by Jane Jamison
“I swear it, guys. And thanks.” Avery pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, then turned on his heel and headed back up the steps and into the house.
She called after him, not wanting him to think badly of her. “I’m glad, Avery.”
It’s about time.
But that part she kept to herself.
The men, her men, had come with the money. Which meant they’d had it before they’d given her the ultimatum. “Wait a minute. Did you guys do it because you figured it would make me choose you? Was that your plan all along?”
Kane and Jeff each grabbed one of her arms, and as though their touch could calm any storm, the anger starting to well inside her was gone. Instead, a horrible feeling of loss came in its place.
“I didn’t do it for that reason. And I’m willing to bet that Kane didn’t, either. No matter what your decision might have been, I would’ve still paid off his debt.”
Kane nodded, but remained quiet, once again letting Jeff take the lead. “We did it for you. Not for us.”
She swallowed and tried to regain her composure. Maybe she shouldn’t be so quick to judge them. And maybe she should try and make a decision to choose one of them. Loving one was better than losing two. Yet her gut clenched at the very idea of it.
“Fine. Maybe you’re right. Maybe the three of us won’t work. I’ll think about your question. But I’m going to need some time.”
“That’s all we can ask.” Kane waited for Jeff to agree with a nod.
Each took a moment to give her a quick kiss, then tipped their hats to her. She was still pressing her fingertips to her lips, wanting to keep the memory of their touches alive until she saw them again, as they hopped into their trucks and sped away.
How the hell can I ever choose?
* * * *
“Not hearing from her sucks.” Kane hated admitting any weakness to Jeff, but he couldn’t hold back any longer. The only person who would understand would be his competitor for Alex’s love, Jeff.
They were digging post holes for the new fence that would split one parcel of acreage from another. Tyler and Watts Siwa, two of the men who worked with Gabriel’s crew, had found their own woman to love and had received acreage from Gabriel. Like many of the others who were part of the Cowboys for Hire teams, they’d chosen a part of the ranch to build a house. Construction on their new home would start soon.
“I get it. Every time I see her in town, I want to run over and take her into my arms. Instead, I stand there, making small talk until my dick threatens to get cut in half by my zipper.” Jeff slammed the post-hole digger into the ground, then paused to run the back of his forearm over his brow and wipe the sweat away.
Kane had done the same thing. He’d tried to stay away, but whenever he’d run into Alex, he couldn’t resist speaking to her, if only to pass the time of day. A little of her was better than none of her.
Their horses grazed a few feet away, reins hanging to the ground. They were trained well and wouldn’t go far from the men. Jeff got another post into place, then started on the next one.
“Who do you think she’ll choose?”
Jeff’s question surprised Kane. It was the first time he’d ever eluded to the fact that Alex might choose him instead of Jeff. Any other time he would’ve had his answer primed and ready, but this time he gave him the truth.
“I don’t know. Could go either way.”
Jeff stopped for a moment. “You haven’t done anything to try and win her over, have you?”
They’d agreed after they’d given Alex the ultimatum that they’d stay away from her. And that they wouldn’t try anything like gifts or love letters to try and convince her to choose one of them over the other.
“Nope. You?”
“Not a thing.”
“Then I guess we wait and see.” Kane pushed his hat back on his head. He’d spoken in a casual manner, but he was anything but relaxed. Every fiber of his being needed to know. Was he the one? Or would he have to leave his job and his home? There was no way he could stay on if she wanted Jeff.
“But it’s been six days. Don’t you think she’s had enough time?”
He heard his own impatience reflected in Jeff’s tone. “You’d think so, but when it comes to a woman who knows?” He turned and gave Jeff a challenge. “You could ask her if you want.”
Jeff cleared his throat and went back to digging. “You mean I could push her. And if I push her too hard, you’re hoping she’ll choose you instead.”
“Hey, I’m just suggesting, is all. Take it or leave it.”
Jeff laughed. “I’ll leave it. For now.”
“I don’t want to lose her.” Kane hadn’t known those words were coming, but now that they were out, he was almost relieved.
“I don’t, either.”
Kane met Jeff’s gaze dead-on. “But we can’t share her.”
For one wild moment, he hoped Jeff would say that they could.
“Naw.” Jeff’s brow furrowed. “Still, I’d do anything to have her.”
“Same here.” Again, Kane waited for Jeff to say those simple, but all-too-important words.
“Anything? Even share her?”
Relief swamped him. Too bad his pride got in the way. “Hell, no.”
Jeff let out a long breath. “Yeah. Course not.”
They turned back to their work. Kane, however, couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d made a huge mistake.
* * * *
“Maybe they’ve changed their minds.” Alex set the chair to rocking.
Daisy sipped her toddy then gave her an incredulous look. “No way. Those two are yours for the taking.”
“But the problem is, I don’t know which one to take.” Alex held her drink in her hand, but she didn’t feel much like drinking it. She hadn’t felt much like doing anything except think about her decision. And every time she made a choice, she’d change her mind.
“How much longer are you in town?”
“I don’t know.”
Daisy was coming at her real question sideways, but that didn’t fool her. Alex had managed to extend her stay in Destiny even though the cleanup work from the tornado was completed. She was still trying to talk the mayor into putting together an emergency preparedness plan. If he did, she could stay on a little longer. But she couldn’t stay in town forever. Her bosses in Tulsa were already grumbling.
“What you’re really asking is how much longer can I put Jeff and Kane off.”
Daisy didn’t rock. Instead, she crossed her legs and took another sip. “Uh-huh. So what’s your answer?”
“My answer is that I can’t decide. One minute I’m sure that I’d love being with Jeff. He’s so easygoing and so fun. Life with him would be filled with laughter. Then, in the next second, I change my mind and want the darker, brooding Kane. A life with him would be exciting.”
“Too bad they’re both sexy as hell.”
“Yeah.”
“Girl, I was making fun of you.” Daisy twisted in her chair to face her. “You’ve got it made. You know that, don’t you? Two gorgeous, hard-working men want you.”
“But they want me to choose between them.”
“Stupid men. Can’t they see that threesome thing works? They’ve got a bunch of men at the ranch that proves it does.”
Alex had thought often about that possibility. The more she thought about living with two men, the more she liked the idea. If only they’d consider it. Yet they’d already answered that question with their ultimatum.
“They said they won’t do that.”
Daisy snorted, an unladylike sound that on her seemed cute. “I’ve heard that one before. Trust me, the way Jeff and Kane look at you tells me that they’d do anything for you. Even share you.”
“Do you think they really could? Or would it be a battle every day?”
“Like I’ve said before, they could be BFFs if they’d just let it happen. Until now, however, they haven’t had a good enough reason to drop their silly rival
ry. It started out for one reason and now they’re hanging on to it out of habit. Girl, you need to knock them upside their hard heads and hammer some reason into them.”
“I’m not sure how to do that.”
“Well, if you want my opinion…”
“Of course I do. Tell me what to do, Daisy.”
“Okay, then, here goes. If I were you, I’d get in my car and drive out to the ranch right now. Tell them that you’re there to check up on Avery if you have to. Or better yet, tell them the truth. Tell them they have to see it your way or you’re hitting the highway back to Tulsa.”
She did take a sip of her toddy then. A very big sip. “That’s putting it all on the line.”
“It is. But isn’t what you have to gain worth the risk?”
Kane and Jeff were worth any amount of risk. “You’re right.” Alex stood and handed her drink to Daisy. “You are one wise woman, Miss Daisy.”
Daisy chuckled then downed the rest of her drink. “Yup. And I get wiser the more I drink. Now get going. It looks like a storm may be brewing.”
Chapter Nine
At first, Alex couldn’t make her legs move. The next few minutes would change her life. It was up to Jeff and Kane to determine which way it would go. She sat behind the steering wheel of her car and stared at the men milling around the barn.
Second Chance Ranch was impressive, but the men who worked there were even more impressive. Each one was muscled and tanned. Rolled-up shirts or T-shirts and faded jeans were the norm, while most had on cowboy hats. A few wore baseball caps, but all of them had on boots that had seen more than their fair share of hard work and bad weather.
She hadn’t yet seen Jeff or Kane, but she knew as soon as she got out of her car, one of the others would call them. Now that she was there, she wondered if her nerve would give out. If they still said no, she’d have to hold her head up high and return to Tulsa broken-hearted.
Her hand was on the gear shift, ready to put the car in reverse, when someone rapped on her windshield. She jumped, turning toward the older man with graying temples and a slight paunch of a belly. From everything Jeff and Kane had told her, she assumed he was Gabriel Cortez, leader of the Cowboys for Hire teams and owner of the ranch.
She lowered her window, unsure of what to expect. His smile, however, eased her tension.
“Can I help you, young lady?” His voice was deep, filled with both age and the bass timbre of a big man.
“Um, yes. I mean, I guess so. Are you Gabriel?”
“That’s me.” He seemed to study her. “And who are you?”
“I’m Alexia Martin. My friends call me Alex.” Was she meeting his standards? For some inexplicable reason, she hoped so. She wanted him to approve of her.
“Can I ask how you got through the main gate?”
His question threw her. “I drove straight through. I mean, it was open.”
He’d bent over to talk to her and now he straightened up. “Scott, get on out to the front gate and get it locked again once this young lady leaves. Some fool left it open.” He hunched over again after a short, stocky man called back that he’d take care of it. “So where were we? Oh yeah. How can I help you?”
“I came to see Jeff and Kane.”
Interest sparked in the dark depths of his eyes. “Is that so? And did they invite you out here?”
Had she done something wrong? It had never occurred to her that she’d have to wait for an invitation. Daisy had told her to go on out to the ranch.
His demeanor lightened. “Don’t let me bother you none. I didn’t mean to make you feel unwelcomed. We don’t get many unexpected visitors.”
“I’m sorry, but I should’ve called first. I didn’t think.” She gripped the steering wheel harder.
“Don’t worry about it.” He lifted up again and hollered at another man. “Luke, go and fetch Jeff and Kane. Tell them to hurry it up. They’ve got a lady waiting to see them.”
A tall, lanky man who reminded her of a popular movie star lifted a hand to acknowledge the order and took off toward the second barn. She wondered if it was a barracks for the men since it had regular doors instead of the two wide doors the other barn had. She jumped again when Gabriel pulled her car door open.
“Settle down, girl. No one’s going to hurt you. Come on inside. You can wait for them in my office.”
She followed Gabriel inside his house. It was warm and welcoming, albeit somewhat masculine in the furnishings, but she’d kind of expected that. She remembered Jeff saying something about Gabriel losing his wife before buying the ranch.
He led her through the living room to another portion of the home and into a sizable office. Two leather chairs faced a huge desk with a good-size leather desk chair behind it. A window looked out to the scene in front of the two barn-like buildings.
“Please, have a seat. Can I offer you anything to drink? I have coffee brewing in the kitchen, or if you’d rather, I think I might have some juice in the fridge. Or would you like something stronger?”
She wondered if everyone in Destiny liked a little whiskey in their tea like Daisy. “No thank you.”
She took her place in one of the chairs and only then realized that she’d forgotten to take her keys out of the car and bring her purse with her. But if her belongings weren’t safe on Second Chance Ranch, where would they be safe?
“I hear you were a great help in getting folks squared away after the tornado.”
Getting praise for her work was never easy for her. “I’m just glad I could help.”
He looked out at the darkening sky. “Looks like we may get another ballbuster through today. If you’ll excuse my French for saying so.”
She liked the man. He was all gruff on the outside, but she had a feeling that he was a sweetheart where it counted. “I didn’t hear the forecast. Is it supposed to be a bad storm?”
“The weather people are saying it could be. It’s closing in fast on us, which is why everyone’s in a hurry to get things battened down. But you never know. Like they say, ‘If you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, stick around a minute longer and it’ll change.’ Or something like that. I never was any good at remembering quotes and the like.”
She smiled. She knew what he’d said was true, having seen the weather flip like a switch. “Do you think they’ll be long? I was hoping to get back to Tulsa by the evening.”
Unless the men I love tell me that they’ll both have me.
Gabriel glanced past her through the open door. “Here they come now.” He stood, came over and took her hand just as Jeff and Kane appeared at the door. “Miss Martin—”
“Please call me Alex.”
“Good deal. And it’s Gabriel to you. Alex, you tell me if these two give you any trouble and I’ll get on them like a tick on a hound dog.”
She gave him a big smile. “I sure will. Thanks.”
Gabriel shouldered his way between Jeff and Kane. “You guys take care of her. She’s a good one.”
Jeff took the chair next to her while Kane leaned against the desk. Jeff laid his hand on top of hers. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes.” She reconsidered. “Actually, no.”
“Does that mean you’ve made your decision?”
She’d never seen Kane nervous before. Somehow it made him even more appealing. “Yes, I have.”
Jeff let out a long, slow breath and took his hand away. In an instant, she felt like she’d lost a part of her body. Even a part of her soul.
“Go ahead. Tell us what you’ve decided.”
She studied Jeff then turned her attention to Kane. As she’d often thought, they were so different, yet so alike in many ways. Yet she had to believe that the differences weren’t so great that they couldn’t get along.
“I’ve decided to choose both of you.”
Jeff shook his head, his blue eyes intense. “Alex, you don’t understand. We can’t—”
“What, Jeff? You can’t love me enough to get over your stupi
d rivalry?”
“That’s not it at all. Jeff and I—”
Suddenly, she couldn’t stand to hear them argue any longer. They knew her decision, and judging from their less-than-happy expressions, she had their answer.
“You know what? I don’t give a damn what you have to say. You’ve got my answer.” She stood, pivoting toward the door. Both men reached out for her, but she jerked her arms away and stormed out of the office.
They were on her heels, but she wouldn’t slow down. If she did, she might never get going again.
“Alex, baby, you’ve got to listen.” Yet Jeff’s words didn’t sound like a plea as much as an order.
She made it to her car, thankful that she’d left her keys in the ignition. At least that way, she wouldn’t have to dig for them in her purse. She whirled to confront them. “Are you two willing to share my love or not?”
Kane opened his mouth to speak then shut it and looked at Jeff. Jeff seemed frozen in place.
“That’s what I thought.” She slid behind the wheel and started the car.
“Hold up, Alex.” Kane placed his body in front of her car as though that would stop her.
“Get out of my way.” She kept her foot on the brake while she gave the gas pedal a quick push. He jumped out of the way.
Throwing the car in reverse, she floored it. Her car jerked away from them, and she maneuvered it backwards down the driveway. Once she saw that they weren’t chasing after her, she slung it into drive and did a tight U-turn.
Tears streamed down her face as she checked the rearview mirror. Kane and Jeff stood side by side, watching her leave for good.
* * * *
“What the fuck did you two do?”
Jeff brought his gaze to Gabriel and shook his head. But it wasn’t enough to get the fog out. “Beats the hell out of me.”
Kane wasn’t faring any better. He hadn’t moved, his attention locked on the wall of dust that was the only thing left from Alex’s departure.
“We screwed up. Big time.”
Jeff didn’t need Kane to explain what he meant. He’d already had the same thought. “Are you saying you’re willing to share her?”
