Cowboys in Her Heart

by Jan Springer

  “Man, you taste damn good,” Rafe said with a smile as he let go of her and then held her at arm’s length as he allowed his gaze to roam all over her.

  “You are a sight for sore eyes, lady,” he chuckled.

  “Hey, quite hogging her. My turn,” Dan growled as he also came into the kitchen.

  Rafe chuckled and reluctantly let her go. Then Dan was embracing her. His arms were tight and confident around her waist. He smelled of gasoline and pine. She could hear him inhaling. He was smelling her, she knew, because he often told her how nice she smelled.

  “You smell like a flower. Missed you, babe. Glad to be back,” he said and let her go.

  “Hungry?” she asked as she moved to the coffee machine.

  They guys enjoyed their coffee and she loved welcoming them home with as much coffee as they could drink.

  “Hungry in more ways than one,” Dan said in a soft voice from behind her. “But food first. To make sure I have plenty of energy for later.”

  Her breath hitched at his remark and she blew out a tense breath. It would be the three of them with her tonight and it would be a fine homecoming.

  Brady chuckled from behind the two men and winked at JJ as he accepted the coffee carafe she handed to him. He ushered the guys to sit at their places and then he began pouring their coffee. Before long the three of them began talking about their work days as they always did over dinner.

  Brady informed them that the tractor was up and running again, ready for the haying which he planned on starting tomorrow. Rafe and Dan gave the news that the clearing for the log cabin was all set. The logs for the cabin had been cut by chainsaws and ready for use. All they needed to do was fly in the lumber for the roof and frame and a portable generator. They agreed that JJ would be transporting all the needed items with Rafe and Dan tomorrow.

  Happiness splashed through her as she took peeks at the guys. They were all so handsome as they ate with ravenous appetite. They were tanned from the outdoors, their faces lined with serious expressions as they listened to each other.

  Yep, she did notice that Rafe and Dan hadn’t picked up on the baby theme with the vegetables. But they would. Sooner or later. They would.

  “Pretty lady, that was the best meal I have ever eaten,” Dan said as an hour later he patted his full belly and winked at Brady and Rafe who sat in their respective places on the couch while JJ served up some more coffee to them.

  Man, it really felt good to be back home. They’d only been gone a few days and nights and it had felt like a month.

  “What exactly did you like the most out of that meal?” Brady suddenly asked.

  Dan shrugged. That was an odd question.

  “Um everything. Like everything. The baby potatoes were my favorite. How in hell did you get them already from the garden? I mean we just planted a month ago.”

  “I bought them,” JJ said as she breezed back into the living room with a plate of what looked like white-chocolate dipped strawberries.

  “You bought potatoes? We have a bunch down in the storage. Why buy potatoes?” Dan frowned. That was a weird thing for JJ to do. She was always pretty frugal about saying they should eat what they had before spending money on food.

  “Yeah, JJ. Why buy potatoes when we already have them?” Brady mused.

  There was an odd happy tone to his voice tonight and Dan had noticed the weird little looks between her and Brady now that he thought about it.

  “Maybe she wanted a certain type of potato?” Rafe said as he picked up one of the strawberries and shoved the whole thing into his mouth. His face scrunched up with delight as he chewed.

  “Man, these strawberries are good,” Rafe commented.

  He gazed over at Dan, grabbed another one and popped it into his mouth. A bit of pink juice oozed out of the side of Rafe’s mouth as he chewed.

  “Well, they do look good. Nicely decorated,” Dan replied as he observed the dessert. JJ had gone all out with these strawberries. Each one had been dipped in what he assumed was white chocolate and then drizzled with light blue and light pink lines. He wasn’t much for strawberries. Preferred raspberries himself, but what the hell, he may as well try one.

  He grabbed a strawberry and took a tentative bite. Sweetness splashed over his taste buds. He moaned at the delicious flavor.

  “Wow. Nice,” he mumbled as he chewed.

  From right beside him, JJ laughed. She had returned to the living room and held another plate in her hand.

  “Hey, I know you aren’t partial to strawberries, but it sounds like you changed your mind. I guess I’ll bring these raspberry cookies back to the kitchen?”

  She turned to leave.

  “No! Wait! I got plenty of room for both,” he urged. He held out his hands for the plate.

  “Okay, enjoy,” she said as she handed him the plate full of odd looking cookies.

  Odd meaning he’d never noticed her every making square cookies before. They were kind of cute, he thought as he placed the plate onto the coffee table.

  She’d decorated them to look like calendars. All of the cookies had a white icing background. The icing lines were blue and pink. Huh, each cookie had an iced heart in one of the squares. Some pink. Some blue. All with the same date. The number 25 on top of the heart in one of the rows and columns and the word December printed in pale blue icing sugar across the top.

  “Man, this is alot of intricate work for a cookie,” Dan heard Rafe comment as he grabbed a cookie and took a bite.

  Dan followed suit. Flavor exploded in his mouth. He tasted the raspberries and yeah, a new love for this delicious icing.

  “Outstanding. Really good, JJ,” Dan said between chews.

  “So, what’s the significance of the date?” Rafe asked.

  “Yeah, you must have felt Christmassy or something. December 25. Was it so hot here while we were gone that you had to cool down with winter thoughts?” Dan joked.

  Rafe laughed. Brady didn’t. His face looked stoic.

  Dan gazed at JJ. Oh. Oh. She was frowning at them. So was Brady.

  Shit. What had he said wrong? He looked over at Rafe who was gazing at the plate of cookies and then looking at the strawberries. He was frowning too.

  “What the hell is going on with everyone?” Dan asked with a laugh as he looked from JJ to Brady. Things had suddenly turned way too serious.

  He gazed over at Rafe who now had a weird expression that Dan had never seen before.

  Okay. What was he missing?

  He’d told JJ that he liked the dessert. Told them the cookies looked Christmassy. Well, actually only the date was Christmas. The rest…the rest was decorated in white, pale blue and pale pink.

  Come to think of it, they were the same colors as the white-chocolate dipped strawberries. Which, he suddenly wanted another.

  He grabbed a strawberry and shoved it into his mouth.

  Damn good!

  “I’m guessing Dan hasn’t caught on,” Rafe said with a chuckle. Suddenly there was a huge smile on Rafe’s face.

  “Let’s see how long it takes. Anyone want to take bets?” Brady mused.

  He was smiling now too. And so was JJ.

  Obviously, the joke was on him.

  “What?” he asked, and then squirmed uneasily on the sofa. What the hell is going on?

  “How many more hints do you think he needs?” Brady asked JJ.

  She shrugged.

  “I do have one more idea. Hang on,” JJ said.

  Hints about what? What were they talking about? Why was he the odd man out?

  Dan watched as JJ hurried back into the kitchen. From a cupboard, she withdrew three white mugs that he’d never seen before. She smiled and he got uneasy when he noticed tears in her eyes as she handed first a mug to Brady, another to Rafe and then one to himself.

  Her voice was soft as she handed him the last mug. He didn’t look at the mug. Instead he was looking at her and thinking how abs
olutely beautiful she looked tonight dressed in her jeans, and pretty white blouse and her usual apron.

  Why did she look so radiant?

  “I was saving this for tomorrow’s breakfast coffee, but since we are in such a dire situation,” she said and nodded to the mug in front of him.

  Dan gazed at the light blue and light pink writing of the one word written on the white mug. His jaw dropped and his mouth opened with shock.

  Daddy.

  Shit.

  Oh my God.

  Reality hit him like a ton of bricks. His head snapped up and suddenly Rafe was up on his feet shaking hands with Brady and then hugging JJ.

  “Congratulations!” Rafe shouted.

  Dan stood. Noticed he was shaking all over. Man, it finally happened.

  “We’re going to have a baby?” Dan asked dumbly.

  JJ nodded. Tears sparkled like glistening jewels in her pretty brown eyes.

  “You guys are going to be daddies,” she said softly. She was smiling and Dan thought he had been prepared for this. But wow, this news knocked the wind right out of him.

  Suddenly Brady was slapping Dan on the back and JJ was watching him with curiosity. Emotions welled up and damned if he didn’t want to freaking cry.

  Like, what the hell? He was just so bloody happy for all of them.

  “Man, this is cool. Really cool,” he muttered. He stepped forward and embraced JJ.

  “We’re all going to be a family,” she whispered into his ear.

  Oh man. Family. Dan hugged her tighter. This ménage relationship was really going to be permanent. After the longest hug in their history, he let JJ go and discovered Rafe and Brady watching them with huge smiles.

  “Cool news, eh?” Brady asked.

  “When did you find out?” Dan wondered out loud. Had Brady known for long? If he had, he had a pretty damned good poker face.

  “I just found out day before yesterday and told Brady then,” JJ revealed.

  “I need more coffee. Who wants more coffee?” Rafe asked. He headed into the kitchen.

  Yeah, he needed some too. It was going to be a long night of celebrating because he for one was too wired to sleep tonight.

  They were all going to have a baby!

  Chapter Five

  The next three days passed by like a wonderful dream and JJ swore she couldn’t feel any more content. If she would have gotten any happier, she would burst for sure. All the guys were excited about the baby. But even with a baby on the way, chores still needed doing.

  She flew Rafe and Dan in with supplies and they returned the same day. The guys kept themselves busy planting seed in the fallow meadows so there would be plenty of hay to cut during the summer and autumn to store in the barn for winter feed.

  In the meantime, with her pregnancy came the cravings. Goodness, she craved pickles and sex. Wanted pickles and sex all the time.

  It was a good thing Dan was an expert at pickling and canning. Last autumn they’d set aside plenty of preserves from their large garden and she had already made her way through the sweet and sour pickles and was now starting on the dill pickles.

  Damned hormones. They would be the death of her yet. Thankfully she had her men to keep her satisfied sexually.

  Well, two of them for now.

  Early this morning, Brady had taken off for a couple of days to hay the far north pastures which were already producing. He’d left her with Dan and Rafe and they had been out in the barn most of the day keeping busy with the last of the calving. She couldn’t wait for them to come inside. Wanted both of them to make love to her.

  JJ inhaled softly. She needed to stay in control. She was being silly giving into these cravings. She’d read online that increased cravings for sex did happen to some women. Just her luck that it would happen to her.

  She tensed when she heard the mudroom door open and the guys stomp inside. There was a pause and she imagined them removing their boots. Then they walked down the hall, talking, and laughing. Just as she suspected they’d removed their footwear because the clomping sound was gone.

  “Hey baby,” Rafe said as he strolled into the kitchen. It didn’t appear that he noticed she was stirring the pot of vegetable soup because he just grabbed her by the waist and barely gave her enough time to make sure the wood spoon was dropped onto the stove before her feet left the floor.

  He lifted her into the air and he laughed as she quickly grabbed his taut shoulders to hold on. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him and that he would drop her. It was an instinctive reaction, grabbing him. Her fingers dug into strong muscles and mercy did the feel of his hard flesh make her lower belly quiver with excitement. He brought her closer so that their faces were mere inches apart. His eyes glittered with mischief and his lips parted, anticipating a kiss.

  An invisible thread pulled her head forward and she kissed him. Tingles of arousal exploded against her mouth. Rafe groaned. The sound was guttural and primal answering to her own mad desire to mate.

  She wondered where Dan had gotten off to. Wondered if he would mind finding Rafe making love to her right here in the kitchen.

  Rafe’s kiss intensified, rocking her senses. Never mind about Dan. Her arousal was going haywire.

  “Make love to me,” she whispered as she tore her mouth away from his. Fevered heat coursed through her and her breaths came out in fast pants as Rafe gently placed her feet back upon the floor.

  From behind Rafe, Dan chuckled.

  “Your wish is our command,” Dan growled. JJ opened her eyes and peeked around Rafe to find Dan standing there. He was completely naked, except for the dark brown cowboy hat plopped crooked on his head. His erection was in full bloom.

  Yes! Sex time!

  “Rafe was the distraction, so I could get out of my clothes,” Dan announced.

  She giggled. “Supper is almost ready. Aren’t you guys hungry?”

  She knew instinctively that they would take her meaning in an erotic way. Of course, that was her intention.

  Dan stepped forward and swept her into his arms. He was breathing heavily as he gazed down at her.

  “Another surprise awaits out on the porch,” Dan whispered as he carried her out of the ranch house and onto the veranda.

  After supper day and lifts JJ and Carries her out to the veranda.

  "Oh wow! Were you two guys expecting to sleep outdoors tonight," JJ asked when she spied the nearby picnic table laden with a sleeping pad, pillows and blankets.

  She knew what they were up too. Sunset sex.

  "A night out under the stars with you would be a dream come true," Dan murmured against her ear. She had expected him to place her on top of the table or at least on her feet, but he didn't.

  Instead, he held her tight in his arms and faced her so they could watch the sunset.

  The mid-June sky was aglow with red and orange clouds.

  “Red in the sky. Probably another storm.” Dan said quietly.

  They had been getting quite a few of storms, but the guys said it was good. The rain prevented the creeks from drying out and the grass grew taller and lusher than usual giving more hay for the winter months.

  A gentle, warm breeze caressed her face as she watched the sun dip behind the darkening forest. Somewhere close by a chipmunk chattered noisily and a cow mooed from inside the barn.

  Behind her, the springs of the screen door creaked and she sensed Rafe would be joining them tonight.

  "Pretty sight," Rafe said softly.

  “She is, isn't she," Dan murmured and nuzzled her ear with his whiskered cheek.

  His breathing quickened and she felt his heart pick up speed as it pounded against her arm.

  "Anyone want some watermelon?" Rafe asked.

  Before she could answer yes, she would love some, a large chunk of the red watermelon flesh appeared before her face.

  "Looks yummy," she said. Boy, did she mean it!

  She took a big bite and ju
ices sprayed everywhere. Sweetness exploded inside her mouth and she moaned at the wonderful flavor and the cold liquid. As she nibbled on the ultra-large chunk that Rafe held, juices dribbled over her lips, cheeks, down her neck and between her breasts.

  “This is delicious," she complimented.

  She laughed as Dan licked the juice that had settled at the left corner of his mouth. His hold on her tightened and he brought his head closer. His warm lips intimately brushed her neck, and his tender touch made her quake with anticipation.

  Her gaze strayed to Rafe who was now removing his shirt. In the twilight shadows, she spied the hunger tightening his expression.

  She caught sight of naked flash. Her eagerness grew.

  Muscles rippled across his chest as he tossed his shirt onto the nearby porch swing. She sucked in a breath as Dan leisurely rained seductive kisses across the breadth of her collarbone.

  Rafe caught her watching him and he grinned. Oh boy, she loved his cute smile and the flash of his white teeth. His eyes darkened and his jaw flexed as he picked up another chunk of watermelon and poised it against her lips.

  She eagerly accepted the sweet treat, sucking it into her mouth, enjoying the wetness splashing over her tongue as she bit and then chewed the delicious dessert.

  "I've been waiting all day for tonight. It’s a wonder I can get any work done," Rafe growled.

  She whimpered as she watched Rafe reach down and remove his pants and underwear. His big cock straightened with lightning speed. Her breath caught at the weave of pulsing blue veins and the angry red flesh that demanded attention.

  "You make me so hot when I hear that sound," Rafe confessed as he grabbed the base of his shaft with one hand and stroked the length of his pulsing flesh with his other hand. His penis jerked and thickened.

  JJ began to tremble in Dan’s arms. The anticipation of having both men taking her was making her wild.

  Suddenly Dan stopped kissing her and set her on the edge of the picnic table. His eyes were heavy lidded with lust as he moved aside and allowed Rafe to step in front of her.