“Divine?” It was all Charlotta could do not to shout the name of the town.
“Have you heard of it?” Jesse asked.
Charlotta felt blindsided, hearing that name and being asked that question, especially after having talked to Camilla earlier today. She made it a rule to keep her past in the past. She had only to think back to her broken engagement to understand why that was such a good idea.
Still, there was something about the genuine interest in those two sets of Benedict eyes—one grey, the other deep brown. Oh, what the hell.
“One of my best friends lives in Divine.”
“It’s a small world,” Barry said.
She wondered if either of them was going to ask if maybe her friend, or she, for that matter, knew their sister. But neither man asked.
We’re not playing getting to know you here, for goodness sake. I’m supposed to be interviewing them. Focus, Shar. Focus!
As she did, she realized the conversation had naturally veered close to the question she needed to ask. “I spoke with Dr. Wainwright. She was very impressed with not only your horsemanship, but your ability to communicate with and relate to some of her clients. She was understandably disappointed that you had to leave. So I need to ask you, is this something we have to worry about in the near future? Do you think you might leave the area, and the program, within a few months?”
“No, ma’am.” Jesse’s response was quick. A little too quick? She didn’t know him well enough to say.
“I’m not ma’am. I’m Charlotta.”
“That’s a pretty name,” Barry said. She met his gaze and he blushed.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to worry about us pulling up stakes, Charlotta.” Jesse sat forward, resting his forearms on his legs. “We didn’t leave Montana on a whim. Also, we’ve recently bought property—actually the property that lies between our brother’s spread and that of our cousins’. We’re going to be amalgamating our three ranching operations, and that’s going to take us years to fully develop. We’re here for the long haul.”
“You have cousins here, then, too? As well as your brothers and a sister?” Charlotta knew that family tended to stick together. Their having family in the area suggested they would have more reason to sink down roots.
Jesse laughed. It was Barry who answered. “We have cousins, aunts, uncles…though in actual fact they are all mostly cousins to one degree or another. Our grandfather was born and raised in Benedict County—in a small town called Lusty. That’s where we’ve moved to. I guess you could say, in some ways, we’ve actually come home.”
Hell. They were a part of those Benedicts. She was Texas born and bred. To her the name Benedict—especially the Benedicts from Benedict County—was synonymous with wealth. They were cut from the same cloth as Roger Brown and his family. She’d heard of Lusty, too, of course. One day when she’d visited Camilla they’d talked about the Parks’ ménage marriage, the logistics and the many—according to Camilla—benefits. Then Camilla had told her that not only were there several such unions in and around Divine, but there was another small town where ménages not only flourished, they were considered normal.
But until this moment she’d never, in her mind, connected the Benedicts of Central Texas to the town of Lusty. Hmm, maybe they’re not quite like Roger Brown and his pompous parents after all.
Recalling all of her recent conversation with her friend nearly made her blush. Charlotta really was not looking for a man—or two—to romp with.
No, she wasn’t looking for them. But she wasn’t going to lie, especially not to herself. She had been lonely and, yes, maybe a bit envious of the happiness and personal fulfillment her friend had found.
Not looking for a man or men didn’t mean she had to turn her back on every opportunity that came her way. Not looking for didn’t mean she should turn her back when good Karma came calling. To hear Camilla talk about it, making love with two men was the best thing ever.
Charlotta made a decision then and there. She wouldn’t be the one to make the first move. But if a move was made, she’d take the advice of one of Camilla’s, and her good friend, Grace Warner.
She would seize the day. In fact, she would seize it with both hands, and her feet dug in for extra purchase.
* * * *
“Gene Harris is stable master here at Tall Oaks. We currently have three horses, gifted to Healing Rides, stabled here. Gene, this is Jesse and Barry Benedict. They’re joining the program as instructors.”
“Gentlemen.” Gene shook Barry’s hand, and then Jesse’s. “Charlotta mentioned when we were chatting earlier that you had your own horses. Will you be stabling them here?”
There was something about Gene Harris that just seemed to rub Jesse the wrong way. No, it’s not “something.” You just don’t like the way he’s looking at Charlotta, as if he has intimate knowledge of her.
Jesse focused on the man. “Not initially, no. We’re only about an hour away. We’ll be bringing our horses with us each week.” No way in hell would he entrust any animal he owned to this man’s care. Jesse tuned into the woman beside him, but didn’t pick up any intimate vibes on her part toward the stable master.
“We’ll assign you a couple of stalls to use while you’re here, then. They’re ones that have been set aside for Charlotta’s use by Miriam Conway, the owner of Tall Oaks. This way.”
They followed Harris, who stopped and pointed out the horses that belonged to the program, and then led them down to the end of the aisle. After showing them the indoor arena and then the empty stalls they could use, he hung back, looking as if he would tag along with them as they made their way back toward the other horses.
Harris didn’t look too happy when one of the younger stable hands came up to him and informed him there was a call from Mrs. Conway, and that she wanted to speak to him right away.
Charlotta didn’t seem to be aware of Harris’s interest in her or his attitude toward himself and Barry. “Thanks, Gene. We won’t be in your hair much longer today. See you on Saturday.”
“Charlotta.” He nodded to her, a smarmy smile on his face. He’d dipped his voice to what Jesse guessed he imagined was an intimate tone. Whatever. Gene Harris scowled at him and Barry and then, thankfully, walked away.
Jesse met Barry’s gaze. His brother had caught the proprietary vibes and the hostility the other man had been sending out, too.
They’d stopped by one of the horses belonging to Healing Rides. Jesse brought his attention to the attractive blue roan quarter horse that seemed to be trying to get their attention.
“That’s Sugar. She’s one of two mares, and the biggest baby on four legs I’ve ever seen.” As Charlotta approached the horse, the animal made a huffing sound and seemed to be nodding her head in agreement. She let Charlotta pet her, but kept her eyes on both Jesse and Barry. The instant Charlotta stepped back, Sugar began to flirt with Jesse.
He laughed. “I thought she was being suspicious of us. Now I see she was just sizing us up.”
“Sugar, acting suspicious? Please, along with being a little suck up, she’s also the biggest flirt on four legs.”
“Ah.” Jesse stroked the mare’s neck. The animal appeared healthy and well cared for. At about fifteen hands high, she was also the shortest of the three horses belonging to the program.
The other two, a bay gelding and a brown mare named Pete and Cocoa respectively, looked to be as healthy and as well-adjusted as Sugar. While neither were quite the attention seeker Sugar was, both quarter horses easily accepted the men’s touches.
“Ernie and Paulette Morris, our certified instructors, see to the care of the horses. Even though stabling includes daily feed and exercise, they prefer to be hands-on for the animals themselves.” Charlotta sighed. “They owned a small ranch that they’d had to re-finance back in ’08 when their adult son needed surgery. Then the economy took a dump, Ernie lost his outside job, and they lost the ranch.”
“That
kind of tragedy happened to a lot of people, especially ranchers and farmers,” Barry said. “Our dad’s policy has always been to borrow only as much as absolutely necessary, and to set aside a chunk of the profits each year to pad against bad years.”
“I know my uncle, who has a ranch outside of Austin, did the same thing every year. Even when he had two or three really good years in a row, he’d be sure to save for the lean ones that he said were always certain to come. When the economy went bad, he was able to pay off all his debt and sit tight. He weathered that storm well, too.”
“So, Charlotta—you have a ranching background. Do you ride?” Jesse realized his words could easily be taken two ways. He found it interesting that she blushed. He figured her mind must have been in that neighborhood if she’d caught his unintentional double entendre.
She’s tuned in to us, but not Harris. Jesse found that knowledge very satisfying.
“I do, yes. But I’m not what anyone could call a horsewoman. I’m taking the certification training, as well, to become a registered instructor with the program. I’m not as far along in the process as you two are, so the best thing for the organization would be for the Morris’s to mentor the two of you, first.” She gave Cocoa a last caress, and then began to walk toward the parking area.
Jesse and Barry flanked her. He shot a glance toward the office when they passed it. Through the window he could see Gene Harris still on the phone. The man didn’t even look up. Once they exited the stable, Jesse turned to Charlotta. “I guess you need to get back to your office.” He’d seen her look at her watch. Their appointment with her had been for three-thirty, and it was now after four-thirty.
“No, I don’t.” She gave him a smile that definitely got his attention. “I was just checking. My work day is officially over.”
He tilted his head to one side. “Is it, now?” He looked over at Barry, then back at her. “Then maybe I can ask you a personal question?”
“You can. I might even answer it.”
“Are you a, married, b, engaged or c, seeing anyone?”
“No, I’m d, none of the above.”
Well that explains why she didn’t respond to Gene Harris’s proprietary vibes. That made Jesse happy as hell.
“Well in that case, may we buy you a drink? Your choice, any place you’d like to go.”
Jesse would have given almost anything in that moment to know what the sexy blonde psychologist was thinking. No question her secretive little smile got his libido firing on all cylinders.
Then she looked down for a moment before meeting his gaze again. Any doubts he might have been harboring that she wasn’t at least a little attracted to them died then and there. The look of longing that flashed in her eyes, though brief, was impossible to miss.
“I’d like that. There’s a place we passed, not far from here, that serves the best margaritas in Waco—at least in my opinion—as well as several different brands of beer, all ice cold. You could follow me there.”
They’d driven from the wellness center to the stable in separate vehicles. “Maybe one of us could ride with you—in case we get separated by traffic.”
Charlotta nodded. “Good idea.”
Jesse was going to suggest that Barry ride with Charlotta, but his brother held out his hand for the keys to the truck.
Unwilling to argue, he handed them over and followed Charlotta to her red Buick.
Chapter 3
Charlotta felt daring indeed as she entered Lucy’s with the two hot and hunky Montana cowboys. Country music radio was piped through the place, and the after-work crowd had begun to arrive.
As soon as they entered the bar, Jesse took her hand and led her toward the back and one of the circular booths. Once they’d settled she realized they’d put her in the middle between them.
Talk about feeling daring.
She ordered a margarita and the men each asked for a beer.
The waitress was prompt, bringing their drinks and a complimentary platter of chips and salsa. Jesse was just as prompt paying the tab.
“I have to say Shiner is one of the things I like best about Texas so far,” Jesse said. “Well, aside from present company, that is.”
Charlotta’s sense of humor—what others sometimes uncharitably called sarcasm—emerged, and she opened her mouth without thinking. “Wow, there are so many great things about my home state. I’m honored you put me right up there, immediately after the beer.”
Jesse and Barry both chuckled. Then Barry took on as phony a Texas drawl as she’d ever heard. “Well now, Miss Charlotta, in all fairness, we’ve had the Shiner a few times already. You, on the other hand…” He let his sentence drop. But the way he raised his eyebrows twice in quick succession, assured her that he was teasing.
“And it’s going to stay that way today, gentlemen, because I don’t on the first date.”
“Is this a date, Charlotta?” Jesse reached for her right hand, while Barry took up her left. Both men rubbed their thumbs over the backs of her hands, their movements oddly in sync.
Charlotta felt again that fluttering excitement she’d experienced the first time they’d shaken hands.
“I think that maybe it is.”
“That’s what we were hoping you’d say.” Barry brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. Then he released her, but kept his gaze locked with hers.
“Your friend who lives in Divine. Is she…married?”
Charlotte turned to look at Jesse. She kept her voice low when she answered him. “Yes, to two men, Quinten Parks and Ben Lawrence.”
“Our sister Veronica has two husbands, and our brothers share a wife. See? It really is a small world.” Jesse matched his tone to hers, letting her know he respected her boundaries.
“They’re all married…but I don’t know if I’m looking for that. To be honest with you, I don’t know what I’m looking for. I worked long and hard to get where I am, to be able to do the kind of work I’m doing.”
“It takes dedication to become a psychologist, we both know that,” Barry said. “Dedication and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others.”
“Don’t paint me as a saint, gentlemen. I’m far from saintly, believe me.”
“We all have our flaws, and our regrets,” Jesse said. “We just want you to know that we respect that part of you that is a professional career woman.”
“We haven’t been wife hunting any more than you’ve been husband hunting.” The expression in Barry’s eyes, serious bordering on somber, let her know he was being totally candid with her. “But you have to admit there was a definite buzz when we met, and that buzz is getting stronger.”
“Yes, I feel it, too.” Charlotta appreciated the honesty between them. “And I have to admit, as well, a curious bit of coincidence. I’d spoken on the phone to my friend, Camilla, during my lunch today. So the wondering of what it might be like being with two men was fresh in my thoughts.”
“I knew it was my lucky day.” Jesse kissed her right hand, and continued to hold it. “We’re not going anywhere, Charlotta. We have lots of time to get to know each other.” He looked over at his brother for a moment and then met her gaze again. “We’re not saints, either. And maybe we want you to get to know us better and like us a lot more, too, before you open our closet and trip over our skeletons that will be certain to fall out.”
Charlotta made a decision then and there that she very much wanted to get to know these men better. So she gave them the first test, fully aware she was doing so. “Shar. My real close friends call me Shar.”
“Shar,” Barry repeated. “I like the way that feels on my tongue.”
“I like even more that Gene Harris called you Charlotta.” Jesse grinned. “That’s a beautiful name, but I think Shar is more who you are at heart. So thank you for that, baby.”
Charlotta blinked. “Gene? You’re jealous of Gene Harris?”
Jesse sighed. “There’s a level of communication between men—and yes, it’s likely a down
near the bottom of the food chain kind of communication, just before the simian category—when they try to let other men know they’ve staked a claim.”
“And that particular bottom feeder was sending out the signals.” Barry nodded to back up his words.
Charlotta sighed. “Damn it. Maybe that’s my fault. When we first met, he flirted with me. To be honest, there’s just something about him…” Charlotta paused and marshaled her thoughts. It looked like she was going to have to be a little more open right off the bat than she’d wanted to be. “I’d just broken up with my fiancé and I didn’t want anything to do with any men, period. I chalked up my gut feelings about him to my general hostility toward all of you Y-chromosome carriers. And because of that, instead of rebuffing him, which was my first gut reaction, I simply ignored him.”
Charlotta mentally braced herself for questions about her former fiancé. It wasn’t, after all, the kind of thing you could just drop into the middle of a conversation like the one they were having and expect to have ignored.
Jesse ran his thumb over the back of her hand. “There’s no fault here, Shar. Ignoring unwanted flirting is a valid option for a woman, at least it is in my opinion. We can both understand why you wouldn’t want to slap him down. Especially considering that he is, in essence, a professional colleague, one you have to work with, and work with for the good of your clients. We just weren’t sure if you were aware of the man’s attitude, or not.”
“I’d gotten so used to ignoring his subtle passes and innuendos, I guess I really stopped seeing or hearing them. I’ll call him tonight when I get home, and set him straight.”
“No, princess.” Barry sounded positively authoritative with those two words. “You don’t need to do that. But do let us know if he becomes a problem, and we’ll have a conversation with him ourselves. Until then, we agree that ignoring him is likely your best way to go.”
Charlotta had begun to slip Barry into a box marked ‘beta.’ But that statement had been all A-type personality.
“And Shar?” Jesse’s intimate tone drew her attention. The way he looked at her had her blood heating and her juices flowing.
Love Under Two Outcasts [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 3
