by Reece Butler
“I want you to promise not to say anything more to me, Jane, Riley, or anyone else about the chances of Jane staying. And nothing about marriage, motherhood, or babies, either.”
“Why not? Think I might scare her off?”
“What did you think about Granny and Grandpa bugging you about Mom every time you turned around?”
Pops shifted his feet. Travis had heard plenty about Mom’s parents being against her marrying a wild rancher so far from the Eastern city she’d been born in. And that was before they realized she’d be sharing her life with two cowboys, not just one.
“It’s not the same thing,” he groused. “We want Jane to stay.”
“You don’t know anything about her.”
“Yes, I do.”
“What?” Travis crossed his arms. He was taller than Pops by an inch or two now that the older man had shrunk.
“I know that woman looks at you with stars in her eyes and you’re looking back just the same. She’s a keeper, son. It’s up to you and Rye to make sure she knows it.” He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. “If, that is, you want her. Riley’ll be here soon. He might grab her if you don’t. I’d be doing some thinking if I were you.”
Travis’s anger faded. He told himself it was his worry over Jane’s safety that had him backing away from committing himself. He was always the goal-oriented one, using patience and discipline to reach his prize. Jane was the biggest prize ever. He wasn’t sure she thought of him the same way.
“I need a clear playing field, Pops. That means no offside interference.”
“I’ll give you a month. Then I’ll be putting down the screws.” He gave Travis the look that meant Keith might be the boss man, but don’t ever take Donny Adams for a weakling. “I’d best check the house to see if Jane needs anything. You think she’s filled the cookie jar yet?” Pops waggled his bushy eyebrows, banishing any ill feelings. “Maybe your Aunt Marci could give Jane her brownie recipe. I’ve been partial to them since the day she met your Uncle Lance. You were, what, two? Dang, how time flies.”
Riley rested his back against a thick post as Pops stomped his way across the yard. After having Jane available and eager, how the heck was he going to see her and not touch her?
Another new mother to be made her pain known, bawling for help.
Work. That was how he’d get through. With lots and lots of hours spent in backbreaking work. He rolled up his sleeves and headed for the birthing pen.
* * * *
Jane was on her knees, scrubbing the front of the bottom cupboards, when she heard the distinct clomp of boots entering the kitchen. Dinner was done, supper was defrosting, and she’d expected to be alone for a few hours. Pops had waltzed her across the room when he came in mid-morning to find her taking peanut butter cookies out of the oven. She expected he’d come back for more.
“You’ve got to be Jane,” said a deep female voice.
She looked up. And up. A very tall blonde woman dressed the same way as Aggie looked at her with curiosity as she toed her boots off. Jane used the counter to help pull herself to her feet. She groaned along with her complaining muscles. The woman, who seemed near her own age, grinned. Though very tall for a woman, and muscular, her body was in proportion. Somewhere along the way she’d broken her nose at least once. She wasn’t pretty, but she radiated confidence, which brought its own type of beauty.
“Sorry, I’ve been on my knees too long,” said Jane, rubbing them to reduce the pain. “I’m afraid I’m not dressed for company.”
“I’m not company, I’m family. Lila Frost of the Circle C Ranch, directly across the valley. Wow, Aunt Aggie is going to love you for cleaning the kitchen.” She sniffed. Her eyes went to the giant cookie jar, a bubblegum pink ceramic pig Jane had set on the harvest table. “Homemade peanut butter cookies?”
“Yes. Help yourself.”
Lila took one, tasted it, then took a couple more. She wiped crumbs from her mouth. “I haven’t seen Arnold full since the last time Sophie came home. You realize Uncle Donny and his sweet tooth are not going to let you off this ranch, ever?”
That was not a subject Jane was going to get into, especially with a person she’d just met.
“You must be one of the select few with the combination to the ranch gate,” she said. “I didn’t hear a truck.”
“Truck? Oh, hell, no. It’s faster and a lot more fun to ride across the valley on Blue. He’s part draft, stands over eighteen hands. We travel like the wind.”
Jane added everything up. “Your horse is bigger not because of your size, but so you can win races against males who try to put you down for being taller.”
Lila’s smile turned her from attractive into beautiful. “I do like an intelligent woman! We are going to get along fine.” She took another cookie, then carefully replaced the lid. She turned it so the pig’s head faced the door, which meant it was looking over its shoulder. “Don’t suppose I could hire you to do this at the Circle C when our parents take off?”
“Your mother is Doc Nikki?”
“Yep. I wouldn’t mind Mom staying around since she works in town, even though she’s supposed to be retiring, but I have to get Daddy and Papa out of my way. They don’t believe a woman can run a ranch without a man’s help.”
“Pardon me, but you don’t look like you need a man’s help for anything.”
Lila blushed. “Well, I could use one or two, but none of the locals are interested in more than a pal.” She looked down and brushed off her worn jeans. “I need to hire a hand while my parents are away. I’ve passed the word in Dillon, so maybe someone from Montana U will want a job. A job on the ranch,” she hastened to explain. “I wouldn’t want a university student for a partner. Not if they’re anything like my younger brothers.”
Lila might be confident about ranch work, but didn’t seem sure about herself as a woman.
“I thought I was nothing but a plastic doll until I met Riley and Travis,” said Jane. “They showed me I can be far more.” She smiled encouragingly. “One day you’ll meet someone who’ll do the same for you.”
Lila snorted. Outside the window, a horse did the same. Jane pressed her lips together to stop a smile.
“Where do you think I’ll meet someone when I spend all my time on the Circle C? And don’t tell me to go to the city. I don’t want one of those pretty boys who’re all flash and no substance.” Lila scowled. “Internet surfers can’t do a decent day’s ranch work.”
“In my case it was Wall Street financiers, lawyers, and politicians.” They shared a mutual shiver of disgust, then laughed. “Want more cookies?”
“Nah, had my share. Got any coffee?”
Riley had told her about keeping a pot going almost day and night, in case someone dropped by. She hadn’t made a fresh batch after dinner, since the gate was locked.
“Let me make a fresh pot.”
“So, shall I tell you all about the trouble my good buddies Riley and Travis Adams got into growing up?”
“Yes, please!” Jane began constructing coffee the way Donny had shown her that morning when he stopped by for cookies.
“Wait ’til you meet the rest of the gang,” said Lila. She ran her hands over the cats, pulled out a chair, and straddled it.
“How many are there?”
“There’s a couple of sets of twins my age, Brody and Ross MacDougal, and Grant and Dare McInnes. Sam and his younger brother Trey Elliott, and Josh and Ty Gibson, are a couple of years older. Josh, the oldest, is the sheriff. And then there’s my good buddy TJ White and his little brother TN.” Lila gave her a speculative look. “You talk to TJ’s daddy yet?”
“Um, no. I just got here this morning.”
“You should. He’s got ways of finding out stuff that the police haven’t a hope of discovering.”
“Could he find out what really happened to my mother? She was killed in a suspicious crash.”
Lila filled her mug. “You’ll never know unless you ask.” She sipped, t
hen raised sparkling eyes. “You want to hear about the time Riley and Marsha Taylor got caught playing doctor?”
A deep voice cleared his throat behind them. They both turned. Travis, feet set shoulder length apart, arms crossed, frowned at Lila.
“I thought we’d agreed you wouldn’t tell Jane anything, and in return I wouldn’t embarrass you when you found a man or two.”
“I’ve given up on men, so I figured I had nothing to lose.” Lila grinned at Travis, strode over, and plowed him in the shoulder, hard. He rocked back.
“I wish you weren’t a girl so I could wrestle you down, hog-tie you, throw you on that giant beast of yours, and haul you home so Uncle Eric could blister your ass cherry red with his belt.”
Jane’s eyes widened at Travis’s threat, but Lila laughed.
“Don’t worry, Jane. The only one who gets spanked around home these days is my mom. And that’s by her choice.”
“TMI,” replied Jane, holding up her hands to ward off information. Travis strolled over, his eyes gleaming with an eagerness Jane recognized. “Oh, no!” she said, scrambling backward. “I told you, no hanky-panky in your parents’ home!”
“See!” said Lila at full volume. “That’s exactly why we need to ship our parents off on that cruise. Aggie texted Mom, who’s getting all excited. Daddy and Papa said they’d go happy if you and Riley would keep an eye on me, and the hired hand I need to find.” She rolled her eyes. “As if!”
Travis dropped into a chair on the far side of the table. Jane knew why, and that it had to do with hiding what rose below his shiny belt buckle. Her pussy swelled in response. The thought of visiting the barn suddenly rose on her to-do list. After daily orgasms she hadn’t had one in too long. The urge to do something about it grew every time she saw Travis.
“I’d better get back,” said Lila. She waggled her eyebrows. “I bet Jane would like to ride over to the hot spring.”
“Hot spring?”
“The Double Diamond Ranch is just to the west of here,” explained Lila. “It has a natural hot spring and pool. They don’t mind visitors. I can tell you stories that will curl your—”
“Good-bye, Lila,” said Travis emphatically. “Don’t let the door hit your butt on the way out.”
He said it with evident affection, and Lila laughed. “Good to see you, Jane. Your guys are a pain in the ass sometimes, but they’re good men. I’ll tell my parents about you staying here, and that you’ll make sure they help me whenever I ask.”
“As if you ever ask for anything,” said Travis.
“That’s because I don’t need help.” She strode toward the door, oozing confidence. A quick wave, and she was gone.
Travis gave a long-suffering sigh. “We’re finally alone. Sit on my lap and I’ll give you a kiss.”
Jane backed away, shaking her head and laughing. “You want more than a kiss, Travis Adams.”
“Yep. And so do you. Admit it.”
His eager lust slammed into her like a tidal wave. She was instantly wet, her breasts and pussy swollen. She bit her lip, considering. Maybe if they went up to his room…
Someone banged on the window. She jumped. Her heart stopped, then almost exploded. Pops grinned, then disappeared in the direction of the door. His voice echoed down the hall as he approached. “None of that, son, there’s work to do. Did Lila steal all the cookies, Jane?”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Jane yawned, shoving her damp hair behind her ears as she quietly slipped down the stairs behind Buster. She’d have the kitchen to herself this early in the morning. A light was left on all night in case someone needed to come downstairs in the dark. It was like a beacon to her, guiding her toward something wonderful.
Most people had no idea how precious was the ability to get a cup of coffee whenever they wanted. She let Buster out, prepared the coffee machine, and then filled the dog and cat dishes. Buster’s bowl, along with fresh water, went outside on the porch. When she came back in the cats were crouched over their food. Their crunching and the bubbling of the coffee were the only sounds.
She shivered, then looked longingly toward the big black stove that crouched along the inner wall. Keith had done something to it last night so there’d be coals in the morning. Filling it should be simple enough, but she wasn’t used to matches or making fires. She could wait.
She went by the window, hoping to see the first rays of the sun, but it was dark except for the lights at the corners of the barn. The house was set so the kitchen window faced the morning sun. The valley ran southeast to northwest which Pops explained brought rain in summer and storms in winter. There were lots of dips in the land for the cattle to shelter in, but that came with a cost. Those spots, where the wind blew the snow overhead, dropped lots of the white stuff. That meant cattle could be buried in a bad blow. The ranchers had to go out to find them, risking their lives.
Her romantic vision of cowboys, created from old movies, was quickly being shot down. This was hard work, a daily grind that was as grueling as it was fulfilling.
Here, she was no ornament. What she did, little though it was to date, reduced the need for the others to spend valuable away from the hard physical work. But she had a brain as well as hands. Surely she could do more for them? She had a degree in business. They might not trust her to do the books, but she could take inventory and create spreadsheets.
The coffee machine signaled it was done. She turned from the window with a sigh. What was she thinking? That she could stay here, safe from the men who wanted to use her for their own purposes? She had insulted them deeply, and ruined their plans. Worse, she’d rubbed their noses in it by escaping. Bad enough that one of Bertram Stark’s daughters was shamed in the media, which meant he hadn’t been in control. People would eventually find out she was gone, and that would make him livid.
She filled a mug with shaking hands, wrapping her fingers around its warmth.
Bertie would hide his rage, of course. Perhaps he’d suggest he had sent her away in disgust due to her irrational behavior. That way, when he did find her and got his vengeance, no one would know. He wouldn’t kill her, because then she’d be useless to him. But he could haul her back and hand her over to William Rankin. A private wedding ceremony with no one the wiser would bind her to the beast. No one would listen to her, though Rankin would never allow anyone to see her but his handpicked staff.
She now knew how wonderful life could be. She didn’t expect it to be easy, but everything had a price. She wanted to be fulfilled, to work knowing someone appreciated what she did. No matter how tired Travis and Riley were, they always commented on the simple food she cooked, or noticed what she’d done. Small things, but they brought her joy to do it.
Having experienced freedom, she could not go back.
She set her mug on the counter, unable to hold it with shaking hands. Two steps and she sank onto a chair. She shivered, but not from the temperature. It was the piercing cold of terror that froze her bones.
The purrpt? of a cat warned her before it bumped her leg. She looked down. Marmie, the marmalade cat, put his front paws on her knee. He tilted his head. She straightened and he immediately leaped into her lap. His rough purr immediately filled the room. She set a shaking hand on his soft fur. His rumble of affection filled her soul. Kitty was nice to cuddle, but a live cat’s purr pushed away her fear with love and contentment.
A cat didn’t worry about the future and neither should she. If she cowered in fear Bertie would have won. He was a threat, yes, but plans could be made to face threats. Last night, with Travis at her side, she’d told her life story. Someone had told TJ’s father, and he told the sheriff, so Mr. White and Sheriff Gibson had joined Keith, Donny, and Aggie at the big kitchen table.
With their encouragement she’d told them everything. Halfway through Travis lifted her onto his lap, lending his silent strength. It felt strange to have five men and a woman listen to her speak, only interrupting to ensure they understood. They were all furious
on her behalf as they worked out how best to approach the situation.
Tom White’s eyes had sparkled in humor when he arrived, but they glittered like obsidian when she finished. Josh, Sheriff Gibson, had ground his teeth at the thought of hired goons invading his town. Donny had cursed, and Keith had lifted Aggie into his lap for comfort. Jane wasn’t sure who needed it more.
When she was done Travis’s murmured words of pride and encouragement, echoed by the others, made her tremble. Then Tom said something so astonishing she had yet to digest it. The man she’d considered her father, had no biological connection to her. Somehow her mother had managed to get pregnant without her husband’s knowledge. Tom had people searching for the name of her biological father.
Deep inside, she’d been terrified her children, if she had any, would be contaminated by his DNA. Travis had carried her upstairs like a child and put her to bed, spooning her until she fell in an exhausted sleep. He was gone when she woke, but Buster was cuddled at her back, and Kitty was in her arms.
Jane rubbed her fingers around Marmie’s ears. He rose on his back feet, bumping her chin, demanding cuddles and scratches. He so easily demanded affection, as if it was his right just by existing. So did Travis, Riley, and his parents. Why couldn’t she?
Bertie wanted her to believe she wasn’t worthy of respect, but he was wrong. She had value here on the ranch. Everyone had remarked how the kitchen had sparkled when they came in for supper. No matter what happened, even if she was forced to leave, she would find a way to leave her mark, even if it was just a few memories.
“What are you doing up?”
She startled at Keith’s voice. Marmie responded to her quick turn by grabbing with all twenty claws. She reassured the cat that she’d meant no harm, rubbing his head. He settled back and the rumble began once more.
“After last night I thought the two of you would sleep in.” Keith fixed his coffee, took a hesitant sip, then nodded. “Good coffee.”