never once did we hate you! Have you thought that? All of these years? You poor boy! We went through such a hard time when Ben died. There were moments that I wasn’t sure we would either one survive it, but if you had gone back for him…well, every day I thank God that you ran for help instead of trying to pull him out. Otherwise we would have been grieving for both of you.”
Dalton’s eyes grew glassy with unshed tears, and the tension just seemed to drain out of him. “I-I never knew. I thought…”
“Will you come over tonight? Walt and I would really love to spend some time with you if you’re not busy, and we’re grilling steaks.” Minnie glanced toward Zoey and Tanner with a small smile. “Hello, Zoey, Tanner. Do you mind if I steal him away?”
Zoey shook her head, “No, Mrs. White. That’s fine, we were just on our way back to the Triple T to put away groceries, but Dalton should go with you. You guys have a few things to talk about.”
Dalton gave her a grateful smile, and then nodded. “Yeah, we do.”
Zoey accepted a small hand squeeze from Dalton, thankful and slightly disappointed that he didn’t offer a more public display of affection. She was, after all, in his brother’s arms in full view of the town.
Together, Zoey and Tanner watched him help Minnie to her car and leave with her. It felt as though in a matter of minutes a huge weight had been knocked off their shoulders. Dalton was staying in Stone River. He would have no reservations about it now, and that meant that all three Keegan men would be on the ranch for the rest of the time Zoey was.
Turning to face Tanner, she didn’t step away from his grip, she just placed her hand on his chest. “They aren’t the only ones that need to talk. I think we do too.”
Tanner stared down at her and she watched several emotions dance in his eyes before he took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, but let’s get this stuff home first. If we’re going to talk, we’re going to do it alone.”
Zoey nodded and gave him a quick hug before letting him help her into the truck. The ride home was just as quiet as the ride into town, but the tension had drained away along with the sunshine. As she watched it sinking toward the horizon on the drive, apprehension and excitement warred in her belly. By confronting Tanner, she was either making the biggest move of her life, or the biggest mistake. Only time would tell.
Standing in the kitchen putting groceries away, Zoey had an odd sense of déjà vu as Tanner stood behind her watching, and waiting. Facing him was one of the hardest things she had ever done, but the anxiety on his face eased her own nerves.
Before she could speak, he held his hand out, “Come on, I know where we can go to be alone, and I want to show you something.”
Her heart skipped a beat as she placed her hand in his, and a flare of satisfaction lit his eyes. Just that little surrender to him obviously flipped his trigger. What would he do if she fell to her knees and begged him to love her? Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she lifted her chin, “Okay, but I need to let Clint know we’re leaving. He’ll worry if I don’t.”
Tanner’s head dipped, “Of course. I think he’s in the barn, so we can tell him while we saddle the horses.”
“Horses?” she asked in confusion.
To see the grin that split his face she would have ridden a horse across the country. “Yes, horses. That’s the only way to get to this spot on the ranch.”
She followed him out to the barn, their hands still laced together, and her heart racing. Clint was brushing patiently murmuring to an agitated mama horse when they came in the barn.
“How is she doing?” Tanner asked softly, and Clint glanced up in surprise, taking in their clenched hands with a raised eyebrow.
“Good. I think we’ll have a new one by morning.” Clint smiled at Zoey, “Hey, angel, did you get everything you needed in town?”
“Yeah, more than we expected.”
He stepped out of the stall and brushed a kiss over her lips, “Oh yeah, what else did you find besides groceries?”
“Minnie White.” She watched as his face registered the surprise.
“Oh shit. Where is Dalton, is he alright?” Gone was the playful teasing Clint she knew, and in his place stood a concerned brother.
Releasing her grip on Tanner, she stepped closer to Clint, and pressed her hand to his wide chest to ease him, “He’s fine. Minnie asked him back to their place to talk. It seems Dalton has been wrong about how they have felt all this time. He’ll be back later tonight. Oh, and he took the job from Doc, so I guess he’ll be staying permanently.”
Clint wrapped his hands around her waist, and swung her in a circle as he laughed, “I knew it! You are an angel! If it weren’t for you, none of this would have worked out.” His mouth captured hers in a passionate kiss that hinted at deeper emotions. Zoey chose to ignore the reciprocating flutter in her chest as she pulled aw
ay from him.
“You’re a goof, Hollywood.” She was giggling at him, but she stepped back to Tanner’s side. The tension in his shoulders seemed to relax a little when her hand slid back into his.
“So that’s how it is, huh? Leaving me to run off with my older brother?” Clint said. Tanner inhaled sharply, but Zoey could sense that Clint was just teasing her.
“Yep, but only for a little bit. Tanner wants to show me something on the ranch. You can eat leftovers if you’re hungry, or I will fix something when I get back.”
Clint’s eyes widened and a frown line appeared between them, “Angel, I have been handling myself for a long time, you don’t have to worry about taking care of me.”
She smiled, “I know, but I like to.”
“Well in that case, I’ll see you later for dinner.” Clint didn’t pull her away from the silent Tanner this time, instead he just stepped closer, pinning her between the two of them, and kissing her one more time like his life depended on it. She was stuck between two hard cocks based on the matching ridges behind their zippers, and she moaned with pleasure as her tongue danced with Clint’s.
When he finally released her, he met Tanner’s eyes with a cocky grin, “Take care of my angel, Skipper. I’m growing pretty attached to her.”
Tanner rolled his eyes and snorted before tugging her along behind him to the tack room to collect saddles for their mounts. As they rode out of the barn, Zoey caught a glimpse of Clint watching them from the shadows. He looked nervous and pleased all at once, and her stomach flipped over. This was it. No turning back now. She had to face Tanner head on—once and for all.
After about ten minutes of stewing over what to say, she got fidgety. The sun was almost set, and dusk was upon them. It would be much harder to ride back home in the dark, especially when she wasn’t a very experienced rider.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked Tanner’s broad back with an irritated huff. He looked magnificent in the saddle. His button down shirt hugged his wide shoulders, and stretched over his flexing muscles, while his sexy ass fit the saddle perfectly. She imagined straddling him while he rode, and letting the rocking sway of the horse force his cock deep into her hot pussy. For just a moment her fantasy got the best of her and she faded out. By the time she was aware of her surroundings again, she realized she hadn’t even heard whether or not he answered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“That’s because I didn’t answer you, baby. You need to learn patience. Good things come to those who wait.” Tanner didn’t even turn to acknowledge her while he spoke, he just kept up the same even gate on his mount, like he had nowhere important to be.
“And you need to stop playing mind games. It’s getting old.”
She might have said more, but they had just topped a small rise and she found herself staring down into a dark hollow of trees. It wasn’t unusual to see a spot of trees on the ranch, but smack dab in the center of this cropping was an enormous tree that seemed to be glowing in the dark.
“What is that?” her voice came out a breathless whisper, as awe overwhelmed her earlier ire.
“The glowing tree,” Tanner responded, watching her as she took in the spectacle.
“Is the tree actually glowing?” She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes trying to determine the cause of the light. It seemed to be moving all around that one huge oak.
“No, come on, let’s get closer.”
Tanner nudge her horse ahead of his, and she heard him chuckle when she realized the source of the light. “Fireflies!”
Thousands of the tiny beetle bugs were blinking in the shadows of the oak and its cousin trees. They swarmed over each other in the air in front of the thick trunk, making it look from a distance as though the tree itself was lit up.
“I don’t understand. How is this possible? Why are they all here?” she asked, allowing Tanner to help her dismount.
He shrugged, “No one really knows. Pops had some students from the University down here running tests, but they never came up with a good answer. It’s just always been like this. Every summer in the evening at dusk you can come out here and find this tree all lit up like it’s covered in Christmas lights.” He caught one of the glowing bugs as it broke away from its friends, and held it cupped in her hands for her to see. “This used to be the site of an old well, which is why the trees grow so tall right here. There is plenty of water still under ground to sustain them. When they tested the tree, they estimated it to be about a hundred and fifty years old.”
Zoey stared up into the glowing ball of creatures in awe. It was a truly magical sight. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, so very little daylight remained, allowing the bioluminescence of the bugs to be that much brighter. In fact, the greenish yellow glow didn’t just light up that one spot. She was able to see into all corners of the small circle of trees. At least fifteen oak trees formed a unique little hollow that allowed the magnificent spectacle to safely occur.
“Why have I never heard about this?” she asked, taking a seat in the grass to watch the fireflies dance.
“It’s not like this is easily accessible, and if we started broadcasting that it was here, everyone would want to see it. The Keegan family has always felt like it was our duty to protect it.” Tanner sat next to her, leaning his back against one of the smaller trees for support. “I know I hurt you the other night, and I’m sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting you.”
Zoey turned to face him, biting back a sigh as the glow of the fireflies lit his face so that she could see his frown. “I know you weren’t trying to hurt me, but it seems like you’re always protecting me. Don’t you understand that I’m not looking for a knight in shining armor? I want a partner in life, but I want that person to be willing to stand behind me when I need to handle my own business. Sure, I want him to be willing to take up the sword for me if necessary, but that doesn’t mean he’ll have to.”
Tanner shook his head, “You can’t have it both ways. I’m a controlling person. I like things in my life to be neat and orderly, and—”
“And you have a strong sense of obligation and responsibility. All of those qualities are things that I love about you,” Zoey responded, laying her hand in his, and squeezing him. “What else is stopping you?”
Tanner remained quiet for several moments, and Zoey was afraid he wouldn’t answer. When he finally did, his answer surprised her. “I don’t know if I can share you.”
She stared at him in confusion, “Wait, you didn’t want me when I offered myself to you, but now that your brothers want me you don’t want to share me?”
“No! Yes! Fuck, I don’t know. Look, I think of myself as Dominant in the bedroom.”
Zoey’s laugh rang out, “Did you think I would turn you away for being bossy in bed?”
“Do you know what Dominant means? It means I have to have control of certain things, but it mainly means I want my partner’s complete trust and I want to protect and coddle her.”
She nodded, “Yeah, I know what it means, Tanner. I’ve read plenty of erotic romances, and I have a few submissive fantasies of my own. What I don’t understand is why you think I would turn you away for that.”
“I’ve gone to a local BDSM club with Parker to see if it suited me. It did in some ways, but the biggest thing that it taught me is that I’m not a lifestyle Dom. I like to play, and add elements of BDSM into my sex, but I don’t want anyone referring to me as Master, or expecting me to pick out her clothes.”
Zoey sighed with relief making Tanner laugh this time. “I’m glad to hear it, because I’m not sure I could call you Master without laughing.”
“Fuck, I’m making a mess out of this.” He jumped to his feet and began pacing. “Doms don’t share.”
“Why?” Zoey didn’t move from where she sat, but her body was quivering with nerves. Could she possibly make him understand?
“Why? What do you mean why? What kind of Dom would I be if
I shared my woman with two other men? With my brothers, no less.”
She waited for him to turn and meet her gaze. “Do you think less of Parker for his choice to share Rachel?”
“No, but that’s different.”
“Uh, pot meet kettle. It is not different. Parker shares Rachel with his brothers because he can see how much she loves them all. He’s willing to do what’s best for her first and foremost. Have you ever even bothered to talk to him or Rogan, or even Sawyer or Hudson? They will tell you that they make time to be alone with Rachel as well as all together because that’s what she needs. Rachel has even gone to The Cage with Parker. They enjoy a little bondage and discipline play occasionally, but the other guys don’t as much.” Zoey stood and brushed the grass off her butt, “You know, at one time I thought that you were the strongest man I knew. The kind of man who didn’t take shit from anyone, and would always be there when he was needed. I need you, Tanner. I need you, Dalton, and Clint, but if I can’t have all of you, then I don’t want any.”
She spun on her heel and walked back to her horse leaving Tanner behind. It took her a couple of tries to get her foot in the stirrup because she was struggling to see clearly through the tears in her eyes, but once she did, she turned her horse and set off for the ranch house. She didn’t care that it was dark and she was alone, all that mattered was her desire to escape the pain in her gut. Her make or break moment had broken her heart into millions of pieces. Tanner would never let go of his ideals enough to even try.
A few seconds later the sound of a horse came up hard and fast behind her, startling her and her mount. Turning, she saw the hard line of Tanner’s jaw in the moonlight before he reached out and grabbed her reins from her hand.
“I’m not good enough for you, damn it. Don’t you get that?” His chest heaved and she stared back in stunned fascination as he glared at her.
“What?”
“I’m a rancher, not some college educated doctor, or anything. I’m just a cowboy who works his fingers to the bone from dawn to dusk. I’m in the saddle just minutes after I swig a pot of coffee, and I fall out of the saddle when the hunger in my belly gets too bad to think straight. Occasionally I want to be able to tie a woman up, and spank her ass, or tease her until we’re both mindless. I want her to submit to me, and trust me with every ounce of herself because she knows that all I want is what’s best for her. You have to just stay away from me. I know you think that you want me, but you don’t deserve this life, Zoey. You deserve so much more.”