Loving Attention

by Becca Van

  He paused to wipe the sweat off his brow and frowned when he heard a car coming down the gravel driveway. Brent wasn’t expecting anyone and was sure his brothers would have mentioned it if they had someone coming to visit. He wheeled the heaped wheelbarrow out the barn doors, lowered the handles, and shielded his eyes from the sun’s glare and stared at the beat-up truck.

  When the driver’s door opened and a tall muscular man stepped out, Brent began walking toward the vehicle.

  “Are you one of the Lyndon brothers?” the man asked.

  “I am.” Brent frowned.

  “I’m Jay Sonny.” He held his hand out to Brent. “I’m here for the ranch hand job.”

  “Brent Lyndon. I didn’t know you were expected today.”

  “Rig told me to come on out around lunchtime. He said that was the only time you all would be near the house.”

  Brent nodded as he shook the man’s hand. The other man didn’t flinch or glance away as they clasped hands. He didn’t know what to make of Jay, but so far, he wasn’t getting any warning tingles in his gut. He released the man’s hand and turned when he heard and felt horses’ hooves pounding the ground. Rig and Hes were galloping toward them.

  “Jay?” Rig asked as he and his mount came to a stop and he dismounted.

  “Rig, how the fuck are you?” Jay shook his brother’s hand before turning to Hes. “Hes, you’re still as ugly as ever.” Jay grinned.

  “Fuck you, Sonny.” Hes laughed, clasped Jay’s hand, tugged him closer, and slapped him on the back. “Long time no see.”

  “Yeah.” Jay shrugged. “My cousins and I thought it was beyond time to hang up the weapons.”

  “You served?” Brent asked.

  “Sure did,” Jay replied. “Even fought alongside these two idiots a time or two.”

  “Fought,” Rig snorted. “You and your platoon saved our fucking asses.”

  “You both returned the favor, so I’d call us even.”

  “Are you moving to Slick Rock?” Hes asked.

  “That depends.”

  “On what?” Rig asked.

  Jay grinned. “On whether you give me a job.”

  “Do you have any experience on a ranch?” Brent asked.

  “I do.”

  “He was raised on a ranch, bro.” Rig met Brent’s gaze.

  Jay nodded. “My folks had a beef cattle ranch for most of their lives.” A shadow crossed his eyes, and he looked into the distance. After a moment he met Brent’s eyes again. “I like being busy and working hard. There’s no way in hell I could sit behind a desk for eight or more hours a day. I’d go fucking insane. I called Rig a couple of months ago to let him know my cousins and I were opting out instead of re-upping. He called me last week to tell me about the advert he’d just posted. So, here I am.”

  “Do you have somewhere to stay?” Hes asked.

  Jay shook his head. “I booked into the motel for the night. Figured I could start looking for a place if you hired me on.”

  “What are Jarrett and Jebediah doing?” Rig frowned.

  “They’re at the motel.”

  “Why the fuck didn’t you bring them with you?” Hes scowled.

  “I don’t normally bring family members with me when I’m at a job interview,” Jay answered.

  “Your last name is Sonny?” Brent asked.

  “Yeah?” Jay quirked a brow.

  “I can’t believe it. I know your fucking cousins.” Brent chuckled. “Jeb and Jarrett Sonny. They were in First Battalion Bravo Company. We were pinned down, surrounded by the enemy. Their platoon came in guns blazing and saved our fucking asses.”

  “I heard about that. You were in Alpha company?” Jay asked.

  “I was.”

  “It’s a small fucking world,” Jay said.

  “That it is.” Brent glanced at his brothers, then back to Jay. “Call your cousins and tell them to get their asses out here. I’d love to see them again. If they haven’t found work yet, I’ll hire them on, as well.”

  “Are you sure?” Jay asked. “Don’t employ them just because you feel you owe them.”

  “Actually, I’ve been thinking of a way to lighten our load. We’ve just met the woman of our dreams and want to spend more time with her. You all will be doing us a favor by coming on board.”

  “Sounds great.” Jay smiled. “I’ll give them a call.”

  “Hang on a sec,” Brent said. “Come up to the house and meet Niki. If it’s okay with her, you can all come for lunch.”

  “Your better half won’t mind?” Jay asked.

  “Niki’s not like that,” Rig said. “Go on up with Brent. We’ll be there as soon as we take care of the horses.”

  Niki was so happy her belly had been fluttering with excitement all morning. She’d rushed about cleaning up the house, making the bed, and putting the washing on, and then she’d headed to the kitchen to prepare lunch. She’d decided on slow roasting a hunk of seasoned beef and had put that in the oven after the men had left the house after breakfast. Five hours in an oven bag on low would have the beef so moist and tender it would fall apart. After the beef was in the oven cooking, she’d peeled and chopped some apples, then added a small amount of water, a bit of sugar, some fresh vanilla beans, and some cinnamon. While the apples were stewing, she’d started on the pastry.

  She loved the kitchen in the ranch house. There was a double oven so she could bake and roast at the same time. The stove was also an industrial-sized eight burner and it was gas. The counters were a creamy granite with sparkles and lines of various colors, and the cabinets were lightly stained oak. The dark hardwood floors contrasted nicely with the décor.

  After she put the two apple pies in the oven, she readied the potatoes and other vegetables. Then she started cleaning up. The table was set, and she’d prepared more than enough food to feed an army. Her men worked hard and burned a lot of calories. Therefore, they ate a lot, too. Niki was sure there would be enough leftovers so she wouldn’t have to cook that night, but she didn’t care if she did. She’d always liked cooking. It was one of the only pleasures she’d had in her life, even if she’d had to cook what her asshole of a father had ordered.

  She looked at the clock and realized there were only fifteen minutes left before her guys would be in for lunch. She took out the apple pies and put the biscuits in to bake, then started on the gravy.

  Everything was ready to her satisfaction.

  Niki glanced toward the dining-room entry when the door opened and frowned when she saw the strange man following Brent inside.

  “Hey, baby. Something smells good.” Brent walked toward her, pulled her into his arms, and proceeded to kiss the breath right out of her. She blushed and hid her face in his chest. He chuckled, nudged her chin up, and winked at her. Then he moved to her side and draped an arm around her shoulders. “Niki, I’d like you to meet Jay Sonny. He served in the Marines with Hes and Rig. Jay, this is our better half. Niki Russo.”

  Jay stepped forward, thrusting his hand out toward her. “Ma’am.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Jay. Please call me Niki.”

  “Pleasure.” Jay shook her hand, then released it.

  “Would you like to stay and eat with us, Jay? There’s more than enough.”

  “Have you got enough for two more, baby?” Brent asked.

  “Yes.” She frowned at him.

  “Jay’s cousins are waiting for him at the motel in town. Jay and his cousins served in the Marines with my brothers and I. We’ve just hired Jay on as ranch hand and want to offer Jarrett and Jebediah work, too.”

  Niki nodded and gazed at Jay. “That’s fine. How long before they get here?”

  “I just sent them a text,” Jay said. “We don’t have to wait for them. I don’t want anything to spoil if it’s ready.”

  “I can hold lunch for another half hour,” Niki said.

  “If you’re sure.”

  “I am.” She smiled.

  Niki turned everything off excep
t for the biscuits, which were still baking, but she left the meat and potatoes in the oven to keep warm. She drained and transferred the cooked beans, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower to serving dishes which she’d zap in the microwave to heat up when Jay’s cousins arrived. She whipped up some cheesy white sauce and set three extra place settings. After removing and covering the hot biscuits, she placed them on the table and made a huge jug of gravy. She’d been going to make the gravy when Brent and Jay had entered but had completely forgotten about it. She thought it was a good thing lunch had been delayed.

  Just as she started reheating the vegetables, she heard tires crunching on the gravel drive. She poured the still-steaming cheesy-white sauce over the broccoli and cauliflower and took the meat and potatoes from the oven.

  “Here, let me carve that for you, Niki.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled at Brent.

  He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Next time let me get the meat from the oven, baby. It looked heavy and it’s hot. I don’t want you getting burned.”

  Niki was about to tell him she was quite capable of getting a tray of meat out of the oven, but then she remembered their conversation from that morning. He was trying to protect her. “Okay.”

  Brent smiled, kissed her on the forehead, and started carving the meat.

  As she was carrying the casserole dishes of vegetables over to the table, Hes, Rig, and two other men entered the house.

  “Let me take that for you, Niki,” Jay said.

  She blinked up at him, then nodded. She began to think that all Marines had been trained to take care and help out those weaker than they were. Maybe it was all soldiers who acted so chivalrous. She shook her head. She might have been a prisoner, but she’d had a TV in her room. She’d heard some horrible stories about a couple of retired soldiers. There was good and bad in every race worldwide, but most people were on the right side of the law. She and her sister had just been unlucky enough to be born in a family involved with crime.

  Niki had just gone to get another dish to carry to the table but stopped to listen to the newsflash on the radio she’d had playing while she’d worked. It wasn’t very loud and she’d forgotten it was on because the men’s voices were so deep and drowned it out.

  “Breaking news. Alleged mob boss Matteo Russo died this morning from suspected poisoning. He’s succeeded by two daughters, Katerina and Nikita, who are both missing. The body of Russo’s housekeeper was found in the woods miles away from her home. The police think the two incidents are related.”

  Roaring rushed through Niki’s ears. Rosita and her father were dead. Grief and relief warred inside her heart and soul. Tears welled and rolled down her face. She was shaking and panting but no matter how fast she gulped in air, she couldn’t breathe.

  Darkness encroached on the edges of her vision, and though she tried to stay upright, her legs buckled. She heard someone yelling, but their voice was so far away and she didn’t understand a word.

  She felt herself falling and watched from a long way down as the darkness rose up to meet her.

  “Niki?” Rig called as he walked toward her. He frowned when she didn’t acknowledge him and hoped she wasn’t pissed at him for inviting three more people to lunch. He was sure Brent was going to ask her if it was okay, but since he and Hes had been rubbing down and watering the horses, he wasn’t sure if his older brother had done the right thing. He’d just assumed he had when he heard Jay’s cousins pulling up in the driveway.

  He grabbed one of the dishes off the counter as Brent finished up carving the meat onto a platter. He was just about to turn toward the table when he saw her swaying on her feet. He quickly put the casserole dish back on the counter and hurried around it toward her.

  “Niki, are you okay?” he asked in a louder voice. When she didn’t respond he began to get really worried. And then her knees buckled. “Niki!” he shouted as he realized he wasn’t going to get to her in time.

  Thank fuck Brent was closer than he was. His brother spun around and caught her before she hit the floor.

  “What the fuck happened?” Hes yelled.

  “I don’t know,” Rig replied. He grabbed a clean dishtowel, wet it at the sink, wrung it out, and wiped it over Niki’s pale face.

  Brent carried her from the kitchen and into the living room.

  “Is she sick?” Jay asked. “Do you want me to call 9-1-1?”

  Brent shook his head as he sat on the sofa, Niki still in his arms. He brushed her hair back from her face, then cursed when his cell phone rang. He ignored it.

  Rig knelt down and wiped over Niki’s face with the damp towel again hoping to revive her. She moaned and blinked her eyes open. “What’s wrong, sugar? Do you feel sick?”

  She shook her head and then she started crying.

  Brent held her tight as she crawled into his lap and pressed her face against his chest. He cursed when his cell phone began ringing again and a knot of dread formed in his gut. Shifting carefully so as not to disturb his sobbing woman, he pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to Rig.

  Rig kept caressing Niki’s back as he took Brent’s phone and answered it. It was Jalen Donnybrook. “Kat needs to talk with her sister.” The other man sighed. “We just heard on the radio that the sisters’ father is dead.”

  “Fuck.” Rig frowned, wondering if Niki’s tears were for her dead father. He’d heard the radio playing softly in the background in the kitchen but hadn’t taken much notice. He shook his head. That didn’t make any sense, because every time she’d spoken of her father there had been anger and defeat in her voice. Was she crying because she was relieved? “The housekeeper’s body was found in the woods on the outskirts of Chicago,” Jalen said. It sounded like he was talking from between clenched teeth. “Kat’s beside herself with grief. Rosita was like a mother to them.”

  Rig got to his feet and moved away from Niki so she wouldn’t hear the conversation. “I think she already knows.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “She passed out for a few minutes, and now she’s crying so hard she’s breaking my heart.”

  “Fuck!” Jalen sighed.

  “Yeah. How’s Kat?”

  “She hasn’t cried yet, but she’s as pale as a ghost. She wants to come and see her sister.”

  “I think you should bring her out. They need to be together at a time like this.” Rig glanced at his watch. “Pack a bag. You know we have guest rooms you all can use if it gets too late to head home.”

  “Thanks, Rig. We’ll be there in about an hour.”

  “See you soon.” Rig disconnected the call just as Niki seemed to pull herself together. She tensed her shoulders, sniffed a few times, and then scrambled from Brent’s lap. He wanted to haul her into his arms and hold her tight, but he wasn’t sure she’d be receptive to him right now. She wiped the tears from her face and hurried toward the kitchen, ignoring all of them.

  He and his brothers exchanged concerned looks, and when he glanced at Jay and his cousins, they were also frowning with concern. Rig turned toward the kitchen just as Niki announced that lunch was ready.

  What the hell?

  Chapter Thirteen

  As soon as she could, Niki had stopped crying and pushed her grief aside. The men were waiting on the food and she didn’t want it getting cold. They’d all been working hard and had to be hungry.

  When everyone was seated and the food was passed around, she picked up her knife and fork but instead of cutting anything, all she did was push the food around her plate. The thought of eating right now made her feel physically ill. Tears threatened when she remembered Rosita caressing a flour-covered finger down her nose when she’d been helping the older woman make biscuits. Then she’d turned to Kat and swiped her finger down her sister’s cheek. She and Kat had giggled as they gazed at each other, and then they’d both grabbed a handful of flour and thrown it at Rosita. Instead of being horrified or angry, Rosita had laughed until she had tears rolling down her face. There were other times she, Ka
t, and Rosita had laughed, but they’d learned to do it when no one else was around.

  Their father had walked in after they’d stopped laughing, and when he’d seen the mess, he’d started yelling. He slapped her and Kat across the face and ordered them to clean up the kitchen.

  Rosita had tried to defend them, to explain to their dad that they’d just been having a bit of fun, but he hadn’t listened. He backhanded Rosita so hard the woman had fallen to the floor. The housekeeper had become a mother figure to her and Kat long before their mom had died. Her mom and Rosita had been great friends, too. She missed them both so much. The pain in her heart was almost too much to bear.

  Niki knew in her heart that her father or one of his men had something to do with Rosita’s death. She hoped the police in Chicago found out who’d killed Rosita at least and arrested them. She didn’t give a shit about her dad. She was glad he was dead because now there was one less evil person in the world.

  She had no idea if the sheriffs had been in contact with the Chicago police other than forwarding the email she and Kat had sent with the attached incriminating files, but she hoped they hadn’t sent it to one of the men who’d been in her father’s pocket. If they had, her father’s men were going to continue getting away with their nefarious crimes.

  “Niki, you need to eat something, honey,” Hes said, drawing her gaze.

  She met his eyes and shook her head. She’d been so lost in her memories, she hadn’t even noticed who was sitting next to her. She turned to her other side to find Rig watching her with a concerned frown. She didn’t bother looking at anyone else because she could feel everyone’s eyes on her. However, when she realized that they’d all finished eating the main course, she shoved to her feet and asked, “Does anyone want apple pie and ice cream?”