Accidentally Theirs (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever)

by Lexie Davis

  Aaron nodded. He would. Coming from a background of drug addicted parents, he knew all about the perils of stealing. It never really got him what he wanted so he stopped doing it. He had minor infractions as a juvenile. His parents would leave him for days, strung out on meth, and he would have to do whatever was necessary to survive. He didn’t like it. He believed in hard work. There was a far greater reward to earning what he had than taking it from someone else.

  Aaron rode the ATV to the barn and found Gabe and Cooper there, feeding the horses.

  “Hey.” Aaron rubbed his forehead. “Do you know if Janine gave anyone access to her financials? I know you guys did some book work after she passed away.”

  Cooper glanced over at him. “What are you doing with the financials?”

  “Nothing. Harper asked me about it. I told her I didn’t know. I thought maybe you would.” Aaron grabbed a bag of feed and lifted it over his shoulder.

  “The only one that had access to Janine’s financials was Janine. Maybe Amanda since she was next of kin, but I doubt Amanda did anything with the books. She was pretty messed up when Janine passed and I don’t ever remember seeing her at the house. Cooper just recorded profit earned from taking the cattle to the sale.” Gabe dipped a scoop in the feed and dumped it in the trough. “I deposited the money into the bank account.”

  Cooper came toward them and grabbed the rope from the ground. “Why was she talking to you about the financials?”

  Aaron sat the feed next to him and he pulled out a knife to cut it open. “I asked her for time off to go to the rodeo in Cheyenne.”

  “Did you get it?” Gabe asked him.

  “She said I could.”

  “Do you think she’ll let us all go?”

  “Maybe.” Aaron shrugged. “She didn’t seem too worried about me missing work.”

  Excitement danced in Gabe’s eyes. “Is she at the house?”

  “No.” Aaron lifted the feed and dumped it in the trough for the horses. “She had lunch plans with Amanda.”

  Whatever had happened with the money, it was bound to come out eventually. He didn’t like accusing people but he suspected Amanda stole from the ranch. She was the only one with motive to and now that she had two nice fat inheritance checks he suspected that she’d drop off the face of the earth.

  It honestly shocked him that she asked Harper to go out to lunch with her.

  * * * *

  Harper met Amanda at a small café in the center of town. It wasn’t the greatest establishment but she swore that the food was good. They ordered their meal before snagging a small table and chair in the center of the room to dine at.

  “So, how are things in the ranching business?” Amanda asked. “To be honest, I’m glad momma gave you the ranch. I knew it was a toss up between me and Hugh and everyone knew Hugh would sign his inheritance over to me. I don’t know what I’d do with the ranch to be honest.”

  Harper was in much of the same boat. Without the men telling her how to operate things, she would be way out of her league. Amanda seemed so caviler about it all. Harper couldn’t push away the lingering thought of someone stealing the money from the ranch but she didn’t want to make everyone aware of it until her CPA got back to her. She didn’t know who to trust, though she didn’t really suspect the men of stealing.

  “Well, if my father got his way you would have inherited the ranch and we’d never see each other again.”

  Amanda’s cheerful face fell sullen. “I do wish Hugh would come around. I haven’t seen him in a very long time. I know Mom thought about him everyday. Worried about him. And you for that matter. He’s missed out on a lot by being gone.”

  Harper ate a bite of her chicken salad sandwich. “What happened?”

  Amanda didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Mom’s husband used to beat on us. For some reason he picked on our sister Leslie the most. There were days when she couldn’t go to school because people would ask questions and make assumptions. Hugh told her to go anyway because maybe it would be our saving grace. Leslie had extremely low self esteem. Hugh took up for her all the time. Took care of her really. They were close.”

  Harper listened while Amanda talked. The man she described sounded just like her father. She didn’t understand how he could be the man he was toward his family.

  “Were you and him not close?”

  Amanda smiled at her. “We were. I was older and could defend myself better. I usually avoided coming home when Mom wasn’t there. Hugh and Leslie didn’t have much of a choice. Hugh dared Ricky to hit him. He wanted to call the cops and give them a reason to lock the bastard up. But he wouldn’t. He took his fists to Leslie and Hugh did everything he could to get people in authority to see that. Child services was called all the time. It broke mamma’s heart. I think she had a low self-esteem too, not that that was an excuse. Ricky had that way about him. It didn’t matter how great of a day you had, he’d always drag you down and make you feel worthless.” Amanda blew out a breath and sipped her drink. “Anyway, Leslie got to the point where she couldn’t take it anymore. She left a note next to her bed and took all the prescription pills she had for depression. Ricky left her in that room for well over an hour before he finally checked on her. When he realized she was dead, he left the house and never came back.”

  “That is horrible,” Harper said in disgust. “Please tell me that he was arrested or held accountable in some way.”

  “They arrested him, but I don’t remember what for. Hugh was the first person to find Leslie’s body. He and momma came home from grocery shopping and he went to her room because she’d been sick that morning. He took it really hard. I came home later and the house was destroyed. He flew into a fit of rage that I’d never seen in him before.” Amanda paused. “I think momma was in shock. She’d been numb to the whole situation for a long time. We didn’t have much and she worked so hard to provide for what little we did have. Ricky took advantage and I think she knew that. I think she knew about the beatings but she really didn’t stop them. Hugh said she had the power to, but I don’t really think she did. Her spirit was broken.”

  Harper could understand why her father hated his mother now. It didn’t make it right, but she understood. God, she couldn’t imagine losing Ellie like that. She would have probably been the same way.

  “Momma wasn’t a bad person.” Amanda opened her bag of chips. “She was a hard worker. She tried to provide for her family and make sure we were taken care of. I don’t know how she ended up with Ricky, but it was a mistake. She understood that afterward, and she paid for it for the rest of her life.”

  Harper bit into her sandwich not knowing what to say. With the angst in the story she had a sudden desire to call her father and talk to him. Even if he didn’t take her calls, she really needed to talk to him. In all her life she barely went over a day without speaking to him, even briefly. Now, she’d gone over a week without one conversation with him. And it wasn’t like she didn’t try. She’d been mad the first few days and she didn’t call him, but she tried everyday thereafter. He didn’t want to take her calls.

  Part of her wondered if she’d made a mistake. Maybe she should have gone through with her original plan and flipped the ranch for profit. She knew the men would be out of a house and job, but she couldn’t be responsible for their lives. She could probably work up a severance package out of the money she made from the sale. At least they would have something instead of living off whatever was left of the thousand dollars they received for the month.

  The dinner ended with an invite to Amanda’s house the upcoming weekend to go through old photos. She really wanted Harper to know her family and Harper really wanted to learn and understand. After she left the café, she called he father.

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Tate. He’s in a meeting.”

  Harper snorted. “Interrupt him.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “If I have to fly to Atlanta to fire your ass, I will. Interrupt him.”

  The s
ecretary put her on hold. Harper glanced around the small town and decided to sit on a nearby bench in front of the gas station. She waited on hold for ten minutes before the secretary came back.

  “He says he doesn’t want to talk to you.”

  “Put him on the damn phone!”

  The secretary huffed a breath. “I cannot force him to take your call.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. Instead of responding, she hung up. Frustration ebbed at her to the point she wanted to scream. She dropped her phone in her purse and watched the people across the street load the groceries they’d purchased into their car. Life was definitely in another dimension around here. Farm trucks were the main transportation. She didn’t know if anyone owned anything other than a Ford or Chevy and was surprised to see them fighting over which was best. She sat there for a long time taking in her new life. Nobody knew who Louis Vuitton was. They didn’t know Diane Von Furstenburg or Burberry. The only clothing store for miles was Walmart and that was perfectly fine with them. It was much simpler. She stood and grabbed her things. She went to her SUV and decided to go get some clothing that made sense. She was a ranch owner now and she needed some ranching clothing.

  Nearly two hours later, she pulled up to the ranch house and parked her vehicle. She’d bought nearly an entire month’s worth of clothes for a few hundred dollars. The numbers were unbelievable compared to the city.

  She carried the bags in and decided to pull something on. The men were out at the barn doing chores, whatever that meant, and she wanted to help. Plus, she wanted to do something to keep her mind off her problems with her father.

  She pulled on a plaid shirt and jeans. She’d bought a new pair of work boots and put them on as well. It wasn’t her normal attire, but she wasn’t about to take a designer brand to the barn.

  She glanced over at the horse in the back field near the house and remembered what Cooper had told her. Riding horses to get where she wanted did not sound like a fun option, but she went with it.

  The horse didn’t have anything to use to climb up on it, so she led it to a block of wood for her to stand on. Swinging her leg over the beast, she hoisted herself up onto its back. It snorted and she rubbed the horse’s mane. Glancing around she pursed her lips as she tried to figure out how to get it to move. She’d seen plenty of movies and gently kicked its sides. The horse took off without much warning and headed toward the barn. Harper gripped the mane for all that she was worth.

  She tugged hard enough to get him to slow down. Thankfully, he stopped right as Gabe came out of the barn.

  “What the hell?” He stared at her. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

  She took a deep breath as her heart raced. “You don’t have to tell me that.”

  He reached up for her and lifted her off. “Are you okay?” He smoothed his hands along her arms, checking her over. “Don’t ever ride a horse bareback. Not until you know the horse, and definitely not with this horse.”

  She dusted herself off. “Don’t scold me. I’ve had a shitty day.”

  “What happened?” Cooper asked coming out of the barn.

  “She rode this horse bareback.” Cooper tossed him the rope and Gabe looped it around the horse’s head.

  “Don’t ride him ever.”

  Harper blew out a breath. “I got it. Stop scolding me.”

  Logan and Aaron walked out next with Nick following behind. Nick stared at her. “What’s going on?”

  “I rode the damn horse to the barn.” She moved away from them and went into the barn. Tears threatened to spill over onto her cheeks and she didn’t want the embarrassment of it.

  She stopped in the middle and glanced around at all the stalls. This was where the wild beasts stayed. Hay filled each stall enough to give the horses warmth and comfort. A few of them sat crunching on their feed while they stared at her. She probably looked like a fool to them.

  “Hey,” Nick came up behind her. “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head. “I’m just not in the mood to be scolded right now.”

  He glanced over at her. “The only reason they did that was because that horse is new and untrained. He could seriously hurt you because he’s not broken in. He’s not used to being around people and he’s definitely not used to people riding him. They didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, but they were looking out for your safety.”

  Tears fell onto her cheeks then and she swiped them away. Nick reached out and pulled her to him. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “My dad still won’t take my calls. I think I’m officially in the same fucking category as my grandmother. We’ve never gone this long without talking.”

  Nick soothed her, rubbing his big hand along her back. “I’m sorry about that. I wish he would talk to you.”

  She sniffled and pulled away from him. “It doesn’t really matter. I think I’m going to call my sister. She said she’d come out here if I needed her. I really need my family right now.”

  Nick cupped her cheeks. “We’re family. Probably not one you would choose for yourself, but we’re here for you. All of us.”

  “Thanks, but it’s not the same.”

  “Not even a little bit?”

  She didn’t know anymore. What she thought she knew wasn’t what really existed. She shook her head and kicked at the wooden floor of the barn. “Can we please just do something that is considered ranching. I want to work and I’m going out of my mind in that house staring at the computer screen.”

  Nick pointed to the feed bag. “There’s a scoop in that. Put one scoop in each trough.”

  She did as he instructed. Afterward, she helped him clean the stalls by shoveling the dirty hay and replacing it with new.

  “I know you’ve got a lot going on right now, but I want you to know that we’re here for you. All of us. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay when you’re not. We probably understand better than anyone around here.”

  Harper tossed the pitchfork aside. “I just need something to take my mind off of everything.

  He turned toward her. “Like this?”

  He stepped closer to her and kissed her. Her eyes drifted shut as his tongue slipped between her lips. The soft pressure of his lips took away the loneliness she felt and the thoughts of the events that transpired. She didn’t like the things that were going on between her and her father, but she was happy she stayed in Kansas. The chaotic emotions sent her thoughts tangling until they were one big mess.

  Nick angled her head back and deepened the kiss. Before when they’d seduced her, it had been completely about pleasure. Now she wanted the closeness. The intimacy of being with them. Nick must have realized that as he lifted her, scooping his hands along her ass and pulling her up so that he held her body. He walked them over to the far side of the barn and laid her back on a pile of hay. A blanket was thrown over the prickly pile to make it more comfortable. Nick pressed kisses to her neck while he smoothed his hands up underneath her shirt. She needed to take her mind off her problems and he knew just the trick.

  He tore his mouth away from her and sat back to undo her clothes. The plaid shirt parted with ease. He worked on her pants, tugging them off her hips as she lifted up for him. He stared at her with heated eyes, taking in the sight he’d revealed. A flutter of excitement danced in her belly as he licked his lips.

  She saw Aaron walking toward them and smiled at him. Nick cupped her breasts, squeezing them, bra and all. She dropped her head back against the hay. Her bra tightened and released. Nick pulled it off her body just as Aaron sat beside her. He brushed beneath her eyes with the tips of his fingers.

  “You were crying.”

  Nick’s warm mouth wrapped around her nipple and gently pulled at the hard tip. Harper cried out, gripping the back of his head to her. Aaron pressed soft kisses to her cheek as he worked his way to the sensitive spot on her neck.

  “I want my tongue on you.” Nick tugged at her panties until he’d pulled them over her hips. “Straddle my face.�
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  Aaron lifted her so that Nick could lay back on the blanket. He pulled her toward him, latching his mouth onto her clit. Harper cried out as he sucked the tiny bud, rolling it with his tongue. She held on to Aaron’s hands, using him for balance.

  “I want your mouth on me.” Aaron kissed her, thrusting his tongue between her cheeks while Nick ate her pussy. Two of Nick’s fingers slipped into her heat, while she slowly rocked her hips against him. How could these men drive her desire so high? She had never felt this way. So needy. So desperate for them to touch her and fuck her. She closed her eyes and savored the moment. They drove her to the point of begging when Aaron pulled away.

  “I’m about to bust, baby.” He stood and undid his pants, easing the zipper of his erection. Harper reached into his boxer briefs and wrapped her hand around his hot cock. He was big. She lifted him out of his underwear and leaned over to take him between her lips.

  “Ah, fuck yeah.” Aaron tangled his fingers in her hair while she sucked him. His salty manly flavor coated her tongue and she moaned around him. Aaron was demanding and urgent. Harper gripped the base of his dick and stroked upward while she sucked the tip. Nick’s fingers brushed against her G-spot and she moaned around Aaron. He dragged his fingers out of her and rubbed her tight bottom hole while his tongue slid along her pussy lips. Each second was better than the last. Aaron fucked her mouth while Nick finger-fucked her, each man playing her body with exquisite skill.

  A different hand squeezed her breast while soft lips pressed kisses to the back of her neck. She didn’t know who had joined them, but she enjoyed their touch. How much pleasure could one woman take? Nick slipped his fingers into her ass while Aaron tugged at her hair to keep her attention on him. A soft scrap of teeth landed on her shoulder and she felt her orgasm spiraling out of control.

  Aaron pulled out of her mouth and cupped the tip of his cock. Nick groaned from beneath her. “Lift her up.”