by Sable Hunter
“No, Ryder, you’ve got it wrong.” Samson was aghast at her accusation.
“Did Pepper put you up to this? She did, didn’t she? After what I told her, after what she read, she thought this would be funny. Didn’t she?” Ryder began to cry harder. “But it’s not.”
“No. No.” Gideon moved toward her. “We’ve never spoken with your sister. This isn’t a game; this is who we are.”
At his admission, Ryder stuck her chin in the air. She wasn’t so sure she believed him, all of this was just too…unbelievable. Too wild. “This is Texas! They shoot people for stuff like this down here.”
“Our private lives are private.” Samson began…
“I know. I know.” Ryder glared at them. “You’re different. You are super wealthy and whatever you do in this ivory tower,” she gestured at Falconhead, “is your business. Well…I’m not like that, I have a family and friends. How would I explain you?”
Samson and Gideon looked at her with regret. “Ryder, please. Let us explain.” Gideon moved toward her, his voice imploring.
“I wish I could…I wanted…” With a choked sob, Ryder turned and ran from the grove of oak trees, catching the horse’s bridle. Through a haze of tears, she mounted and rode back to the Highlands as if the devil himself were on her heels.
“Well, we blew that like a 4th of July fireworks display,” Gideon muttered softly.
“Yea, I don’t know what went wrong,” Samson said, his voice full of remorse. “I was so sure…”
Gideon placed a consoling hand on his brother’s shoulder. “This isn’t your fault. Not everyone is wired the way we are. Ryder is just one of those people who wouldn’t be able to accept what we do as a lifestyle, she might enjoy thinking about it, but living it in a day to day situation isn’t something she could handle.”
Meanwhile...Ryder saw nothing she passed – not the Falconhead gate she rode beneath, not Jaxson leading a breed bull by a bridle, not Tennessee driving a huge tractor from the hayfield, Ryder was intent only on reaching her house and the sanctuary of her room.
Entering Highland’s barn, she gave an apologetic glance at one of the ranch hands. “Would you make sure this horse is tended and returned to Falconhead, Hanse. I don’t feel well.”
“Of course, Miss Ryder.”
Without looking back, Ryder ran across the yard, barely glancing at the rose garden she and her sister lovingly tended in their mother’s memory. She only hoped Pepper wasn’t home. Right now, what she needed most was to be alone with her thoughts.
Flinging open the door to her suite, she flung herself on the bed and let the tide of despair wash over her. What they wanted from her was something she fantasized about. She loved to read ménage romances, they gave her a special thrill – but this was real life, not a fantasy. Her sexual experience was small to nonexistent, becoming involved with two men like Samson and Gideon Duke was like throwing a goldfish into a barracuda tank – and she was the goldfish.
Sitting up, Ryder pushed her long hair over her shoulder and rubbed her arms, trying to dispel the chill she felt. Even now, she could feel their lips, their touch. Shivers of awareness raced over her body. There was no way she could lie to herself, she hadn’t run because she didn’t want them, she ran because she wanted them too much. “Stop it,” she chided herself. “You did the right thing.” If she succumbed to the great temptation they offered, to take her places she’d only dreamed – Ryder knew exactly what would happen. She knew how she was, she never did anything by halves. Ryder had a tendency to jump into everything with both feet.
If she allowed herself to become involved with the Duke brothers, she would fall in love with one of them or even worse - both of them.
* * *
Ryder’s eyes flew open. Her bed was bouncing. “Too early, Pepper,” she moaned. “Come back in an hour.”
“No. We’ve got a lot to do. The chili cook-off is today. Remember?”
“Like I could forget. I get heartburn just thinking about it. Heath is making his boudain chili again, isn’t he?” She pulled the pillow from atop her face and stared at her sister who was looming over her, her perfectly coiffed hair making Ryder feel like a ragamuffin.
“He is. In fact, he just carried a big pot of it to the outdoor kitchen so he could watch it while he finished supervising the setup of the booths and tables.”
“All right, I’ll get up and we’ll get started making the sides. Coleslaw, baked beans, and brownies. Is that the plan?” Ryder started to sit up, but Pepper pounced on her, holding her down. “Hey!”
Pepper gave her a mischievous smirk. “Not so fast. How was your date with Mr. Duke? Did you stay up all night writing poems about him?”
The mention of last night’s fiasco hit Ryder hard. “No, I didn’t. And I don’t want to talk about it.” She tried to dislodge her sister so she could rise.
She failed.
“Have you met me, Ryder?” Pepper quipped. “You know that’s not how our relationship works. We have no secrets.”
“We should. We’re grown women, not children.” Even as she said the words, she knew she didn’t mean them. Ryder’s relationship with her sister had gotten them both through the toughest times a girl could have – the loss of their mother. At Pepper’s stubborn glare, she relented. “All right. All right. The date was a disaster. I ran away. I told them I didn’t want to see them anymore.”
“What?” Pepper sat back. “Them? What are you talking about? You look guilty as hell.”
Ryder just laid there, watching her sister’s face as she worked it out in her mind.
“Oh, my God!” Pepper covered her mouth. “Did they…”
“Yea, they both came on to me. Apparently, the Duke brothers share their women.”
Jumping up, Pepper began to charge around the room, fanning her own feverish face with an outstretched hand. “Wow. They told you that?” She didn’t give Ryder a chance to answer, instead she turned and flounced on the bed. “Tell me everything. Everything!”
“You really don’t want to know. I threw a McCoy sized hissy fit. I even blamed you.”
“Me?”
“Yea. I thought you put them up to it, like you were punking me or something.” Ryder dragged herself up to sit on the side of the bed.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Pepper denied. “Was it all bad? Tell me.” She came to Ryder and ran a comforting hand over her hair.
“No, it wasn’t all bad. That’s the problem. Samson was perfect, I thought we were hitting it off great. When we got to Falconhead, Gideon was waiting on us. They’d created this fairyland for a picnic, lights in the trees and an elegant table set up in the middle of it all.”
“Sounds dreamy.”
“Oh, it was. The only problem was that there were two Prince Charmings instead of one. They weren’t even subtle about it. Both were super attentive, both completely open and honest about what they wanted.”
Pepper stared at Ryder wide-eyed. “And what they both want is…you.”
“Yea, me.” Ryder rose and trudged to the bathroom. “I felt like I was in the middle of some kind of movie.”
“Yea, some kind of fantasy, erotic, romantic movie. And you told them ‘no’? Are you crazy?”
“We don’t live in a movie, Pepper. We live in a family dominated by chauvinistic males, in a society that judges everyone at the drop of a hat.”
Pepper waved her hand dismissively. “You can’t live for others, Ryder. Are you sure you want to deny yourself this experience?”
Standing at her closet, Ryder realized her focus was shot. She couldn’t decide which blouse to wear, much less which man she wanted. “Part of me does want this, Pepper. But these are powerful men. Movers and shakers. They’re used to getting what they want. They can have any woman in the world. Why would they want me? Why would either of them want me?” She sighed, ignoring her sister’s murmurs of protest. “At the most, all I’d be is a momentary distraction. I’m not wired like that; I don’t think I can treat
sex so lightly. I’d get emotionally involved…with both of them.” Ryder laughed wryly. “And let’s just say they fell for me too...”
“Why wouldn’t they? You’re a wonderful, beautiful woman.”
Grabbing a pair of jeans off a hangar to go with a red sweater, she giggled as she faced her sister. “If everything worked out and we became serious, can you imagine what our brothers would say? Can you imagine Heath’s face?”
Pepper held her sides while she laughed. “I don’t wish you anything but happiness, but it just might be worth it to see our big brother’s reaction.” She tried to make herself big, holding her arms out, hands into fists, and making a face. “Two men!” Pepper bellowed. “Are you crazy, girl?”
“All of them would have something to say,” Ryder murmured as she dressed. “After all, we’re a conservative family. This is the South. We live in Texas, land of pickup trucks and tea party values.” She stooped to select a pair of shoes from the bottom of her closet. “Honestly, I don’t even know how it would work. Can you imagine the family reunions? The Christmas card portraits? The rest of the family and…Ryder with her two men.”
“I’m sure you would be a very stunning couple, triple…” Pepper laughed. “We’d have to come up with some new words.”
As she followed her sister down the stairs to begin their day, Ryder didn’t mention how good those words sounded to her ears.
Ryder and her two men.
* * *
“I wish Heath would meet someone. Since that vile snake, Amy, left him at the altar he’s been so angry. I think he lost confidence in himself.” Pepper mused as she pulled a huge batch of brownies from the oven.
“I know. I want him to be happy, Pepper.” She covered the big pan of baked beans with aluminum foil. “Plus, if he had his own romantic life to think about, he’d be less likely to focus on ours. Did you check the guest list and the entrants? Are there are any likely prospects coming that might give us a chance to play Cupid?” Ryder was proud of herself, she was managing to function normally and not dwell on the Duke brothers – much. She couldn’t deny that thoughts of them kept flitting through her brain. Their whispered words, seductive touches, and tender kisses would be hard to forget.
“I haven’t looked at it in a while, let me check. Heath’s secretary has been good enough to help us keep up with this stuff. Remind me to send her flowers when this is over.” Pepper walked to the laptop and pulled up the file. “Julie Stevens is coming. She’s always had a thing for Heath.”
“I think she’s seeing someone, Pepper. Anyone else?”
“Hmmm, Christine Pace, maybe?” She continued to look. “And your not-so-secret admirer is on the list. Scott Eagleton.”
“I don’t care, I’ll just avoid him.”
“Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” Pepper exclaimed, then exclaimed again. “Oh, my God!”
“What’s wrong?” Ryder threw down a dishtowel and came over to where her sister was standing.
Pepper slammed the lid shut. “They’re coming, Ryder. They’re coming!”
“Who’s coming, Pepper? The British?”
With eyes bugged and mouth agape, Pepper grabbed her sister by the arms. “The Dukes just entered the chili contest, Ryder! They even gave their address and telephone number to confirm.”
“Oh, Lord.” Ryder let go, gripping her stomach. “Why would they do this?”
“Well, isn’t it obvious?” Pepper beamed, clearly happy about the situation. “They’re not giving up on you.”
Ryder opened the laptop to look for herself. Sure enough, Samson and Gideon Duke were registered as a team. “The dish they’re entering is called, Hot Stuff – Hawaiian Style.” She almost choked. Apt name for them or their dish. “I can’t believe this.”
“Things are about to get interesting…” Pepper teased.
…A few hours later, Ryder had to admit Pepper was right. Things were getting interesting. As usual, a big crowd was gathering. Heath’s best friend, Jimmy Dushku, arrived with his entourage. Like normal, he’d brought several celebrity friends with him; a varied crew consisting of actors, a professional golfer, even a member of the band Coldplay.
Christine Pace did have Heath cornered at his chili pot and Tennessee had returned, looking like the cat that had swallowed the canary. Plus, she’d managed to evade Scott Eagleton – just barely escaping his clutches behind the Pavilion when she’d gone to the restroom.
But the most interesting thing was the two men who were approaching her from across the lawn, leading a beautiful, prancing Arabian between them. As they came, the crowd parted and Ryder understood why. Three more magnificent creatures she could never imagine. Why were they here? She doubted the billionaires had recently developed a need to express themselves by preparing culinary delights.
“Samson, Gideon, I didn’t know you two were coming.” Ryder stepped forward, wanting to put some distance between herself and her brother, Jaxson, who was all ears behind her.
“Ryder, you look beautiful.” Samson bowed gallantly. “There were several matters we didn’t get to discuss with you last evening, our plans to come to the cook-off was one of them.”
“We would like to talk to you, Ryder.” Gideon reached for her hand. “Please.”
Seeing them again was more than embarrassing. “I said too much last night. I’m not sure what we have to say to one another now.” Seeing their adamant attitude, she relented. “Well, not here. Everyone is watching us.”
“Let’s go down the hill toward the paddock.” Samson suggested. “Our girl might need a drink of water.”
Even though she was confused and upset, Ryder couldn’t deny the obvious. “She’s beautiful.” Her hand seemed magnetically drawn to stroke the majestic animal, her fingertips grazing the mare’s face and neck. “Did one of you ride her here bareback?”
“No, Skeet delivered her for you.” At Ryder’s confused expression, Samson explained. “Vashti is yours now. She is royalty, her bloodlines are impeccable. We wanted to give you a gift as amazing as you are.”
Ryder stopped in her tracks. “A gift? Why would you do that?” She faced the two men and the gorgeous horse. “Last night was a disaster.”
Gideon took Ryder by the hand, leading her down the hill. “Let’s get out of earshot. What we have to say to you, is not for everyone’s ears.”
Ryder went with them, more aware of the two men than ever. “I told you how I felt last night.” Her tone had cooled, she was trying to hold onto her anger, but it was hard in the light of their kindness.
“Yes, you did,” Samson acknowledged as they came to an area adjacent to the barn, one shaded by several big oaks. “Now, we need to tell you how we feel.”
They stood on either side of Ryder as she met Vashti. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful horse. She must be worth a fortune. Why would you give her to me?”
“Samson told me you’d lost your mares. We wanted to present you with a lifelong friend, we thought you’d enjoy her.”
“Oh, I will. I would.” She hesitated. “I don’t think I can accept such an expensive gift…especially after what I said to you.”
“Ryder.” Samson touched her back. “We wanted to apologize to you. We are so sorry to have scared you. Looking back, I handled all of this so wrong.”
Ryder didn’t know what to say, she tugged on the bottom of her linen top. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“We meant you no disrespect, Ryder,” Gideon interjected. “We wouldn’t hurt you for anything.”
“That’s correct.” Samson handed her Vashti’s reins. “We hope you accept our gift and our apology in the manner that we offer them. Goodbye, Princess.” He gave her one last wistful glance. “And if you ever change your mind, you know where to find us.” With a tender kiss to her forehead, Samson gave her a slight bow.
And with that courtly gesture, Ryder was shocked to watch them begin to retrace their steps, leaving her alone with her beautiful gift.
* * *
A
fter Ryder introduced Vashti to one of their men, so the mare’s needs would be seen to, she returned to the festivities - completely unsettled. When she’d seen the Duke brothers striding toward her, her first thought was that they were going to refuse to take her ‘no’ as an answer. Heck, they’d even brought the horse to carry her off into the sunset.
But the horse wouldn’t hold three.
“Stop it,” she chided herself. What was she complaining about? They’d accepted her wish to not see them again. The Dukes had given her exactly what she’d asked for! They hadn’t even argued about it or tried to change her mind.
So, why wasn’t she happy about it? Damn them!
The truth was much more complicated.
As Ryder climbed the hill toward the crowd gathering around the chili cook-off booths, she only had eyes for Samson and Gideon Duke. While people milled around, sampling the chili, she was amused to hear how many were loving the tropical themed dish. “What’s in this?” one lady asked. “I think I taste ground pork and pineapple.”
Her companion took another bite. “Whatever is in it, this stuff is amazing.”
“Not nearly as amazing as the men who cooked it. Did you get an eyeful of that man candy?”
Ryder couldn’t help but smile. Heath’s reign as the indisputable winner of the Highland Chili Cook-off seemed to be over.
Needing a little time, she decided to take a walk to clear her head. All around her were happy neighbors, loving couples, and contented family groups. Laughter rang out. This annual celebration was more than just a chili cook-off; it was the McCoy’s way of thanking their employees and welcoming their community by providing a day filled with good food and many ways to have fun. There was a live band playing on a stage down by the lake. Games were set up for the children and other activities were available for the adults to entertain themselves, everything from target practice for the men to free spa treatments for the women.