The Cowboys' Cure (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Jenny May

  If this would have been John, he wouldn’t have realized it was three months or three years. Their anniversaries consisted of a fake routine dinner, usually reserved by her. The only time he’d seemed to care was after she divorced him. She just didn’t understand. At least she hadn’t heard from him since she’d gotten her number changed. By now he had to have moved on. It’d been months.

  “We got to go, sweetheart. I know it’s early, but William insisted. Try to eat and get some sleep before you have to go to work.”

  Austin kissed his lips for the briefest moment, and reached down to grab a piece of bacon. The last thing she wanted was him getting caught up in her morning breath. “Thank you for the food. It was very sweet of you to think of me like that, Will.”

  “You’re always on my mind. You know that.” He winked and leaned over, giving her a kiss, before he stood.

  “You both have a good day. James is letting me off at two so I should be here early. I’ll stop the grocery store to pick up more meals for the week before I head home.”

  Scott looked at William and then made his way to the bed. “Home. That kind of reminds me of something that Will and I have been talking about.” He grabbed her hand and she could tell from his expression that there was something important he wanted to say. “You’ve been here four months, and in two, your lease expires. What if…” The way Scott’s eyes jerked to William, it almost looked as though he was begging for help.

  “What Scott here is trying to say is that, maybe instead of renewing your lease like you mentioned last month, you should just move in with us. We’ll rent the other house out to someone else. No big deal. Unless you‘d prefer to keep it.” He glanced at Scott. “I see now why you were having such a hard time. The possible rejection is scary as hell.”

  The bacon sat on Austin’s tongue for what felt like forever. She made herself swallow while she stared at their nervous faces. “You want me to move in? After my lease is up? Not right now?”

  Their heads spun to each other. “Now is more than okay with me,” Scott said, nodding.

  Austin couldn’t help but smile. “I practically live here, already. I haven’t been home in almost two weeks, and that was just to get clothes. Why not, right?”

  “Damn, I love you.” Scott stalked toward her and pulled her into a standing position. The comfort in his tight embrace would never grow old. Her eyes automatically closed while he began to kiss her, but his words radiated from her heart. Today was just a first for everything. Austin reared back and looked at him as he broke away.

  “You love me?”

  “More than you know.”

  “But not more than me.” William walked over closer. “Dammit, Scott. We agreed we were going to wait for tonight.”

  He shrugged, but held her tighter. “I couldn’t help it. The moment was right and the words just came.”

  A small pout came to William’s face as he crossed his arms over his chest. The flannel shirt gripped against his biceps as he flexed. “Yeah, well, there’s been plenty of times I wanted to say it, too, but didn’t. I’m gonna remember that.”

  “Aww.” Austin held her hand out to him. The way his mouth twisted indicated just how upset he truly was. It wasn’t until she held Scott and William at the same time that she let their words really sink in. They loved her. And they weren’t just saying it. The emotion was in their words, the looks they gave, in what their actions showed. This was real. “I love both of you, too. God, I do.”

  Their bodies closed any space that was separating her from them. “Tonight we’re going to show you just how much we love you. I can’t wait to see what you think.” William nuzzled one side of her neck while Scott’s lips were at her ear.

  “I want you so much right now. The things I could do to you to show you my love is limitless.” His fingers eased up the big shirt she wore. Whether it was Scott or William’s, she had no clue, but it dwarfed her, reaching down to her knees.

  “How do you feel, this morning?” Scott continued.

  Well, she could barely move, if she wanted to tell the truth, but she wouldn’t go into that much detail. “A little sore. But good overall.”

  “Hell, I’m surprised you can walk.” William’s other hand pushed up the other side of the shirt. “Scott had you twisted like a pretzel. But I have to admit, it was a hell of a view I got.”

  “The thought of you being sore because of me…” Scott moaned. “It’s so hot. Now you can think of last night every time you feel your body ache. I know I’ll be imagining it all day.”

  William’s hand disappeared. “Speaking of day, as much as I hate it, we have to go. That fence isn’t going to mend itself.” Anger flashed for briefest moment. “I swear, this is the third time in the last two weeks. If you ask me, someone is cutting the wires. It’s bullshit, and definitely not normal.”

  “Let’s just get it taken care of.” As Scott stepped away, too, the warmth leaving her made Austin feel suddenly empty. “Have a great day at work, darlin’. We’ll see you soon enough.”

  The little wave she did with her hand didn’t feel sufficient enough for everything that had just happened. The moment William had brought up the fence, they both shut down. What was going on with that, anyway? Was someone deliberately sabotaging the ranch? Austin picked at the food as she let everything they’d mentioned to her for the last few weeks process.

  Fence cut three times. Five missing cows. Six sick. Two dead chickens, but supposedly some sort of animal did that. What else had they said? Austin nearly gasped. The lock on the storage shed was missing. Misplaced? No, she didn’t think so.

  The loud diesel engine on the truck came to life and within seconds began disappearing into the distance. Well, so much for sleep. There was no way she was going to be able to do that now that her mind was going.

  Austin carried the tray in the kitchen and finished what she could. As the hours ticked away, she cleaned every room that was in the front of the house. Getting showered and dressed became a blur, and it wasn’t until she was walking into the office that she realized she was wearing two different black heels.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She placed her purse behind the desk and looked up as James stopped at her door.

  “Morning, sweetie. You look nice today.”

  Austin glanced down at her red silk blouse and black slacks. “Morning. I’m glad you think so. I guess if I just stay back here, I’ll continue to give off that impression.”

  At his confusion she walked around and pointed at her shoes. One was plain back, the other looked the same, but had a black bow on the front. James burst out laughing and shook his head.

  “Long night?”

  “Long morning,” she corrected.

  His eyes narrowed. “How so?”

  “Just stuff. Scott and William have to repair the fence again. Third time in the last two weeks. Tell me, James, what do you know about the wire that’s used? They said it looked cut. Could it look like that if it broke naturally on its own?”

  Slowly, he shook his head. “Maybe if it were really old, or some massive weight was put against it. But actually look cut. No, someone would have to do that.”

  “Shit. That’s what I feared.”

  James came more into the office and shut her door. “You think they might suspect someone of sabotaging their ranch?”

  “Hell, I don’t know. Maybe. Some weird stuff has happened around there lately, but nothing that isn’t out of the ordinary for a ranch. Or so says Scott and William.”

  “Interesting.” James took a sip of his coffee. “I’ll call them later and see if they’ll tell me anything.” Something passed over his face that Austin couldn’t quite read. His head lowered and for the briefest moment, only to rise. “How are the three of you doing?”

  Her boss might have had his suspicions, being a friend to her boyfriends, but she hadn’t told him anything about what was going on between them. “We’re doing well. I mean, the men are usually pretty busy with the
ranch. I stay busy clipping coupons and reading. Normal, everyday stuff.”

  “Right. Well, if that’s the case then you wouldn’t mind me asking you out on a date this weekend.”

  Any hint of a smile Austin might have had was surely just as much on the floor as her stomach felt. “I’m flattered, but I don’t date in the workplace, James.”

  “Oh, come on. If you’re not exclusive with one or the other, why not try to date me? I’m a good guy, I promise. I thought you’d see that over the last few months.”

  This was not how she saw her morning turning out. Austin moved closer to the back of her desk. “I know you’re a good guy. I’m sorry. I just…can’t.”

  “Well, the offer is always open if you change your mind. I’ve grown to like you a lot over the past few months. Truthfully, I can’t get you out of my mind. I really think if we gave it a chance something great could come out of it. But that’s just me.” He pulled the door open and gave her a weak smile. As he turned to leave, Austin couldn’t bear not telling him the truth. Not to mention denying the two people she’d come to love.

  “I’m dating them, James.”

  He paused and turned around, slowly. “Them? As in both?”

  The way he said it was full of surprise. She knew how crazy it must have sounded. It just wasn’t normal. Being with two men was somewhat taboo in the real world. At least it would be in this small town. If she would have heard someone admit something like that, she’d have been supportive, but it would have been a shock to hear, for sure. “Yes. Both William and Scott.”

  “Wow.” He laughed under his breath. “Lucky bastards. Well, congratulations. If you’re open to possibly trying to love one more, I’m here. Don’t forget that.”

  Whether she was to take him serious or not was up for debate, but she wasn’t going to question it, or respond. She wasn’t sure what to say.

  After a few seconds he put his head down and pulled the door shut. What in the world was she going to do about that? She had to tell her men, but how? It was just words he’d spoken, but the feelings for her weren’t a good sign.

  Austin walked over and sunk into her chair, feeling the weight of a thousand pounds.

  “Coffee?” Lucille peeked her head through, holding out a cup. The tight-lipped expression didn’t seem very bright this morning, but hey, she’d bought her coffee.

  “Oh, that would be great. Thank you.” They met each other in the middle of the room. Luckily, James’s mother didn’t notice her shoes before she’d hurried back out of the office. Well, now that had gone better than yesterday. After all this time, the woman was finally starting to come around. Not by much, but they were making slow progress.

  The phone began ringing and Austin didn’t even bother trying to answer. Lucille stayed on top of every call, barely ever letting it get to the second ring. She could have that part of the job. Hell, she wasn’t going to try to fight her on it. Unless it had to do with accounts receivable, Austin didn’t mess with anything.

  The computer came to life as she hit the power button. While it loaded, Austin sipped on her coffee. She wasn’t looking forward to doing her collection calls. It was always the same people who owed James money, and they always said the same thing, or else leaned to block her call. It was aggravating at times, but she’d learned to take it for what it was. A job.

  “Austin, line two.” Lucille’s high-pitched voice filled the room making her internally groan.

  “Austin speaking.”

  Crackling had her squinting her eyes. Dammit. Not again. This had happened all last week, and she really didn’t understand why anyone would call and not say something. The static grew louder, giving off the effect of nails on a chalkboard. Austin clenched her jaw and tried again. “Hello? This is Austin.”

  “You must repent and ask for God to forgive you for your sins.”

  “I beg your pardon?” What in the hell was this?

  The weird sound echoed again. “Repent and maybe you won’t burn in hell for what you’re doing. All sinners who enact on disgusting sins of lust will face the devil in their eternal fate.” The line went dead and she shook her head in astonishment. What the fuck was that about? She couldn’t deny when it first started happening that she thought maybe it was John, but she’d been wrong.

  Austin hung up the phone and grabbed her coffee. The phone ringing again had her reaching for it before she could think. “Teller’s, this is Austin.”

  “Where’s Lucille?” Janet’s shaky voice had her closing her eyes. “I’ll let her know you’re on the phone. Hold one moment, please.” The older woman was one of Lucille’s mother’s friends. She had to have been close to eighty or ninety, but there was something about her tone that was somehow soothing, even though it was unsteady.

  Damn, she didn’t have an intercom on this phone. Austin stood and looked toward the main office in the front. “Lucille, Janet’s on line one.”

  “I was expecting her to call back.”

  No thank you. Just a dirty look, probably because she answered. Great. So much for the good start. Things were quickly going downhill.

  The ding of the front door sounded behind her, but Austin didn’t turn around to see who it was. All she wanted to do was get back into her office and hide out until the mail man showed up. If no checks came in, her job for the rest of the day was pretty much pointless.

  “Austin, can I speak to you real quick?”

  James’s head was poking out of his office door. Reluctantly, she walked the length of the hall and took a seat in front of his desk. He pulled out the chair behind the large oak divider and rested his arms on the top.

  “I’m going to ask you something, and I need you to be completely honest with me.” He took a deep breath and began messing with his cell phone. “I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize so I let it go to voice mail. I’m going to play you the message I just received. If this is bullshit, call it. But not, don’t lie to me. I want to help you. You’re my friend. I take that very seriously.”

  “Jesus, James. What is it?” The more he talked, the more worried she was becoming.

  Silence filled the office until suddenly John’s voice echoed throughout the room.

  “This message is for James Teller. My name is John Caldwell, and I’m the Sheriff for San Patricio County. From what I hear, my ex-wife, Austin Caldwell, is currently working for you.” A long breath left him. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you might want to rethink your decision on keeping her as an employee. Especially to handle your accounts.

  “Before she left, she stole a lot of money from me. Practically wiped out our savings. I really don’t think she’s to be trusted. I know you might find this call out of the ordinary, but from one decent man to another, I felt you had the right to know. If you have any questions, feel free to call me back. Thanks.”

  Rage raced through Austin. Decent, her ass. John was far from it. “That son of a bitch.” The shakiness of her hands made it almost impossible to hold the coffee. She laid it on the desk and stood, beginning to pace. “I know you have no right to believe me, but I promise you, I never stole any money from him. Yes, I took a little from our savings to lease my home, but I helped build that account. My name was on it and everything, and I assure you that I didn’t even come close to putting a dent in the amount. I mean, if I had a lot of money, would I seriously be working right now? No. I need this job, James.”

  “I believe you, sweetie. My main purpose for letting you hear it was, one, if you did take the money, I was going to try to convince you to give it back. I’m more than willing to help if you need it. But if that wasn’t the case, you need to know that John’s located where you work. Which pretty much means he knows where you are. I told Scott and William I would look out for you, and I plan to hold to that promise.”

  Enough was enough. Austin rested her head in her hands as she looked down and continued to walk the length of the floor. “I need to call the detective and let him know. There’s
nothing he can do, but…” As realization dawn, Austin felt her knees grow weak. “Oh, shit. I did this by going to the detective to begin with.” She looked over at James. “If he talked to John, which I’m sure he did…hello! God, I’m so stupid.” She imitated how the detective would sound calling her ex. “This is detective so-and-so with the Crush police department. Dammit. Dead giveaway.”

  James stood and walked over, placing his hands on her shoulders. “It’s going to be okay. You’re safe. I promise. Between me, Scott, and William, we won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “I know.” She lowered her head and stepped back out of James’s touch. A rap at the door was followed by Lucille barging in. The sudden interruption made her jump.

  “Austin has another call. Line two.”

  The disapproving glare James’s mom was burning into her was nearly the last straw. What the hell was her problem? It wasn’t like she had walked in and James was actually touching her or anything. All she would have seen was both of them standing, facing each other. Plus, Austin didn’t want to be with him. Hadn’t she made that clear by keeping her distance over the last few months?

  “Thanks, mom.” James stood there and stared until Lucille walked out of the room. “I love my mother, but sometimes I just don’t know what to do with her.” He grinned and headed back for the desk. “You probably want to get that call so I’ll let you get back to work.”

  “Actually, I don’t,” she said, uneasily.

  The chair squeaked as he sat down and his eyebrows drew in. “No? Why? Are you afraid it’s John?”

  “Well, that hadn’t even crossed my mind truthfully. I got this weird call this morning, talking about sinning and needing to repent. It was strange.”

  James looked at the phone. “You want me to get it?”

  “No. That’s okay. May I take it in here, though?”

  “Sure.” He scooted the phone to the edge of the desk and she picked up the receiver, pressing the second line.