The Cowboys' Cure (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Jenny May

  Scott led the way into the living area and down a small hallway. “Bathroom to the left. Bedroom in the back. You already saw the kitchen and living area. That pretty much sums it up.” He stepped into the small room and made his way to the back, ducking to miss the ceiling fan as he passed the middle.

  “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

  A tight grin came to his face. “The blankets and sheets are new. William picked them out.”

  The dark blue plaid made her smile. She looked over at the other cowboy as he twisted his mouth. “Had I known you were a girl I might have picked out something more flowery or colorful.”

  “I like plaid.” And she did. The house was cozy, unlike the white carpeted glass house she’d lived in. That’s what her and John’s home reminded her of. There were so many large windows that reached the length of the room. From the floor to the couch, to even the walls, the colors were all shades of white. It drove her crazy how he expected everything to not only be clean, but appear so in colors. To him, that was anything light.

  Creaking filled the room as Scott opened the closet. “Not much room, but the dresser should help out.”

  The small closet would probably hold what she brought perfectly. It wasn’t like she took a lot of stuff when she fled John’s. “I don’t have much. This will do just fine.”

  Something crossed Scott’s face at her words, but he nodded. “I’ll leave you to it then. Let us know if you need anything.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  The two men left the room and it wasn’t long before she heard a door shut. Austin sank down into the bed and clasped her hands in her lap. Well, those two were interesting enough. They were both unbelievably handsome, but their personalities were nothing alike. Scott seemed to be the quieter, reserved type, while William appeared to have a more social, upbeat attitude. What was the story with those two? Austin wasn’t sure, but she was curious to find out.

  Chapter 3

  “So what do you think her story is?”

  William looked over his shoulder toward Scott. His friend was sitting at the table. The paperwork scattered before him consisted of the month’s bills. It was something that constantly hung over both of their heads, but no one’s more than Scott.

  “No clue. Something though. Who rents a house in the middle of nowhere with nothing more than a handful of clothes? Fancy clothes at that.” He glanced up. “Look how she was dressed when she got here. Woman looked like she stepped out of one of those fancy office buildings or something.” Scott scanned over the paper before him and placed it in the pile he’d made for bills to pay later. William knew that pile. It was always the biggest one, and Scott always placed it to his right side.

  A burning aroma filled the air and it took a few seconds for William to realize what it was. “Fuck. God dammit.” He pulled up the lever to the toaster and watched the burnt slices fly into the air. The damn machine was as old as dirt, and relying on it was something he told himself long ago he wouldn’t do. Yet, every time Will attempted to use it, he always got sidetracked and completely forgot. Now, here he was, with bread that was once again inedible. He was sure if he added up all the slices he’d discarded and the money that’d been wasted, he could probably afford to buy a brand new toaster.

  “She’s very pretty,” William said, tossing the charcoal-looking bread in the trash.

  “I’m actually surprised you hadn’t commented on that earlier.” Scott punched numbers into the calculator, not even looking up.

  “Wow.” William paused in his approach to the refrigerator. The way his friend had said it held a tone of annoyance. “That was a little mean.”

  Scott glanced up. “Was it? I’m sorry. I’m just a little overwhelmed at the moment. What I meant was, you’ve pretty much been on the prowl for a woman and here’s one that’s right under your nose. Just surprised you didn’t mention her appearance the moment we left the rental house.”

  Well, he had been obsessing over finding them a partner for some time now. It’d gotten a little out of hand, but he couldn’t help but feel like they were missing a piece of themselves. He and Scott had been inseparable since high school. They’d moved in together shortly after Scott’s dad had passed and left him the ranch. It’d been natural to help out his best friend. Everything they’d done together after that had been just as probable, especially agreeing that if they met someone they connected with, she’d belong to both of them. Now it was just a matter of finding their missing link.

  “I wouldn’t do that,” William said, quietly, as he hunted for more food. “She’s our tenant. I’m more respectful than that. Even though she is smoking hot. Damn, did you see those big green eyes?”

  Scott laughed and leaned back in the chair, breaking his attention from the paperwork. “She is something else. A mystery, and a beautiful one at that.”

  “I’d like to figure it out, but I know the rules.” Cold air from the refrigerator hit William’s face as he leaned down. “Where’s all of our food? Didn’t we go to the market a few days ago?” The fridge was practically bare as William pushed around a jar of pickles to reveal nothing behind it.

  “That was last week. It’s about time for another trip.”

  Great. Just what they needed. Going into town was such a chore. Not necessarily hard work, but frustrating when they had to deal with the odd looks and the whispering. No one understood why they were both in their mid-thirties and lived together. In a place where most men married out of high school and stayed in this one-horse town, William and Scott stuck out like sore thumbs. Some residents speculated they were in a relationship, regardless of their attempts to find the right woman. After the first five years, they managed to not care anymore, but William still hated the attention they received.

  A groan came from his mouth as he pushed the door closed. Lights broke through the window and he walked over to glance out. “Hey, she ordered pizza.” He glanced back at Scott. “I haven’t had pizza in forever.” His mouth was watering at the sight of the delivery driver getting out, carrying a big bag to the door.

  “It’s a waste of money. We decided that a long time ago.”

  It still didn’t change the fact that he wanted some. He moved back and headed for the table. “You’re right.” The chair scraped across the floor as he took a seat. “How are we doing?”

  Scott looked down at the papers. “We’re okay as long as nothing comes up. That rent money helped out a lot. Especially with her paying in advance for the entire lease. Saved our ass in more ways than one.”

  “Good. Beats the cursing I heard from you last month.” William rested his forearms on the edge of the table. “So when we making this trip? I’m starving. We really need to start planning ahead. This is the third time in a row that I’m going there on an empty stomach. You know how bad that can be.”

  “Don’t remind me. Your fit from last time is still fresh in my mind.”

  William felt himself get defensive. “It was bullshit how you didn’t let me get those snack cakes. They were twenty percent off.”

  “Hell, I already let you slide on the soda. We didn’t need that, yet you insist on drinking those nasty things. Stick with coffee, it’s cheaper and it lasts longer.”

  William went to argue back when there was a knock at the side door. “Please say you brought pizza. Please.” He jumped up from the chair and swung the door open. Austin stood there wearing a pair of pink-and-white-striped pajama bottoms with a matching button up top. Was that silk?

  “You mentioned being busy earlier, I thought maybe you’d two would be hungry.” She held out the box and William was sure he was going to drool on the top.

  “I think I just fell in love with you.”

  Austin’s mouth opened and she paused. “I’m sorry?”

  “I’m starving. Please, come in.”

  “Oh.” She stuck her thumb in the direction of her house. “If you want me to stay for a little bit, I’ll go get mine. Then we’ll have even more. I hope you like
pepperoni, but if not I also have supreme.”

  William moaned. “You got the two best kinds. I’ll eat whatever though. Go get yours, I’ll leave the door open.”

  “Okay.” She smiled and began jogging away. William’s attention went to the big fluffy slippers. He nearly died laughing. Women. Damn, he loved them. They wore the cutest things.

  The sound of Scott inhaling deeply had him turning around. “I don’t know if I should give you any of this, Mr. No-you-can’t-have-those-snack-cakes.”

  “You wouldn’t dare deny me a slice of that.” He stood and looked like a predator as he edged around the table. “She said she got it for us, and I intend to eat some.”

  “Do you now?” William opened the lid and breathed in. “Smells good.”

  Scott twisted his mouth as he removed the paperwork and sat it on the counter. “It’s going to smell even better when you bring it over here so I can get a slice.”

  Austin was so quiet William didn’t even hear her as she passed him and placed her box on the table, opening it.

  “Here, Scott. You can have a slice of mine.”

  “I was going to share.” William walked over. “Just had to tease him first. It’s good for him. Scott’s way too serious sometimes.”

  The look his friend threw at him was one he’d seen a million times. It was slightly bored, but centered on his I don’t give a shit attitude.

  “Thank you, by the way,” William said, as he pulled a chair out for her. “This was very nice of you.”

  “It was. Thank you,” Scott said, agreeing.

  Austin shrugged and sat down. “It’s no big deal. Just trying to be a good neighbor.”

  “Well you’re getting my vote for neighbor of the year, that’s for sure.” William took a big bite of his pizza and closed his eyes in bliss. God, he could eat the whole box by himself. He sure as hell wanted to. “So what brings you to Crush?”

  A slight shade of red covered her face as she lowered her head. “My divorce was finalized today. I needed to begin fresh somewhere new.”

  The hunger William felt vanished instantly. The pain in her voice made his stomach flip. So that’s why she was dressed all nice. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine. I’m the one who filed. It was over. Had been for a while.”

  “Again, I’m sorry. I know you probably don’t feel like talking about it.”

  Scott’s eyes were narrowed as he stared across the table. The way he read people’s postures, expressions, and their tones of voice was usually pretty spot on. He was a natural, and William was curious to what he’d have to say.

  Scott grabbed another slice. “You said in your e-mail you were going to be looking for a job. Do you have any idea what you want to do?”

  “Accounting, something with numbers, preferably. But I’ll take anything. I’m not in a rush yet, but I’d like to be working in the next month or two. That’ll give me some time to start looking.”

  “You picked the wrong town to find a good job. Crush isn’t really hiring much of anyone. There’s always Victoria. It’s not too far down the highway. I’m sure you can find something there.” Scott continued to give her his attention. Although Austin would probably never suspect the depth his friend was reading her, the intensity in his gaze was clear as ever to William.

  While Austin chewed, she nodded. As soon as she swallowed, she looked up. “That’s where I planned to look.”

  “Are you from this area, originally?” William couldn’t help but ask. He was curious about her and his mind had questions of its own. He didn’t plan to pour all of them on her now, but one or two wouldn’t hurt.

  “No.” A small laugh came from her mouth. “Call me crazy, I just craved to get away from the city. Corpus, that is. I wanted to find me a small house in the middle of nowhere. The country is where I’ve always wanted to live.”

  Scott nodded. “You picked the right place then.”

  “I think so.” She looked around their dining room, into the kitchen. To the left was the entrance to the large living area, and from where she sat, she had full view. A light blue sofa and recliner sat angled to face a small TV. The old wooden coffee table wasn’t anything fancy and was the same dark color as the wooden floor. Pictures littered the walls, mainly consisting of the two of them at the local festival throughout the years. Some were of them at the ranch. A few pictures of Scott’s parents were scattered throughout.

  “Your house is lovely. Very homey.” Austin glanced back over at both of them. “I like it. The rental house, too. I know I’m not what you both were expecting, but my offer to help still stands.” She placed the crust down on the lid of the box, and rested her arms against the table. “I’m not sure what you do here, but I saw cattle. And I noticed you have pigs and a chicken coop. I’ll admit, I’ve never been to a ranch before, but I’m a fast learner. If something happens, I promise to take responsibility for myself. I’ll sign a paper if I have to. I’d just like to do something to help if at all possible.”

  William looked over to Scott.

  “And don’t take it the wrong way. I’m not just saying it because you mentioned you were hoping I was a guy and could lend a hand, but I’m asking for me. I need this.” She looked down. “I can’t sit in that house all alone for another minute. The busier I am, the better.”

  Scott let out a deep breath. “I can’t let you work the ranch. I’m sorry. If something were to happen, I couldn’t in good faith let you take all the responsibility. I hope you understand.”

  “What if she did stuff like collected the eggs, or…” William searched for something else for her to do. It was clear she was upset at her current situation. Going through a divorce couldn’t be easy, and they had no idea what happened in her life before then.

  Scott shot him a look.

  “What?” he said, lowly. “I’m just trying to help.”

  “No, it’s fine. I’m sure I can figure something out. There has to be things for me to do. I’ll just get ahold of the internet people tomorrow and see about maybe getting that set up.” Austin stood. “Forget I ever mentioned anything. Just know the offer still stands if you change your mind.”

  “Internet?” Scott crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s already set up. I’ll give you the password for the Wi-Fi.”

  “Oh.” Austin nodded. “That would be great. Just let me know when the bill is due and I’ll gladly pay half.”

  “Half?” Scott shook his head. “Why half?”

  She shifted. “You’re clearly a couple and only count as one person. So you pay half, I’ll pay the other.”

  “Whoa.” William shook his head and stood. “Nope. We’re not together. Just friends. We like women. A lot.” He raised his hand to correct himself. “What I mean is, we like females. Not to say we’ve been with a lot of them. We’re just very interested in them…that way. And very much.” He pressed his lips together and looked down. Nothing was coming out right. For some reason he wanted to make it as clear as possible that he preferred women. Preferred…her. Hell, he was trying to get her to see there was a chance he’d be interested in fucking her, and he wasn’t sure where that had even come from. Scott was right. He was getting out of control, and that only made him angry. Surely, he looked like a fool.

  A laugh came from her mouth. “I get it. I’m sorry. My best friend, who is a man, is in a relationship with another guy. I guess I just assumed from the pictures that you two were a couple, too.”

  “No problem. We actually get that a lot,” Scott said, grabbing yet another slice. “People don’t understand that we both run this ranch by ourselves and it just works to live here together. The rent house brings in extra income. It works out perfectly.”

  “You’re a very smart man. I can tell.” Austin grabbed another slice and walked around the small area, taking in the paintings on the white walls. “You’d be amazed at the amount of money people waste on things that are meaningless.” She held up the pizza displaying it. “I never do this. If I would
have known how to get to the store, I would have gone. By the time I unpacked it was already dark outside and I was too exhausted to attempt to find my way around town. But tomorrow, I stock up.”

  William closed his eyes and leaned his head back. “Lord, please help us. We have another Scott in the house.”

  “Hey, that’s not such a bad thing,” he snapped.

  Just as William opened his eyes, he saw Scott bring his attention back to Austin. “How do you save money? I’m curious to compare your methods against mine.”

  A mischievous smile lit her face. “I won’t tell you, but I’ll show you. When’s the next time you’re going to the grocery store?”

  “We can go right now.” Scott slowly rose. The fascination on his face had William’s jaw dropping. Hell, he didn’t think he could ever remember his friend looking so much in awe of anything. Ever. Great. And here he thought he was going to have a hard time staying away from their tenant. If anything, Scott was the one who was going to have to be watched.

  Chapter 4

  “Twenty-four dollars. Twenty-four,” Scott said, gaping. He grabbed Austin’s black binder, flipping through all the pages of coupons as William paid. True, it’d taken them nearly an hour as the cashier rang up every single coupon, but shit, it’d been well worth it. Almost three hundred dollars’ worth of food for practically nothing. He didn’t understand how that was possible. “You’ll teach me this, right?”

  Austin took a drink of her water and nodded. “You bet. It’s a little confusing at first, but you’ll get the hang of it after a while. I wasn’t sure they’d have the same grocery store here, but I lucked out. You see, it’s all about the inserts, paired with the deals they already have going on. Lots of math, but I love numbers so I enjoy collecting these.”

  “Inserts, as in the ones they put in newspapers?”