Tangled in Divine [Divine Creek Ranch 14] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Heather Rainier

  Joaquin crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Wilbur Wilson is looking for someone to watch his place for him, isn’t he?”

  Hope suddenly unfurled in Julián’s chest as he recalled that fact. “Yes, he is.”

  “And it’s just a happy coincidence that his ranch butts right up against the Cooks’ place. You can practically have a conversation from your front porches, he’s so close.”

  Julián replied, “Not quite that close but we can holler back and forth if there’s a need.”

  “So she’d be somewhere safe…conveniently close by…”

  “And Wilbur has that blue roan Morgan that his daughter barrel raced with before she went off to medical school and then became a missionary. I’ll bet he’d jump at the chance to have a champion barrel racer working with that mare and looking after his place. He’s reduced his herd to almost none. Hasn’t he?”

  Julián nodded. “He’s only got ten head left and they act more like pets. I reckon he’ll have them sold and the hundred acres and the house listed by the fall. He wants to get out to the missionary field now that his daughter is serving. Spend some time with her doing what he loves while his health is still good enough to be in the rain forest.”

  “Why don’t you go talk to her while I give him a call and see if he’d be interested?”

  Julián nodded and set his empty mug in the sink. Not one to hesitate, he walked into the living room, interrupting Gwen’s soft conversation with Teresa.

  “Teresa, you mind if I talk with Gwen for a little while in private?”

  Looking rather pleased, Teresa said, “Not at all, Julián. You’re welcome to use the den down the hall if you’d like. It’s quiet in there right now.” She pointed to the hallway off the living room.

  Teresa was about to rise when Julián came around on Gwen’s side of the comfy-looking double recliner and held up a hand to Teresa. “Stay there and relax, Teresa.” Tilting his head toward the kitchen where her men were conversing quietly, he added, “They’re concerned about you.”

  Teresa smiled and relented, shaking her head with a resigned smile. She reached for a box of tissues and handed them to Gwen. “Take these. You may need them since those tears keep threatening.”

  He didn’t like the sound of Gwen hurting so much. Leaning down, he scooped her up out of the recliner, taking her a little by surprise, judging by her soft yelp.

  Over her head, he winked at Teresa, appreciating her concern for Gwen. Teresa mouthed, “She’s tired.”

  Julián nodded as he walked from the room with her in his arms.

  “I’m not used to being carried around like this,” she whispered as she held on to his shoulders.

  Entering the den, which was lined with windows facing the wooded acreage out back, he headed for the overstuffed recliner near the lit fireplace. In the opposite corner there stood a tall Christmas tree, festooned with tinsel and garland, and surround by a mass of gaily wrapped gifts. He and Chris hadn’t even bothered with a Christmas tree. “I’d like nothing better than the chance to get you used to being carried.”

  Angel came in behind them with a woolen throw blanket in his hands. “Teresa said you might need this. The big windows and stone floors make this room chilly on days like this.” He put the blanket on the table by the chair and then knelt in front of the fireplace and put another log on it.

  Warmth from the renewed fire reached them, and Julián nodded his thanks as he turned and carefully sat in the recliner, with her still in his arms. She looked up at him as they settled in the deep chair and a hard lump pressed against his ribs between them.

  Gwen bit her lip as Julián sighed and reached in her heavy barn jacket, which she still had on, and pulled her handgun from her coat pocket.

  “My .38. The safety is on. I forgot it was in there.”

  Julián sighed as he verified the safety was in place. He handed it to Angel as he rose from the hearth after closing the screen, a look of mild consternation on his face. It was an unavoidable reality that Gwen needed to carry protection when she was on the road. It would be foolish for her not to have it. That didn’t mean that Julián could pretend he liked the fact. Angel was evidently on the same page.

  “I can put it in the gun safe for now, if you’d like, Gwen,” Angel offered quietly. “You can have it back whenever you want it, but that way it’s out of reach of inquisitive little boys.”

  “Absolutely,” Gwen replied with a nod. “I want them to be safe. I’d never leave it out where they could reach it.”

  Angel nodded with a gentle smile directed at her. “I know you wouldn’t.” To Julián, he said, “Our earlier item of discussion is a ‘go’ if she’s interested.”

  Julián nodded as Angel left the room with the handgun and pulled the door closed, giving them privacy.

  “Are you mad about the gun?”

  “Of course not. I prefer you have a means to protect yourself if you need it. Obviously I’d rather you weren’t placed in a position to need it at all. Sit up for a second.”

  She did as he asked, shifting her lush curves against his lap and awakening his cock in the process. Her body was the perfect combination of toned muscles from years in the saddle competing on horseback, and soft, womanly curves.

  He pushed the collar of the coat from her shoulders as he chuckled. “Any other surprises in this coat?” She shook her head silently, exhaustion apparent in the shadows under her eyes. Fatigue must’ve been catching up to her now that she’d sat down and begun to relax in a safe place.

  After the coat was off of her, he pulled her cowgirl boots from her feet, and coaxed her to recline across his lap with her left cheek pressed against his pectoral. He took the dark blue blanket from the table, unfolded it, and draped it around her, tucking it in under her ass and around her shoulders.

  “Sorry. I need a shower. I probably don’t smell my best right now.” A slight tremor ran through her as he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

  “You have nothing to worry about at all. To me you smell good. Very good, in fact.” If I keep breathing her in, she could seduce me without a single word. He kissed her temple and tried to dial back his arousal as his cock continued to harden. They had a conversation to get through.

  “Want to tell me what was going through your head, Gwendolyn?”

  She glanced at him, a little spark glimmering in her periwinkle blue eyes for a second. “Again with the full-name-calling? Does that mean you’re really spanking me?”

  Julián didn’t bother to hide the smile of anticipation that image brought to his mind. “It’s still on the table. Angel and Joaquin filled me in on what happened. How much have you slept in the last three days?”

  “Not much. I think the shock I received put me in fight-or-flight mode.”

  “And you chose flight.”

  Gwen nodded, rubbing her cheek against his chest, the tremor racing through her body again. “I had to get away. You can see our place from Roger’s ranch house. I couldn’t sit there and watch them disassemble my family’s ranch from his living room window.” She looked up at him with reddened eyes. “They took Zephyr before I even had a chance to say good-bye to her.” Her face flushed and her body tightened as though she was in agony.

  Any thought he’d had of confronting her for risking her safety, alone, exhausted, covering way too many miles in too few days flew out the window as she cratered in his arms. The tremors grew more pronounced and he tightened his hold so she’d know she was safe and could let go.

  “I didn’t even get to say good-bye,” she whispered shakily, fisting the blanket under her chin, fighting giving in to the grief until the very end.

  “I’m so sorry, love.” He held her securely as he stroked her hair and kissed her temple again. “I’m so sorry.”

  The first painful-sounding sob broke from her as he began rocking the chair. She hid her face against his chest as another sob followed the first. She released the blanket and wrapped her arm around his neck and c
lung to him as she wept.

  He rocked her and let her cry until she’d soaked the layers of his denim work shirt and thermal shirt beneath it. She curled up in a little, trembling ball in his arms and expended all the negative emotions that must’ve been bottled up inside her, unreleased, for the last three days.

  The fireplace crackled as he looked out of the large windows spanning one wall of the den, watching the frigid wind buffet the oak trees outside. He continued stroking her hair and her shoulders as her shakiness and her tears finally subsided.

  He was on dangerous ground. Comforting her like that made him want more—with her. He liked being the one she clung to, and he wanted to be the one she ran to for comfort from then on.

  If she left again, his heart would go with her.

  A long sigh left her, punctuated by a brief series of stuttering sighs, and he smiled, realizing she’d given in to exhaustion. Her golden head slid into the indentation between his collarbone and his pectoral as he shifted her into a more comfortable position, and he held her, letting her take her rest. He’d hold her all day if she’d let him.

  Putting his head back against the plush headrest of the chair, he watched the trees sway in the wind as her breathing settled into a smooth rhythm.

  He made a mental note to do some checking into her situation on his own. He felt bad for her, that she’d trusted her father to keep the family legacy safe for her until she could take over, only to discover that he’d gambled with her future and lost it all.

  Julián imagined the man must feel terrible but didn’t know enough about him to form an opinion. He admitted to feeling anger toward the man for handling the family business so poorly and stripping Gwen of the future she’d dreamed of. Maybe there was something he could do to help.

  His mind wandered and he must’ve drifted off. He heard the rumble of a truck and soft voices in the distance, but then things quieted down again. He smiled when Gwen curled closer, let out a soft sigh, and fell back asleep. Some time later, a minute sound caught his attention and he cracked open his eyelids.

  Chris stood a few feet away, his attention centered on Gwen. His stance was tense, his lips set in a straight line, but his emotions showed clearly in his eyes, which roamed over Gwen from head to toe. The wonder of a sculptor looking at his finest creation. The awe of a mother looking at her newborn infant. The gaze of a man in love for the first time. Conflict radiated from Chris as he closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair as though he wanted to yank most of it out.

  He’d begun to turn toward the door when he realized Julián was watching him. The tangle of emotions in his eyes—desire, love, confusion and regret—created a corresponding storm in Julián and he whispered, “Fuck.”

  Chris’s eyebrows drew together as he looked at Julián with apology in his eyes and whispered back, “Exactly,” and strode from the room, closing the door soundlessly behind him.

  What in the hell am I supposed to do with that? Chris had only met her that morning. Had he laid eyes on her and fallen in love at first sight? They needed to talk.

  The clock on the wall indicated that Julián had been holding her for two hours. He needed to relieve himself but he’d gladly sit there holding her for another two hours if that was what she needed.

  In sleep, her features were so peaceful, her full lips a pale pink and the delicate sweep of her cheekbone just begging to be kissed and caressed. The dark shadows remained, though. It would take at least one night’s solid sleep to eradicate them. Her blonde lashes flickered and then he was held captive by her blue gaze.

  “Hi, Sleeping Beauty.”

  A tiny frown creased her brows and she rubbed at her forehead. “I must be getting sick. I never take naps.” She yawned and tried to sit up, but he pressed on her shoulder, keeping her where she was.

  Without another word, he slid his hand around the back of her head, holding her at her nape. He kissed her the way he’d wanted to earlier when he’d come in the door.

  Her luscious body radiated heat and she arched her neck, tilting into his kiss with sweet welcome in her lips, her velvety, warm tongue stroking his in leisurely, sensuous greeting. She cupped his cheek with her palm as her thumb caressed his stubbled chin.

  A minute or two later, he released her lips with a satisfied sigh, smiling as she looked up at him with dazed eyes and swollen lips. The relaxed, tender moment didn’t last though, as some fleeting emotion flickered in her eyes and she sat up. He’d gone rock hard for her while they’d kissed, and when she shifted, she evidently felt his erection because she blushed and whispered, “Sorry.”

  “What for? I’ve wanted to kiss you like that for a long time. Feel better?”

  She hesitated for a second. “Not rested, but more like my old self. Less…”

  “Less what?”

  “Less emotionally flat. Numb.”

  He shushed her when she would’ve gotten up and eased back into the rocker recliner, pulling her with him. “The shock must be wearing off. I think taking off like you did made it worse. You had no one but yourself to rely on and you couldn’t deal with what’d happened.”

  “I had plenty of time to think.”

  “What did you think about?”

  She frowned. “Not much. I just looked at the map, picked a destination, and drove until I got there. Places I could never stop before because of scheduling.”

  “How much sleep did you get?”

  “Not much. When I tried, I wound up tossing and turning, miserable. I finally slept in Big Bend when I pulled over on the shoulder of one of the park roads. I remember thinking I should be worried about doing that but I didn’t feel a thing. The lack of emotion worried me more than whether or not I was safe.”

  “What’d you do?”

  She shrugged. “Locked up the truck. Secured the trailer and locked myself in the bunk space with my .38. I slept more that night than I had in days and days. I felt a little less…anchorless and decided to point myself in this direction.”

  “What’s this I hear about broken linkage and baling wire and changing flat tires?”

  Gwen gave him a sideways grin, just a hint of her old twinkle appearing in her eyes. “Don’t ask questions you don’t really want the answers to. I already got the Ricky Ricardo treatment from Angel over it. I’m self-sufficient. You know that. You’re just not used to seeing me be self-sufficient with an ancient vehicle and horse trailer. I also repaired a radiator hose and a windshield wiper while I was on the road.”

  He didn’t like hearing any of it but couldn’t argue with her. She was a champion because she did what needed doing without complaint. Her self-sufficiency was part of who she was. He stroked her cheek and she placed her hand on his. That was when he noticed her hand and the condition it was in.

  “Look at your hand, love. We need to take care of these.”

  She examined her dry, cracked, bloodied hands with resignation. She rubbed the reddened, rough palms and murmured, “Not exactly the hands of a lady, huh? I lost my gloves and the second flat I had to change did a number on them.” She winced as a crack between her knuckles welled with blood and she blew gently on it to soothe it.

  “I’ll bet Teresa has everything we need to fix them up. Did you know it’s Christmas Eve?”

  She turned her gaze to his and smiled a little. “It is? I didn’t miss it?”

  A whole host of emotions wanted to explode inside him at her gentle surprise. She deserved to be curled up in front of her fireplace, enjoying the holiday with friends, relaxing and happy, not pleasantly surprised that she hadn’t missed it altogether in her fugue state.

  “What’s that look for, Julián?”

  “Nothing. I just wish I could make this all better.”

  “You have made it better. I made it here and we’re together right now.”

  “Yes, but for how long?” He couldn’t believe he’d said it out loud. He felt stupid, knowing he was just setting himself up for more pain.

  Sadness filled her e
yes. “I can’t stay, Julián. I need to figure out what to do to get the ranch and Zephyr back. Colorado is my home. That’s where my dream is.”

  Trying to tamp down the disappointment and anger at himself, he nodded. “I know that, love.” He’d not only succeeded in making himself feel worse, now she felt bad too.

  A sad smile bowed her lips and she palmed his cheek as she shook her head minutely. “Julián…”

  “What?” He knew she objected to the endearment but he couldn’t help it. It felt right. He wanted her. He wanted her to stay. He wanted her love, and to call it what it was.

  She surprised him by leaning against him and kissing him softly on the lips. “Nothing. You make me want things I shouldn’t.”

  “There isn’t much I wouldn’t let you have, if you asked.” Fool.

  She leaned her forehead against his shoulder and nodded. “I need my ranch and Zephyr back.”

  “What if you didn’t have to go back out on the road? Would you consider accepting money from someone who wanted to help save your dream?”

  “Julián, it’s a huge amount of money and I’d still need to pay it back.”

  “What if I could guarantee that you wouldn’t need to pay it back until after your new horse training venture takes off?”

  “That would be a long time. It’s sweet of you to offer to help me get the money but in the end I’m still in debt up to my eyeballs. I might as well invest one more year and get it over with.”

  “Gwen, I could have the money tomorrow—”

  “No. My problem. My solution,” she replied firmly. “I want my ranch back fair and square without owing anybody anything.” For a second, he pictured her as a little girl, telling her parents, “No, I do it myself!” Stubborn little thing.

  Fine. “Okay. Chris has arrived with your truck. I think he’s staying for supper.”

  “Is he?” she asked, averting her eyes, a rosy blush spreading over her cheeks.

  “Yeah. Seems like you made quite an impression on him too.” He was referring to the fact that Chris was obviously interested in her, but Gwen scoffed.

  “The big jerk nearly ran over me in a drive-thru. It’s more likely that he made an impression on me. He made fun of my hat, and my truck. He kids around a lot. He’s…aggravating.”