By the time they made it into the house, Heidi was serving dinner. They sat tensely around the table in silence. It made Heidi want to roll her eyes at them. When they finished, Eddie went on upstairs. Heidi went to wash the dishes and Ethan came to help her.
“Don’t mind Eddie, he’s just got to get used to things,” said Heidi.
“It’s fine. New job, new environment, someone else around that he’s still getting used to.” Ethan dried the dishes as she washed.
“He’s a good guy. Didn’t have to bring me out here with him.”
“Never said he wasn’t,” said Ethan. “Why don’t you go on upstairs with him. I can finish up.”
Heidi gave a little smile. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Welcome.”
Heading upstairs, she found Eddie stretched out on the sofa, aggressively channel surfing. Heidi sat by his feet. “Do you want me to go, Eddie?”
“No,” he said and sighed, rubbing his face. “I’m sorry Heidi. Just, he’s this rugged cowboy and I’m....very much not.”
“Yeah, but I love you, Eddie. And you’ll get more rugged, I bet.”
Eddie smiled at her, sat up and leaned in for a kiss. “You keep cooking like that I’m going to end up plump is what I’m going to do.”
Heidi kissed him back. “How was the job?”
“Hard work, but I knew it would be.” He turned over his hands. “I’m gonna get blisters, probably. And I’m sore from being on a horse all day.”
Heidi kissed his forehead. “You want me to run you a bath?”
Eddie kissed her. “You don’t have to. I know you’ve been working, too. I should run a bath for you.”
“Well, we can see if there’s room for two, if you like.”
“Sound like a plan to me.” Eddie grinned and took her hand, leading her into the bathroom.
**
Later that night, Heidi lay awake while Eddie snored softly next to her. Giving up on trying to sleep, she got up and dressed, slipping downstairs and outside. Up above the sky was heavily splashed with stars in a way she hadn’t seen in a very long time. Looking around, Heidi wondered a bit about coyotes or mountain lions, but decided a little bit of a moonlit walk wouldn’t hurt.
Heidi’s feet led her back down towards the pond. Walking to the end of the dock, she slipped off her shoes and rolled up her pants, letting her feet dangle in the water. The stars were reflected in the smooth surface and she couldn’t help her smile. It really was gorgeous out here.
Laying back, she felt the wood of the dock underneath her and listened to the sounds of frogs and insects around the edge of the pond. Everything smelled fresh, too and she lazily kicked her feet, relaxing.
The crack of a twig got her attention and she sat up quickly, looking around. Not seeing any obvious animals, she picked up her shoes and started back towards the house. From here she could see the house and a light on in the downstairs, though she couldn’t remember if it had been on when she left.
Heart beating faster, she started back up the path, wondering again if she should be concerned about wild animals. A horse whinnied and she started walking faster.
Suddenly a shape walked into the light. It took a few seconds for her to realize it was Ethan. He stayed where he was, watching her as she walked towards him, wondering if she should run.
“Out kinda later for a stroll, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Couldn’t sleep, thought I’d come out and enjoy the view,” admitted Heidi.
“There are wild animals out here, you might want to be more careful.” He fell into step next to her as they walked back towards the house. “Though, it is a nice night.”
“Yeah,” she said, hugging herself. “Did you hear me?”
“I did. That’s why I thought I’d better check. I wouldn’t come out here by yourself, least not this late at night.”
“Okay,” said Heidi as they reached the door. “Thank you,” she said.
“Welcome. Goodnight.”
Heidi watched him go, then climbed the stairs back to her room. Eddie was still snoring softly. With a soft smile, she slid in, curled up around him, and found sleep.
**
Over the next several days they fell into a routine. Eddie and Ethan would be gone for most of the day taking care of the ranch. Heidi would cook and clean and garden, maybe take care of some laundry and generally make herself useful. Sometimes in the afternoon she’d walk around the property some, but never strayed very far from the house. The horses got used to her coming up and petting them every now and again, and seemed to accept her presence as just something else that came with everything else.
About a week after their arrival, Heidi walked out to check on the garden to find Ethan working one of his horses, with Eddie watching, leaning against the fence, absorbing how Ethan worked. It was clear how confident and graceful Ethan could be as he handled the horse with a sure hand and a few low commands.
Heidi abandoned what she was doing and walked over to the fence to watch. Eddie gave her a smile and reached for her hand, turning his attention back to Ethan. The horse suddenly tried to throw Ethan, but he held on and gave a firm command and the horse finally seemed to acquiesce to his demands.
Licking her lips, Heidi tugged Eddie’s hand, pulling him towards the barn. If Ethan noticed them leaving, he said nothing, but his focus was most likely still on his horse.
“Heidi, what...?” started Eddie as they reached the cool shadows of the barn.
“Want you,” muttered Heidi, kissing him and going to her knees on the dirt, giving his cock an expert squeeze through his jeans.
“Oh shit,” muttered Eddie, loosening his belt and pushing his pants down. From the corner of her eye, Heidi could still see Ethan as he moved around the corral. She turned her attention up to Eddie, giving him a smile as she licked up his half hard cock.
He smiled back, but there was something in his eyes. She couldn’t tell what it was and let it slide as she started focusing on her task at hand. He moaned softly and tangled a hand in her hair as she sucked him off. This was familiar, comfortable, something they’d been doing for years and she found herself feeling grounded.
The smell of hay and horses and the dirt under her knees was different, but it just made things more exciting. Eddie groaned above her and she cracked open an eye to glance towards Ethan again as she took Eddie to the root, letting her eyes close again.
“God I love when you do that,” muttered Eddie.
Heidi knew very well what he liked. She pulled off and kissed the head of his cock. “Lemme swallow.”
“Okay. Just don’t stop,” he muttered, then groaned as she took him down again. Her jaw was just starting to ache when she felt his fingers tighten in her hair and he came with a groan. She swallowed hungrily.
Finally, Heidi pulled back and wiped her mouth, looking up at Eddie.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” he said, pulling her to her feet and kissing her, one hand squeezing her breast. “I’m gonna make that up to you later,” he said as Ethan called his name.
“Go on,” she said, as he pulled away. Heidi smacked his butt and wiped the knees of her pants, watching him walk back towards Ethan. She waited a few moments, then headed back to the house herself, noticing Ethan giving glances her way.
Once she was safely in the house, Heidi poured herself a glass of water and sat at the kitchen table. She’d just blown her boyfriend while, at least a little, thinking of somebody else. That couldn’t be good. Still, she didn’t feel particularly guilty about it. Not like anything would happen between her and Ethan anyway.
Taking a deep breath she found her feet again and went about fixing supper. It was nice to have totally fresh ingredients to work with, and all that time she had spent with her grandmother was proving useful. At least she’d had no complaints about her cooking yet.
Eddie and Ethan came in a short time later and got cleaned up. Heidi brought some bread to the table and went back to the kitchen to fix some things. S
he could hear them talking as she worked.
“You’re a lucky man,” said Ethan.
“Why do you say that?” asked Eddie.
“Heidi’s a beautiful woman. Seems like I never had time to find a good woman like that, let alone anyone willing to follow me to the back end of nowhere to work on this ranch.”
“I’m very lucky.” Heidi had frozen. She could hear the smile in Eddie’s voice. “And I’m glad you didn’t mind me bringing her along with me.”
“Naw. It’s a good thing.”
Heidi gathered herself. She picked up the food and brought it to the table, smiling at them as she took a seat. They both thanked her and ate quietly. Heidi wondered what she was getting herself into. But at least things were no longer so tense around the table.
**
A couple of days later, Ethan and Eddie came back early from working, talking among themselves for a moment, then went out to town, returning in record time with beer and a few groceries. They helped Heidi put them away, then all three of them went down to the pond with the beer and started drinking.
It was a warm afternoon and it didn’t take long at all for Eddie to lose his shirt. Ethan followed a few minutes later. There was easy talk and laughter and more drinking until somehow Eddie fell into the pond.
Sputtering and laughing, he bobbed back to the surface. “Come on Heidi, the water’s fine.”
Heidi laughed at him. “You come on. I don’t have my swimsuit.”
“So? Ethan, help me out here.”
There was a moment of hesitation, then Heidi found herself pushed off the dock with a yelp, Ethan jumping in after her.
“Oh my God,” muttered Heidi, laughing along with the others and splashing Eddie. “You aren’t the one who does laundry.”
“It’s water, I think you’ll be fine,” grinned Eddie, swimming over to give her a kiss.
Heidi laughed and pushed him away.
Ethan had climbed back out and was sitting on the edge of the dock with his feet dangling over the edge, taking another swig of beer. “Looks like I got a couple of city slickers in my pool. I should call someone.”
Heidi and Eddie shared a look. Ethan realized too late what they were planning and started to scramble to his feet, but instead they both got an ankle and yanked him into the pond with a tremendous splash. He came sputtering to the surface and pushed one, then the other.
Somehow, Heidi managed to climb back out of the water. She stood on the dock with her hands on her hips, wet clothes clinging to her breasts and hips. She shook her head at the other two. “Boys,” she muttered, and moved to take the beer back to the house.
“Hey, you can’t take that,” said Eddie, going for the dock himself.
“Oh, I think you two have had quite enough,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes. She broke into a run as she heard them climbing out of the water.
Eddie caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist as Ethan saved the beer. Eddie kissed her deeply and she gasped.
“That’s my cue to leave you two alone,” chuckled Ethan, taking the beer and vanishing into the house.
Heidi watched him go. Eddie kissed her cheek and she turned her attention back to him, letting him take her into the house and upstairs to their room.
**
Late that night, a fierce thunderstorm rolled through. The skies were clear by morning, but Ethan was clearly worried.
“There’s some parts that can get flooded easily,” he said as they ate. “We best get out and check for damage as soon as we can.”
“Sure thing,” said Eddie.
“We might end up gone overnight, Heidi, depending on the damage,” Ethan watched her.
“All right, well, if I end up making too much supper, there will just be leftovers. I can handle myself alone for a night, it’ll be fine.”
“You’re a capable woman,” said Ethan, “I’m sure you’ll be just fine.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” smiled Heidi. She saw Eddie giving her a look, but when she turned her head, it was gone.
He got to his feet and kissed her. “You take care of yourself Heidi. We’ll be back before you know it.”
“I know. Go on. If the ranch goes belly up, we’re all out of a job.” It was a light tease and they took it as such. Eddie stole one more kiss as he and Ethan headed out.
Heidi whistled to herself as she got to work, cleaning up the dishes and then going out to check on the damage done to the garden. Fortunately it was nothing too terrible and she spent the rest of the afternoon picking up outside and making sure the other horses were fed.
By the time night fell, it seemed pretty clear that the men wouldn’t be back that night. Heidi fixed herself something to eat and sat out on the porch. Everything smelled clean after the hard rain. She hoped that Ethan and Eddie would be all right, but of course Ethan knew what he was doing out there.
Afterward she cleaned up and headed on up to bed. It still smelled a bit like Eddie as she climbed between the sheets. She wondered about Ethan’s smell, if it would linger in the sheets the same way. And then she flushed at the thought.
Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be with both of them. To have Ethan’s strong hands on her skin, and Eddie’s more familiar ones, maybe whispering words of encouragement to her. She closed her eyes and imagined Eddie holding her as Ethan tasted her skin and moved lower.
Moaning, Heidi’s hands touched herself, imagining it was Ethan. Imagining Eddie still holding her, encouraging both of them. Telling Ethan how beautiful she was and just what she liked. Maybe he’d move her so she could suck him off as Ethan pressed inside. She could writhe between them as they took their pleasure and made sure she had hers.
With a little gasp, Heidi came suddenly, eyes flying open. She bit her lip and wondered if it would only ever be fantasy. Eddie seemed to have relaxed more around Ethan and if he noticed her glances at Ethan, he seemed to have lost his jealousy. She’d never been with two men at once, but the thought of them both...well, clearly she wasn’t opposed to the idea.
But how to tell Eddie without making him think he wasn’t taking care of her the way she needed to be? He was a good man, a hard worker and a good provider. And not bad in the sack either. So why was she so attracted to Ethan? Was it just that he was good looking and rough around the edges? That he seemed kind and that they all got along?
All of that and more, she guessed. Heidi sighed and settled in to sleep. Well, it was probably just a fantasy, like she said. She highly doubted Eddie would ever broach the subject and would he even be interested? Would Ethan? She smiled as her eyes closed. At least they both thought she was pretty.
**
The next morning she woke up still alone. She went about her normal chores, eyes glancing towards the horizon for any sign of the other two. It started raining again and she began to wonder if she should get worried. At what point did it go from riding out to take care of the ranch to time to call the Sheriff? Still, Ethan no doubt knew what he was doing and would make sure that Eddie got home safe and sound.
Heidi went out to take care of the horses, feeding them and mucking out the stalls. Certainly not the most glamorous job, but one that was important, at least to the horses. They whinnied softly and nudged her and she patted their flanks. They all seemed very well taken care of and well trained. But of course Ethan would take care of his animals with the same care as he took with everything else. She tried to imagine Ethan as a little kid, helping his father do the same chores she was doing. It made her smile.
And she’d seen Eddie as he worked. He was clearly still brand new at everything, the same way she was. But he was trying and a fast learner and Ethan treated him just as gently as he treated everyone else. Patience was always important, she’d learned that young and it had always stuck with her.
Eddie was right, too. He was already starting to toughen up, sunburn turning to tan, hands growing a bit rougher as they got used to handling rope and what
ever else they were required to do. It was a good look for him.
When the rain let up, Heidi picked some fresh vegetables from the garden and hummed as she made supper. To her relief, after a while she could hear the sound of horses approaching. Making sure nothing would burn, she stepped outside to see.
They both looked tired. And more than a bit wet. The horses were muddy. But Ethan and Eddie were also smiling and talking and it seemed that everything had gone well. As they approached the house they both looked at her in a way that made her flush and wonder what they were thinking.
They stopped not far in front of her. “I’ll take care of the horses, Eddie,” said Ethan, gathering the reins.
ROMANCE: The Bad Boy Meeting Page 26