Jared (Coyote Ridge) (Volume 2)

by Nicole Edwards

  “Hey, honey.”

  Jared turned in time to see Mr. Lambert approaching Hope. The man’s stern gaze was on Jared, apparently curious as to what their relationship was.

  Never one to back down from anyone, Jared reached around Hope and shook the man’s hand. “Good to see you again, sir.”

  “Dad, you remember Jared.”

  “Of course I do.” If Jerry was concerned that Hope was there with him, he didn’t show it. Then again, his face was impassive. It would’ve been nearly impossible to tell what he was thinking.

  “Jared, this is Jan,” Hope introduced. “My dad’s future bride.”

  Jared was pretty sure Jerry blushed more than Jan did. Wasn’t that interesting.

  “Jan, this is Jared Walker. Cheyenne’s boyfriend, Brendon, is his cousin.”

  Jared shook Jan’s hand. “Very nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” Jan’s eyes bounced between Hope and Jared before returning to Jerry.

  “I’m so glad y’all decided to come,” Hope said to her father.

  Jerry put his arm around Jan. “Figured if my girls wanted to go out tonight, I better come along to ensure they don’t get too far out of control.”

  Hope twisted her head back to look up at Jared. “We don’t get out much.”

  Jerry laughed. “That’s an understatement.”

  “Can I get you a drink, sir? Ma’am?” Jared offered.

  “We’re good, thanks. Wanted to catch up with Cheyenne before she went on stage anyway. She tried to disappear, but I think someone caught her before she could,” Jerry stated.

  Jared had asked around a little and found out that Cheyenne’s mother was Jerry Lambert’s sister. Unlike Jerry, who had raised his five girls and been a stand-up guy in the parenting department, Cheyenne’s mother apparently hadn’t received that gene.

  “Well, we’re gonna go mingle,” Jerry said, his gaze once again meeting Jared’s.

  Jared figured the man was trying to warn him not to hurt his daughter. He could’ve assured him that would never happen. However, he was beginning to think the reverse might not be as true.

  When they wandered off, Hope turned to him.

  Jared brushed a strand of her hair back from her face, smiling down at her.

  “I got a hotel room for the night,” she told him.

  He cocked an eyebrow. Part of him wished he could simply invite her back to his place so he could spend the night with her, but that wasn’t an option. He could tell by the look in her eyes. He’d spent more time than necessary thinking about Hope’s reactions that night. First when she’d met Derrick unexpectedly, and second when she’d been practically trembling because she woke up in his bed.

  If he was right, Hope Lambert didn’t know how to react around kids. That or she didn’t like kids. He damn sure hoped it wasn’t the latter, because that would put a serious damper on whatever this was between them.

  “Think maybe you can come by for a bit?” she asked, her tone sugary sweet.

  He wanted that more than anything. He’d purposely kept his visit to the ranch on Wednesday on a platonic level, letting Hope know that sex wasn’t the only thing he wanted from her. However, sex was definitely something he wanted from her, and thinking about sinking into her body…

  Yeah. It was getting a little warm in there.

  Jared leaned down closer to her ear, not wanting anyone else to hear him. “I don’t think a little bit will be enough time for all the things I wanna do to you tonight, darlin’.”

  When he pulled back, he noticed her cheeks were pink and she was smiling as she stared at him. He tried to read what she was thinking, but she did a damn fine job of concealing that from him.

  “Unless, of course, you’re not interested,” he said, grinning.

  “Jared Walker, where you’re concerned, I’m definitely interested.”

  Yeah. The question Jared had was…

  How interested?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  THE NIGHT WAS going far better than Hope had expected.

  No bar fights, no out-of-control cowboys—or cowgirls—and all of the guests were more than thrilled that Cheyenne Montgomery had made a special appearance just for them. Hope could’ve told them all that Cheyenne was family and that she’d been honored to be included, but she doubted anyone wanted to hear that. They’d rather hear her sing.

  Truth was, family was important to all of them, and from what she could tell, it was equally important to the Walker family. Throughout the night, Hope had been introduced to all of Jared’s cousins and their significant others, along with Jared’s brothers Kaden and Keegan—the twins. Jared had assured her that the rest of his family would be at the reunion. He also told her it was probably a good thing that she’d only had to endure the twins tonight because they were a handful in their own right.

  Jared had been right about that.

  For almost half an hour, Hope had sat back and watched Kaden and Keegan work their magic on some cute little brunette who had been hanging by the bar. At first, she’d thought she was seeing things … watching as the two of them seemingly seduced that woman right off her barstool. Both of them. Yes, two, not one.

  When Jared had caught her watching them, he had smiled.

  “That’s what they do,” Jared told her, pulling her close. “For whatever reason, they share their women.”

  He said it so casually, like it wasn’t unusual for two men to share their woman. Of course, Hope had some experience with that. Not personally, no. But Grace was with two men. However, Hope seriously doubted it was the same. In the twins’ situation, it was clear they were in it to seduce and pleasure the woman. Grace’s situation was quite different in that Grant and Lane also seduced and pleasured one another.

  Hope had turned to face Jared, wanting to make sure she’d heard correctly. “Share? As in…”

  Jared had pulled her closer, settling her between his legs. He was sitting on a stool but still much taller than she was. It allowed her to get close, to smell him. Yum.

  “As in,” he’d confirmed. “That whole salacious adventure thing… It runs in our family.”

  “Have you ever shared a woman?”

  Jared shook his head, maintaining eye contact. “Never. And I have no desire to.”

  That was a good thing. Hope was all for experimenting with certain things, including the resort, but she definitely had no desire to be with two men.

  “Have they always … done it like that?” She had chuckled at how that sounded.

  “No,” Jared had informed her. “They’ve always been ridiculously competitive, though. I remember numerous times they fought over the same girl.”

  Hope had glanced from Jared over to the twins.

  “I’m not one to gossip,” Jared had continued. “But my cousins Braydon and Brendon… Before Braydon got too serious with Jessie, they had shared her. They’d always shared their women. I think Kaden and Keegan took pointers from them.”

  “Really?” That had been a total shocker. That meant that Cheyenne’s boyfriend had once…

  “Well, not literally, I don’t think. Everyone thought that Braydon and Brendon would eventually end up with the same woman. Sometimes, a man has no choice but to claim a woman as his. No matter what his desires are, the heart is often not interested in the same thing.”

  “Is that the way it is with Kaden and Keegan?”

  Jared had shrugged. “They’re thirty-two years old. From what I know, they have no interest in going solo now. The sharing thing works for them and there’s less … confrontation.”

  “Will they end up marrying the same girl?” She’d been too curious not to ask.

  “No idea. You’d have to ask them. That’s their story to tell.”

  Of course, Hope had no intention of asking the twins that question. But it had giv
en her a different perspective on things. Then again, tonight she’d gotten plenty of different perspectives. She had learned that Jared’s cousin Travis was in fact married to a man and a woman. No, not legally, but in the same sense as Grace would be married to Grant and Lane. To know that it wasn’t so far out of the realm of possibility had been a surprise. She still remembered the day she’d found out that her sister was in love with two men and that those two men were also in love with her and each other. Talk about mind-blowing.

  She had also heard that Jared’s cousin Ethan was married to Beau. And that Beau was Ethan’s brother Zane’s best friend. As far as rumors went, she’d heard that Beau had actually been with Zane at some point—threesomes had been their thing—and that particular experience had cemented for him that he was in fact gay, not bisexual as he’d once thought.

  Hope’s head had been spinning with all the rumors and information she’d taken in tonight. She had enjoyed people-watching, asking Jared questions about who was who and answering his questions in return.

  But now she was hoping the night was going to end soon. Gracie, Lane, and Grant were apparently gearing up to head out. Faith had surprised them with the resort information, and at that point, keeping them here seemed to be damn near impossible.

  “Looks like things are winding down,” Jared told her now.

  “Hopefully.”

  Jared spun her around so that she was once again facing him. “Tired?”

  She grinned. “Not in the least.”

  “Good.” He leaned down and kissed her sweetly. “I need to call my aunt and check on my son. But after I do that, I’ll be ready to head out when you are. If you’d like, I can drive you over to the hotel.”

  The reminder that he had a son was almost enough to dampen her libido. This past week had been difficult for her. Even after her conversation with Jan, Hope wasn’t feeling particularly good about the fact that she was falling for a single dad. In fact, she’d come to the conclusion that Jared Walker was going to break her heart, even if she had to be the one to walk away. What was happening between them was far more than just sex, even though she was trying really hard not to let that happen. No one had ever warned her that keeping it casual was so much work.

  “I’d like that,” Hope said. “I’m gonna go check in with Trinity and Mercy real quick. I’ll meet you out front?”

  Jared nodded, his eyes searching her face for a moment. She wasn’t sure what it was, but something had changed in him in the last few seconds. He was no longer smiling, but the heat she’d witnessed earlier was still there.

  Had she said something wrong?

  She followed Jared toward the front door, but she took a detour over to the corner, where Mercy, Trinity, and Faith were talking to Grace.

  “A what?” Grace exclaimed.

  Hope glanced up at Lane and Grant. The two men had just shared a look that said it was their lucky night.

  Clearly, her sisters had just informed them they’d be staying at a sex resort for the night.

  “Is that a real thing?” Grace asked, looking from one sister to the next, then her gaze landing on Hope.

  Hope nodded. “It is. Surprise.”

  IT FINALLY OCCURRED to Jared that Hope didn’t like the idea of kids. When he’d mentioned needing to check on his son, her eyes had dimmed significantly. It was as though the idea of him having a kid didn’t sit well with her.

  He knew that wasn’t supposed to bother him. This thing between them was supposed to be temporary.

  And that was the thing. It shouldn’t bother him. It should be temporary.

  Only Jared wasn’t thinking much in the temporary sense right now.

  Oh, no, he definitely wasn’t thinking marriage or anything of that nature, but the idea of another man enjoying Hope, kissing her, talking to her, making love to her, even spending a night out with her… It was enough to send the green-eyed monster surging through his veins.

  Grabbing his phone, Jared stepped outside, walking over to the right of the door along the narrow wooden porch. He dialed Lorrie’s number and waited for someone to answer.

  “Hey, it’s me,” he said when Lorrie’s soft voice sounded on the other end. “Just callin’ to check in. How’s he doin’?”

  “Perfect,” she said, chuckling. “Aren’t all little boys perfect?”

  That made him laugh. She’d raised seven of her own. Jared found it amusing that she could still laugh about it.

  “He had dinner, and we didn’t let him get loaded up on chocolate, although he certainly tried. Right now, he’s snugged in the recliner on Curtis’s lap. They’re watching a movie. If I had to guess, he’ll be asleep in fifteen minutes, provided the phone doesn’t ring again.”

  Jared laughed again. “Understood.”

  “Really, Jared. He’s good. And feel free to call back anytime.”

  Not that Jared had expected any less. Curtis and Lorrie treated Derrick as though he were one of their own grandchildren. Although Jared’s parents doted on him whenever they could, the opportunities just weren’t there. With his parents in El Paso, Jared didn’t see them as often as they would all like.

  “Thanks, Aunt Lorrie. And I promise I won’t call until morning.”

  After telling Lorrie good night, Jared stuck his phone back in his pocket. He turned toward the door only to come face-to-face with…

  “Son of a bitch,” he grumbled. “What the fuck are you doin’ here, Sable?”

  His ex-wife smiled, her dark eyes glittering as though she’d accomplished an impossible feat.

  “I came to see you, of course.”

  Jared tried to move around her, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he damn sure didn’t want her to touch him. He jerked away and spun around to face her.

  “Why are you here?” He knew whatever her reason, it wasn’t good.

  “I told you.” She tried to flutter her lashes, clearly hoping to seduce him, but it wasn’t working. “I figured since the email thing wasn’t working, maybe seeing me face-to-face would help move things along. Thought maybe we could get a beer.”

  “I’m leaving,” he told her.

  “Then how about coffee? It’ll give us a chance to talk. And we do need to talk, Jared.”

  Yes, that was a definite threat in her tone, one he tried his damnedest to ignore.

  “There’s nothin’ to talk about. Go back to El Paso, Sable,” he growled. “Ain’t nothin’ here for you.”

  “You’re here,” she said sweetly.

  Funny. She didn’t mention Derrick. That would’ve been Jared’s reason. Then again, Sable had never put Derrick first. Unless, of course, she was working a deal. Then she used Derrick at her leisure.

  Jared leaned in closer. “No, I’m not here. Not for you anyway.”

  He knew she wasn’t oblivious to his hatred; she simply pretended not to notice.

  The door opened behind him, and laughter and conversation drifted out into the still evening air.

  “Problem here?”

  Shit.

  Jared glanced over his shoulder to see Travis standing there with Gage beside him.

  “No problem,” Jared grumbled. “She was just heading back to El Paso.” He met Sable’s gaze, willing her to simply disappear.

  “Oh, no,” she said with a smile. “You’re wrong, sweetness. I’m here to stay.”

  “The hell you are.”

  This time, Jared wasn’t the one with the outburst. Jared had to step back out of the way as Travis damn near plowed him over. “You’re not welcome in this town.”

  “You don’t own it.”

  Well, technically…

  Jared didn’t bother to clarify that at one point, most of the town had belonged to the Walkers. It wasn’t until Curtis inherited the land that he’d started selling it off to th
e small businesses who had established themselves there. Hell, Lorrie had been the one to name the town. And yes, Curtis had been the one to make that happen. From what Jared remembered, Curtis had renamed the town as a birthday present to her. No simple jewelry for that man.

  And Jared knew that they still had a large share of the land, probably more than fifty, maybe sixty percent of it.

  “You don’t wanna go up against me, lady,” Travis snarled.

  Oh, crap.

  Gage stepped in front of Travis, placing his hands on the man’s chest. “Come on. We need to get Kylie home.”

  Travis looked at Gage, then back to Sable. He briefly swept his gaze in Jared’s direction. It was evident Travis didn’t like the idea of Sable being there. Jared was right there with him. Not many of his cousins knew the hell Sable had put Jared through, but Travis did. Jared had shared the details with him over a bottle of whiskey. And, of course, Travis was aware of the stunt Sable was attempting to pull now.

  “I’d like to see my son,” Sable said, practically standing up to Travis. Clearly she didn’t realize the mountain she was up against.

  “He’s not your son,” Jared supplied, getting angrier by the second. “And Travis is right. You’re not welcome here.”

  “You can’t keep me away.”

  “The hell he can’t,” Travis muttered, his eyes stormy.

  “And who the hell do you think you are?” Sable countered. “This ain’t none of your business.”

  “The hell it ain’t,” Travis snapped. “I’m family. And we take care of our own. Even when some two-bit—”

  Gage slapped his hand over Travis’s mouth. “Don’t do that. This isn’t your fight. Jared knows you’re here for him. We’re all here for him. Stay out of it.”

  “He’s right,” Jared told Travis. “I’ve got it under control.”

  And just like that, the shit storm that had been brewing settled. But only in time for something far more dangerous to move in.