by Jane Jamison
“See? That right there is why they like me better. Your mom would slap you upside your head if you called her old to her face.”
“Anyway, Mitch and I scraped up enough cash and took out a hefty loan to buy the ranch from them. Yeah, we do the rodeo circuit, but that’s just the icing on the cake. If we do well on the circuit, we’ll get to the finals in a few months. But we’re not as into it as our buddies Seth and Jarrod are. They’re the Hill brothers, the other two cowboys you saw at the hospital. They’re hard core on the circuit.”
“Okay, so what about your personal lives?”
Chey leaned forward, giving him a nice eyeful of her generous cleavage. She’d taken time at her apartment to change out of her blouse and shirt she’d had on at the hospital and into more comfortable traveling clothes of a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He didn’t know anything about ladies’ fashion, but anyone could see how expensive her clothes were. Even her so-called work boots looked like they’d cost a pretty penny.
“Not much to say there, either. Oh, sure, we’ve had our share of girlfriends.” He gave her a quick wink. “After all, two good-looking cowboys are like watermelon to flies. We’re going to attract the girls. Especially buckle bunnies.”
“Buckle bunnies? Rodeo rider chasers? Is that what you go for?” Her lips curved upward into the hint of a smile.
“I’ll admit it. They’re hard to turn down, but we try to keep our, um, minds”—he glanced down at his crotch—“out of the gutter.” He was glad she hadn’t taken him too seriously. “We’ve never run across any of them we’d want to corral for a lifetime.”
“I can’t imagine why not. Especially since you’re comparing them to horses in a pen.”
Her quick wit was a major part of her allure and would keep them on their toes. “Anyway, we have no girlfriends, no wives, and no kids. And, just in case you’re wondering, no ex-wives, either.”
“Good to know.” She leaned back. “So tell me about your home. Will I really be safe there? With you two?”
“Damn straight you will,” answered Mitch. “Seriously, Chey. We mean to keep you out of harm’s way.”
“Because he won’t be able to find me on your ranch?”
Mitch’s attention went to the rearview mirror again. “That and because we’ll be there. Like I said. We won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Wy watched the way they studied each other. If he believed in such nonsense, he would’ve sworn a sizzle passed between them. Not really jealous of his cousin, but wanting the same kind of connection with her, he shifted toward her. “Mitch is right. We told you we’d take care of you and we will. Come hell or high water.”
Her gaze shifted to his. “Thanks. I know I haven’t said so yet, but I really am grateful. For everything.”
A heat traveled through him. It was attraction, but one that made previous attractions pale in comparison.
“Here we are.” Mitch swung the pickup onto the dirt road leading up to the house and the red barn several yards behind it. “Welcome to Double W Ranch, doc.”
Chapter Three
They sat in the pickup, giving her time to study their home. Her first thought was that it was perfect. The place was nothing fancy, but the building fit with the surrounding land, as though it was part of nature and not a man-made structure. Even the sky seemed bluer against the two stories of white-framed house.
Dark-green shutters and a wraparound porch instantly made her feel right at home. Not that she’d grown up in a home like it, but she’d always dreamed of owning one. The house wasn’t grand by any definition of the word, but it was well maintained and exuded a warm ambience that larger, more modern houses couldn’t compete with. Maybe that was why she hadn’t purchased a place in San Antonio yet. Or maybe she’d been holding out, waiting for all the ingredients that really made up a home. After all, a home without a family—hopefully, a family who loved and protected each other—was just a house.
This is a real home.
Wy’s and Mitch’s pride shone on their faces as they waited for her to tell them her thoughts.
Tears sprang to her eyes, shocking her. When had a house ever moved her to tears? And yet, it wasn’t the building itself, just a matter of wood and nails, that brought the unexpected emotion to the surface. Her reaction came from them. They treasured their home, and they were willing to share it with her.
“It’s amazing.”
Mitch grinned, matching his cousin’s easy one. “We think so. I mean, sure, we know it’s not much, but we’re proud of it.”
Wy opened his door, slid out, and then opened hers. “The place is old, but we’ve kept it up. The kitchen is updated, yet we managed to keep it in the style of the house. Laid-back and country with not many fancy gadgets and the like.”
“You sound like a realtor, Wy.”
She slipped out of the backseat and into Wy’s arms as he helped her to the ground. Pausing, she looked into his face, momentarily forgetting the house. His green eyes sparkled with a craving that had her knees weak in seconds. He was strong, hard-packed muscle with wide shoulders. She breathed in, liking the smell of soap mixed with leather instead of the fragrant colognes some men wore.
“Let’s get you inside so you can settle in. Right, Wy?”
Wy didn’t acknowledge Mitch. Instead, his attention focused on her lips. She had to resist the urge to lick her mouth and see how he would react.
“Hey, you two. Are you going to stand there all day?”
She eased out of Wy’s hold, averting her gaze away from his intense one. Mitch stood near the hood of the truck, her suitcase in his hands. “I can’t wait to see inside.”
Before she’d taken three steps, Wy moved beside her and took her arm in his hand. “Come with me.”
A frowning Mitch followed behind them as Wy led her up the wide front porch, then unlocked the door and swung it wide. “Welcome to our humble home.”
She stepped over the threshold and took the place in. Comfortable was the best way to describe the interior. Although it wasn’t the open concept she usually liked, the rooms were large enough to make it feel spacious. She strolled into the living room dominated by a stone fireplace that took up at least half of one wall. Hardwood floors, more than likely the original wood, shone with character. The walls were painted a muted gray, and the enormous leather couch was worn with use. The room was filled with various mementos of friends and family. Photos decorated the wall of the staircase, and a gun rack rested against the opposite wall. Two swinging doors led into what she assumed would be a country kitchen with pots hanging from the ceiling and an oven that had seen a lot of use throughout the years.
The home was obviously owned by men. Dark, heavy furnishings filled the rooms. No woman had put her hand to decorating here. But she liked it exactly the way it was.
“So? What do you think?”
She wasn’t sure why it mattered to Mitch that she approve, but his eager face said it all. “It’s even better than the outside.” She strolled through the living room, stopping here and there to study a photo. When she came to the swinging doors, she checked with the men and Mitch gave her a nod to go ahead.
Aside from the large floor-to-ceiling window, the kitchen was exactly as she’d pictured it. She’d expected smaller windows in the older house, but was pleased that the large window opened up the room, making it feel cheery and bright. The cabinets were aged and the graying wood was still in good condition. The countertops were new, but fit in with the butcher-board element. Pots and pans hung from a metal rack over an island with a cement top, a textural and color counterpoint to the rest of the room. A huge commercial refrigerator and stove with red knobs took up one side of the room while a farmhouse sink and lots of workspace took up the other wall. A long wooden table that seated six, made beautiful by years of nicks and cuts, finished off the room. If she could’ve asked for the perfect kitchen, theirs would be as close as she could’ve expected.
“Do you cook, Chey?” asked Mitch.
>
She hesitated. “I used to. But with all the time medical school and residency took, I kind of fell out of the habit.” She pointed at their microwave. “I’m still great at warming food up, though.”
“Well, feel free to use the kitchen whenever you want.” Wy skimmed a hand down her back.
“In other words, you wouldn’t mind if I took over the job of cooking, right?”
Wy shrugged. “Just saying, is all.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. But don’t worry. I’ll find a way to be useful. I want to pitch in while I’m here. It’s the least I can do for all your help.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Wy took her hand and tugged her along with him toward the stairs nestled in the corner. “Let me take you to your room. Mitch can handle the horses then heft your suitcase upstairs. Right, cuz?”
What could she do but laugh? Wy was outgoing and fun, a natural jokester. Mitch was more serious, the steadfast one.
“Oh, sure. No problem.” Mitch called after them. “I’ll see you two in a minute.”
Wy led the way up the stairs then onto the balcony area that overlooked the living room. Mitch lifted his hand as he strode through the room then out the front door.
“I’m going to catch hell later.”
“Why, Wy?” She smiled. “That sounds funny.”
“Yeah. I’ve gotten that all my life. He’ll give me shit for sending him back outside. Don’t worry. He’ll get over it.” He jerked his head to the side. “This way, m’lady.”
Like the wall along the stairs, the hallway was filled with photos, some posed and some candid shots. “Are these photos of your family?”
“Most of them.”
She would’ve liked to take a closer look at them, but he kept her hand, hurrying her down the hallway. Once they came to the third door on the left, he pushed it open. The room was painted a bright yellow with white curtains hanging from the windows. The bed was large but simply adorned with a white crocheted bedspread.
“This is different.”
“It is?”
She turned to him, hoping he hadn’t taken offense. “I mean, it’s different from downstairs where everything is so masculine in taste. This room looks like a woman decorated it.” She pointed at the full-length old-fashioned mirror and stand. “I wouldn’t think a man would care about having a floor mirror.”
“You’re right. It was decorated by a woman. Mitch and I chose the other furnishings in the house, but we had help with this one. We wanted it to be perfect for the right woman. No one has ever used this room.”
“Really? Why?” The way he looked at her made her quiver. His eyes could be so lively, filled with humor one moment, and then in the next, they’d grow darker and more intense.
“Like I said, it’s for the right woman. She’ll be the woman Mitch and I want as our wife.”
At first, what he’d said didn’t register. “Your wife? Don’t you mean your wives? As in two women? So you want those two women, your wives, to share this one room? I don’t mean to get personal, but wouldn’t you both want to sleep with your own wife in your own bed?”
He cupped the back of her neck. “You didn’t hear me right. We don’t want a wife for each of us. We want one wife for the both of us.”
“You’re kidding.” He was too close for her to think straight. She wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. “I thought polygamy was the other way around. One man for multiple wives.”
“We don’t care what you call it. It’s how we want to live our lives with the woman we choose.” He leaned closer, his lips parted well before he spoke. “Or would you want it the other way? Do you want to share your husband with other women?”
“I never gave it any thought,” she whispered.
Still, it didn’t take much thought to know how she felt. “Call me jealous, but I could never share my husband with anyone else. Have you really thought this through?”
She shouldn’t push. If he and his cousin wanted to share, then that was their choice. And yet, it was important for her to understand.
“We’ve thought about this since we were teenagers. Besides, who says it has to be the man who has more than one mate? I don’t think any one man could handle a fiery woman like you.”
“Why do you think I’m fiery?” No one had ever described her that way before. Usually they called her stubborn, bitchy, and bullheaded as well as a lot of other not-so-flattering adjectives. She was a strong woman and didn’t mind standing up for what she believed in. If she were a man, they would’ve called her assertive and commanding.
He brushed the hair at the nape of her neck with his thumb. “Because you’ve got spunk. How else could you have become the doctor you are? Until he started shooting, you stood your ground. I think you’d still be working at the hospital if you didn’t think others might get hurt. Spunky, fiery, gutsy, they’re all good ways to describe a strong woman like you.”
“Thanks.”
“No. I should be thanking you.”
If he got any closer, their mouths would touch. If his lips caressed hers, she’d be lost. “Why?”
“You patched me up, doc.” His lips curved slightly.
“I didn’t do anything except tell you to take a couple of aspirins. Kind of.” She dared to lean forward. His breath flowed over her skin.
“Yeah, but you didn’t tell me to call you in the morning.”
“I forgot.” She couldn’t take her eyes off his mouth. “Now you won’t have to.”
“No. I won’t.”
He kissed her, pressing his mouth against hers, gently at first, then increasing the pressure. She whimpered, a sound she wasn’t sure was loud enough for him to hear, then eased against him.
He felt so damn good. Months had passed since she’d had a man hold her in his arms. But the men in her past had never taken her breath away with a kiss. Her arms wrapped around him, clutching to the back of his shirt so she could hang on for dear life. He kept his hand around her neck, then placed his other hand on her butt and shoved her forward. She thrilled as her stomach met his crotch. His large and growing crotch.
The kiss intensified, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. She sucked on it, loving the taste of him. She freed it so she could nibble on his lower lip. Bending her head back farther, he plundered her mouth then feathered kisses down her neck.
Please, don’t stop.
Whether she meant just the kiss or more, she didn’t know. Her mind reacted like the rest of her, ready and willing to follow his lead. Ready to do whatever he wanted her to do.
She’d never enjoyed kissing. Had, in fact, thought it slightly unsanitary. And yet, now she realized she’d been wrong. In truth, she’d never really been kissed—at least not kissed like that—until Wy put his mouth to hers.
He tugged her shirt from her jeans then slipped his hand under the thin material. She arched her back, pushing her breasts against him, giving him a hint of what it would feel like to have her naked nipples pressed against his chest.
“Damn.”
The sound of Mitch’s voice was like a stab in the dark recesses of her mind. She jerked away, stepping back from Wy. Mitch stood in the doorway with her suitcase in one hand and her purse in the other.
“Sorry.” He looked to his cousin then to her. “You two caught me by surprise, is all.”
She pressed her fingers against her plumped-up lips. But what could she say? I wish you hadn’t interrupted us?
And yet, hadn’t Wy said they wanted share? It was her turn to look from one cousin to the other. Could she be with both of them? The idea was so foreign to her that she found it difficult to understand the question fully.
“You have rotten timing, cuz.” Wy wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Now that you’re here, you might as well come on in.”
Mitch set her suitcase on the cushioned bench at the foot of the bed and her purse on top of it. “I came up to give you these and to get help with the horses. But no problem, Wy. I’ll take care
of them.”
“No, it’s okay.” She needed time to gather her thoughts. Hell, just to get her mind working right again. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get settled in and freshen up a little.” She pointed to the other door. “Is that the bathroom?”
“It is. There are towels, soap, and anything else you need in the hallway linen closet. First door to your right.”
Mitch didn’t act like it had bothered him to see Wy kissing her. If anything, he looked like he was intrigued, even amused.
“Thanks.” She paused, hoping they’d catch her hint and leave.
“Okay, then.” Wy narrowed his eyes at her, hesitating as though hoping she’d tell him to stay. “We’ll take care of the horses and get dinner going.”
“Great. And thank you again.” She tucked her shirt back into her jeans and tried to ignore Mitch’s pointed look. “For everything.”
“Sure thing.” Mitch motioned for Wy to go ahead of him.
At first, she was sure Wy was going to balk and stay put. Then, after sending her a quick wink, he strode out of the room. “See you in a bit, baby.”
Mitch tipped his hat to her. “Take all the time you want.”
She nodded as he closed the door behind him.
Holy shit. Two men who want to share one woman.
The idea of having two men in her life at the same time had never occurred to her. She’d had enough trouble juggling one man along with school and work. How could any woman handle two?
She sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at the closed door. No way could she ever entertain the idea of sleeping with both of them. Not that she thought it was slutty or anything. She’d always been a “live and let live” kind of girl. But two men meant double the problems.
She touched her fingers to her mouth again. Still, it might be nice to have these particular problems.
* * * *
“Damn it. It figures they’d call a last minute meeting. I don’t know what the big deal is. Either we chip in and buy smoke detectors for the people in Garner who don’t have them in their homes or we don’t.” Mitch watched Wy pace toward the bottom of the stairs.
