by Reece Butler
The whole town would blame him for pushing her away. He’d be in deep trouble. Tom White would be disappointed. That would hurt a lot. Dorothy might be so mad she’d bar him from the Roadhouse. He’d miss the food, but their disappointment in him would hurt more.
“Dammit!”
He slammed his hand against the steering wheel. He misjudged and hit the horn. High-pitched yelps replied.
“What the…?”
He carefully applied the brakes, then slowly reversed back to where he’d heard the sound. It had been a long time since he’d found unwanted pets dropped off. Predators easily took down family pets, especially young ones. He looked around, checking the ditch for movement. Was that a cardboard box? He put the truck in park, turned it off, and got out, leaving the door open. It was silent except for wind blowing past his ears. He squinted to sift between the shadows of scrubby trees and tall grass. A low whine made him pause. He whistled, as if calling a dog. A couple of yips replied off to his left, toward the river. He spotted the cardboard box near the water and headed toward it. One corner was in the water.
“Hey, pup,” he said soothingly. The lid bounced as if a head tried to open it. He scrambled down the bank to the box. “Anybody in there?” he asked before carefully lifting the lid. Three furry bodies looked at him, blinking at the light.
Puppies. Some bastard had dumped a box of puppies as if they were trash!
One managed to stand, though the others could barely lift their heads. All three were filthy. His eyes teared up at their fearful yet pleading looks.
“Some people ought to be horsewhipped!” He wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “That box is falling apart. I’ll get something from the truck for you.”
He turned to go. A pitiful howl made him look back. The stronger one stood over the others, protecting them. The weaker two had dropped their heads again, as if they’d given up, thinking he’d abandoned them. He couldn’t walk away, even as far as the truck. He stripped off his shirt and set it on dry grass beside the box. He gently ran his hands over them, looking for injuries. One had a sore paw, another’s ribs were tender, as if it had been kicked. The strong one watched carefully, ready to attack if needed. Sam checked him last.
“Aw, shit.” The dog’s tail had been chopped off a couple inches from his butt. The cut was too clean for it to be accidental. “If I find out who did this, Uncle Lance and I will be using those knives he keeps for special occasions.”
He wiped away more tears. There was no reason for him to cry over a trio of abandoned, abused puppies. He was a man, a rough, tough rancher. Yet seeing these three dogs made his heart hurt. Trey was right. He didn’t want to feel like this. If a couple of puppies made him bawl like a baby, how would he feel if Katie was hurt?
He transferred the dogs into his shirt and gathered them up. Supporting their scrawny bodies between his chest and arms, he made his way to the truck. The strong one licked his cheek. The others tried to lick his hands. He placed them in the front seat, glad he’d left the door open. He tucked an extra blanket around them to help them warm up and so they wouldn’t fall off the seat.
“Hey, pups, I have to pick up two buddies then I’ll take you to the vet. We’ll find out what’s the matter, get you all fixed up, and we’ll find you homes. Don’t know who wants a dog, much less three of them, but we’ll find you a forever home. I promise.”
Sniffling, he drove up to the long-abandoned house at the end of the road. A new board on the front step showed the guys had done some work already, though there was a lot more to be done.
“Shotgun!” yelled Hunter, running out the door and leaping off the porch as if they were still kids. He yanked open the passenger door and looked down. The healthier dog growled up at him. “What the hell?”
“Shh, he’s a friend,” said Sam as he carefully rubbed the dog’s ears. “Some bastard dumped them by the river. I just found them. I have to make a detour to the vet before dropping you off.”
The truck rocked as Hunt slid into the passenger seat. “No worries. This is more important.”
Dax strolled over to the truck. “What’s up?”
“We got an emergency situation here,” said Hunter.
Dax looked past Hunt. His face got hard. Sam was reminded of why he liked to have these two buddies at his back when there was a brawl at a rodeo bar. The man could scare a grizzly into backing off.
“We heading to the vet?” asked Dax as he climbed into the back seat. The truck rocked once more.
“Yep.”
“Then get going, boy!”
Hunter and Dax, the latter leaning over the seat, made friends with the pups while Sam drove into town. The men growled under their breath when he told them about the injuries and chopped tail. He didn’t recognize the truck parked at the veterinary clinic, but it wasn’t important as long as someone was there to help. Each man carried a dog inside. A stranger about his age greeted them. He looked vaguely familiar.
“Where’s Doc Williams?” asked Sam. He had the weakest pup, a female. She cuddled against him, trembling with cold and fear.
“I’m filling in while he’s looking for a place to retire in Arizona,” replied the stranger. He beckoned for them to follow him into the examination room. “I’m Mike Chambers. You might know my brother, Luke. Josh Gibson hired him on as Deputy.” He motioned to the metal table. “You can put them down here.”
“Sorry, Doc, these puppies are too cold and scared for that,” said Sam. “This one has a sore paw, and Hunter’s got the one with bruised ribs. Dax’s pup had his tail chopped off, likely by the bastard who dumped them by the river.”
“Thank God you found them in time.” The vet got out an old blanket. He folded it and set it on the table. “If you set them down here, and hold onto them so they feel safe, I can work more easily.”
After the vet checked the puppies it took the four of them to bathe and dry them. They were skinny and hungry, but basically healthy. They ate and drank well, and then fell asleep in a pile in a big cage lined with the soft blanket. Doc Chambers would keep them for a bit before giving them their shots.
“What are they?” asked Dax.
“Border collie mostly, though their thick fur suggests some husky in the mix,” said Doc Chambers.
“Their feet are big,” said Hunter. “That means the dogs will be, too, right?”
“I expect so. You know anyone who can take three pups?”
“They’re coming home with me,” said Sam. The words appeared without thought but when he heard himself say it, he knew it was right.
“Good!” Dax grinned. “You’ve been needing a dog for a long, long time.” He slapped Sam on the back. “Congratulations. When that little woman of yours gets fed up with you and moves over to our bed, you and Trey won’t be alone.”
“Katie’s not going anywhere,” said Sam, narrowing his eyes in warning.
“She will unless you and Trey can promise her more than sex and housework.”
Sam’s face flashed with heat. Luckily the vet had his head down, scrubbing the table. Sam realized he was scrubbing the parts he’d just gone over. Sam groaned to himself. Maybe because the vet was a stranger the comment wouldn’t be all over town by supper time.
Yeah, and maybe Katie would be waiting for them, naked and eager, when he and Trey returned from the meeting.
Much to Sam’s surprise, Keith Adams didn’t condemn them for arriving late. The general consensus was that an animal in need came before humans any time. Sam got a lot of ribbing about trying to one-up Jet and Houston’s twins by finding triplets to start his new family. He and Trey drove home in separate trucks, Sam following.
Doc Chambers had said the pups would need someone day and night for a couple of weeks. God, he was so pathetic he hoped the puppies would convince Katie to stay. The pups needed her, even if she didn’t need him and Trey. He’d parked and was cursing himself when Trey came over.
“Hunter said you cried over the dogs.” Trey threw
the accusation at him.
“Hunter has a big mouth.”
“He’s got a big heart, too. So, is it true? Does the Iceman actually have a heart?”
Sam sagged against the seat. He had a heart, all right. He’d forced it into a cage thinking to protect it, and himself. Instead, he’d let it shrivel in the dark. Hugs, and accepting the love of others, fed a heart. He’d starved his, refusing his family’s love and affection. He was the cause of his own miserable state.
He winced, hating to admit he’d wallowed in self-pity for years, all the time thinking he was protecting those he loved. He rubbed the knuckles of his right hand against the side of his breastbone, above the organ that ached. Admitting what he’d done to his family was humiliating. He deserved whatever Trey, his mom, and the rest of the family threw at him.
Trey had looked up to him for guidance and hope for the future. And he’d shoved him away. A man protected his family, putting himself in danger to keep them alive. He’d been a selfish bastard, pushing away the brother and mother who needed him, afraid to participate yet resenting Trey for enjoying his own life.
It was way past time to man up.
“Yeah, I have a heart, and it hurts like hell,” he admitted. “Those pups were going to die until I heard them and stopped. They looked up at me with hope as well as fear.” He blinked, looking up to stop the flow. “I turned to get something from the truck and the bigger one cried out. I looked back. The other two were ready to give up on me, having had their hopes smashed too often. But though this fella was in pain, and had been treated the same as the others, he wasn’t giving up. He was scared, and hurt, yet still fighting. And when I saw that, something broke inside. I cried like a damn baby.” His eyes started to water again. He sniffed it back.
“That the first time you cried since Dad died?”
Sam wiped his face. He shrugged, which was as close to admitting it as he was ready for.
“It hurts because you saw that pup as yourself as a kid, abandoned by your father’s death, again. Only you gave up, and the dog didn’t.”
“I didn’t give up! I kept working, and—”
“You were like a robot, cold and controlled. Josh said you were like the Terminator, programmed to do a job. And then you met Katie, and she broke through.” A half smile crooked up one side of Trey’s mouth. “Doctor Phil would say that by rescuing the pups, you’ve rescued yourself. Welcome back, brother.”
Trey punched him in the shoulder. Sam rocked sideways, taken by surprise. He glared, but it was half-hearted.
“Where did that bull come from?”
“Mom and I went to a grief counselor, remember?”
Sam rubbed his shoulder. “Yeah? So did I.”
“Once, and I bet you wouldn’t listen to a thing.”
Sam hadn’t been ready to listen, hadn’t seen a reason to change. No one knew, but the only reason he went was that Tom and Keith had hauled him there. Back then being alone, with everything under his control, made perfect sense. He’d been a fool, but he’d had no reason to change until a red-haired pixie blew into his life.
“Knew you’d eventually break down and admit you were an idjit,” said Trey. “Didn’t think it would take this long, though.”
Sam exhaled, pushing every last bit of stale air all the way out. When he inhaled he sucked in the crisp mountain air. With the tight bands around his chest gone, he hauled in more air than he had in a long time.
“So.” Trey crossed his arms, set his feet, and lifted his chin. “Now you know you’ve got a heart, you going to use it?”
“Huh?”
“I heard Dare and Grant are looking for a few ranch dogs.”
A fist clenched his heart. He scowled. “Too damn bad. I rescued those dogs. They trust me. They belong here.”
“So does Katie.”
Sam screwed up his face, a part of him still not wanting to chance loving and then losing her. He cared about her. A lot. If he didn’t do something to prove it he’d lose her for sure. He’d expected to find a decent-enough woman to marry, someone who didn’t expect much, and wouldn’t demand a hell of a lot from him. Instead, he’d gotten Katie. She demanded, all right. Yet he found himself wanting to meet those demands, and give even more.
“You’re right,” he admitted. “She belongs here, with us.”
“Big brother finally understands pushing Katie away hurts even worse than loving her?”
Sam shrugged. He wasn’t ready to use that word yet. Not without seeing if she felt the same way. What he wanted was to lie on his back and have Katie cuddle up against him, soft and warm. He wanted sex, too, of course. But it was the way she trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms that he craved most of all. If he tired her out with a couple or three orgasms, she just might do that. He hauled himself out of the truck.
“Enough talk. Katie’s inside.”
“You going to tell her about the dogs?”
“Let’s keep that a surprise for when they come home. Just in case.”
Sam rolled out his shoulders. He looked toward the house. Somewhere in there was the woman he cared about so much that…
Face the truth, dammit! He loved her, body, heart, and soul. How had his mother survived losing both his fathers if she loved them this much? Because the good times more than made up for the bad.
He wasn’t ready to say the words yet, but he loved the woman. He needed to know she accepted him, and Trey, the way they were. Big, loud, demanding, and more than a little kinky. Would Katie accept having her ass reddened with his hand, trusting that he’d give her pleasure as part of it?
“She has to trust us, Trey. Otherwise, no matter how much we care about her, it won’t work.”
“Yeah. We gotta get her in that playroom, see what she thinks of it.” Trey nodded abruptly. “Hell, we’re home early. We’ll ask her to help us clean it, and see if she’s interested in trying a few things out.” He rubbed his hands eagerly. “I’m thinking that spanking bench could use a test run.”
Sam imagined Katie’s sweet ass pointed at him. He bet she’d wiggle it, like a saucy brat. “The bench can wait. I want her across my lap. I’ll be able to feel every twitch and shudder that way.”
Trey groaned. “Dayum, I hope she’s up for this.” He adjusted his pants. “I sure as hell am.”
Walking was uncomfortable. Bending over to shuck his boots was painful. Stairs weren’t much fun, either.
“Sounds like Katie’s taking a shower,” said Sam as he climbed.
“Sounds close. Maybe she’s in our bathroom, getting ready for us.”
“Whoa! The playroom’s open.” Sam hurried up the last few steps. The sound of water got louder.
“Katie’s cleaned the playroom.” Trey bounced on his feet. “Great. Now we won’t have to wait to try it out.”
Sam straightened to his full height. Her disobedience couldn’t have happened at a better time.
“Trey, Katie’s gone and cleaned up the playroom.”
“Yep. I just said that.”
“And what did I tell her about cleaning in here?”
Trey’s eyes widened in understanding. He grinned. “You ordered her not to.”
“Katie disobeyed us, Trey.”
“Looks like somebody needs a spanking.”
“And I’m the man to give it to her.”
Chapter 26
Katie turned off the shower as soon as she heard the rumble of familiar deep voices. Sam and Trey were home early, thank God! She bent over, rubbing her hair vigorously. It was so short that was all it needed. She wrapped the big white bath towel around her, tucking it in over her left breast. Grinning like a fool, anticipating their reaction to finding the room clean, and her naked and eager, she opened the door and stepped into the playroom.
Two big, scowling men glared at her. She half-expected that from Sam, but not Trey.
“What were you told about cleaning this room?” demanded Sam.
His tone got her back up. “You said not t
o clean it unless you were there, but that was stupid.” She gestured with her right hand. The movement tugged at her towel. She quickly grabbed it so it didn’t fall. “The job needed doing. I was careful, and as you can see, nothing happened.”
“That is irrelevant.” Sam raised a criticizing eyebrow. “I told you this equipment hasn’t been checked. You could have gotten your fingers pinched, or something might have fallen on you. You could have been injured, and so unable to work.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Neither of them liked her reply. She lifted her chin. “You pulled the sheets off everything, which would have been difficult for me. All I did was dust and wipe down the wood and washable surfaces with oil soap.” She crossed her arms under her breasts and glared back at them. “I do know something about wood, you know.”
“Katie disobeyed us,” said Trey to Sam. He nodded, slowly and with great deliberation.
“The room was dirty, I needed to do some hard physical work, so I cleaned it. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is that you disobeyed an order.”
Their hard, direct stares made her pussy twinge. She licked dry lips. They stared at her like hungry tigers. If they were strangers she’d be terrified, but it was Sam and Trey. They’d made her scream in ecstasy more than once. They were acting like cavemen just like what Jane and Lila had warned her about. She’d disobeyed them. Would they put her across their laps and spank her? Or would they use the bench? She looked at it. She was close to naked. They could order her to drop the towel…
She was a grown woman. Such a thing should not make her pussy weep and her breasts fill. The challenge in their eyes, as if daring her to react, brought out the worst in her. She was fed up with doing what she was told. Her family no longer had a hold on her. She was not going to let anyone else tell her what to do.
If Sam and Trey did spank her, from what she’d overheard by the time they were done she’d be so hot and wet that she’d be demanding their cocks. Did she want that to happen? Maybe, just once, to see if it was true.
She straightened her back and inhaled. The corner of the towel under her arm pulled loose. Two sets of hungry male eyes stared at it. They wanted her, but they would not take anything she did not give. She held the balance of power. She could obey, and get what her body was already swelling to accept, or refuse and go without.
