by Sam Crescent
“Obviously,” Casey said. “She’s a little wildcat. I’m surprised she’s not here ripping us a new one.”
“She’s worried about what people will think,” Shawn said.
This time Parker sighed. “I hate people. Can I just say that for the record?”
“You’re not being recorded,” Casey said. “You can say whatever you want. What she needs to realize is the people saying this shit are jealous. They want what she has.”
“Either way, she may look for an apartment or a different trailer,” Shawn said, giving the warning. “She’s very determined.”
“She’s not going anywhere.”
Shawn finished putting the fruit on the tray and made his way back upstairs. Casey could say what he wanted to. When Poppy put her mind to something, no one could change it.
She sat up when he entered the room, and put a pillow over her lap for the tray. Shawn didn’t leave, putting the tray on her lap and taking a seat once again.
“How is everything on the ranch?” she asked.
“It’s great. Stitch is missing you, just so you know.”
Stitch often lay on the kitchen floor, looking all sad for her to come back and play.
She smiled. “I miss him, too. Can he come up here?” she asked, pressing a hand to the bed.
“It’s probably not a good idea, but I’ll bring him up.”
“Thank you.” She began chewing on some toast, and she smiled.
“What is it?” he asked.
“They scraped off the burned parts. That is so sweet. I can now see why you needed a cook, and I’m so pleased I decided to make some stuff ahead in case I was ever ill. You guys would starve.”
“We need you,” Shawn said. He needed her.
He stayed silent, watching her eat, and happy that she was. He didn’t like to see her poorly.
Once she was finished, he took the tray and let Parker know that she wanted to see Stitch.
Parker commanded Stitch, and together they walked upstairs, and he smiled. Only Poppy could have all three of them wrapped around her little finger, and she didn’t even know it.
****
The moment Stitch saw Poppy, he jumped onto the bed. Parker allowed it for a couple of minutes, and then he commanded for Stitch to get off the bed and sit.
Poppy gave him sad eyes, and even though Stitch did as he asked, Parker relented and allowed the two to snuggle.
Stitch finally lay out beside her, putting his head on her lap.
“You’re going to spoil him.”
“I love him. He’s, like, the most adorable guy in the world.” She stroked behind his ears, and Stitch’s tongue came out.
“How are you feeling?” Parker asked, taking a seat.
“Much better. I’ll be walking around causing trouble before you know it.”
“That I’m looking forward to. I hated seeing you like this.” Parker watched her smile. “I know you hate me for getting all of your stuff from the trailer. Is it really so bad to make this place your home?”
“It’s not about making it my home. Mom lived there, you know? She loved that trailer.”
“She loved that trailer because of your dad, Poppy. If she was there, he’d go and visit. The one thing she always wanted was for you and your father to have a good relationship. I don’t think the trailer meant anything to her other than that.”
Poppy’s eyes grew wide. “She told you that?”
He nodded. “Yeah. She was feeling quite poorly as she lay in her bed, and I noticed she was glaring at everything around her. She told me that one of her biggest regrets was not moving out when she could. She gave your father too much credit. She always thought he’d come back, and you’d have a real family.” He didn’t know if he should tell her the rest but decided there was no point in keeping the truth from her. “She hated your father, Poppy. By the end, she wished he’d never come back. In the beginning, she’d had so much hope, but then over the years, he destroyed her feelings for him.”
Tears glistened in her eyes. “She always looked so happy.”
“He sometimes came home while you were at school. They’d fight because she wouldn’t allow him to charm her anymore. It was kind of sad how she spoke. She just wanted what was best for you. She asked that the moment we could, we get you out of that trailer.”
Poppy wiped away the tears, and he moved to the bed, taking her hand, and wiping away the sadness.
“Don’t cry, baby.”
“I only ever put up with him because I thought she loved him. I wish she’d told me differently.”
“He was still your father, Poppy. I hope in time you can be happy here. Don’t worry about what others think.” He gave her hand a final squeeze, and stood. “I’m going to let you get some rest. No partying, no crazy dancing. Just lots and lots of rest.”
She chuckled. “You’re so protective! I’ll be fine, I promise.”
He stood at the door and watched her for a few moments more.
Her eyes were closed, and Stitch was there, keeping an eye on her. Besides his brothers, he’d trust Stitch with his life.
Leaving the bedroom, he couldn’t help but smile. Her mother had said to tell her the truth when she was being stubborn. Cathy Williams had given them some advice to help with her daughter.
They had all come clean about their love and their intentions. In doing so, Cathy spent her final days telling them how certain things would go, and what they could do.
To Parker, she had done the most important thing: given all three of them her blessing to love her daughter.
Chapter Five
By the end of the week, Poppy was back to full health, and she was having to catch up with everything she had not been able to do. There was so much laundry to do, not to mention restocking the freezer for another such day.
She loved staying busy, and that was how she was.
Each of the ranch hands stopped by to ask her how she was feeling. They had missed her food. It turned out that Casey couldn’t heat up the leftovers properly either. She didn’t mind. Her place had always been in the kitchen. It was the one place her mother always loved being. Most of her memories were of seeing her mother at the small kitchen in the trailer, whipping up some concoction or another.
By the end of the first day back, she’d put a dent in everything she needed to do. It was strange though. After the ranch hands left, she sat in the back yard with Stitch by her feet as Casey, Parker, and Shawn joined her.
They were drinking beer, and she had a soda, staring up at the night sky. There was no question of being taken home, and as a slight chill washed over, she couldn’t help but wonder about them.
She was the first woman to be in their home.
Her attraction to all three of them hadn’t diminished for even a second. This was going to be the first night when she was actually aware of them. Being ill, she’d not really thought about it, or even analyzed the fact she was sharing a home with three very sexy men. Men she often thought about.
Glancing over at Shawn, she watched as he held his bottle of beer and laughed at something Parker said. He’d been her best friend for life, and he’d spent many nights with her as they stared up at the stars. Of course, her mother had been worried about them as they got older, but now everything was different.
She imagined what those hands could do to her body, and her fantasies about him holding her as he took her always had her wet.
Licking her lips, she took another sip of her soda. Her gaze moving to Parker. He was the one that played around, and would often get her on the ground tickling her. She wondered what it would be like to be pinned by his rock-hard body as he pounded inside her.
A virgin she may be, but she wasn’t stupid when it came to sex either. She knew what she wanted, and what she craved. Each of these men offered something just as sexy, just as raw, and she couldn’t stay with them. Not if she wanted to remain friends with them.
Casey, he was the strongest of them all. The serious on
e, but she knew he had to be. His fathers had put him in charge for a reason, and he commanded respect.
Getting to her feet, she smiled at them. “I’m going to see if I’ve cleaned everything.” She got to the kitchen, opened up the freezer, and allowed the chill to soak into her overheated flesh.
Sex.
Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex.
That was all that was on her mind. All she could think about.
“Are you okay?” Casey asked. He stood close behind her. The scent of him surrounded her in such a way she truly believed she was going crazy. Her body was rebelling against her mind.
She loved each of these brothers with all of her heart, and she didn’t want to ruin that friendship she’d built with each of them.
Leaning forward, she bent down, and then stood up, gasping. Her ass had touched something, and when she turned, she knew her ass for a split second had been nestled against his dick.
Heat filled her cheeks. “I’m so sorry.” Her hands shook, and her body was going into overdrive. “Everything looks amazing. I’m going to bed.”
She didn’t wait around or linger.
Heading to her room, she pretended not to hear his call and closed her bedroom door.
“Get a grip, Poppy. They’re just men, and you’re not some sex-crazed lunatic. You can handle this. Just be calm, relax.” She took a deep breath, and slowly made her way toward her en-suite bathroom. In that moment, she was thankful she didn’t have to leave her room to go and take a shower. Just imagining those men coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around their waist, and looking so fucking sexy—she cut off the image immediately. She couldn’t handle it, refused to.
This was not the kind of woman she was.
Turning on the shower, she stripped down and stepped under the spray. The moment the hot water hit her flesh, she released a little whimper. Her nipples were so tight, and her pussy was slick.
Living with the Smith brothers was going to drive her to the limit and back. She could handle it.
There was no place she’d rather be, even with the torture of wanting them and never having them.
At least she had her fantasies. That was enough for now.
****
Under the spray of the water, Casey took his third shower that night. He closed his eyes, and wrapped his fingers around his thick dick. No matter how many times he came, he seemed on fire for one woman, and one woman alone, Poppy. She was in his blood, making him want her so damn much.
He didn’t know how long he was going to last with this.
Losing sleep was not good, especially as they had discovered another cow that had been taken and tortured.
He needed to keep his wits about him.
Some of the ranch hands were patrolling the grounds during the night, but so far nothing new had happened.
The broken fence was one thing and could have been considered a bunch of teenagers messing around. A mutilated cow, however, was something far more sinister. Now it was a second cow, and that didn’t sit well with Casey.
Thinking about the responsibility got his raging cock in order.
He possessed a high sex drive. It was the way he dealt with stress, and for three years he’d not been with anyone but his hand. For a long time, he didn’t even need release as his chores often kept him busy. Also, Poppy sobbing didn’t exactly drive him crazy with need. What he felt was a natural need to take care of her, to love her.
With his cock back in check, he finished showering, and headed back to his room. He was the only guy that didn’t have an en-suite bathroom. He’d wanted the larger space in his room than to waste it with another bathroom. His brothers hadn’t been that way inclined.
Hearing a sound in the kitchen, he froze. Every single door was closed, and he tensed up. Taking his time, he walked downstairs, and then stopped. In the kitchen at the fridge he saw Poppy’s feet out of the bottom.
She closed the door and screamed the moment she saw him.
“Holy crap, you scared me,” she said.
“I scared you? Why isn’t your door open?” he asked. “I thought we were being burgled or something.”
“You live in the middle of nowhere, and you’re a badass. Why would anyone burgle here?” she asked.
Within seconds his brothers were downstairs. Shawn had a baseball bat in his hands, and Parker was rubbing his face.
“We’re here.” Parker yawned as he spoke. “Damn, I’m tired.”
Casey watched as Poppy laughed.
“They’re so threatening for backup. I was thirsty so I was just doing myself some milk. Did I have to ask for permission?” she asked.
He shook his head, and tried to count sheep inside his head. Her blonde hair was piled high on top of her head. She wore a sexy little negligee that molded to her juicy tits and thighs. It ended just above her knee, and on either side, there was sheer lace that hinted at the sexy body beneath.
His cock was going to make an appearance if he wasn’t careful.
She was also biting her lip, which made him think of those lips wrapped around his dick.
They were all stood there watching her, and he noticed her nipples were rock-hard.
“Erm, would you like some milk?” she asked, holding up the bottle.
What he wanted more was to bend her over the table, and sink his cock so deep inside her that she couldn’t walk without thinking of them.
“A glass of milk would be great,” he said, walking toward the table, and taking a seat. He had to hide his dick, as otherwise he’d make a fool of himself.
Parker and Shawn joined him, and Casey watched as she went on her toes, reaching for three more glasses. As she lifted up, the negligee did as well, giving them all a tantalizing glimpse of her plump ass.
“None of you could sleep?” she asked.
“No!” they all said in unison.
She laughed. “You were both fast asleep. You looked a little wild coming downstairs. Why do you think there’d be a burglar here or something?”
She put a glass of milk in front of each of them before taking a seat. The way she was sitting pressed her tits together.
“You’re hiding something. What is it?” she asked, sipping at her milk. When her tongue sneaked out, licking up the trail of milk, Casey nearly lost it.
“We’ve noticed something on the ranch,” he said.
“I thought we agreed not to tell her,” Shawn said.
“Yeah, I don’t want her worried,” Parker said.
“Okay, now that I know you’re keeping something from me, you may as well tell me. I’m not going to stop until you do.”
Casey sighed. “It started with the fence broken.” He told her what had happened, what they thought it was, working up to the two mutilated cows.
She covered her mouth, and he saw the disgust in her eyes.
“Do you think someone is targeting the ranch on purpose?” She looked at each of them.
“We want you to keep Stitch with you at all times,” Parker said. “It’s a precaution. We want to protect you.”
She nodded. “I can’t … I don’t want to even think of people harming cows. I mean, they’re harmless.”
“I know. We’re looking into it, and we have Sheriff Dawes investigating. We’ve always been targeted because of our parents and their lifestyle. It has never escalated to something like this,” Casey said.
“I know. I remember from school.” She smiled at Shawn.
“Our dads don’t want Mom to know,” Parker said.
“I won’t say anything.”
Casey finished his milk, and any desire he had had gone in talking about the cow. “I’m heading to bed. I’ve got a lot to do over the next few days.”
The town fair was a couple of weeks away, and he wanted to be ready for it.
He waited for Poppy to finish washing out their glasses and then followed behind her as she made her way upstairs. All it would take was him reaching out to her to have her in his arms. He fisted his hands,
said goodnight, and went to his room.
She wasn’t ready yet.
One day soon, she would be, and then he’d get to hold her, take care of her, and show the world how much he did.
****
Most of the town didn’t mind the Smiths’ strange relationship. It was only a few people who openly sneered at them. Parker couldn’t help but laugh as she watched his mother and Poppy organize several of the stands. It was coming toward the end of summer, and with that there was always a feast, a celebration of a good harvest, and shit like that.
Many years ago, it was a huge deal as the local ranchers and farmers supplied the town with food, and there’d be a canning event where they’d preserve their stocks for the winter.
Seeing as they didn’t need to do that, the canning had been dropped even though some households still did it, but the fair was still there. It was an excuse for the locals to show off their cooking, baking, and the trinkets they’d made.
Of course, there were rides, and they turned it into something like an amusement park. The high school was involved.
Mrs. Bunt was there, and she had the children take some of the well-used leftovers and make costumes for Halloween.
It was moments like this that Parker really loved where he lived.
The town put aside its issues and came together to host an amazing event. It was a huge attraction to tourists as well.
Poppy nodded and moved toward him. “Kill me now.”
He chuckled. “Why would I do that?”
“Mrs. Kent doesn’t think a pie stand would do any good. She wants to do a chili stand even though Marlon does the chili stand.” Poppy let out an exasperated breath. “I hate this time of year.”
“Really? I love it.”
“Mom would always put together a pot or something, and it would be so cool. She’d spend a week perfecting everything, and of course everyone would love it.” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I just remember how stressed out she used to be about this.”
Her mother had never really been accepted into the fold because she lived in a trailer. That sting had stayed with Poppy for a long time, and he understood.
