by Dace Everan
Ren growled to himself and followed her. He swore. First chance he got, she was getting a spanking, and she would learn that she was not the only adult in this house! That she didn’t have to do this alone. That she could and would rely on him to help her handle anything thrown at her.
Jake and Etty sat in the living room, guilty looks on their faces. Cole chewed her lip and considered them a moment. How the hell was she supposed to explain this to them? She and Ren weren’t necessarily in a relationship. Things had been moving along, but his touches had always been in private and never when the kids were around.
“Jake, Etty, your mother and I have a right to kiss each other. No, we shouldn’t have let it happen when you were around, not until Momma was ready for that,” he voiced from the entrance of the living room.
Jake looked from his mother to Ren. “You touched our mom, Mr. Ren.”
Ren entered the room and took a seat across from the two kids. “Yes, I did.” If this kid had something to say to him about touching his mamma, he would sit and take it.
Jake looked at his mom, looked at Etty, then back at Ren. “No one ever touches mom. Not even daddy when she got back…” He chewed his lower lips as if trying to figure something out. “Mom doesn’t touch anyone either.” He looked at his mom. “You like Mr. Ren?”
Cole closed her eyes. “Yes, hon, I do,” she admitted.
The thrill those words sent through Ren was overwhelming. His gaze landed on Cole, and all he could feel looking at her was utter enchantment. He wanted her as his and would have her. He would love her and protect her and make sure she knew how much he loved her every fucking day for the rest of her life.
Jake turned his attention back to Ren. “You like my mom?” he asked.
Ren nodded. “I do.”
Jake grunted, settling back in his seat. “Fine, you don’t have to hide from us. We know adults hug and kiss…Not sure how I feel about your hand up my mom’s shirt, but I suppose if she’s letting you do that, that’s her call.” Etty scooted closer to Jake, whispering in his ear. Jake nodded, looking at his mom than back at Etty. “You need to ask Mom that,” he whispered back.
Etty looked at her mom. “I can’t come in your room no more?” she whispered, a shake to her voice.
Cole sighed, crossing to her daughter, lifting her and taking her seat. “No, hon…you can come into my room anytime you want.”
Etty looked at Ren. “You’ll let Mom sleep in your room?” she asked.
Ren shrugged. “That would be your mother’s call, hon.”
Etty looked at her mom. “I think you should. Maybe the bad dreams would go away…Maybe Mr. Ren should tuck you in and give you a hug, too?” Cole nearly smiled. She wished it was that simple.
Ren shifted to the edge of his chair and looked the two kids on. “Your momma’s a beautiful lady. I’m going to want to hug her and kiss her,” he warned.
Jake nodded. “So does that other guy, Kyle,” he spoke.
Ren raised a thick eyebrow. “Kyle? The one I have to take care of my horses?”
Jake nodded. “I heard him and the other man talking the one day, they didn’t know I was there. They were saying things about my mom.” He peeked up at his mom. “You know how to defend yourself? Cause if you don’t, I will protect you, Mom.”
Cole looked at her son, pride filled her at the fierce look he had on his young face. Obviously they had said something they shouldn’t have, and her son knew exactly what they were talking about. Shit! “What did they say?” she ordered.
Jake cringed, his brow furrowing. He scratched at his cast in a nervous manner. “They said they wanted to tie you up…” His eyes darted to Ren nervously. “They would have to do it when Mr. Ren was gone. They said he would kill them if he ever found out,” he blurted.
Ren clenched his fists and his lip curled in a snarl. How dare his own men dare think to even speak about his woman in such a manner! “Thank you, Jake, for telling me that. I didn’t realize your momma was in danger here.” He stood. He needed to go sniff out the two and bash some heads.
Jake looked up at his mom. “Are we going to have to move now? I don’t want to leave. I like living here with Mr. Ren. He shows me and Etty stuff,” he whined.
Cole hugged him close kissing his temple. “Shh, let’s not think about that, hon.”
Ren growled at Cole not answering her son honestly. “No, you’re not moving. I welcomed your mother and you two here to keep you safe. If you ever hear anyone else planning on hurting your mother or either of you, you need to come tell us right away, Jake.” His gaze landed on Etty. “Same with you, Etty. Anyone says they want to harm your momma, you tell me!” he ordered, striding from the room.
Jake turned to his mom after Ren left them alone. “He takes care of you, Mom. I even saw him punch that other feller the other day when they were watching you cross the yard. Ren doesn’t want anyone hurting you.”
Cole nodded, hugging her son close. “No, he doesn’t…He knows I hurt inside already, knows it’s hard to recover from that kind of hurt,” she confided.
Etty hugged her momma around the waist. “I think Mr. Ren loves you, Momma. He’s got the big froggy eyes for you all the time,” she shared.
Cole laughed then. It was her daughter’s way of saying people were in love. Instead of moon eyes, they had big bright froggy eyes, and goodness, they had been spending way too much time with Ren for her daughter to call her mamma. “I think I get them once in a while as well,” she admitted.
Jake laughed. “You do,” he assured her.
Cole released a breath. “You two have any questions, concerns?”
Jake looked at his mom, then Etty. “Are you going to have babies with Mr. Ren?” he asked right out.
Cole shook her head. “No.”
Etty peeked up at her mom. “You’re going to sleep in his room though?”
Cole shook her head. “Maybe not. Ren needs sleep. He won’t get any if I’m there tossing and turning.” No need for her children to even envision anything sexual. They knew moms and dads had sex to have babies and they knew parents touched and kissed and had sex because they love each other.
Etty cupped her momma’s cheek. “Maybe it’s what you need, Momma? He can hug and kiss you and make you forget about the hurts. You smile more when he’s around.”
Cole furrowed her brows at that comment. She hadn’t noticed if she had smiled more or not when he was around. She knew she had felt a whole lot safer since she had come here. She rested her chin on Etty’s head in thought. Her mind replaying the last few weeks, her heart warmed. Etty was right. She had smiled a lot more. “I do.”
Chapter Nine
Ren ground his fist into Kyle’s face and blood splattered. “I was joking around!” Kyle cried, his hands no longer able to reach up to protect himself.
“You will go to Jake and apologize for what you said! You scared that boy. He had to actually ask his momma if she could defend herself. You have any idea how much that scares that kid?” Shit, he knew as soon as he had seen the fear in Kyle’s eyes that the young man had just been living out a fantasy that he would never have with Cole. Ren also knew deep down Kyle would never act on it. “You scared a boy, Kyle. How would you like to hear some man saying he wanted to tie up your mother!” he shouted.
Kyle sobbed. “I’m sorry, Ren. I didn’t think he was around.”
Ren shoved him to the ground with a thud and stood. He wiped his hands on his dusty jeans and looked down at the young man. “You’ll be placed on the eastern pasture. The only time I want to see your face will be at the end of the month, and you’ll be accompanied by Hank.”
Kyle nodded, thankful he at least still had work with Ren. “Thank you, Ren.”
Ren growled. “Swear if I see you anywhere near Colette, I’ll end you myself. That one belongs to me,” he announced in a fierce voice.
Kyle whimpered and backed away from the man. Ren’s Wolf was showing and Kyle knew better than to keep close. He had da
red say things about his boss’s lady and get caught. He was lucky to still be breathing.
Ren paced on the back porch before daring to enter. He could hear Cole in the kitchen cleaning up. The kids, he assumed, were watching their favorite nightly show. He could hear soft giggles coming from the living room. He plopped down on the swing and tried to relax, fury still raging through him. Fuck, he hated to send Kyle out to the eastern pasture, but the thought of him saying those things enraged him and if he had to look at the prick, he would beat him to a pulp again.
Tie up his woman and fuck her ass! He would kill the little fucker before that ever happened. Shit, he needed to go have a talk with Jake. That kid has to be confused as hell. The shit Kyle had spewed talking to Roger had not been appropriate talk for a little boy to be hearing. He clenched his bloody fists and marveled at the sting.
“Jake told me in detail what Kyle had said,” said Cole’s soft voice from behind him. Ren glanced at her. She had a bowl of he assumed water and towels draped over her arm. She settled in next to him. “I do know how to defend myself…Lane and Theo made sure I took classes. My friend’s husband,” she reminded him, dipping a cloth in the warm water and dabbing at his bloody knuckles, cringing. “I…you shouldn’t have beat him,” she said.
Ren grunted. “Yes, I should have and more. Little fucker say those things about you with the chances Jake could hear him! Fuck, Cole. That kid does not need to know about stuff like that!”
Cole sighed, dipping the cloth in the water and starting on a cleaner patch, dabbing at his knuckles again. “He’s part Wolf, he has lots of questions…He heard another boy at school talking about the act as well.” She received a grunt, and long thick fingers closing in a fist in her hands. Cole pursed her lips, whispering a silent apology.
“Still, he’s still too young to be worrying about sex,” he grumbled.
Cole smiled. “Yes, I agree, but it doesn’t hurt. My kids are well informed on everything. I hide very little from them,” she admitted. It was better they were prepared for life rather than going blindly into it. If she could help them she would do her damndest to provide that for them.
Ren nodded, he had picked up on that in the short time she had been here. “So no talking to your boy then?” he mumbled.
Cole smiled at the way he phrased it. “No, no talking to my boy. Not about that. I’ve already talked to him about it.”
Ren turned away as she wiped along his knuckles. That sting he didn’t savor as much as the other. “And if he comes to me with questions?” he asked, eyes falling on her.
Cole shrugged. “I cannot stop you from giving your own piece of advice. Jake’s a curious boy.”
Ren nodded. “Yes, he is, and your daughter is just as curious,” he offered.
Cole released his hand, plucking up the other. She paid just as much gentle care to this one as she had the first. It struck Ren’s heart in a place no other had ever been able to touch. “Kyle won’t bother you. He was just living out fantasies,” he revealed.
Cole nodded. “I figured as much. I’ve seen him staring. I’m not so damaged I don’t notice men looking at me…I am the only woman out here,” she reminded him.
Ren grunted. “Trying to run a ranch here, not some come on over and sex it up with the girls when you should be working. That is why there are no women here,” he pointed out.
Cole released his hand, looking at him. “What about you? When we first got here, you were never in the house, and now you’re never away from it.” She called him out on that and she had every right.
Ren had never been a man to sit in his office all day. He did have paperwork that needed doing and it did always get done, but normally it was late in the night after a day of working outdoors away from his home. “So what? I’m the boss man. I can do whatever I want.”
Cole held up a hand silencing him. “I know. I’m just trying to make a point, Ren.” She picked up the now red-stained water and walked to the edge of the porch and dumped it on the shrub growing there. She returned and plucked up the towels. “The kids wanted to say goodnight to you,” she stated.
* * * *
The next week dragged. Ren had taken up doing the work Kyle would normally have done, and Cole kept busy in the garden weeding. Who would have thought weeding a garden would have taken this long, or would have been such a tedious job. Cole looked at her dirt-encrusted fingernails. She slumped, looking around the main yard. Her heart thudded at the sight of a strange man standing near the house looking right at her. She swallowed nervously, slowly standing. She glanced toward the stables. She knew Ren was in there, brushing down the horses. All she had to do was yell and he would be out. He would hear her.
“Morning ma’am,” the man greeted, heading straight for her.
Cole’s heart beat rapidly and she had to force herself to stop her hands from trembling. “Morning…looking for Ren?” She looked again at the barn.
The man offered a dashing smile, nodding. “Yeah, he said he would be around today.”
Cole nodded, pointing to the barn, wishing she hadn’t when she saw how much her hand was shaking. The man glanced over his shoulder, then back at her. He held his hand out. “Name’s Jaron Stokes,” he offered.
Cole looked at his big hand, then up into his face, mesmerized. Soft eyes and features, if ruggedly handsome could do that. “Cole,” she stammered.
Jaron smiled, pulling his hand back when he realized she wasn’t going to shake. “Ren didn’t mention a new gardener?” he queried looking her up and down.
Cole shook her head. “Not the gardener.” She stuttered, not sure how she was supposed to explain her position here on Ren’s ranch to this man.
Jaron grinned. “Mm, his woman?” he asked.
Cole furrowed her brow. She couldn’t answer that one either. They’d not clarified that one had they? Oh goodness, her brain was going to mush. Ren had made it very clear he wanted to fuck her but to have an actually relationship? She wasn’t ready for that.
Jaron reached out tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and marveled at the shiver that seemed to sear through her. Her eyes darkened and his finger caressed her earlobe. “Guess I need to talk to Ren about that don’t I, sweetheart.” He purred.
Cole nodded. Yes he should, and what in the hell was wrong with her. This man was a complete stranger and the minor touch of him had her shivering in delight. This was bad.
Jaron tipped the front of his hat to her. “Nice to meet you, I’ll show myself to Ren.” He turned on his heel and strolled toward the barn.
Cole couldn’t help but watch. Her heart thudded in a whole new rhythm. Why were men in tight blue jeans and black cowboy hats so sexy? Goodness, even Ren was hot when he donned the blue jeans. Oh, and his white shirt, the clash of his tanned skin against the white was wondrous for her sight. She sighed. Lunchtime was nearing. The garden work would have to wait till later.
Ren’s laughter came from the back door as the two men entered. “Hey, Cole!” he greeted from the back entry, waiting for Cole to peek down the hall. When she did, he grinned. “You meet Jaron?” he asked leading the man into the house.
Cole’s first reaction was to look down and make sure they had removed their boots. Second was the tight jeans, third was Ren, then a quick peek at Jaron.
Ren chuckled. “Yes, I told him to take the boots off,” he assured her, laying a kiss on her forehead as he passed her.
Jaron grinned at her. “Shit, changing the man, girly,” he chided, repeating Ren’s movement pecking her on the forehead as well.
Cole blushed and shock roared through her. “Lunch is ready whenever you’re hungry,” she stammered, watching the two men pass her to the kitchen.
Jaron whistled at the set table, the pot in the middle, and the basket of buns. “Shit, Ren, I’m moving in,” he decided after sitting down, glancing at the two. Both staring at him with expectant looks.
“Yes, wash your hands,” Cole chided.
Jaron grunted. “Really
, come on, you’re not a momma, are you?”
Ren chuckled, nodding. “Yes. Her domain, man, you had better listen. She’ll give you the one-two and you’ll be eating outside all by your lonesome,” he shared, drying his hands on the towel she always left out for him.
Jaron scoffed. “That little woman put me out?”
Ren laughed. It was short and touched Cole in places that had not been touched in a long time. “She has a ten-year-old. That boy sat down, dirty hands and grass in his hair, she had asked him nicely to wash up. He decided that his momma didn’t know any better and chose not to.”
Cole smiled at the memory. Jaron shrugged, waiting for Ren to finish the story. “She hauled that boy up over her shoulder, carried him outside, and set him on the bottom step. Grabbed a plate of scraps and took them out to him and slammed the door. No way is a pig eating at her table. Her boy never comes to the table in that state anymore.”
Jaron chuckled. “Nice, I would like to see her sling me over her shoulder and just try,” he drawled smugly.
Cole decided she didn’t like the cocky tone he had. She leaned close to his ear. “You have very pretty ears, Mr. Jaron…Let’s keep them that way.”
Jaron looked at her. Did she just imply she would damage his ears?
She smirked. “Wash your hands please,” she requested politely.
Jaron studied her for a moment, deciding that she was indeed serious about doing harm to his ears. He gave in and washed up. “So, Miss Cole, is there any other rules I need to know about?” he asked soaping up his hands.
Cole held back the smirk trying to spread across her lips. “No boots in the house or you’re sweeping and mopping. No swearing in the house and please try to mind your own business when it comes to me and mine.” She listed off the most important issues.
Jaron saluted her. “So keep your house clean. Don’t play daddy to your kid, and act like a gentlemen.” He harrumphed and gave her a thoughtful look. “I could try. I tend to open my mouth at the wrong times and offer advice I have no business offering, and I am a bit of a pig.” He shrugged. “I do like a few cuss words, but between you and Ren.” He released a breath. “I’m sure you child is safe from me.”