by Marla Monroe
She squeezed her eyes closed against the realization that she didn’t know what she wanted. Sierra hadn’t thought about what she wanted outside of taking care of her family in so long that now that she had the opportunity she didn’t have a clue how to go about it.
Now that things were going her way, Sierra felt as if her entire world was falling down around her. Without the ever-present push of keeping the ranch afloat and scraping to keep her sisters in clothes and living money, she truly didn’t know what she was going to do. The constant need had been what kept her going, kept her from regretting anything she’d missed out on over the years. Without it, all she could think about was that her reason for getting up each day had been jerked out from under her and she didn’t know how to do anything else.
When the door next to her opened, she nearly screamed in surprise. Sierra hadn’t realized they’d stopped. She had missed the turn onto their drive while she’d been wallowing in self-pity. She had no reason to feel this way. All of her family’s dreams and needs were taken care of. What did it matter that it left her high and dry without a future to anticipate?
“Easy, Sierra. Let me help you down,” Rollan said as he gripped her hips and slid her out of the truck.
“Let’s get her inside,” Thorne said walking around the truck. “What’s that you have in your hand?”
She looked down at Rollan’s hand and saw that he had the folder with everything tucked away nice and neat. She wanted to laugh all over again, but held it back. It would worry them if she did that again. Instead, Sierra let them lead her up the steps to the porch then inside to the living room where Rollan settled her on the couch.
“I’m going to make coffee,” Thorne said.
She heard them talking but didn’t really hear any of what they were saying. It all sounded like background noises in her head right then. What was wrong with her? She needed to get a grip on her emotions.
“Here you go, Sierra. Sip this for me,” Thorne was saying.
The coffee tasted good. There was something else in it, something with a bite. How had the coffee gotten ready that fast? She really looked around this time and realized time had passed while she’d been bumbling around in her head like an idiot.
“Sorry. I can’t believe I wigged out on you like that,” she said, taking the mug of steaming liquid.
“It’s okay, Sierra. What happened? You were gone so long, we got worried that you might have had an accident. After the cut tire, I was afraid we’d find you in a ditch somewhere,” Thorne said.
She managed a soft smile. “Remind me to yell at you later for showing up after I asked you not to.”
“I’ll remind you, honey,” Rollan said.
He sat on one side of her with Thorne on the other. She sipped the coffee again and was sure there was whiskey in it. She definitely needed it. Her nerves were shot and she had to tell them everything. It hurt her pride to admit that she’d been duped so easily. Never again, though.
“I don’t know where to begin. I still can’t believe it’s really true,” she said so quietly that she saw them lean forward to hear her.
“Just start from the beginning, baby,” Thorne told her.
So she did. By the time she got to the part where Dexter’s father was involved, she’d had two cups of the spiked coffee and a hot wet cloth to soothe her red eyes from the crying. Neither of the two men had interrupted her, though they’d taken turns pacing in front of her at times. Now they looked as shell-shocked as she felt.
“It took him a while to see it, but when he did, he turned almost green. Then he started getting red in the face, and I was afraid he was going to have a stroke or something. He really hadn’t know what his son was up to. All this time I thought he knew exactly what was going on, but he hadn’t,” she said, still reeling from that bit of knowledge.
“I’m sure he had an idea, just not the extent. He couldn’t have worked in the same building with him without knowing some of what the bastard was up to,” Thorne said.
She shrugged. “Maybe you’re right, but I saw a man’s heart break in that moment. Maybe it was just because he’d gotten caught.”
“What did he do once he figured out that his son had forged your signature on the loan papers?” Rollan asked.
“I showed him the foreclosure notices and how my original loan against the ranch had been paid up over eight months before. Once he’d read through all of that, I told him about the contract his son had tried to blackmail me into. I offered to get it and show it to him, but he waved it off and said it was more than he could handle right now.” Sierra could understand since telling Rollan and Thorne all about it after having lived it less than an hour earlier. She was on the verge of collapse.
“What is he going to do about it?” Thorne asked. “Dexter needs to be prosecuted.”
“Why isn’t he already under arrest?” Thorne asked. “Not only did he commit all sorts of fraud, including mail fraud, but he also attempted to blackmail you into a relationship you didn’t want.”
“I know, but I don’t want to go through anything else. It will be a circus considering who they are and that Dexter worked at the bank. I told Mr. Harrington that I wouldn’t press charges as long as Dexter no longer worked at the bank and all the money I paid in was returned to me with interest. Plus, I’m keeping all of the paperwork in a safe deposit box at the other bank in case Dexter ever tries anything like that again, either with me or someone else.” She could see that they weren’t happy with her decision. She knew she was letting the bastard get off without any real consequences, but she was so tired of all the pressure and going through a trial was more than she thought she could handle.
Despite the disappointment she could see in their eyes, though they tried to hide it, Sierra found herself pulled into their joint embrace, nearly smothered in the process. Of all the reactions, she’d never expected them to hug her. It was almost like they had nearly lost her and that was too much for them. She was just a friend and a future employee.
As much as she enjoyed the hug, she didn’t want them to realize that she liked it or figure out how attracted she was to them. She’d been fooling herself that it was just lust when she hadn’t had a real boyfriend in a long, long time. Now, with their bodies pressed tightly against hers, Sierra couldn’t ignore the warm feeling it gave her. Nor could she pretend that her heart didn’t race and her panties dampen when she was around them.
“I sure hate that we’re going to lose out on the land and water, but I’m happier that you’re not having to make decisions like that under those circumstances. Do you have Nate’s cell number? You might want to call him and tell him there’s no need for him to waste his weekend drawing up the contract,” Thorne told her.
Sierra stiffened between them. “You don’t want the ranch?”
She’d been afraid that they would back out once there wasn’t really a reason for it any longer. The fact that they’d made the offer to help her in the first place really went a long way to just what great men they were and how much she owed them for their willingness to do something that drastic for a near stranger.
“Of course we’d love to have the ranch, Sierra, but you don’t have to sell it now. You can keep it and make it what you want it to be. We’d never hold you to a contract we haven’t signed or even one we had signed when you’d been under duress in the first place,” Rollan said.
“I kind of liked the idea of managing it and cooking for the two of you. I’ve had so much pressure over me for so long that I have no idea what I want or even like anymore. From the time Mom got sick until now, I’ve only had my family’s dreams and what was best for them to think about. I’m not sure how to go about doing that for myself now,” she admitted.
“Sweetness,” Thorne said, pulling her into his arms so that her head rested against his shoulder. “We’d love for you to cook for us. Not only because we can’t cook worth a damn, but because it would mean you’d be here more and we could get to know each other b
etter.”
Her heart jumped into her throat. They wanted to get to know her better? They wanted her around more? Maybe Nate had been right after all. Maybe they did like her—want her. She couldn’t stop the small thrill that raced down her spine at the thought of the two sexy cowboys wanting her.
“I was still planning on going through with the sale and the contract. I guess I thought you still wanted the land and the water. If you don’t, I understand. I plan to list it anyway. I don’t think I have the energy to keep it going anymore,” she admitted to them.
“I can understand that, honey. You’ve been slaving for years to keep your family together. I can’t help but admire the hell out of you. Most people these days wouldn’t have worried about anyone but themselves, family or not,” Rollan told her.
“We still want to buy the ranch if you’re sure you want to sell it, Sierra. I just don’t want to take advantage of you. Before I didn’t feel quite as bad about not paying the full price for the ranch right away because you needed the money, but now you don’t need the money for the same reasons and the ranch is worth more than what we were paying for it upfront,” Thorne said.
“Then we’ll go through with the contract. I like the idea of cooking for you, and I don’t mind managing the ranch for you until you get ready to work it more into your own spread. I just don’t want it to be my entire life anymore now that I have a choice,” she told them.
They looked at each other and something passed between them. Sierra couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous of the obvious connection they had. She didn’t have anyone in her life like that. Even Sedona had her own friends, and though she and her sister were close, they weren’t that close since Sierra had to be both mother and father to her instead of her sister.
“If you’re sure about the contract, Sierra. We don’t want to take advantage of you. We still plan on paying the additional amount once both ranches are producing,” Thorne said.
“I’m very sure. I’ve talked to everyone several times about selling it when we were able to and everyone is for it. I think Buddy wanted me to sell it a long time ago. Maybe now that I’m actually going through with it he and I can settle things between us.” She stared at the huge big-screen TV without really seeing it. She missed Buddy and vowed to call him as soon as she made it back home. They needed to talk.
“Hey,” Thorne said, lifting her chin with his finger. “Don’t look so sad. You have the rest of your life ahead of you now without anything holding you back. As soon as you get your money from the Harringtons, you need to set up a retirement portfolio and do something for yourself for a change.”
“I wouldn’t know the first thing about doing that. I’ve never had enough money to save much less, invest,” Sierra admitted.
“We’ll put you in touch with the firm we use. They’re very good and explain things so it’s easy to understand,” Rollan told her.
“I still can’t believe I let that man do this to me. He borrowed money in my name and then had me paying the bank for him. How could I have been so stupid? I know I took out that loan for ten years, not eight. Hell, even at eight, it shouldn’t have been paid off that fast.” She couldn’t figure out how he’d manipulated everything.
“He could have done this several different ways, Sierra. You couldn’t have known what he was doing regardless if you’d checked everything that he sent to you. It was all covered up and meant to mislead you. Don’t blame yourself for trusting the bank to follow the rules,” Thorne told her.
“When he finally got ready to reel you in to be his mistress, he just sent out some foreclosure notices with the original loan numbers on them and waited for you to fall into his lap,” Rollan finished.
“I was such a fool,” she whispered, shaking her head.
“No, honey,” Rollan said. “You were a young woman struggling to take care of her family with no help from anyone. The people you should have been able to trust used you and set you up to take advantage of you. None of this was in any way your fault. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“It’s in the past, and once you receive your money back from them, you can put it completely behind you and start fresh. You don’t owe anyone anything and can make life whatever you want, now,” Thorne said.
“I hope you’ll stay with us.” She frowned, not sure what Rollan meant. He must have realized how it had sounded since he hurried to explain himself.
“Cooking for us and managing the ranch, I mean.”
Thorne sighed and stood up, his hands opening and closing by his sides. He walked over to the fireplace then turned around to stare at her. Sierra couldn’t settle the bucking broncos in her stomach as his eyes seemed to drill into her heart. Whatever was on his mind appeared serious. She was afraid he was going to tell her that they wanted to be friends but not to get attached to them because they weren’t interested in her in that way. She prayed he wasn’t going to actually say that since it would mortify her.
Yes, she liked them, really liked them. She was attracted to them physically as well. Something about how they could both accept her as a fellow rancher and still treat her like a fragile woman all at the same time kept her heart racing for them. Just hearing their voices had her panties wet in seconds, and when one of them stood close enough that she could smell their unique scents, Sierra’s mouth watered with the urge to taste them.
If she allowed herself to think about them close enough and not get distracted by the sexual pull she felt, Sierra was sure she’d find her heart already in the early stages of falling in love with the two men. She just wasn’t sure if it was the real thing for not. She’d never really had much experience with men, and with her obligations tying her up, she’d never attempted to have any sort of relationship in the past. Now that her heart was already engaged with the two men, Sierra wasn’t sure how to separate true love from hero worship or even gratitude. They’d been her knights in leather cowboy boots when she’d needed someone the most.
“Thorne? You’re scaring Sierra, man. What’s up?” Rollan asked. He rubbed her back in a soothing motion as they both watched the other man pace.
“Look. You’ve had enough lies and deceit in your life. I can’t continue keeping how I feel from you, Sierra. It’s not fair to let you go through with the contract and everything without being completely honest with you,” Thorne finally said. He shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and looked at Rollan.
She turned to look at him as well and found him staring down at his hands as if they were the most interesting thing in the room. The bucking broncos turned into charging bulls.
“What do you mean? I–I don’t understand. Are you saying you really don’t want me to cook for you and manage the ranch?” she asked, her entire world hanging by a thread now.
“No. We don’t want you working the ranch or being our cook, Sierra,” Thorne said, taking a step toward her.
Rollan jumped to his feet, anger burning in his eyes. “What the hell are you doing, Thorne?”
Chapter Thirteen
“I–I understand. That’s not a problem. I have the money for the ranch, and I’ll be getting the money from the bank back, too.” She stood up, ringing her hands as she tried to think. “I need to find a place to live. Can you give us a few days to do that before we need to move?”
She started walking toward the front door, intent on getting out of the house before she burst into tears. Of course they didn’t really want her running their ranch for them. It had just been their way of helping her when she needed it. Now she didn’t. It wasn’t like she knew what she was doing or anything. She’d barely kept the place afloat all these years. How could she have been so stupid?
“Sierra, honey. Wait. Thorne is going about this the wrong way,” Rollan said, stepping in front of her. “Thorne, get your ass over here and explain what you mean to her before I fucking break your neck.”
“Hell, Sierra. I’m sorry, baby. Rollan’s right. I’m not saying this right. It just hit me t
hat all of the things you’ve been going through the last few years we were about to add to by not being honest with you. I don’t want you to ever feel that you can’t trust us. We would never lie to you or deceive you for any reason, but that’s what we are doing right now by pretending that all we want is for you to work for us,” Thorne said. He walked over to where she stood, looking down at Rollan’s scared boots.
“Y–You’ve been lying to me?” she asked without looking up. Now there were two sets of scuffed boots to look at.
“Not intentionally or with the purpose of hurting you, Sierra,” Rollan was quick to tell her. “We care about you. A lot.”
“I think I fell a little in love with you when I saw you standing on the side of the road kicking that flat tire with those dainty heels,” Thorne said. He lifted her chin with his fingers so that she had to look at him as he continued. “I planned right then and there to ask you out and get to know you. I told Rollan all about you as soon as I made it home that afternoon.”
“I had wanted to wait until we at least had a decent house to start wooing you, but after we found out what was going on with that bastard at the bank, I wasn’t about to wait,” Rollan said. “We already thought of you as ours and weren’t about to allow anyone to hurt you or take you from us without a fight.”
“You want me?” she asked, glancing from Thorne to Rollan, then back down at the floor. “I don’t understand. How could you want me when we don’t really know each other?”
“Sierra, we know all we need to know about you to fall in love,” Rollan said with a soft chuckle.
“We know you’re a strong, independent woman who takes family and responsibilities seriously. You’re kind and thoughtful. You don’t mind hard work and understand the ranching way of life,” Thorne said.