Butler, Reece - 1 Bed, 2 Weddings, 3 Husbands [Bride Train 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)
Page 24
“We can get through the weekend without new socks, if you’d like to come with us to town on Monday. Sarah Unsworth’s bakery is opening.”
“Not that you’re not a great baker,” said Clint, jumping in. “But Rivers and Jennet will try to shut her down because she’s not married. She could use some support.”
“Of course I’d love to go,” said Victoria. “I can wear one of my new gowns.”
“It better not be as low cut as your wedding dress,” said Jed, growling. “There’ll be miners, and muleskinners, and all kinds of men. I don’t want them ogling you.” He brushed his fingers against her breasts as he lifted his hands away. The thin material couldn’t hide the two bumps that immediately rose. “There’s only three men allowed to ogle you, Mrs. Adams. And I’m number one.”
Would he ever get tired of the way she responded to his touch? Would there ever be a time that one glance, the sound of her laugh, or even thinking of her didn’t get him hard?
* * * *
Victoria listened to the boasts, threats, dares, and laughs that passed between the three men sharing her table. Or did she share their table? It no longer mattered. They were a family.
She dipped her biscuit in honey, trying to hide a smile. When she’d stayed with Beth before her second wedding, the three Elliott men behaved the same way. One day, all six Elliotts and three MacDougals were together.
Beth said good men never really grew up, and that was part of their charm. Any of them would kill without hesitation if they or their children were at risk. Yet they got into play fights like boys showing off for girls.
Sure enough, it started with Jack pushing Patrick into the mud. He managed to keep his feet and shoved back. Jack bumped into Ranger, who toppled onto Gillis. The next thing Victoria knew, they were all roaring and shouting, punching and throwing each other in the mud. Daniel, the oldest boy, and Johnny stayed out of the way until the end, when they were carefully dumped in the mud and wrestled with so that they felt they belonged.
Beth, Amelia, and Florence assured her that they did this all the time, and not to worry. The women and younger children stayed inside the house, laughing between each other. When it was all over, they stomped outside and fiercely told their husbands that they’d have to wash up in the creek before any food would come their way. From the roars that drifted to the house, the mud fight quickly turned into a water fight.
Victoria had helped put food out on trestle tables the men had set up earlier. She’d gasped when nine soaking-wet warriors wearing nothing but their pants staggered into the yard. Each had scrapes, bruises, or cuts. And every one was laughing.
“Isn’t that right, Victoria?”
She looked up, pulled from the memory. Three pairs of eyes bored into her.
“Pardon me, I didn’t hear you.”
They looked at each other, and then back to her.
“What were you thinking about?” asked Clint. “You had that smile you get when you see us half-undressed.”
Her ears burned. Did she dare tell them? She didn’t want secrets, and from the interested look in their eyes, they might have been talking about her.
“I was thinking of something that happened when I was at Beth’s.” They waited for more. “Florence and Amelia came to visit. With their husbands and children.”
Jed cleared his throat. “All of them?”
She nodded. Jed, Clint, and Riley shared a look, and then sat up straight. Her heart sped up as they changed expression from joking to serious.
“Did they end up in the creek, stripped down to their pants?” asked Clint.
She nodded. She couldn’t cross her arms to hide her nipples because it might draw attention to them. Instead, she reached for another biscuit and set both elbows on the table like a shield as she dipped it in honey. She lifted it to her mouth. Before she could bite into it, she lifted her eyes. They stared at her, eyes smoldering.
“What?” she said, barely breathing the word. Honey slipped off the biscuit onto her hand. She quickly caught it with her tongue. She licked her wrist, lapping at the sweetness.
They stood, shoving the benches back and scraping the floor. She flinched at the noise. All three pulled their shirts over their heads and tossed them aside.
“Honey,” said Jed.
“Yes?” It was his special name for her.
“We’re going to dribble some of it on you,” he said slowly. His eyes devoured her.
“And then we’re going to lick it off,” said Clint.
“Very, very, slowly,” said Riley.
Jed stalked around the table. He stood behind her chair, leaned over, and lifted it back from the table.
“And then we’re going to bathe you,” he whispered. He held out his hand, helping her to stand.
“It might take all night,” said Clint. He pulled her chair from the table and moved it aside. “But that’s only the beginning.”
She looked up at Jed, then over at Clint and Riley. They stared at her as if she was their entire world.
“There’s more?”
All three nodded.
“You’d better get used to it now,” said Riley. His smile was as wide as usual, but it seemed to have more depth.
“Used to what?” This time she whispered.
“We’re going to love you,” said Jed. “For the rest of our lives.”
THE END
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
The fictional town of Tanner’s Ford is located in a valley running from northwest downhill to southeast, with the town to the east.
North of the river, west to east:
The Bitterroot Ranch (using the RB brand) is run by Ranger Elliott, his twin Ben, and younger brother, Patrick. Florence is Ben’s wife (A Convenient Husband, Bride Train 4).
The Rocking E is one of the two original ranches, established in the late 1840s. Trace Elliott married Beth and shares the ranch with his younger twin brothers, Simon and Jack (Barefoot Bride for Three, Bride Train 1).
The Circle C ranch is owned by a trio of battered veterans, Luke Frost, Gabe Downey, and Oscar (Oz) Cutler.
The last ranch on the north with the Flying X brand is owned by three Southern bachelors, Cole Taylor, Byron Ashcroft, and Don Stevens.
South of the river, west to east:
The MD Connected was the second original ranch, also established in the late 1840s. Gillis MacDougal is the ramrod and shares the ranch with his two half-brothers, Ross and Nevin. Amelia married Ross in A Contract Bride’s Triple Surprise, Bride Train 2.
Kenrick (Ace) Langford, Charles (Sin) Statham, and Henry Bennett are English aristocrats. Jessie Elliott married Ace after her brothers found her in bed with him, in Compromised Cowgirl, Bride Train 3.
Bachelor cousins Jed Adams, Riley Jansen, and Clint Fortune own the J Bar C (J–C). They run into Victoria Edison in 1 Bed, 2 Weddings, 3 Husbands, Bride Train 5.
Walt Chamberlain owns the Running W ranch but only purchased cattle in 1872. He’s hired three men, originally from the area, to drive the Texas longhorns to Tanner’s Ford.
To the east of town, on the road to Bannack City, is a ranch owned by Mayor Orville Rivers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I’m of medium height, medium build, and I sit in front of a computer most days. To be honest, I’m rather boring. It’s usually the characters in my head who have adventures.
But my writing gives me an excuse to do interesting things as research. To better understand what happens on a cattle ranch, I spent June of 2011 visiting a series of Montana fifth-generation ranches.
During this working-ranch vacation, I helped gather cattle on horseback for brandings, sorted sheep for market, pushed cattle to new pastures while riding an ATV, and had numerous adventures.
I fell in love with Montana’s wide blue skies and wonderful people. I came home with suitcases full of research books, a camera full of photos for my webpage, and ideas to bring to life through my Bride Train characters.
Also by Reece Butler
Ménage Amour: Cowboy Sandwich
Ménage Amour: Sequel to Cowboy Sandwich:
Cowboy Double-Decker
Ménage Everlasting: Bride Train 1: Barefoot Bride for Three
Ménage Everlasting: Bride Train 2:
A Contract Bride’s Triple Surprise
Ménage Everlasting: Bride Train 3: Compromised Cowgirl
Ménage Everlasting: Bride Train 4: A Convenient Husband
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