by Marla Monroe
“I can’t stay here. It’s the master suite.”
“It’s right next to the kitchen, so it’s perfect for you to be able to get in and out of the kitchen without a hassle. Plus, we live upstairs. We don’t use this room. It has its own bathroom, too,” Jared pointed out.
“It’s not right.”
“It’s our house. We say what goes, Lexie. This is your room.”
Quade sounded strange to her. She stared at him then sighed. They were right in that being next to the kitchen was the best place for her to be since she was the cook. Maybe it would be okay. They obviously hadn’t been living in the room since there was a thin layer of dust everywhere, and the style was a little more feminine than masculine. She wondered who had decorated it. She liked it.
“Okay?” Quade asked.
“Okay. Only because it’s next to the kitchen.”
“Okay, Lexie. Let’s get you situated. I’ll let you unpack your things. Why don’t you have a nice long soak in the tub to soothe those muscles? I know it will make you feel better.” Jared showed her the bathroom. She quickly gasped then covered her mouth.
“It’s wonderful. I’ve never seen a tub that big before.”
“Glad you like it. Now you relax, and we’ll check back with you in a little while.”
They left her alone in the spacious master suite. Lexie just stood there for several seconds, trying to decide what to do. Finally, she sat on the bed and let the tears that had been threatening to fall all morning roll down her cheeks.
* * * *
Jared urged Quade out the door. He closed it behind them.
“Think she’ll be okay in there alone?” Quade asked.
“She needs some space to take it all in, man. Give her time to adjust. She can’t do anything for twenty-four hours according to the paperwork you showed me. She needs to relax and rest.”
“What about Lowery? You know he is going to cause trouble. He isn’t going to let her go without a fight.” Quade’s face took on a sneer.
“We’ll warn the ranch hands about him and tell them that under no circumstances is he to be allowed on this land. I also think we should hire an extra hand to help out now. We need for one of us to be around her at all times.”
“I agree,” Quade said. “She’s going to balk about one of us watching her all the time.”
Jared grinned. Quade really was over his head in love with the woman. This was going to be equal parts fun and a pain.
“We don’t dog her every step, Quade. We give her space, but one of us is in the house all the time with her. You can’t hover over her, or you’re going to scare her off. She’s already afraid to be alone with anyone. Did you see how she kept looking at the door as if she might run through it at any moment?”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right. I like being close to her, though.”
“Back off, Quade, or you’re going to fuck up.”
His best friend nodded and huffed out a breath. “I think I’m going to go check on the ranch. You can watch out for her till dinner time.”
“Got it covered. Let me know over the radio if there are any problems.”
“Will do.” Quade turned and walked out the back door toward the barn.
Jared ran a hand through his hair. Maneuvering them around each other was going to be like working a chest board with a five-year-old. He had his work cut out for him.
Realizing that they would probably need groceries, Jared started making a list. When he finished, he looked back over it and winced. Maybe he should let her make the grocery list. He was making it out like a bachelor who ate fast food.
He checked his watch and decided that Lexie had had enough time soaking. If she wasn’t out of the tub by now, he would get her out. She didn’t need to catch pneumonia in a tub full of cold water.
Jared knocked on the door but got no answer. He opened the door to find Lexie curled up on the bed wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans and overly large T-shirt. He smiled. She needed to nap. He pulled the comforter over her then backed out of the room and returned to the kitchen. He fixed a cup of coffee. He loved sitting on the front porch looking out over the land. Maybe he would do that for awhile.
The ringing of the phone stopped him from going outside. Instead, he answered it and listened to what the sheriff had to say. It wasn’t good. Lowery was a multitalented asshole. He had done time for anything from assault to drug charges. How had Lexie gotten mixed up with him? She seemed like such a sweet girl. The man had to have caught her at a bad time in her life to have pulled the wool over her eyes like he did.
The radio crackled, and Quade’s voice sounded over the air.
“Go ahead.”
“Everything seems fine out here. The cows are all close together for a change.”
“Sounds good. What else?”
“I’m going to go ahead and check the west fence line again.”
“Got your gun?”
“Always, Jared. I’ll be careful. We haven’t seen that mountain lion in months.”
“Don’t take any chances, Quade. We’ve got a woman to take care of now.”
“Don’t you worry. I’ll be back by dinner time.”
Jared hooked the radio back on his belt and walked out on the back porch to settle in a rocking chair. He would go back inside in a little while and start something for dinner.
Chapter Five
Lexie woke up stiff but not as sore as she had felt. For a few seconds, she was unsure where she was. Then the ranch and the beautiful bedroom rushed back to remind her. She sighed and looked over at the bedside table at the time. Crap! She needed to get in the kitchen if she was going to have dinner ready at a decent hour.
She stepped into her shoes and hurried down the hall to the kitchen, where she stopped to smile. It held all new stainless-steel appliances with granite countertops and an industrial-size fridge. She searched the pantry and the refrigerator to see what was available.
Not much outside of frozen dinners. I guess they really do need a cook.
She had just started dinner when Jared walked in from the back porch. He stared at her as if she had something on her nose.
“What?”
“You’re not supposed to be in here. You’re on bed rest for twenty-four hours.”
“I can’t stay in the bed that long. I’m fine. I need to move around or I’m going to be too stove-up to later. Besides, all I’m doing is throwing together something to eat. You don’t have anything here to really cook with.”
“Yeah, we need to get up a shopping list. I was hoping you could do that for me.” Jared looked a little ashamed.
Lexie smiled despite her lip pulling at the split area. He was cute when he looked guilty.
“I’ll make out a list when I get this done. You need to tell me what kind of foods you and Quade like.”
“Honestly, anything that doesn’t bite us first. We’re not hard to please.”
Lexie finished what she was doing and sat down to make out a grocery list. By the time she was finished, it was rather daunting. She hoped they didn’t mind. There was very little in the form of staple goods.
She handed the list to Jared when he returned from answering a phone call. He looked over it and nodded.
“I think we need to add a little more meat and stock up the freezer some.”
“That wouldn’t hurt. You never know when you need an extra meal for some reason.”
“Okay, now, back to bed. Just lie down for a little while. I’ll keep an eye on the soup and call you when Quade gets back in.”
“I really don’t feel like lying back down,” she grumbled.
Jared frowned. She sighed and retraced her steps back to the bedroom. She slipped out of her shoes and climbed up on the big, comfortable bed. Jared really seemed like a nice enough man. He hadn’t really fussed at her or pushed her to do anything. Quite the opposite, he didn’t seem to want her to do anything at all right now.
Lexie relaxed into the comforter and closed h
er eyes, thinking about the two men. They were so different. Where Jared was open and friendly, Quade was quiet and brooding. Still, they both had been nothing but kind to her and treated her like something precious. She had never been treated so sweetly.
She must have dozed after that, because a knock at the door sometime later jarred her awake.
“Lexie?”
“Yeah, come in.” She pushed herself up to a sitting position, managing to mask her groan with a cough.
Quade walked into the room, and everything immediately seemed smaller. She fought the urge to cower despite believing the man in front of her would never hurt her. She gave a tentative smile and forced herself to relax.
“How are you feeling, Lexie? Do you need to rest a little longer?”
“No, I’m fine. I should get up and see about putting some bread in the oven.”
“I still have to shower and change, so there’s plenty of time. We can eat crackers with the soup, Lexie. You don’t have to cook anything else.”
“It’s nothing but cornbread. You’ll like it with the soup better than some crackers.” She smiled and stood up.
She wasn’t quite steady on her feet and swayed, but Quade was immediately by her side.
“Easy, Lexie. I don’t want you to fall.”
“Thanks, I’m fine.” She gently withdrew from his embrace as tingles flew up and down her arms.
She hurried through the bedroom doors around the hall to the kitchen. There she found Jared stirring the soup. He looked up when she popped around the corner.
“Hey, Lexie. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. I’m going to make some cornbread. Quade said he still had to shower.”
Quade walked in behind her and gently rested his hands on her shoulders before continuing on into the living room and the stairs. She saw Jared look at him then smile back down at her.
“Cornbread sounds good, but you we can have crackers if you don’t feel up to it.”
“I’m fine. I’m just a little sore in places.” She smiled in hopes it would reassure him.
He just nodded but stopped stirring the soup to open the fridge and pull out a beer. She instantly looked away. She should have known that they drank. She’d have to lock her bedroom door tonight for sure. Sadness curled in the pit of her stomach. She had harbored a small seed of hope that they were different.
Lexie’s experiences with men who drank weren’t good ones. They grew mean when they drank. She could steer clear of them until she was well enough to leave, and then she would find somewhere else to stay. Maybe that homeless shelter Mattie had told her about.
“Hey? Are you okay? You’re frowning.”
“No, I’m fine. Just concentrating on what I need.” She pasted a smile on her face and hurried to fix the cornbread. She needed to have dinner on the table before he had too much to drink.
Thirty minutes later, Quade came downstairs and walked into the kitchen straight to the fridge, where he pulled out a beer. Lexie pretended not to notice as she carved up the cornbread. She buttered it and placed it on a plate on the table.
“Dinner is ready when you are,” she told Quade and quickly repeated it in the living room for Jared.
“I’m starved. It smells wonderful, Lexie.” Quade sat down and then frowned.
“Did I forget something?” Lexie wrung her hands.
“Where’s your bowl?”
“Mine? Oh. Well, I figured I would eat once you two finished. I mean, I am the cook.”
“Don’t matter here, Lexie. Get your bowl. You’re eating with us.”
“What’s going on?” Jared walked in and seemed to pick up on the tenseness in the air.
“Nothing, Jared.” Lexie immediately hurried to retrieve a bowl and utensils. She sat at the opposite end of the table from them
Quade looked as if he was going to say something, but Jared shook his head. Lexie was thankful for that. She was strung so tightly now, she was afraid she would burst out crying. They served themselves and passed around the plate of cornbread. She took a small piece and began to force the soup down her throat. She wanted to be out of there before the alcohol kicked in.
“Damn, this is good,” Quade said.
“The cornbread is wonderful.” Jared grabbed another piece.
“I–I can make some more if you need more. It won’t take but about fifteen minutes.” She started to get up.
“No need. This will be plenty. It’s just so damn good I could make myself sick on it,” Jared assured her.
“Eat up. You need it to get well.” Quade smiled at her.
Lexie could almost forget her fear when he smiled like that. His entire face changed from hard and rigid to soft and open. She wanted to see him smile more often and thought about how to do it. Heat filled her cheeks when she realized where her mind had been sinking. God! Hadn’t she had enough of the abuse? Here she was thinking about Quade in a manner that wasn’t at all proper for an employee.
She took a few more sips of her soup and crammed the last of her cornbread in her mouth before standing up to clear the table. She jumped when Jared also stood up, gathering his dishes.
“Here, I have them.” She held out her hands.
He hesitated then handed them to her. Their fingers touched, and a spark jumped between them, nearly making her drop the bowls. She quickly looked away as flames leapt to life deep in her cunt. God, she did not need to be aroused around them. This was insane. She barely knew them, and look what a mess she was already in, anyway.
Quade brought his empty dishes to her and dropped a kiss on top of her head.
“Dinner was delicious. Thanks, Lexie.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll have more after I go to the grocery store and stock up. I should have had a dessert for you.”
“Don’t worry about it. You shouldn’t have even cooked tonight. If the doctor knew, he’d have our hides for sure,” Jared told her. “Come in the living room when you finish so we can talk about the grocery list.”
“Okay.” She swallowed and concentrated on readying the dishwasher to turn on.
As soon as they walked out of the kitchen, she let out a haggard breath. They had been nothing but nice to her. Confusion swirled around inside her. They were drinking, but they hadn’t yelled at her—yet.
Lexie quickly cleaned off the table and the countertops before washing her hands and drying them on the dishcloth. She licked over her tender lip and drew in a deep breath to walk into the living room where they waited on her. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but finding them watching TV in their recliners was a relief. She didn’t want to interrupt them since Lowery got pissy if she said anything to him when he was watching TV.
As if sensing her approach, Jared turned his head and, smiling at her, held out his hand. He settled the chair back to the sitting position and indicated the couch next to him. The big chair swiveled.
“Come on in, Lexie. Let’s talk about your job.”
She nodded and quickly sat down in the middle of the couch away from either of the men now watching her. They looked at each other then returned their eyes to her.
“The list you made out looks pretty complete. You added more meat like I suggested, so I think we can safely say you covered everything. Is there anything you need to add to the list for your comfort?” Jared held the list in his hands.
“No, um, thank you, but I have everything I need right now.” She couldn’t help fidgeting.
“I wish you weren’t so nervous around us. We’d never do anything to hurt you.” Quade watched her closely.
“S–sorry. I don’t know you that well.”
“Well, that will come with time,” Jared continued. “Tomorrow I’ll go into town with you to get the groceries. I don’t want you alone right now with Lowery still in town and out on bail. Plus, you’re still recovering from your injuries. You don’t need to be lifting heavy bags. While we’re there, we’ll set up an account for you to handle the household expenses out of.”
“You’ll be handling groceries and any other items needed to run the house. We have someone who comes in once a week to clean. You’ll manage her and pay her wages from the account. It’s going to take a lot of pressure off of me, Lexie. I really appreciate you’re helping like this.”
“Oh, I’m not sure I’m qualified to do all that.”
“You’ll do fine. I’ll keep the books like always, so you don’t have to worry about that. Just provide me with the receipts so I can keep up with them.”
“Okay. I’ll give it a try.” She wasn’t at all sure about being in charge of anything.
“What would you like to watch on TV?” Quade spoke up, reaching out with the remote for her to take it.
“Oh, nothing, thanks. I think I’ll head on to bed. I’m a little tired.”
Both men stood up when she did. Were they going to stop her from leaving? She squeezed her hands together, feeling trapped. They were each on one side of the couch, and the coffee table was in front of her. She had nowhere to go.
“That’s fine, Lexie. I’m sure you are tired.” Jared smiled at her.
She quickly looked over at Quade to see what he was doing and found that he had his hands in his pockets, just watching her. His eyes seemed to burn with intensity as he studied her. Neither man made any move toward her. She drew in a shaky breath and edged toward Jared and the quickest route of escape.
When she made it past him without his reaching out for her, she nearly cried in relief and hurried into the kitchen and around the hall to the bedroom. Lexie quietly closed the doors and locked them. She had no doubt they could get in if they truly wanted to, but it gave her some measure of comfort.
But would they really hurt her? They had only treated her with kindness and respect since she had known them. Mattie had assured her that they were good men. Still, she didn’t have much luck where men were concerned. She got ready for bed wearing her favorite pajamas that were almost threadbare. They were cool and comfortable, though.
When she climbed into the bed beneath the covers, she felt so small and alone in the big bed. It was truly made for more than one person. There was little doubt in her mind now that they planned to share a wife between them. She knew that several of the people around town lived in alternative relationships. Lowery had talked about how disgusting it all was. She didn’t think it was anyone’s business but their own.
