by Jane Jamison
“I’m sure you would, but like I said I don’t have any need for you right now.”
“Then I’m fucked.”
We’re fucked. Hey, sis, have you forgotten about me?
“We’re flat broke,” added Molly. As though that made up for her curse word.
“I see. That is a problem. There aren’t many jobs in a small town like Pleasure.”
She’d guessed right about the job situation. What prospects would they have? Working at John’s Food Mart or maybe the Yummy Crumb Café they’d passed as they’d driven through Pleasure? A waitress job without the perks of the BDSM club? She’d done her fair share of waitressing and knew tips in a small town café wouldn’t keep them in ramen, much less put a roof over their heads.
“This is so not good.” Jilly moaned. “What are we going to do?”
“Maybe you should give your family or a friend a call?”
A bomb could’ve exploded at her feet and she wouldn’t have moved. Sure, she’d had the same thought a moment earlier, but his saying it out loud brought it in to crystal clear focus. No way would she call her parents. Not even if she had to work at John’s Food Mart. She’d had a part-time job as a cashier before. It wouldn’t hurt her to do it again, especially if it meant she could wait around for another job at the club to open up.
The vibe coming from Molly was the same as hers. “Not a chance. We’re not on the best of terms right now.”
“Got it.”
When he reached into his pocket, Jilly was afraid—and kind of relieved—to think he was going to offer them money. Molly would never consider it and neither should she. Still…
“Look, since you came all the way down here, how about I float you a loan for enough cash to get you back home? No rush on repaying me, either.”
Jilly was about to answer when Molly beat her to it. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
“Molly, maybe we should—” She didn’t like taking loans or handouts, but sometimes when life threw a girl a curve, she had to swerve. And if it would help tide them over until the club reopened, they could think of it as an advance on their pay.
“No, Jilly. We can hang on until you reopen. It won’t be much longer, will it?”
Hang on with what? Our teeth?
“It’s going to be several weeks. Like I said, we decided that since we have to rebuild, we might as well make the changes we’ve wanted to do for a while now. Including expanding the club since we keep getting more and more folks visiting from outside Texas.”
Jilly’s stomach dropped. She’d imagine several days, but weeks? How were they supposed to hang on until then? Beg on the street? Stay at a shelter? Did Pleasure even have a shelter?
“We’ll wait. By then, you’ll see how much this means to us and you’ll hire us both.”
She had to give it to Molly. Her sister was one of the strongest people she knew.
If she didn’t know he already had a permanent sub, she could easily see Paul getting interested in her sister. But he and his brother shared a woman who, according to everything she’d read online, they loved with all their hearts. She chalked up the sparkle in his eye to simply enjoying Molly’s persistence.
“I like your spunk. Tell you what. If you can hang on until the place is ready to go, then, I’ll hold off on hiring anyone until we talk again. I’m not promising you the job”—he glanced at her—”or jobs, but you’ll be the first I consider. How’s that?”
Molly was quick to take him up on it. “Deal. You just consider those jobs filled.”
“Like I said, I’m not promising.”
Jilly grinned along with Molly. Like that would keep her sis from bugging him.
“Yeah, I know.”
So they had that settled. She tilted her head at Molly, signaling her question. They were so close that, sometimes, words just weren’t needed. Molly would ask for suggestions about surviving until then.
“Now that that’s taken care of, do you know someone who might hire us? We’ll do anything we have to.”
“Anything?”
Jilly and Molly turned to the sexy cowboy coming their way. He was around their age, but he had a way about him that screamed confidence. Was it because he was male? Or would she ever be that confident?
She caught Molly’s quick intake of air. Her sister’s libido had come alive and big time.
Interesting. She hadn’t seen Molly pick up and notice a guy that fast in like… In like what? Months? Years? Maybe even in like forever.
He was handsome, all right. Long and lean and wearing a cowboy hat. If Molly didn’t stop gawking at him, she’d have to wipe the drool off her face.
He stopped, then hooked his thumbs in his jeans. One quick perusal over her, then he was on to Molly. Like a dog to a bone, he was already eating her up.
“Name’s Caleb Houston. So did I hear you right? You’ll do anything for a job?”
Jilly laughed, giving him the benefit of the doubt. Molly, on the other hand, wouldn’t let him off so easy.
Molly thrust her shoulders back, ready to go on the defensive. “Okay, you know what I mean. If I wanted to work the streets, or the ranch, or whatever, I wouldn’t need a cowboy pimp to do it.”
Paul chuckled, but had better sense than to get involved. “Caleb, this is Molly and Jilly Miller. Ladies, let me know if you decide to take me up on that offer to get you back home.” He did the cowboy way of saying good-bye and tipped his hat. “I’ve got things I need to look after. Good to meet you.”
“It was nice meeting you, too.”
Jilly nodded, but was too interested in what might happen next between Molly and Caleb. She picked up something sizzling between them, and it wasn’t all bad.
“You know I didn’t mean that. But it is kind of interesting that you came up with that idea.”
Oh, shit. Maybe he looks smarter than he is. Why else would he continue to bait her? Unless, of course, he likes seeing her ticked off.
“I was just heading you off before you went down that road.”
A hair flip was as good an indication that Molly was interested as any Jilly had ever seen. The sizzle was definitely coming from a good place. She could just sit back and enjoy the show.
“Yeah. Good call.”
“So what did you really mean?”
“Yeah.” Why not add a little fuel to the fire?
“My brother and I just bought a ranch and we’re a little shorthanded. We could use the extra help. If you’re up to it.”
A ranch? Was he serious?
She bumped her arm against Molly’s. Why would he hire them anyway? Couldn’t he tell by the way they dressed that they knew nothing about ranching? Would she have to ride a horse? The idea of sitting on top of one of the huge animals made her sick to her stomach. The only thing worse would be having chickens peck at her feet.
“Sure. Why not? We’re stronger than we look.”
Crap. Oh, well, I might as well go along with it. For now.
“See?” Jilly made a muscle for him to check out. “Want to feel me up?” Some people might think she was flirting, but she wasn’t. She was just playing along with her mentally deranged sibling.
Because her sister had lost her mind. Them on a ranch? It was laughable.
Still, Molly did a point. They were broke, and even if they weren’t, she always tried to back up Molly. Even when Molly was doing something stupid. Like saying they could handle working on a ranch.
“Sure. Don’t mind if I do.” He squeezed her muscles. “Pretty good. After a few weeks on the ranch, you’ll be even more toned.”
Jilly felt like an idiot standing alongside another idiot. All she could do was plaster on a similar smile to Molly’s.
“Does that mean we have the jobs?”
Just like their father, Molly was going in to close the sale.
But he wasn’t a pushover. “You’ll have to clean the house and cook some of the meals. You do cook, don’t you?”
“Sure.”
Oh,
hell. Out of all the crap Molly had already tossed around, that was the biggest. Neither one of them knew how to cook. At least, being able to cook in the way he was talking about.
“And then we’ll need you working the ranch, too.”
Ranch work and cooking and cleaning, too? What are we? Slaves? She was ready to snatch Molly by the hand, find Paul, and beg him to offer them money again.
“I understand.”
“Like shoveling out the stalls.” He paused, giving Jilly a once-over.
She’d already stepped in enough shit along with her sister. What was one more pile?
“And helping with the animals.”
“What kind of animals?” At once, Jilly was worried. She didn’t like any animals. Other little girls had oohed and ahhed over puppies, but she’d kept her distance. Who knew what an animal might do? Bite? Bark? Lick?
“The usual.”
What the hell was the “usual”? She didn’t have a clue. The way the conversation was going, she needed to get Molly to do a quick U-turn. She lifted her hand, one finger up, but neither Molly nor Caleb seemed to notice her. They’d gone “eyes only” for each other.
“No problem.” Molly nodded like a crazy bobblehead sitting on a dashboard. “Right, Jilly?”
“Uh, yeah. No problem.” Did she really say that?
Maybe it was the thought of working on a ranch. Or maybe she’d just been standing in the Texas sun too long. But she didn’t hear the rest of what they said. Instead, a low roar took all her hearing. That is, until the fatal words were said.
“Then I guess you’re hired.”
Wait. What had just happened?
“Great. When do you want us to start?”
Oh, hell. “Molly? Let’s talk about this.”
She could’ve been a fly on a wall for all the good it did. They still weren’t paying any attention. What did she have to do? Jump up and down and throw a tantrum?
“Tonight’s good. Have you got a phone?”
“Of course.”
She watched in disbelief as he punched in the address to his ranch. Did ranches have addresses?
“Here you go. See you soon, right?”
“You bet your boots.”
Her sister had gone cowboy crazy. That had to be it.
Jilly couldn’t believe it. She was going to work on a ranch. “‘You bet your boots.’ What are you doing? Channeling your inner cowgirl?”
“Never mind.” Molly dragged her back to her car. “I got us a job, didn’t I? All we have to do is last until the club reopens. How hard can it be?”
“Oh, gee, I don’t know. Taking care of animals might be a little hard.” Molly knew how she felt about animals. Or did what she wanted even matter? She came to a stop, pissed off and more than a little thrown. Molly already had the car turned on and revving up, ready to roll. She hurried to slide into the passenger seat.
“Come on. What’s there to do? You feed them and pet them. That’s it.”
“Seriously? This coming from the girl who killed our one and only pet?”
It was a sore spot with Molly, but Jilly was desperate.
Molly shot her a warning look, then put the car on the road, listening to the navigation system on her phone to tell her where to go.
“Calm down. You make it sound like I hung the family cat. I forgot to feed a fish, that’s all. Besides, you were supposed to help take care of Goldie, too, you know.”
“Yeah, but I’m not the one who just promised we’d take care of ranch animals. Like horses and cows. Yuck. And maybe chickens. Do you think they’ll have chickens? I hate chickens.”
“You hate chicken for dinner. You’ve never even seen a real, live one. Maybe you’ll like them.”
Jilly slumped in her seat and tried to keep from freaking out. Her sister was right. She’d never actually seen a real, live chicken. Who knew? Maybe chickens were the one animal she’d actually like.
Yeah, right. And I can’t wait to hug an alligator.
“Where are we going? The ranch?”
“No. First we need to find some clothes for the job.”
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Maybe if she didn’t have the right clothing, she couldn’t do the job. And then they could admit defeat and turn the job down.
Her thinking was off-course. They needed to take any job they could. But working on a ranch? With animals?
“You’re wearing a spaghetti-strap sundress. Think you’ll like shoveling shit in it?”
Jilly followed her sister’s gaze down to her feet. She wiggled her toes.
“And in sandals?”
Oh. My. God. Shoveling shit. Manure oozing between my toes. “Shit. Crap.”
“Exactly.”
Ten minutes later, they were back in the small town of Pleasure. But unlike before, she knew she was staying.
“Looks like we’re going to have ask someone for help finding the right clothes.”
Molly parked the car in front of the one and only place to eat, the café called the Yummy Crumb Café.
It wasn’t a café. Cafés were cute little places where people ate croissants and sipped lattes on umbrella-festooned patios. The Yummy Crumb Café looked more like a downhome-style diner with a cook behind the counter who used more lard than love in his food.
The rumble of her stomach gave her away. If she was lucky, they’d have a decent hamburger on the menu. Or a steak. Wasn’t Texas known for its steaks? “Ooh, good. I’m starved.”
“No time to eat.” Molly led the way into the place. “We’re here for information only.”
“Aw, come on, Molly. A girl’s got to eat.”
“True. But a girl’s got to have money to buy food first. And since Mom and Dad cut off my credit card, we don’t have any way to pay for it.”
As soon as they’d stepped inside, Jilly saw her sister’s expression and knew they weren’t going anywhere no matter what kind of animals were on the ranch.
Her sister, the girl who dreamed of rugged cowboys, was in heaven. She wouldn’t be able to get Molly to leave now.
I am so screwed.
Chapter Two
Mike Triston’s fist connected to Alex Triston’s jaw before he could duck. His cousin had a powerful punch that sent him reeling. Alex stumbled to the side, but managed to retain his footing. When he twisted back around, he gave Mike a taste of his own medicine.
“Fuck.” Mike sent a wad of blood into the dirt at their feet.
The two stood toe-to-toe, holding their jaws, and glaring at each other. Mike was as stubborn as a mule and, when it came to women, it wasn’t any different. “Damn it, man. What the hell is your problem?”
“What’s my problem?”
“You heard me. Get your ears unplugged and the stick out of your ass.” He knew better than to goad his cousin, but sometimes it was both a pleasure and a pain.
“I don’t like you hauling strange women into the house. That’s my problem. I’d like to know I can walk into our kitchen butt-ass naked without worrying about running into some slut you nailed last night.”
Alex hissed at his cousin, trying to get him to lower his voice. “Shit, man. Keep it down. Tanya’s not up yet.”
“Then get her up and out of my house.” Mike paced away, dragging his hand through his thick blond hair. His gray eyes looked darker than they usually did.
Which happened when he was angry.
“First of all, she’s not a slut. She’s a very nice girl who pulled off the highway to pick up fast food. It’s not like we met at the club.” How could they have when The Club at Pleasure Ranch was out of commission until they rebuilt from the fire?
“Second of all, she wouldn’t mind one damn bit if you walked into the kitchen in your birthday suit.” He lifted his hand, silencing Mike’s argument before he could get it going. “And last of all, a strange girl is the best kind of girl. Strange equals freaky in the bedroom.”
Mike flipped him off, then strode toward the backdoor of their small
ranch-style home. He took off after him. Mike was stubborn, but he was persistent.
The house wasn’t much, but it had taken care of three generations of the Triston family. When Alex had finished up college, Mike had asked him to come and work the ranch with him. As equal partners, of course. At first, Alex had declined and headed to the big city of Dallas, ready to enjoy all the nightlife Big D had to offer. But he’d soon missed the life he’d had growing up with his parents and four siblings on a ranch in Oklahoma. Being the youngest, he wouldn’t have inherited the ranch in Muskogee, so he’d finally taken Mike up on his offer.
“I’m not looking for freaky.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. You want a submissive. A permanent one like Georgia is to the Casing brothers. Hell, man, you want a wife.”
“Maybe I do.”
Mike tried to slam the screen door in Alex’s face, but he blocked it. He slung it back, slapping it against the house, and kept on his cousin’s heels. “And I don’t have a problem with that. If and when we find the perfect girl. But until then, what’s the harm in playing around while we can? You’re acting like an old married man without getting any of the benefits.”
Mike poured himself a mug of coffee, then glanced toward the hallway. He shot Alex a stern, fatherly-like look. Although Mike was four years younger than his twenty-five years, he acted a lot older at times.
From the sounds of it, Tanya was finally waking up. Never mind that it was already past noon. Alex tried to ignore her and hoped Mike would do the same.
But it was really hard to ignore someone who sang that off-key.
“Get her out now.”
“At least let me feed her breakfast.” Alex grabbed the pan off the rack hanging over the center island and dumped it onto the stovetop. “Besides, I was kind of hoping to get in a little afternoon delight.”
Mike hardened his glare. “Like I said. Get her out now. We’ve got to check the herd in the pasture next to the Houston place.”
