by Jane Jamison
“What time is it?” Charlie knew he’d catch it from Jesse for asking so soon after the last time, but he couldn’t help it.
“Like I told you thirty minutes ago, the time doesn’t matter. Getting the chores done does.”
Charlie stretched his back. Damn, digging post holes and wrangling cows all day could make any man feel old. But having sex with Carolina would make him feel better. “So what’s left to do?”
“We’ve got another fence to mend. Then we’re good to go.”
“Great. Providing she’s still there when we get back.” He hated to think she’d leave. She had to have felt the invisible bond that brought all mates to her werewolf males. But human females were unpredictable. He squinted into the rays of the setting sun and rider approaching them. “Who’s that?”
Jesse shielded his eyes from the glare. “I think it’s Joey.”
“What’s he doing out here? He’s not on range work today.” His gut tightened. Had something happened to Carolina? Had she left? He shirked off the idea. She was safe at the main house, waiting for their return. Besides, who’d want to hurt her? And yet, he couldn’t shake the nagging tingle that warned him of danger.
Sure enough, Joey galloped up to them, then reined his horse to a stop. “Hi.”
Joey always made Charlie want to ask if he’d done his homework. The kid was only eighteen and fresh out of high school, but to Charlie’s eyes, he looked a lot younger. Just like his sister, Lisa-May, did. “What’s going on, kid? Why are you all the way out here?”
“Burt thought I should let you know.”
Charlie shot his brother a look of mutual understanding. “Let us know what?”
“They got Carolina’s car up to the house. But since they figured you’d want them to stall her as long as possible, they checked it over again”—he grinned—“even though the mechanic already did it.”
“So she’s still there?”
“Yeah. They just finished up washing her car. Then they got my sister to show her Queen. That’s when I saddled up and came to find you.” He tipped his cowboy hat back. “Although, if you ask me, she doesn’t act like she’s in any hurry to leave.”
“Sounds good.” He was relieved. Hopefully, she was already planning on staying.
“Still…”
Aw, hell. “Still what?”
“Lisa-May said she was saying things like ‘having overstayed her welcome.’”
“Shit.” He tugged his hat low on his forehead. Was she really planning on going? Or was she hinting for someone else to invite her to stay? “Think you could get a couple of men to finish up for us? There’s a hole in the fence over in the next acre.”
“We kind of figured you’d want to get back.” Joey pulled out his cell. “I’ll give them a call.”
“Shit. I didn’t even check.” Charlie pulled out his phone as did Jesse. “Yep. Service is back on.”
“Then let’s get moving.” Jesse nodded toward the horizon. “Daylight’s a-burnin’.”
* * * *
Carolina didn’t want to appear ungrateful, but she wished they hadn’t retrieved her car. Getting her car meant she was free to leave, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
If she had her way, she’d spend more time with Charlie and Jesse. They’d called her “their woman,” but what did that really mean? Had they meant it? Or was it a game they played with every woman who’d buy their sweet talk? Did they really want her to stay?
Burt was going over her car again, inspecting the air pressure in the tires, and peering under the hood. It was the third time he’d done so, the second time after he’d finished washing it. Normally, she wouldn’t have let him do it more than once, but if it would delay her departure then it was fine with her.
She glanced back at the corral where Queen was. Maybe the country life wasn’t so bad after all. Horses were a perk, especially pretty, friendly ones like Queen who seemed to enjoy her company as much as she enjoyed the mare’s. If it were possible to fall in love with a horse at first sight, then she and Queen had fallen hard.
“Okay. Well, I guess it’s safe.” Burt straightened up and wiped the oily grime from his hands.
“Then why do you look so nervous?” She quietly urged him to say he needed to inspect the car again. Another glance toward the pasture that lay beyond the house had her wondering for the hundredth time where Jesse and Charlie were.
“I don’t mean to. Still…”
“Maybe you should check it again.” She hoped she wasn’t being too obvious. “You know. To be certain.”
He brightened. “Yeah. Maybe I should. To be certain.”
She nodded along with him and tried to act concerned when he bent over the engine again. Where the hell were they?
In the next minute, Jesse and Charlie came into view, riding their horses at a gallop. They were like the men of the old West racing after the train robbers. She smiled, loving the way they sat their saddles, not bobbing up and down like she would when riding. They were real cowboys and not just men who liked to dress up and pretend they knew the back end of a horse from the front.
In a cloud of dust, they brought their horses to a sliding stop only a few feet from her, digging into the still wet ground. But she wasn’t frightened. They wouldn’t have let anything hurt her, much less their animals.
She kept her exuberance from showing. After all, why let them know how much she missed them? At least not until they’d told that they’d missed her first.
“Carolina, you’re still here.”
She noticed Burt slamming the hood down on her car. Had Jesse not called her sugar on purpose because Burt was in earshot? Or was it because he didn’t want her to expect anything more than a casual greeting?
“It’s kind of hard to miss me,” she bit back, hating that she didn’t know where he stood. “Hi, Charlie.” At least he gave her a wide smile.
“Hey.” Charlie slid off his horse as did Jesse. They handed their reins to Burt. “Would you take care of them, Burt? They’ve been ridden hard.”
“Sure thing.” Burt gave her a hooded look, took the reins of both horses, and ambled toward the barn.
“You’re still here.”
“You already said that.”
Their presence was enough to set her libido dancing and her pussy wetting. No other men had ever affected her the way they did. She welcomed the sensation of the buzz they always gave her as it flowed over her skin and into her body.
“Are you headed back to town?”
Was it her imagination or did she hear the yearning in Charlie’s tone? “Well, my car is here, washed and inspected for damage. I thanked the guys who got it back on the road, but I want to thank you, too. I appreciate you letting me stay here.”
Charlie and Jesse hadn’t gotten an inch closer. Was that an indication of their true feelings?
“Good. I’m glad.”
Come on, Jesse. Say more than that. A lot more.
“Okay, then. I guess I’ll get going.” She waited a moment, then started for the driver’s side. Would she ever see them again? Could she live knowing that?
She spun around and ran straight into Charlie’s wide chest. The warmth of him, even the pungent aroma of his hard labors were welcomed. Taking a big breath, she leaned against him, then lifted her gaze to his.
“Oh. I, uh, forgot to thank the ladies who loaned me their clothes. I should go and do that.”
“You really should.” He took her by the arms. “And while you’re doing that, ask them if you could borrow them for a bit longer.”
“Longer?” Hope fluttered in her, wanting to take wing. As hard as it was, she forced her gaze from Charlie’s to find Jesse moving up beside them.
“Like we told you before. We want you to stay.”
Again, she started to ask for how long, but she wanted to hear it from them. “I need to get back to work. And to deliver that paperwork.”
“We’ll get someone else to deliver the paperwork.” Charlie
held onto her, tight, firm.
“There’s no rush for you to get back to Nashville. Is there?” Jesse snaked his hand around her waist. “It’s the weekend anyway. What’s to keep you from staying?”
She tried not to read anything into the glint in Jesse’s, but how could she not? “Not a thing. No cat or dog to miss me. And I’d just as soon not face Witward until I have to after missing work. At least I can go back on Monday and tell him the paperwork was delivered. Even if I wasn’t the one to do it.”
Charlie tightened his grip. “Then stay.”
Oh, how she wished he was asking her to stay for good. But for now, she’d take the weekend. “If you think it’s okay with Ms. Millicent.”
“Ms. Millicent said she’s thrilled if you want to stay. She just told me so.”
Charlie turned her loose as Jesse uttered an oath under his breath. They backed off, giving Lisa-May enough room to get close. Carolina was too happy that she was staying to let the girl’s interruption bother her. “She did? How’d she know they’d offer?”
Lisa-May shot her a funny look. “Ms. Millicent knows everything. Come on. Let’s go inside for dinner.”
Laughing, Carolina let Lisa-May drag her toward the main house. She glanced over her shoulder, shrugged her apology at the men, then walked up the steps of the front porch.
* * * *
Carolina peered out the window and watched two men work with Queen in the pen behind the house. She couldn’t remember feeling so happy and knew exactly where to place the credit. Where were her men anyway?
My men.
She didn’t have any doubt. Jesse and Charlie were her men. She knew it with her head and in her gut. It might not make sense to anyone else, especially when it came time to tell her friends, but she didn’t care. In a short time, she’d fallen wildly, madly, irrevocably in love.
Was it the connection they’d told her about? As far as she was concerned the reason didn’t matter, just that it was real and true.
She hugged herself, then laughed and wondered if she looked as much like a giggly girl in love as she felt. Her men had held her again, showing her both rough and tender love. She’d awoken with a smile on her face that would never fade away.
If only they hadn’t had to get up early and leave her bed. But she was beginning to see that it was the way of life on a ranch. Everyone was up before she was, already at work by the time she made it downstairs for her morning coffee. She made a vow that she’d start getting up earlier and helping wherever she could. Even in the barn.
The only blot on her joy was the voicemail message she’d gotten earlier that morning from her boss. As she’d expected, he’d terminated her employment.
She should’ve been devastated. Instead, she’d accepted the news and texted him back, telling him that she understood. After giving it more thought, she made her decision that the time was right to start her own agency. The work would be hard and the hours grueling, but she wouldn’t mind. But would she stay in Nashville or would she move closer to Two Forks Ranch?
If only…
She pushed the wishful thought away. Her men hadn’t asked her to stay forever. At least not yet.
Once she made it down to the kitchen, she hoped she’d find her two lust-filled men ready and willing to throw her on top of the island again. She’d never be able to see a kitchen island without grinning from ear to ear.
Queen’s nickers and stomps surprised her, breaking her out of the fantasy. She’d grown to love Queen in that short time. The horse had captured her heart as surely as her men had. She frowned, wondering why the men in the pen were having such a difficult time handling the mare.
The pretty white horse had a beautiful full mane with a splash of black spots sprayed across her rump. But it wasn’t just that she was a perfect example of horse flesh. Her disposition was as sweet as the apples she loved, and she never once gave anyone any trouble by trying to bite or kick. Until today.
Queen whirled around and kicked out, narrowly missing one of the men. The mare’s eyes were huge as she shook her head, her mane dancing around her neck.
I need to get down there.
It didn’t take her long to make good on that thought. She was out the front door and headed to the pen in no time.
“Hey, guys. Can I help?” They’d most likely laugh at her offer, but she thought she could get the horse to calm down. After all, Queen acted like a pure angel around her.
“No, thanks. We can handle the beast.”
She slowed her pace, her heart taking an erratic jump. Eck. Him.
Bill’s smile was like it always was. Open and friendly. And as fake as they came. She might’ve said something, anything to get him away from the horse, but Burt was helping out. Burt lifted his hand, his puzzled expression showing he didn’t have a clue as to why Queen was skittish. And yet, she could’ve told him. It was all only suspicion, but she’d bet her car that Queen didn’t like Bill any more than she did.
“What are you doing with Queen?”
“Nothing much.” Burt tried to pull a halter over the horse’s head, but Queen resisted, jerking her head up and down, snorting her dislike.
“Do you need something, Carolina?”
I need you to get her away from that creep. But she kept her mouth closed. “No. I’m just surprised that she’s acting that way.”
“Me, too. She’s one of the gentlest animals we have,” added Burt. He tried with the halter, and once again, Queen wouldn’t have anything to do with it.
“Can I try?” She didn’t know a damn bit about getting a halter on a horse, but she couldn’t stand seeing Queen so upset.
“Sure. Maybe you’ve got the magic touch with her.”
The flash of a snarl slid across Bill’s face but was gone so fast she wasn’t sure she’d really seen it. “Fine. If you two think you can handle this, I’ve got other work I can be doing.”
She pushed the gate wide, giving Bill a wide berth as he stalked by her, then came into the corral. A little tenderness was all the horse needed. “Hey, pretty one. Settle down. We’re not going to do anything you don’t like, but you’ve got to learn to the halter. If not, how are we supposed to go riding some day? You want to ride with me, right? I bet we’ll practically fly.”
Queen shook her mane, letting her glorious white silkiness float around her neck. She struck out, pawing up dirt and snorting in big breaths of Carolina’s scent. A docile change came over her as she put her head down and nudged her nose against Carolina’s hand.
“Oh, that’s it. You want a treat, huh?” The smoothness of Queen’s muzzle tickled her palm. “I don’t have any apples on me right now, but if you’re a really good girl, I promise to come back with not one, but two. How’s that sound?”
“I was only kidding before, but you really do have the magic touch.”
Carolina stroked Queen’s neck. “It’s not magic, Burt. Just love. I’ve always liked horses, but she’s gotten under my skin. She’s such a sweetie.”
“She is. Okay, let’s give this another try.” Without any trouble at all, he slipped the halter over Queen’s neck. “I swear. That’s amazing. Carolina, I think you’ve got a career as a horse trainer.”
“That’s high praise coming from you.”
“You bet it is.” Burt clucked a couple of times. “Come on, Queen. It’s around the corral once or twice for good measure.”
“And I’ll go get those apples I promised her.”
She was halfway back to the main house when Lisa-May caught up to her and hung on her heels.
“Want to see something cool?”
“Sure. Just as soon as I get Queen some apples.”
But Lisa-May wasn’t taking no for an answer, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her to the tree line. “Queen can wait. This can’t.”
“What is it?” She did her best, pushing through the low-lying bushes and into the wooded area. They walked for several minutes, until at last, Lisa-May lifted her hand, signaling Carolina to
stop.
“Shh. You have to be quiet.” Lisa-May’s radiant smile beamed even brighter as she ducked behind a branch and pointed ahead of her.
Carolina was about to complain when the sight of the doe and fawn stopped her. They were a picture perfect pair, their camel-colored fur covered with white spots. “Aw, they’re so cute.”
Lisa-May put a finger to her mouth, then motioned for her to get down. They squatted behind the brush as the doe and her baby fed on the flowers sprouting among the trees. Sunlight filtering through the trees gave it an otherworldly quality with a soft haze surrounding the doe. Every once in a while they’d jerked their heads high, freeze as though listening, then go back to feeding.
Lisa-May leaned against her. “Stay here,” she whispered. “I’m going to get on the other side of them, then see if I can herd them your way.”
“No. Don’t startle them.”
She grinned. “Trust me. You’re going to love it.”
Before Carolina could utter another protest, the girl spun around, and still hunkered down, pushed through the trees and was gone.
Maybe there’s something to all this country living business. Besides Queen and my men.
Only a few minutes had passed when the doe and fawn jerked their heads up once again, stayed still for a few seconds aside from their tails flicking like fur-covered radar, then burst into energy. They bounded toward her, leaping their way across the clearing with the doe in front and her baby right on her heels. They swept past Carolina, coming within only a couple of feet of where she still squatted. She could see the fear in their eyes, the quickening of their muscles, the stretch of their legs. In the next moment, they were gone.
“That was freaking amazing!” She stood, still watching where the deer had gone. Lisa-May had been right. She’d loved every fleeting second of it. Turning back to the clearing, she searched the shaded tree line on the other side.
“Lisa-May, where are you?”
No answer.
“That’s weird. Lisa-May?” She crossed her arms and squinted into the shaded area. “If you’re playing a game, it’s not very funny.”