“It has,” Shar said. “No offence to you guys.” She looked at Parker and Dale. “There are cell phones everywhere. How many times have we been treated to the captured image of people doing stupid things on Instagram and YouTube? My advice to everyone is, if you think no one’s watching, that is probably not true.”
“No offence taken,” Parker said. “You’re absolutely right.” Then he looked at Colt. “Did Uncle George happen to mention the rest of the family?”
Jackson nodded. “He did say he ran into your folks in town yesterday. He said he made a point of letting them know how grateful he was that you two did what you did, that you’d done the right thing.”
“They think it’s about them,” Dale said. “They all do—well, most of the ones that are left there do.”
“And it’s not about them at all.” Parker sounded pissed.
“The other news is that Norah’s lawyer quit. Dad isn’t happy about that because he wanted this to be a done deal. He wants to move on, and he can’t until this is handled.”
“I feel bad for him,” Ari said. Before her husbands could say anything, she put a hand on each of them. “Yes, he’s guilty of having blinders on, all the years y’all were growing up. He should have seen the way Norah played divide and conquer. He sure as hell should have noticed that Veronica was being bullied.”
“We hold some responsibility there, too,” Jackson said. “We were too focused on our own lives.”
“Y’all have beat that horse to death,” Shar said. She shot each of her husbands a look. “That goes for you two, as well. You’ve all apologized, and you’ve all been doing your best to make amends. Bottom line, your parents were the ones who should have shut it all down when you were kids. I’m not being sexist when I say the blame was squarely on Norah’s shoulders for the most part. It was. She was deliberate in her actions then, just as she is now. And now she’s paying the price for her selfishness, even if she isn’t aware of the coins leaving her account.”
“You’re right, Shar.” Cord looked at Jackson then his brothers and his sister. He nodded then switched his gaze to Parker and Dale. “Moving on to one more piece of business before we eat. Did you guys come to a decision about our offer?”
Jenny looked from Parker to Dale. “A decision about what offer?”
“We’ve asked these two to make their vacation here permanent and come and work with us.” With us, not for us? Jenny knew the cousins had arrived for a visit, to get out of the heat after posting that video to YouTube. She hadn’t realized there was a possibility of their staying.
“When we left Montana, we were only planning on a three-week visit,” Dale said.
“But we were looking for work when we left. We’ve talked it over. We have concerns, because we’ve worked with family all our lives and it hasn’t been a walk in the park.”
“Yeah, we know. Trace and Lucas filled us in on how bad things had gotten up there.” Jackson’s tone didn’t give anything away, but Jenny wondered if maybe he wasn’t bracing himself for bad news.
“But we already sense a difference between the concept of family business here, as opposed to back home. So, we’re willing to give it three months. That should be long enough for us to get a sense of things, of how it could be.”
Parker looked at his cousins, and then, to her surprise, he looked at her. “So far, we really like what we see here—but time will tell.”
“I think you’re both going to fall in love…with Lusty.” Jackson’s sly look, aimed directly at Jenny, made her want to squirm in her chair.
Huh. Fight or flight has a first stage called respond or ignore. Who knew?
Jenny stood and didn’t look at anyone except Ari. “C’mon, girlfriend, I’ll help you put the food on the table.”
Chapter Four
Jenny felt the vibration of her cell phone and pulled it out of her pocket. She’d just arrived at the roadhouse for her Friday shift and had been in the process of stowing her purse in the small employee room off the kitchen.
She recognized the number on the screen, of course. She wasn’t altogether certain she wanted to talk to her mother while she had yet to be successful in getting those two Montanans off her mind. Then she literally gave her head a shake.
Not want to talk to my mom? Those men are driving me crazy!
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetie. Dad and I were talking after you called the other day, and we thought we’d come for a visit. We’d like to see where you live and where you work and meet some of your friends. What day next week is good for you, Jenny?”
Jenny pulled her cell phone away from her ear and looked at it. She felt the way her face had screwed itself into a horrified why-now expression. The one thing she was grateful for at the moment was no one was looking at her. She was thrilled her parents wanted to come to Lusty. She just wished they’d done so a couple of weeks ago. If mom gets the idea I’m attracted to someone, who knows what she’ll do? She might start planning a wedding! Jenny shook her head again and would not even let herself consider what her parents would have to say about the fact she was attracted to two men.
She put the phone back to her ear. “Thursday is my regular day off,” she said. “I might be able to get next Friday off, too.” Then, because the question that was in her head wouldn’t shut up, she asked it. “I’ve been here nearly ten months. Is there a special reason you want to come and visit now?”
“Not really, sweetheart. Well, except we realized that you have been there nearly ten months and it’s only a three-hour drive for us. We really should have come to visit before now and have no excuses. We are both retired, so it’s not like we’re too busy. Dad said he was checking and there’s a motel out by the Interstate that’s not too far from where you are. We’ll stay overnight, and that way we can visit for a couple of days and really get to know your town.”
Jenny didn’t have to debate. She loved her parents. She didn’t like surprises, and maybe there was a bit of nervousness that they’d appear now when she was considering trying on a couple of studly cowboys.
But that was her situation to deal with. “There’s also a bed and breakfast right in town here, not even five minutes from my apartment. It’s called the Parkview Inn, and it’s on Park Street.”
“Oh! Well now, that is handy! I’ll look the number up online and give them a call. Do you think this is too short a notice to book a room?”
Jenny had met Maggie Benedict, and she was as much in the loop about things as anyone in Lusty. So she knew the B&B was never booked solid. And being a waitress at one of the two major eateries in the vicinity, she had knowledge, as well. No, not knowledge, resources.
“I don’t think so. I actually have the number in my phone.” She accessed her contact list and then read the number to her mother.
“This is definitely proof our visit was meant to be. We’ll see you next Thursday, sweetheart. Love you.”
“Love you, too, Mom. See you then.”
Despite the fact that her mom had assured her that there was no special reason her parents were coming to Lusty to see her, Jenny felt unsettled. She’d gone to her folks’ at least once a month since she moved first to Waco and then to Lusty.
She’d worked two jobs—here at the roadhouse and also at the chain restaurant beside the Green Gables motel out on the highway since relocating to Waco. When Angela had put her on full time, she’d quit her other job, happy to settle here and begin to sink down roots.
Her mother was a great believer in fate and in things happening as they should and for a reason, a belief she’d passed on to her daughter. Jenny recalled the time, when she was about fourteen and her hormones were messing with her emotions, that she’d asked her mom if she’d ever regretted having to “settle” for an adopted daughter instead of birthing one of her own. She’d never forget her mother’s response.
“Settle? We most certainly did not settle. The moment I laid eyes on you, I understood why your father and I hadn’t been
blessed with a baby of our own blood. We were meant to have you, the baby of our hearts. You were then, and continue to be, our best, our greatest blessing in this life.”
That had been the moment she’d set aside those niggling thoughts of “what if.” She’d had a friend in grade school who’d also been adopted. Petra had always believed her adoptive parents had stolen her from some great, unknown, bedazzled future. Petra’s adoptive parents had told her that she’d been abandoned, but for some reason, her young friend had clung to her fantasy instead of accepting the truth. Jenny knew that likely listening to Petra when she was younger had contributed to that vague sense she’d felt until the day of her mother’s heartwarming reassurance.
Jenny knew how lucky she was to even be alive, and after she understood how deeply her parents loved her, she was able to move on, emotionally. She didn’t know why her birth mother had died. She didn’t know much about the young woman except her name had been Mandy and she’d been young and alone in the world. She was grateful to Mandy for allowing her to have been born in the first place, and she was grateful to have been adopted by her parents.
“You’re looking thoughtful,” Laci said. Jenny looked up and smiled at her boss. “I am, a little. Just finished speaking with my mom.”
“Anything wrong?”
“I don’t think so. She says not. But she also says they’re coming for a visit next Thursday. I gave them the number of the B&B, as they wanted to stay overnight and spend Friday with me, too.”
“I can give you Friday off as one of your vacation days, if you like.” Laci grinned. “But there’s a catch. You have to come in at least one of those two days and bring your folks with you. I’d like to meet them.”
“Mom said they wanted to meet my friends, too, and see the town I now call home. So that’s easy enough to do.”
Laci nodded. “Have you told them anything about Lusty? I’m just wondering how shocked they’re likely to be when they come to town and realize things are a little different here.”
Jenny grinned. “Actually, yes, I did. It was an interesting discussion at the supper table that visit, not long after I started at the roadhouse.”
Laci grinned. “I just bet it was.”
Jenny grabbed her apron and ensured she had a fresh order pad and a good pen. She greeted the kitchen staff and then headed out to the dining room.
It didn’t take long for her to check her section, ensure that the tables were all clean and set and ready to receive guests. Finally, she logged into the order system then looked around to see if either Bailey or Laci needed help.
The only staff not present were the security team. They’d arrive around four because, until then, the Roadhouse was more grill than it was bar. The customers for lunch and early supper were mostly families or working folks, and all there to eat.
“All right, I guess we’re ready to open.” Laci did just that, unlocking the doors and turning on the “open” sign.
As usual, the first hungry guests arrived only minutes later. Within a half-hour, the pace was steady, and Jenny had found her rhythm. Thoughts of her parents, and a certain couple of cowboys, were put off for the time being. Parker and Dale knew, because she’d told them, that she was done today at eight.
It would be interesting to see if they took that info and ran with it.
* * * *
Chase Benedict waved his arm to indicate the occupied stalls in the barn. “Go ahead and choose any mount you like.”
Parker pushed his newly acquired straw hat back on his head and gave a low whistle. He and his brother were being given some damn-fine horseflesh to choose from. It was enough to almost make up for their eldest brother’s betrayal.
Almost.
“These are geldings and mares,” Chase said. “We’ve a stallion or two available, if you insist.” He grinned. “Of course, the gentlemen might protest because they’ve been on stud duty and are likely believing they’ve got it made in the shade.”
Parker laughed, understanding this new cousin was pulling his leg—sort of.
“I’m sure any one of these will be fine,” he said.
Dale had been slowly walking down the length of the barn, looking at each horse. One, an attractive chestnut, paid particular attention to his brother as he approached. When Dale stopped in front of the animal, it nickered softly and stepped just a bit closer to him.
They stared at each other for a long moment, horse and human.
“That’s Sam,” Chase said. “He’s a good, steady animal. Knows what he’s about. If you’re chasing a stray, he’ll get you positioned to throw your rope.”
“What do you say, Sam? Wanna go steady?”
Parker grinned, and Chase laughed. Sam nodded, so that pretty much sealed the deal. They’d brought their saddles with them to Texas—figuring they’d likely want to ride while they were here. At least that pecker-head asshole brother of ours didn’t try to steal them, too. Parker was still feeling more than a bit raw over the stunt Marcus the Terrible had pulled with their horses.
He missed Apollo.
Parker let Dale have his choice of mount first because his little brother tended to form a particular kind of bond with an animal. It wouldn’t surprise him in the least if Dale wasn’t just a tiny bit psychic. Of course, there would be no telling him that. Parker also believed Dale was missing Einstein, his paint, and was worried about what might become of him. He and that horse had been spiritual brothers. Parker was certain of it.
Dale Benedict claimed not to believe in the super or the preternatural.
Parker didn’t either. He believed certain talents and gifts were completely natural—nothing super or preter about them.
He began his walk down the aisle and stopped at the fourth stall. “Well now.”
The animal had nothing special in appearance to catch his eye. But there was just something about it as it looked up from munching hay, gave him a steady, no-nonsense appraisal, and then went back to munching.
“Rio. One of the first fillies born on our ranch.”
“I like the look of her.” The red roan practically shone with good health.
Chase leaned his forearms on the stall door. “She’s a good worker and gave us a couple of healthy, sturdy sons.” Chase turned and met his gaze. “She’s one of my favorites because she emerged when we were still feeling our way, here. A year and a bit before, Brian and I had been wheeler-dealers on Wall Street, working for Benedict International.” He gave a bark of laughter. “Hired our first foreman who came highly recommended, a man by the name of Julián Alvarez. He had rodeo experience and knew a hell of a lot about animals and ranching, and five years before we met, he’d been in that same damn city, one of the more successful venture capitalists of the decade.”
“What are the odds?” Parker shook his head. How many times had he heard about occurrences that others referred to as coincidence really being the hand of fate?
“I know. We learned a lot from Julián—whose brother Peter, by the way, is a cousin by marriage and lives here in Lusty—but this wasn’t his place—Julián’s. His place turned out to be Divine. He did, however, send us Ricoh. They’d been good friends on the rodeo circuit.”
Parker and Dale had met Ricoh Stone the night before, when he’d stopped in at Jackson and Cord’s with his new wife, who also happened to be sweet Jenny’s boss.
Parker pulled his thoughts back to the moment. He’d think about sweet Jenny later, at a time when he wouldn’t be razzed for the wood he’d surely sprout.
“You ever spend time on the circuit?” Parker asked. He knew their cousins, Trace and Lucas, had, and they’d had other friends back in Montana who’d spent time chasing eight as well.
“Just one summer, but not as competitors. The folks got Bri and me summer jobs working with a stockman who was tough as nails and twice as nasty.” He grinned. “They thought our desire to be cowboys was just a whim. They thought we’d quit before the first week of hard, grueling dirty labor was out, but…
”
“Benedicts don’t quit on their dreams.” And they didn’t quit otherwise unless they’d reached the absolute end of their rope. That’s another thing I’m mad as hell about. Pecker-head made us quit.
“No, we do not quit on our dreams.” Chase nodded. “We made a deal, to go to college, get our MBAs, and give the corporate life an honest try. At the end of the allotted time, we both knew it just wasn’t us. So here we are, a few years later, and damned if we’re not having the time of our lives.”
“I’d think those Benedicts living the corporate life are more the anomaly,” Parker said.
“Our oldest brothers, the triplets, are damn good at it. So are our cousins, Josh and Alex. It’s what they were meant to do.” Then he stood straight. “This is what we were meant to do. That’s what Lusty’s all about. Living the life you were meant to live, proudly and freely.” He clapped Parker on the shoulder. “Get that mare saddled up, cousin. I’ll show y’all the ranch—or should I say ranches—on horseback.”
It didn’t take him long to do just that and join his brother and his cousin as they rode out. He was a rancher used to seeing mountains. There wasn’t a mountain in sight, but there were horses and cattle and blue skies and the southern sun beating down on them. And that, for now, was enough.
Chapter Five
Jenny already knew that Ari, Jackson, and Cord had headed into Houston for the weekend. So when Parker and Dale showed up at the end of her shift, she wondered what they’d suggest.
She hadn’t been in the least surprised to see them there, in the waiting area just inside the door. When she approached them, they got to their feet. Their gazes were locked on her, their kissable lips smiling. She couldn’t keep the pleasure she felt at their appearance out of her smile.
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