by C. M. Steele
“I wanted you to finish your degree, Billy.”
“I don’t give a shit. I got the damn degree so I could come back here and help make this place twice as big, and here we are on our last dime.”
“You’re a vet. There are hundreds of ranches around that could use your skills.”
My head was spinning and I just wanted to lay down in a cool room. I felt Billy’s face turn to me as I kept my eyes closed. “Pops, not now. Let’s get this fella what he needs to be on his way.”
They both exited as I moved to the passenger side gingerly, my brain pulsing against my skull. I was about to climb out of the cab on my own when I caught sight of a damn angel in skimpy shorts and a tank top that was a bit too damn revealing. She rushed into Billy’s arms, and a twinge of jealousy sucker punched me in the chest. I’d never been jealous over a woman before, but somehow, I knew that she would be the one and only to bring that out in me. Her blonde curls bounced as she jumped up and down. They only brought more attention to her breasts that I ached to rest my head on. I was near death’s door and I was getting a hard-on for her. She smiled at me straight through the windshield with a genuine smile that showed in her cornflower blue eyes. She looked like a wet dream come to life and I looked like I’d been dragged through the mud.
The heat running through my veins wasn’t from the sun; it was all her. I stepped out of the vehicle, still not steady on my feet, and the old man caught my arm and helped me up.
“Oh my goodness,” she exclaimed. “Let’s get him inside.” I stood there, trying to organize my thoughts enough to say hello when I saw a bead of sweat drip down between those succulent breasts. I wanted to lean forward and lick it off her, using my hands to cup and push them together and pressing my face into her cleavage. A low rumble left my chest as I thought about how she’d feel against my body completely naked.
The big guy noticed my attention and whispered in my ear, “You stay away from my little girl or I’ll leave a rattler on your lap, ya hear?”
It was clear he wasn’t joking in the least, but I didn’t care. “Yep,” I said with a nod, ignoring his words and giving her a smile.
4
Maggie
Coming out of the house to see my brother who I hadn’t seen in several months, I was caught off guard by the disheveled stranger getting out of my father’s truck. He was dressed in a pair of suit pants that were covered in road dust with shoes that probably cost more than a year of me working at the farm down the road. His black hair had been covered in sweat and messy. I pictured him running his fingers through it as he tried to deal with the heat. His hands were thick and strong, sending a shiver of desire up my spine as I pictured him touching my bared flesh.
Even slumped over he looked taller than Billy, a lot taller. When he looked at me, I felt something I’d never felt before. It was a foreign sensation, but I knew exactly what it was…lust. The tiny panties covering my pussy were soaked. I wondered if it showed through my shorts.
I’d kissed a boy or two over the years, but they never made me feel a fraction of what this raggedy looking stranger did. Something about the hint of scruff starting to appear on his face made my body burn and ache for him to rub it against my skin.
“Get him something to drink, doll,” my daddy said.
I hurried to do what he said because the stranger needed it and I needed to cool my body down. “Sweetheart, why are you rushing in here like you’re being chased by a herd of buffalo?”
“Daddy and Billy are back and they brought a man home with him,” I blurted out. Hearing my own words and hearing my pathetic implication, I added, “And he looks like he’s been in the sun too long,” I explained as I ran around the kitchen preparing lemonade. I still had to go to the farm next door and prepare supper for the crew there, but staying here was a better idea.
“Where did she go?” I heard him say as the screen door slammed against the frame. I grabbed the tray and walked back to the living room, trying to keep it steady. I wasn’t doing a good job, lemonade spilled over the rim until my brother took the tray from me. “I got this,” he whispered, understanding my reaction to the stranger and not caring for it.
“There you are, beautiful.” I could see both my father and brother looking ticked off.
“Nah, I believe the sun has gotten to ya. Here’s some lemonade.” Grabbing a glass off the tray, I handed it to the weary traveler.
He took the glass from my hand, our fingers grazing slightly and my body instantly felt alive and craved more contact, so I stepped back and away from the dangerous man in front of me. He drank it down, gulping every drop out of the glass. I watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed, loving the power I could feel coming from him even in his weak state.
“Don’t you have to go?” Daddy’s eyes narrowed on me with a subtle shake of his head. I nodded and returned my gaze to our guest. “Get well, sir.”
I scurried out the door, only to find his suit coat on the ground outside of the truck. I walked it back inside to find him passed out on the sofa. My dad and brother were looking at him with a razed brow.
“Do you think he needs a doctor?”
My mother was taking a cloth to his forehead and I jealously wanted to swipe it from her. It was my responsibility. “We’ll see. I don’t believe so, but we’ll keep an eye on him.”
“He dropped this.” I said, handing him the suit coat just as a piece of paper fell out. It read From the Desk of Maxwell Mason, Sr. The memo was passed around and they all looked at the man.
“Oh my. This man is from the buyer’s company,” I gasped.
“He is the buyer. He said his name was Maxwell. I doubt he’s the Sr., but I should have let him rot in the road.”
“That’s not kind of you, William,” my mother scolded.
“It’s not, but we’ll be all working for the Sanchez Ranch soon because of him.”
“We’ll be just fine. Maybe we can strike a deal with the man,” my mother added.
I couldn’t hear any more of my mother’s optimism and my father’s anger. The clock on the wall told me I didn’t have long to get my butt over to my job. The mysterious man on the sofa would be safe in their care, despite who he was. I knew my daddy wouldn’t do anything to Maxwell because it wasn’t who he was. I wondered if he liked to hear his name screamed out as he took a woman. Would he like Max or Maxwell? My body and mind were out of control. I shook my head out of those thoughts. “Sorry, but I’ve got to go,” I said, taking one more look at the dusty, heartbreakingly, handsome man who planned to kick us out of our home. My heart inexplicably hurt knowing he was the enemy.
“Hold on, Magpie. I’ll give you a ride,” Billy said, snatching the keys off the hooks by the door. He cupped the crown of my head, giving it a shake, then holding the door open for me. “Let’s go, kiddo.”
“Thanks, Billy. It’s kind of hot to ride my bike over there.”
“You don’t say?” He cracked a smile on his handsome face.
“You know what? You’ve gotten a lot more distinguished looking since the last time I saw you. The new scruff works. Is there a special someone? Hmm?” I stared at him with a gleam in my eyes. My big brother was twenty-six and now a veterinarian.
“No one yet. It’s called I was in a hurry to visit before having to head back for an internship.”
“Wait, you’re going to be staying in Austin?” My emotions couldn’t take another blow. This day couldn’t come to an end sooner.
“I’ll be there for a couple of weeks. I was already interning there, but since they needed extra help, I said yes. That’s what frustrates me about all this. I had no idea dad was hiding all this.”
“He didn’t want you to worry, but if it makes you feel better, he kept it from me, too. If I hadn’t seen the letter myself, I wouldn’t have known until we were out on our asses. That’s why I took a job at Sanchez’s.” That ranch was booming out of control and they needed more and more hands.
“How’s it working for them?
” Billy curiosity screamed concern. I was the only female there.
“It’s not so bad. I don’t care for the owner’s nephew. He eyes me like I’m on the menu, but he’s only around once a week.” I shrugged it off when in truth he made me really uncomfortable, scared uncomfortable.
“Tell him your big brother is home and I’ll deal with him if he doesn’t keep his eyes shut where you’re concerned.” The sternness in his voice wasn’t something I’d seen since my ex-boyfriend tried to take more liberties than I was ready to give.
“Thanks, Billy, but I just ignore him.” We pulled up to the stellar remodeled ranch, and a thought crossed my mind at the same time as Billy’s. “Why the hell is he doing so good but Pops is struggling?”
“I’ve been thinking the same. They have the same account manager, but I don’t know anything about those things.”
“I’ll make some calls and maybe the suit could help us figure it out. It’s the least he could do for us saving his hide.” I rolled my eyes because I didn’t think he’d do that. He didn’t come down south just to give the property back to us. “Don’t look like that, baby girl. I’ll make him see reason or I’ll leave him outside with the rattlers.” I swatted his arm and gave him my toughest scowl before giggling.
I hopped out of the car. “Thanks, Billy. It’s great to have you back. Even if it isn’t for long.”
I waved my brother off as I climbed the steps of the main house. He pulled out as I opened the door and immediately slammed into a large frame. It was Rico, the owner’s nephew. “Why, what a pleasant surprise bumping into you.”
“I doubt you were surprised considering my father’s truck can be heard coming up the road. Excuse me, Rico, I have to get started on dinner.”
“One day, I’m going to get you all alone and teach you what a real man can do to a good girl like you,” he purred. I gave him my signature eye roll and moved past him into the kitchen. He wasn’t supposed to be here today and that ticked me off. First, the rich suit had to activate my girly bits with just one look before stealing my home. Then, in walked Pervert Pete here to prey on my innocence.
5
Maxwell
I woke up from the craziest dream. Blondie was telling me that she was pregnant and I played with her belly, kissing and singing to my little baby inside. Thoughts of breeding her drummed in my brain and my sack. I didn’t know that I wanted to be married and settled down until I caught sight of the most adorable little thing in the world. Hell, adorable wasn’t fitting for her. She had a body that screamed Fuck Me and lips that tempted a man to lose his mind. Immediately, visions of her with some cowboy around here sent my damn blood boiling. Grunting my anger, I sat up on the sofa. The house had a very warm feel about it, except for the three sets of eyes glaring at me. Quirking my brow at them, I was confused. They must be the Davidson’s. The father called the son Billy, short for William, which was the name of the ranch’s delinquent former owner.
I looked past them, anxious to see the missing Davidson, the only one I really cared to see, but she wasn’t around. “Mr. Mason, how are you feeling?” Mrs. Davidson asked. Despite what my name meant to them, she still showed a great deal of kindness.
“I could be better,” I confessed, my eyes still looking around the room.
“She’s not here,” Billy boy grumbled.
“Where the fuck is she?” I snarled, completely forgetting my place and seeing both men clench their jaws and fists.
“What did I tell you earlier, boy?” I got his warning the first time, but nothing and no one was going to stop me from getting to her.
“I heard what you said earlier and it doesn’t mean shit to me. She’s legal, isn’t she?”
“Yes,” Mrs. Davidson said, ignoring her husband’s ire. She patted his knee and gave him a warning look to calm down and he did just that. I saw who ran this house, and it was clear the one I needed to please was blondie’s mom. Something told me that blondie would have me wrapped around her finger like that in the near future.
“Good. I need to make some calls, then you can tell me where she is. If you want to talk about the ranch, we can handle that, too.” I stood up, a bit light headed for a second before pulling my phone out of my pocket. Thanks to OtterBox, my phone wasn’t broken. I walked past them all and out onto the porch. It wasn’t respectful, but I wanted to get a move on with everything. My plans wouldn’t change, but seeing her only made them more urgent.
First call was to my assistant. “I need someone to order me two vehicles and deliver them to the Davidson ranch, asap.”
“Rentals?”
“No, brand new off the line. Make them two large pickup trucks with everything. Put them in my name.”
“Wow, now who’s the one with a stick up the ass?”
“Yes, well, it’s been a long fucked up day that’s got me impatient.”
“Got you impatient? I think you were born that way. Anyways, I’ll get that done. It’s still early enough to knock it out.” She sounded in a better mood than earlier, even if she was being a little shit.
“Thanks. By the way, is everything okay with the doctor?”
“Yes, everything is fine.” I heard the word fine and I knew damn well it wasn’t.
“If you need anything just say so.” I didn’t know how to do soft and gentle, so that was the best I could manage. It was nicer than I’d been in forever. Blondie had an effect on my personality already.
“I will, but let me get to it, so I can get out of the office.” I hung up with her, then sent a message to my father. He and my mother were going to the ballet tonight, so he wouldn’t be able to talk. Dad, in town, had a little hiccup with the rental, got to enjoy the Texas sun- Max.
Taking in a deep breath, I felt the heat burning my throat. The air was fresh and the noise almost nonexistent. Doing an about face, I opened the screen door and stepped in.
“Mr. Davidson, I wanted to apologize to you and your family for my behavior. It was wrong of me to be rude to the people who saved my life. But I’m serious as fuck when I say, I won’t give up where your daughter is concerned.”
“Maggie isn’t going to be your plaything.” Maggie, I played her name in my head, loving how it suited her.
“She’s not going to be my plaything.” Well, not all the time. “Where is she?” I asked again, hating that she wasn’t by me. Was she safe? Why didn’t Maggie stay to take care of me? I saw the way her body reacted to me even though I looked fucked up.
“She’s at work right now. Magpie doesn’t get out for three more hours.”
“How long was I asleep?”
“Maybe an hour. Perhaps you should get some rest.” Mrs. Davidson was a sweetheart, but I couldn’t waste time sleeping when all I wanted to do was kiss Maggie and claim what was mine.
“Thank you, but I can’t sleep right now. Where does she work, if it’s only a few hours?”
“At the ranch down the road as their cook.” Billy gave me a smirk, knowing damn well I was about to flip my lid and he was loving it. My eyes narrowed at him, then to his father. “Calm down. The owner over there wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”
“Yes, I looked him up, Alex Sanchez, only thirty years old and single. You think she’s safe with him?”
“Well, not everyone turns into a big fucking caveman over a woman.”
“One day, when you find the woman you want to marry, we’ll see how well you handle men looking at her.”
“You want to marry her? Buddy, you let that sun take ahold of your fucking mind.”
“Billy boy, my mind is just fine. She’s beautiful, kind, loving, and she can cook. Those are just the things I learned in a few moments in her presence. And now I know what worry for another human being who is not related feels like.”
“I’m sorry, but you can’t have my home and my daughter.”
“Keep your home. She’s mine.”
“You think this place matters more than my little girl or that I’d sell her to save t
his place?”
“No, I don’t, but if you all weren’t pissing me off, you’d know why I even came down here in the first place. When we acquire property, we don’t visit unless the place is empty and it sure wouldn’t be me. I came down here because my assistant and my father pointed out that something wasn’t adding up with your losses.”
“What do you care what we lost?”
“Mrs. Davidson, could I trouble you for some more lemonade or something else cold to drink please.”
“Sure thing, you must still be very dehydrated.”
“Thank you,” I said, nodding to her.
“I don’t know how you’ve been spending the money, but from what I could puzzle out, your ranch should be booming like your neighbors. The only costly non-business expense is his schooling, and again, none of that even adds up to your losses.”
“I’ve been wondering the same thing. I’ve been working on this ranch since I was a little boy. When my father died, I had to drop out of school and take over. I hired a family accountant and, over the years, never had a problem. Things were running perfectly. The changes and losses didn’t come out of nowhere. They started slowly. I thought a big part of it was the recession, but I couldn’t tell what’s going on. My education ended when I was fifteen.”
“I wish you would have told me, Dad. I would have taken over the books.”
“You don’t want to deal with the books. You’re following your dream, and that in itself makes us all proud. I’d rather lose it all than steal your dream from you.”
“Well, you’re not going to lose this place, at least not if I can help it. I want to work some stuff out, but I don’t want you to worry. It’s clear to me things are wrong. Part of me wonders if that neighbor of yours is involved.”
“He’s too full of honor for that.”
“Are you sure?”
“No…”