“That works for me.”
The waiter came by and Earl ordered a glass of ale. He studied her for a moment. “What’s wrong?”
She had to get this off her chest. She told him what the three men had done.
“Well, that’s mighty nice of them.”
Men. They stuck together. “You don’t understand. These men lied to me. They didn’t use words, they used actions. You of all people know how I’ve wanted to save this ranch by myself. I would have, too.”
“Sure you would have, but I’ve been watching them these past few months.”
“They had no right to take away my sense of accomplishment.” His comment sunk in. “What do you know about this?”
“They care for you.”
He would see it their way. “Possibly, but they didn’t give me the courtesy of asking me if I wanted their help.”
He took a long drink of his beer. “You know, they might have done it for themselves.”
Likely story. “Meaning?”
“Take Jake. If he hadn’t paid off your debt, Brody might not have given him any more credit. No credit meant no more wood. Your house wouldn’t have gotten done.”
She could fill in the blanks. “All the people who’ve seen his work would think he wasn’t able to complete a job.”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think Jake needs any more wood.” He still should have asked if she wanted to be saved. “What about Aiden? Why did he keep bringing animals to my barn even when his barn was no longer full? Surely, he’d gotten his money back from the birthing fee.”
Earl scratched his stubbled chin. “He did tell me his barn was overflowing at first. When people learned about your place, he said they preferred coming to our ranch. Aiden was probably thinking your place was good for business. Plus, he got to be near you. Ever think of that?”
“No.”
“Besides, it didn’t hurt you none, now did it?”
“No again.” In truth, his actions didn’t prevent her from saving the ranch. “And Tank? See if you can find a reason why he said he’d pay if I couldn’t.”
“That’s easy. He’s sweet on you. Always has been.”
That’s why he dumped her for that floozy cheerleader. Tammy finished her tea and asked for another one. “I feel like the men and I aren’t on the same page. Clearly, they know nothing about me as a person.” They only knew every intimate detail about her body.
“Listen to me. I’ve known you since you were born. If they’d tried to confer with you, you being the most stubborn lady I know would have told them no. They not only did it for themselves, but also for you. Sometimes a man’s got to do what he needs to in order to get the job done. It’s called cooperation. One person adds a little bit here and the other person adds the there. Together they got the all. From my point of view, that’s a good thing for everyone involved.”
She had to chuckle at how Earl saw things, confusing as they were.
His daughter came up to the table. “Hey, Dad.” She looked over at her and smiled. “Hey, Tammy. I’m not interrupting anything am I?”
“No. Your dad was telling me his philosophy on life.”
His daughter rolled her eyes and tapped him on the shoulder. “I thought you promised me dinner.”
“I did at that.”
Tammy didn’t want to interfere with their bonding time. She pulled out her cell phone and noted the time. “I need to get to the gem store before it closes.” She said her good-byes and left, unsure if she was any closer to a resolution than before.
For the next hour, she wandered the streets, not wanting to go home. She did pick up a few stones from the store, but she mostly tried to get her head around the men’s motives. They surely believed what they were doing was right for her, but she didn’t appreciate them taking away all her control. It was one thing to do so in the bedroom, but another to do it with her life.
When the stores finally closed, she sucked up her courage and drove toward home. To her surprise, when she arrived none of the men’s vehicles were in the drive. Aiden was probably still in town, and since Tank didn’t live here, it made sense he’d not be here. But what about Jake? Usually, he worked all night on the house. That was one thing she loved about him. Jake was as driven as she was.
She should have been ecstatic she had the house to herself and that she would be left alone, but the house was lifeless without one of them. Unless Aiden spilled the beans, neither Jake nor Tank should have any idea what she’d found out, so they wouldn’t know how pissed she was. Damn. It deflated her anger a bit that she couldn’t vent.
It didn’t matter. She wanted to make the decisions herself and now she had the chance. After she put away her jewelry case, she sauntered into the kitchen to fix dinner. Even the small decision of what to eat overwhelmed her. When planning the meals, she took the men’s likes and dislikes into consideration. Now she only had herself to satisfy. Making the easiest meal, she chose scrambled eggs along with some heated leftover veggies.
Sitting at the kitchen table, she listened to the comforting sounds of the farm, but everything was too quiet. No banging, no laughing, no nothing. Just the way she liked it.
Liar.
Throughout dinner, she focused on being happy. She failed. True, she had Twister, but should she keep him? Was it even right to receive a gift so valuable without giving back in return?
She sighed. Having Jake come and go, along with Tank and Aiden, made her life more full, but she’d been alone before. Tonight, when Jake came back from wherever he was, they’d talk. Keeping her frustrations bottled up never served anyone well.
Wanting to be around something alive, she headed to the barn. As soon as she walked in, she noticed something different. Half the animals were gone. Oh, God. Had Aiden taken her comment to heart and returned the sick animals to his barn? She wasn’t aware he had a trailer big enough to transport that many animals in one run.
Dixie appeared content, but Twister looked antsy.
“You want to go for a ride?” It was getting dark, but she bet he’d appreciate a romp in the field. Riding always cleared her head.
After saddling him up, she led him outside. The air was cool and fresh. Once mounted, her attitude improved. She put Twister through the maneuvers, making him go around in circles and back up on command. Someone had done a nice job training him. He was good about keeping his head down and his ears forward. Once he was warmed up, she increased the speed. The gelding’s responsiveness was a thing of beauty. After a half hour, she walked him back to the barn. The entire time, she’d forgotten about her problems.
“Good job.” She patted him on his flank.
After making sure he was brushed down and watered, she went back inside.
She stopped in the bathroom to wash up and saw the note pinned to the mirror.
Darlin’. Don’t worry about me. I’m staying over at Tank’s.
She appreciated he let her know, but that didn’t mean she’d forgive him. Not in the mood to spend the evening watching television, she continued to work on her jewelry. Ever since Aiden had taken over the care of the animals, there hadn’t been more than a few hours a day of work to do on the ranch. For her, the jewelry collection had been her salvation. Not only did it give her an income, small as it was, it got her in touch with her creative side.
By midnight, her eyes were so strained she had to close the lid on the case and head to bed. When she’d shared her bed those few nights with one or two of her men, there was little room. Now she felt like she was in a sea of blankets, floating alone. Unfortunately, her mind refused to turn off and sleep eluded her. Or so she thought.
When she cracked open her eyes, it was nearly 8:00 a.m. How was it possible that she’d slept in? Jake should be hammering or doing something that wreaked havoc on her rest, but all was quiet.
She crawled out of bed and trudged to the bathroom hoping a shower would get her out of her funk. The warm water cascading over her body
helped, but not enough. Once dried, she threw on her clothes and went in search of breakfast.
Other than Earl’s beat-up VW, neither Aiden nor Jake had arrived. That worked for her. After she ate, she gathered her gear and went to town. Working at Mountain View allowed her to be away from Jake and keep her focus on making money. Jake was the worst offender of the three, though Tank came a close second. Jake would arrive soon, and when he did, she didn’t want to face him.
She’d worked for a few hours before the former sous chef came in with her newborn. Chelsea, the wife of both owners, smiled and came over to her.
“How are you doing?” she asked.
“Good.” That was a lie, but most people really didn’t want to hear her troubles. “Your baby is adorable. What’s his name?”
“Mitchell, but we call him Mitch.”
The familiar pang drove through her. What she wouldn’t give for a child or two of her own, but now that would never happen.
Chelsea pulled up a chair. “I’ve heard you’re doing well with your designs.”
“I’m not earning a living with it, but it’s okay.”
“You know, Jonas Nester could really use this in his store.”
His store carried only high-end merchandise. “You think he’d be interested?” That would be too good to be true.
“Why not? Your work is wonderful.”
“Thanks. I might ask him.”
The baby began to fuss and Chelsea stood. “I need to feed him.” She smiled. “Good luck!” She took a step then turned back. “You wouldn’t reconsider coming back to work one day a week, would you? Our customers would love it.”
She chuckled. “I thought you’d hired a full-time cook.”
“We did, but now she only wants to work four days a week, instead of five.”
“Let me get back to you.” Right now, she had too much on her mind.
After Chelsea left, Tammy ordered lunch. Earl’s words came back to her about people helping themselves while benefitting others. If Mr. Nester showed her goods, they both might make more money. Not wanting to take up the extra table after she finished eating, she packed up and decided to seek out her potential employer.
When she walked into the store, the smell of leather blended with a hint of sandalwood. The rich wooden floors and chrome display cases made for a classy place. To her surprise, no one was shopping. A young man approached her.
“May I help you?”
“I’m looking for Mr. Nester.”
“He’s in the back. I’ll get him.”
While the clerk went in search of the owner, she sidled over to the women’s department and noticed he didn’t have much in the way of women’s accessories.
“Tammy, that you?”
She hadn’t seen Mr. Nester since the fire. “Hi.”
He checked her over, almost as if he expected to see scars on her body. “What can I help you with?”
“I wanted to talk about a business deal.”
Chapter Thirteen
Tammy couldn’t believe Mr. Nester thought her idea of displaying her jewelry in his store was a good idea. After they talked a bit, he suggested she make jeweled belt buckles for the women.
So here she was, once again sipping her tea and scarfing down more chocolate chip cookies at Mountain View, hot gluing gems onto the metal backs. Mr. Nester said he had a man who would supply the leather.
She said she’d make him five to test the waters. Fortunately, the designs weren’t as intricate as her necklaces and earrings, and she was able to finish all five by 4:00 p.m.
The store didn’t close until 6:00 p.m., so she headed over to see if he liked what she’d created. When she went inside the store, there were five woman huddled around the case. To her delight, Mr. Nester already had a few of her necklaces on display.
Mr. Nester rushed up to her with a big grin. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Several women have already come in to see your collection. While they were here, they bought quite a lot of clothing. This is truly a wonderful partnership.”
She couldn’t believe her good luck. “I’ve brought more buckles.”
“Let me see.” She opened the case on the counter. He picked one up to examine it. “This is marvelous. I’m sure we can get at least $250 for each one.”
Her cost hadn’t been more than twenty-five dollars. “That’s wonderful.”
“See what happens when we work together? You benefit, and I benefit.”
He sounded like Earl. “I’ll bring in more as soon as I make them.”
He drew up a receipt and she left. Her mind swirled with what he’d said. She was better off working with him. Maybe trying to do everything on her own wasn’t always the best path. That didn’t mean she was ready to completely forgive Jake or Tank for what they did. As for Aiden, he might have seen a chance to promote his business and taken it, but discussing the option with her would have been a better solution.
When she got home, she saw that Jake had completed the outside of the house, but his car wasn’t here. There were paint cans in front of the new part of the house where none had been there before, so he had been here. He must have gone to Tank’s or maybe he’d driven to Bozeman to look for the appliances.
She really wanted to check on his progress, but he kept the door locked. He’d told her he wanted to surprise her when he was done with the inside.
That was something else that bothered her. Didn’t he think the customer should have a say-so in the types of countertops or what to put on the floor? It shouldn’t matter that he’d paid for the wood. It was her house, not his. Why couldn’t men communicate? A few words would have sufficed.
Out of sorts on many accounts, she wanted to take Twister out for a jog to clear her head. The poor animal was meant to be ridden and worked out. After saddling him, she walked him out of the barn. He huffed and stomped until she got him under control.
“None of that behavior, mister. I’ve had a somewhat shitty day, so don’t give me any attitude.” Her dealings with Mr. Nester had been the one shining light.
Twister didn’t answer, which made her feel better. After a slow warm up, she put him through his paces. Both seemed to feel better for the workout. She certainly did. Once she brushed him down, she went in to eat. Here she’d promised Jake room and board, and he hadn’t taken advantage of either one all day.
Stop being such a wish-wash. Either you forgive him or you don’t.
She was a mess not knowing what she wanted. Her pride was damaged because of their actions, but none of them had harmed her. Now it seemed as if she’d pushed them away.
Two car doors closed, and she rushed to the window. A mixture of excitement and anxiety collided as she watched all three of her men strode toward the house. They had something in their hands, and they all were laughing.
Their joy would end just as soon as she had her say.
They bustled in. Jake gave her a hug, but she didn’t return the affection.
“What’s wrong, darlin’?”
“Would you mind taking a seat at the table?”
They shrugged, acting like they didn’t have a clue what was going on.
“Are you mad I didn’t come home last night?” Jake looked like he’d been caught cheating on a test.
She glanced at Aiden, but he wasn’t making eye contact. Maybe he hadn’t said anything to them. “No. I stopped by Thomas’s Hardware Store to draw up a plan for repayment of my loan.” Her throat turned dry as they whipped their heads toward her.
She stepped over to the refrigerator and pulled out three beers and handed one to Aiden and one to Tank. For Jake, she poured him a glass of cold water. She took a sip of her drink to wet her throat. Tank and Aiden looked at Jake.
“What did Brody tell you?” Jake acted as innocent as a new colt.
“He wasn’t there. I spoke to his assistant who told me some interesting things.” She detailed the events that led up to the payment of the loan.
“Shit. You weren’t supposed to find out.” Jake gripped his glass so tight his knuckles turned white.
She took a few deep breaths. “Did it ever occur to you that I wanted to be the one to pay off the loan myself? That I take pride in doing things myself?”
His brows rose and a smile filled his face. “Who said you weren’t going to pay off the loan?”
He didn’t get it. “Brody’s assistant said you paid it off.”
“That part is true, but when you paid him, he was going to give the money back to me. Tank and I didn’t want Brody holding the papers on the lumber and have his credit limited. That’s bad for business, so basically I bought the loan.” He leaned forward. “Did you think you wouldn’t have to pay me back?” His eyes widened.
Oh, my God. She’d totally misjudged his actions. “Maybe?”
He pushed back the chair and approached her. He put his glass down and wiggled his fingers. “You will suffer for that.” A sly grin crossed his face, and the image of his hand on her bare ass came to mind.
Her pussy got wet thinking about the delicious punishment to come.
Jake placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned over, getting close to her face. “I know how independent you are and how much running the ranch alone means to you. I’d never take that away from you.” He tossed her an exaggerated frown.
He gets me. He loves me. Her pulse raced. “I can’t thank you enough for that, but where did you get your money? I thought you couldn’t even afford to rent a room when you came here.” Was his whole presence another lie?
“Yeah.” That came from Tank.
Even the cousins had secrets.
Jake stepped away from her, picked up his glass, and gulped down a few mouthfuls of water. “Tank, you assumed I needed a place to live. I didn’t, but when I heard about Tammy’s situation, I didn’t want to let you down. You were so excited about helping her that I couldn’t say no. I have money. In fact, I have a lot of money, but I don’t want to use it on myself. When my grandparents died, they left over a million dollars to me, my two brothers, and my parents. But, like Tammy, I wanted to build my business myself, with my own hard-earned money.”
Monroe, Melody Snow - Taming Tammy [Pleasure, Montana 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 12