In a Cowboy’s Bed

by Cat Johnson

“Hmm, yeah.” He’d forgotten that. “How about you use my phone? Is there someone you trust to call and tell them you’re all right, but who won’t give the number to the bastard you’re running from?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, there might be one person. I’ll try to call now.”

  He handed her his phone. “And then you’ll stay with us a while longer?”

  Stepping off the porch, she glanced at him over her shoulder. “We’ll see. I’ll try.”

  “Try hard,” he called after her.

  10

  Was there truly anyone Heather could trust? Her agent had been her first thought when she took Ned’s phone and walked out into the yard for some privacy. Mark was on her side, but he could also be swayed to be in her mother’s pocket. She should call the makeup girl, Kim, and let her know she hadn’t stolen her piece of shit car, but that could wait. The girl was probably having a ball driving around in her convertible anyway.

  Maille—Heather’s friend from her first ever TV job. They’d both been kids on the show together. Though Maille lived in California and Heather in Chicago, thanks to her mother’s decision to keep her away from the evils of Hollywood, they’d still kept in touch.

  California could be her next stop. Maille would let her stay at her place. She’d also know about any auditions. Heather could go to a few casting calls while she was out there. It was perfect, except for the part about having to leave Ben and Ned. That part sucked, but maybe she could stay here with them for a little while longer, then go and reclaim her career on her own terms.

  Armed with a plan, she looked down at Ned’s phone and dialed. Thank God, Maille had one of those easy to remember numbers. Turning on her own phone to retrieve the number from her contact list would have defeated the whole purpose of keeping it off and disabled, since her mother probably was spying on it with some kind of GPS tracking software. Just the thought had her gritting her back teeth. Her cosmetic dentist would be appalled.

  She listened to the ringing, then heard the familiar, “Hello?”

  “Maille, it’s Heather.”

  “Holy crap, Heather. Thank God, you’re alive. Are you okay? Where are you? Have you been kidnapped?”

  “Wait. What’s going on? How did you even know I’m not home?”

  “Are you kidding? Have you seen the news?”

  “Um, no.” She hadn’t noticed with all the sex and hot cowboys distracting her, but now that she thought about it, she didn’t think the house even had a television. And with her phone off, she had no way to check the Internet. “Tell me. What’s on the news?”

  “It’s on every broadcast how you disappeared. They used LoJack or whatever and found your car in some parking lot, but you were nowhere. You hadn’t told your mother where you were going. When they questioned the people near where your BMW was found, some girl admitted you’d borrowed her car, but she hadn’t heard from you since. It had been over twenty-four hours, so you were officially a missing person. Everyone thinks you’ve been kidnapped. Have you? Whose phone are you calling me from?”

  Crap. This was not working out at all as planned. “Listen. I’m not kidnapped. I just had to get away for a little while, but you can’t tell anyone. Okay?”

  “Heather, the police are looking for you. I think even the FBI is involved now. Some lunatic posted on your Facebook wall that he had you. They arrested him and searched his place and realized it was a hoax. You can’t keep this secret.”

  Heather sighed. She would go back, but on her terms and in her own time. “I’ll call my mother and tell her to call off the search right after I hang up with you.”

  “Good. You’d better.”

  “I will. I promise. Now, I have a favor to ask you.”

  “Anything, as long as I don’t have to lie to the feds.”

  Maille had obviously gotten bit parts in one too many television crime drama shows. She was starting to talk like a bad primetime script.

  “No lying to the feds. After I tell my mother I’m alive and safe, and she calls off the dogs, can I come stay there with you for a while?”

  “Of course. Mi casa es su casa.”

  “Thanks. And don’t tell anyone I’m coming. I have a plan.” It was forming in Heather’s brain even as she spoke.

  “Ooo, I love your plans.”

  Heather laughed. It was good to talk to Maille again. Just the thought of being with her old friend had her feeling lighter. Free and easy.

  “So when will you be here?” Maille asked.

  This part was not so easy. She swallowed hard at the thought. “I have a few things I have to handle here first. I’ll call you when I’m on the road.”

  Heather came around the side of the house. Ben could see the moment she spotted him, sitting there on the porch step, rubbing the dog behind the ear.

  He watched her approach. “Hey there.”

  “Hi.” She held up a cell phone. “I have Ned’s phone. He was just here. Where’d he go?”

  “Whatever you two were talking about—or doing—has him locked away in the bathroom. I’m sure he’ll be back soon enough. That kind of thing usually doesn’t take too long.” Ben laughed when he saw her blush at his insinuation.

  Ned was smart to go and take the edge off by rubbing one out on his own. Sex with Heather was enough to make a man finish long before he was ready. And from what Ned had said on his way to the bathroom, Heather was ready for more.

  “Oh.” Her gaze dropped away from his and she laid the phone on the railing of the porch. She sat next to him on the step, the dog between them. That was probably safer than his having to feel the warmth of her bare leg pressed against him. She eyed the dog. “Can I pet her?”

  Ben glanced down at Missy, the most mild-tempered dog he’d ever known in his life. “Sure. She don’t care.”

  Heather definitely wasn’t an animal person. Ned might want to rethink any plans he had for fun with her in the barn near the horse stalls. An animal that big would surely freak Heather out. She didn’t even like little Missy. Heather reached out and patted the dog on the skull a few times.

  “She likes this.” Ben rubbed right behind Missy’s ear. Heather watched him but made no move to follow suit.

  Wherever this girl had run from, it wasn’t a farm. Not that he’d ever thought it had been. She had city girl written all over her. Or maybe some fancy suburb right outside of a big city where the rich people liked to live, because Heather and her stuff screamed money. Aside from the car, which she admitted wasn’t hers anyway, everything else she owned was top of the line. The fancy lace underwear he saw hanging to dry in the bathroom after she’d washed them in the sink. Her big-ass leather purse. Even her damn name-brand sneakers. Ben knew what good stuff cost, even if he didn’t have the money to buy it. Pretty damn sad that her drug-dealer boyfriend kept her in nicer things than he and Ned ever could by raising rough stock.

  “When Ned comes back, I’d like to talk to you both about something.”

  That sentence had good-bye written all over it. “All right.” Ben couldn’t ignore how his stomach dropped at the thought of her leaving.

  Maybe they shouldn’t have fixed her car so fast. In fact, maybe it should mysteriously break again in the middle of the night. Stranger things had been known to happen.

  All good things came to an end. Heather’s visit. Ned’s jerk-off session . . . Ben heard the door open and braced himself for a discussion he didn’t want to have. He turned but didn’t stand up when the screen door opened. “Heather wants to talk to the two of us.”

  Ned stopped midstep. “Oh, all right.” He stepped off the porch and leaned a shoulder against the post.

  She drew in a big breath, which didn’t bode well at all. This announcement wasn’t going to be something any of them would enjoy. “I haven’t been honest with you, and I’m sorry.”

  “About the fact you’ve never been a hooker?” Ned cocked a brow.

  “You knew?”

  Ben let out a snort of a laugh. “It was pretty
obvious. Why did you lie about that?”

  “I guess it’s because that’s who I wanted to be.” She shrugged.

  Ned’s eyes widened. “Jeez, girl. Whatever you came from is so bad being a hooker was a step up?”

  “No, not how you’re thinking, at least. It’s complicated. There’s so much more.” She raised her gaze first to Ned, then to Ben. But she couldn’t hold it. She glanced away and said, “That wasn’t my only lie.”

  “Go on.” Ben set his jaw, waiting for the next lie and her inevitable excuse, hoping it would be a good one, because he really wanted to forgive this girl. His gut told him the next big revelation was going to be worse than the first.

  “It’ll be easier if I show you. Wait here. I’ll be right back.” She popped up from the step and fled into the house, leaving Ben to wonder if she was sneaking out of the backdoor rather than face them.

  “Ben.” There was a warning tone in Ned’s voice.

  “What?” The word was short, just like his temper.

  “Let her explain.”

  “I’m sitting here waiting, aren’t I?”

  “Yup, and I can feel the tension in you from over here.”

  Ben looked at Ned, leaning so calmly. “I’ll hear her out, but I sure as hell ain’t gonna promise to smile through it.”

  “A’ight.” Ned nodded. “I guess that’ll have to be good enough.”

  Damn right, it would. Heather pushed through the door again, then stumbled to a stop. Her phone was in one hand, the battery in the other. Her hand trembled as she tried to get the battery back into its compartment. It was upside down at first. She glanced up at them, but Ben didn’t offer to help. He wouldn’t have been any better at doing it than she was. His patience was a little short at the moment.

  “Take your time, darlin’.” Ned spoke gently, coddling her.

  Ben raised a brow at Ned, who shrugged. The man would do anything to keep Heather around. It didn’t seem to matter to him that she’d lied.

  She finally got the battery in and the cover on, and they all waited as she powered on her phone, though it seemed she was the only one who knew why. Finally, after some sounds and chimes, she tapped on the screen, then turned the phone to face them. “There. Look. That’s me.”

  With Heather standing on the porch, and Ned on the ground, Ben was between them. Since he was closest, he reached out and took the smartphone with the browser open to a Web site.

  “Heather London Fan Page.” Ben read the headline from the site featuring a picture of Heather, though she’d said her name was Heather Smith the night they met. Smith. Real original.

  Ned’s eyes narrowed. “Isn’t Heather London the little girl on that TV show with all the kids on it? I watched it when I was young.... Aw, crap.”

  “Apparently, she’s grown up. And now that she’s done the star thing, her new dream is to be a hooker.” Ben turned and held the phone out to Heather, sounding calmer than he felt after seeing for himself the full extent of her deception.

  “Let me explain.”

  Ben raised a brow. “Go on. I’m not stopping you.”

  Heather launched into the story. She talked about managers and agents, and photo shoots and scripts, though Ben wasn’t sure what was true and what wasn’t. It was a tough stretch to believe she’d give it all up just because she was pissed about losing one movie role. And she’d already taken her damn nudie pictures, so her manager mother couldn’t stop that.

  “So now I have to call my mother. She called the police and reported me missing. People are looking for me. Lots of people.” Heather wrapped up her tall tale with her eyes cast downward and a whopper of a revelation.

  “So now instead of a fake druggy boyfriend knocking down our door, we’ll have the police instead? Great. Thanks. That’s just what we need around here.” Ben shook his head.

  “Go call your mom.” Ned touched her arm. “You want me to stay with you while you do?”

  “No, it’s okay. I have to do this on my own. Then I guess I’ll grab my things and go.”

  Ned’s mouth opened again, as if he was going to suggest she stay. One look at Ben’s expression must have changed his mind. He turned back to Heather. “Let me put my number in your phone. If you need anything . . . the car breaks down. You want to talk. Whatever. You call or text. Okay?”

  “Okay.” She handed the phone to Ned.

  He punched in his number. “And let us know when you get where you’re going safely. The car’s fixed for now, but . . .”

  “I know, it’s a piece of shit.” She smiled sadly.

  Heather disappeared around the corner of the house again. Ned watched her go and then turned to Ben. “I think—”

  “Ned. Don’t.” Ben stood and slammed his way into the house. It still wasn’t far enough to escape from his feelings.

  He knew all along things weren’t quite right with her story, yet he’d ignored it. He’d cared about her and she’d done nothing but take advantage of that and lie, and he’d let her.

  That was the worst part of all.

  11

  Ned cringed as Ben banged the pot into the sink and flipped on the water full force. Missy put her ears down and slunk under the kitchen table. Two days after Heather had left and Ben was still storming around the place. Even the dog knew it was best to stay out of the way when Ben was in a mood.

  Too bad Ned didn’t have the good sense God gave a dog. “Ben, you have to understand why she lied.”

  His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look up from his enthusiastic pot scrubbing. “I told you, we’re not talking about it.”

  “Well, fuck that, because I wanna talk about it. It was me here, too, being lied to, not just you. I liked her. I miss her.”

  Ben let his head hang. He flipped off the water. “What do you want me to say? And what the hell good is talking about it gonna do anyway? She’s gone. Back to her fancy life and her rich people.”

  “She ran away from her fancy rich life,” Ned reminded him. Ran far, too. Twelve hours of straight driving in a piece of crap borrowed car just to flee her life of luxury. Why couldn’t Ben see she had to be feeling pretty damn shitty to do that?

  “Yeah.” Ben let out a snort. “And let’s not forget, she ran right back to it.”

  “No, she didn’t.” Ned crossed his arms.

  “How do you know that?” Ben turned to face Ned, but it was to glare at him.

  “Because she texted me to say she’d made it to California safely. And since her website says she lives near Chicago, she didn’t go home. She went in the opposite direction.”

  “Her website . . .” Ben let out a derogatory sound. “So what, you’re a stalker now?”

  “Checking up on the girl I spent two days with to make sure she’s okay is not stalking.”

  “That the only time she texted?” Ben broke eye contact with Ned, and his tone of voice softened.

  If Ned wasn’t totally off base, Ben was curious. And if he was interested in hearing from Heather, then there was hope. “Nope, I just got another text from her today.”

  “And?” A frown knit Ben’s dark brows and the angry glare returned when Ned didn’t answer right away.

  Ben’s short temper could only mean one thing. Ben was fighting his feelings for Heather.

  “Ben, you wanna forgive her. I can see it. I can hear it. Just do it.” The killer look Ben sent Ned had him giving up on the lectures . . . for now. He sighed. “She’s staying with an actress-friend of hers who lives out there. This girl told her about a role in a film. She’s going to try out for it.”

  “You two had quite the conversation, huh?”

  Ben was acting like a jealous, stubborn asshole. And he was Ned’s best friend in the world, so he knew why Ben was being a dick. Ben missed her as much as Ned did, and he was jealous Ned was talking to her instead of him.

  “She’ll be back, Ben.”

  He screwed up his face into a scowl. “No, she won’t.”

  “I think she will, so why don
’t we make a little wager on it?” Ned cocked a brow in challenge.

  Ben let out a snort. “All right. I’m willing to make this interesting. How about if I win and she doesn’t come back within let’s say two weeks or so, you have to walk the straight and narrow. No picking up chicks at the bar and bringing them back here. And no trying to find a loophole in the rules and bringing home hookers either.”

  “For how long?”

  “Six months.”

  “Well, jeez. I might as well be in jail.” Ned frowned.

  “You keep it up and you will be.”

  Ned had no doubt in his mind Heather would find her way back to them, sometime. Someway. He knew women. In two days he’d grown to know her.

  “Fine. I’ll agree to that if you give Heather a month to come back. I don’t know how long movie auditions can take. Agreed?”

  “Two weeks, a month, it doesn’t matter, but yes. All right. A month.”

  “Okay. It’s a deal. Now, let’s see. If I win, what do I want?” Ned tapped his chin. “I know. If I’m right and she comes back here, our reunion sex with her has to be my way. Whatever I want. Not just a few smacks on her ass either like the last time. The whole shebang. Leather ties. Riding crop. The works.”

  “Fine.” Ben added, “It doesn’t matter anyway because she’s not coming back.”

  “But if she does?” Ned prompted.

  Ben rolled his eyes. “I’ll agree to it, if she does.”

  “All of it?” Ned should probably get this in writing.

  “Sure, what the hell.” Ben let out a laugh. “All of it.”

  “Lube and everything?” Ned wanted the terms clarified up front so there’d be no backing out when Heather proved him right.

  “Uh, on whom, exactly, is that going to be used?” Ben frowned so deep, his eyebrows became one line above his eyes.

  Ned laughed. “We better table that discussion to be revisited later.”

  He didn’t think Ben could handle all the details right now anyway. Certainly not how the hooker—the real one he’d paid—had convinced Ned to let her slide the well-lubed riding crop handle inside him. He’d gotten hard as steel from that little bout of role reversal. It was something he definitely wouldn’t mind exploring with Heather. Though maybe without Ben around.