Luck Be Delanie

by Shelli Stevens

  Mark picked up his fork and lifted an eyebrow. “I find that hard to believe. You’re too skinny to be that good an eater.”

  “You know, that’s the second time you boys have called me skinny. I’m starting to feel like that’s an insult.”

  Matt’s gaze drifted down her body, away from her face. “Believe me, there’s no insult intended.” His eyes lifted and met hers once more. “You’re damn easy on the eyes.”

  She blushed at his compliment. There was something so open, so honest about both men that she found it hard to resist them. She tried to dismiss the thought from her mind because she certainly wasn’t going to have a chance to get to know either of them better.

  Conversation slowed as the three of them dug in to their enormous breakfasts. She had to hand it to the twins. It was, by far, the best omelet she’d ever had, and for the first time in a long time, she let herself enjoy a meal. Lately, eating had become something she had to do to survive. Back in New York, she’d loved going to different restaurants, trying different things. She missed the salad at Carmine’s and the little Thai place in Hell’s Kitchen.

  “Damn, Mark, doesn’t look like we’re going to get to help her clean her plate after all,” Matt joked.

  Glancing down, Bridget realized she’d polished off all of the eggs and was almost finished with the hash browns. “I can’t believe I ate all that, or how good it was.”

  Mark wiped his mouth with his napkin and put it back in his lap. “You looked like you hadn’t eaten in a year. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

  “I did. I can see why you’d ask for that as payment for work. Todd’s an amazing cook.”

  Matt put his fork down and leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed and well fed. “We come over here quite a bit for breakfast and lunch. Used to be four bachelors living in our house. Cooking wasn’t something we had a lot of time for.”

  Bridget leaned forward and rested her arms on the table. She was genuinely curious to learn more about them. “Four bachelors?”

  Mark joined in the conversation. “Matt and I live with our older brother, Caleb, and our kid brother, Jacob. Caleb’s a doctor at the local hospital, so he works some screwed-up hours. Jacob does a lot of the cooking, but he’s what you might call a free spirit, so counting on him for vittles is risky. Whenever he gets involved in a project—whether it’s an article he’s writing or something for his college class—it can be days before he looks up.”

  Bridget’s ears perked up. “Article?” She missed her writing more than she could say.

  Matt nodded. “Yep. Kid loves to write. He freelances for a couple of magazines and newspapers. Mainly stories about gay rights, living life outside the closet, stuff like that.”

  “Your brother is gay?”

  Mark stiffened up slightly and she backtracked quickly, afraid she’d offended him. “I wasn’t asking to pry or to insinuate anything is wrong with that. Fact is, Rodney is gay too. I was thinking maybe we should introduce them.”

  Matt laughed. “You want to hook our brothers up?”

  Bridget grinned. “No…well, maybe.”

  If Rodney was feeling as lonely and horny as she was these days, maybe a hot hookup with a cowboy would take the edge off. Lately, Rodney had been wound up tighter than a spring. Not that she blamed him. In all likelihood, he’d lost his job at the police station the day he’d stepped off the radar with her. His future was as uncertain as hers at the moment. “Is your younger brother as hot as you two?”

  Bridget wasn’t sure where the words had come from, but the deadly dimples reappeared on both of the men’s faces as their smiles grew.

  Mark leaned toward her, taking her hand in his. She hoped he couldn’t feel the sudden trembling there. “You think we’re hot?”

  Both of them had moved closer, and she had to press her legs together to still the sudden twinge in her pussy.

  Matt grasped her other hand. “Who’s hotter—me or Mark?”

  She burst into laughter as she studied their mirrored images. Mark rolled his eyes at his brother’s inane comment. Then she realized there were other definite differences besides the cleft chin. As she learned more about them, they suddenly didn’t seem so similar.

  Matt was clearly the fun-loving one with a great sense of humor. There was a wicked twinkle in his eyes that guaranteed he was always up for a good time. In contrast, Mark seemed the epitome of a country gentleman: kind, more serious. She had no doubt he was the type of guy who opened doors for women and insisted on picking up the tab.

  “I plead the Fifth on that question. So what did you mean when you said it used to be four bachelors? Did someone move out?”

  Mark shook his head. “Nope, someone moved in.”

  Bridget’s heart skipped a beat. Did one of them have a girlfriend? She’d never considered they may already have significant others. “Oh?”

  Matt offered the explanation. “Caleb got himself a girlfriend, Jessie. We’re expecting him to pop the question any day now.”

  She smiled, foolishly relieved. “Nice. You like her?”

  “Jessie?” Mark asked. “Oh, heck yeah. She’s a helluva lady. Been through a rough patch this past year. She and Caleb deserve a little happiness.”

  Bridget could relate to tough years. “So she’ll live at the ranch with all of you?”

  Matt shook his head. “Nah. I figure they’ll want to start a family pretty soon. Since Mark and I run the ranch, it’s hard for us to move out. We need to be close to the stables. Caleb mentioned building his own house closer to the main road to make it easier for him during the winter when he’s on call. We have a fairly long driveway, and after it snows, it takes some effort to plow it so he can get out.”

  She was used to snowy winters in New York. It was one of the things she’d missed this year. She and Rodney had spent a great deal of the last few months hopping from safe house to safe house in the south. They’d celebrated Christmas in Phoenix and the temperature had been in the eighties that day. At the time, she’d considered the lack of snow a blessing. With the heat and unfamiliar surroundings, she could pretend it wasn’t Christmas, and it kept her homesickness at bay.

  “Sounds like you own quite a bit of property.”

  Mark nodded. “We do okay. Our family’s lived in this area for several generations. It’s home.”

  “It must be nice to have such solid roots. I grew up in the city, but my parents were originally from Jersey.”

  “You have any other brothers or sisters besides Rodney?” Matt asked.

  Bridget sucked in a sharp gasp of air. It had been on the tip of her tongue to say she was an only child. She knew she was treading on thin ice, tempting fate by talking to them, but Matt and Mark were so easy to be with, they made her forget what a fucking mess her life was at the present. “No. It’s just him and me.”

  Mark frowned. “No parents?”

  She shook her head because it was easier than making up another long story she’d likely screw up later. She hated lying to them. Her folks were alive and well and retired in Hoboken. She was also certain her mother hadn’t slept a wink since Bridget had gone into protective custody. Another pound of guilt she’d had to carry around. Her heart ached at the thought, and for one very foolish moment, she wanted to confess the truth to Matt and Mark, to tell them about Lyle, the judge, the murder. She had nearly convinced herself it was a good idea to unload all her burdens on their very capable, strapping shoulders and had even opened her mouth to speak the words when fate stepped in.

  “Hey, Bridget. I wondered where you were.”

  Rodney walked up to the table. He didn’t seem as annoyed to find her out and about today as he was yesterday. She suspected that was because he’d spent some time getting to know the James brothers. He’d confided last night this seemed like a safe place and the people were genuinely nice.

  Maybe she’d talk Rodney into telling Matt and Mark about their plight. They seemed like the kind of men who’d be willing to help.

/>   She smiled and held out her hands. “Looks like you found me. Matt and Mark treated me to the best omelet in, hmmm, I’m trying to remember.” She looked at Matt. “Did you say in the state or in the world?”

  “Universe,” Matt replied, adding to her joke.

  “Gotcha, the best omelet in the universe,” she finished. When Rodney looked at her empty plate with an expression of hunger and jealousy, she felt a pang of guilt for not saving him half. “I should have saved some for you.”

  He shrugged good-naturedly. “That’s okay. I’ll grab something later.”

  “Actually,” Todd said, coming out of the kitchen with a full plate, “I’ve kept this warm in the oven, hoping you’d come back soon.” He placed the dish at an empty spot at the table and gestured for Rodney to sit down. “This is on the house, to say thank you for helping us move the dinosaur stove out of the kitchen yesterday.”

  Rodney quickly claimed the chair, not remembering to speak until he’d shoveled in two enormous mouthfuls. “Thanks.”

  Matt laughed. “I can tell you two are related. Never seen two people go after a plate of food with the same level of enthusiasm.”

  Mark turned to Rodney. “We were just trying to convince your sister to come over to the James Ranch for riding lessons.”

  Rodney swallowed quickly. “Riding lessons? I don’t think we’ll have time for that. We’re leaving soon.”

  “Oh, darn,” Todd said. “I thought Steven said you’d be here through the week.”

  “That was the original plan,” Rodney said, “but now I’m not sure we’re going to be able to stay that long.”

  Bridget tried to ignore the sudden ache she felt at the idea of picking up and moving on yet again. Hanging out with the twins had been a nice change after months of monotony. It had been so long since she’d allowed herself to let herself feel pure, simple attraction. Lyle’s murder had skewed her ability to judge people and their motives and while she longed to accept Matt and Mark’s offer of friendship, fear held her back.

  “Well, you have to stay through tonight at least. I’m making a Valentine’s Day feast. We thought we’d follow that up with dessert and games,” Todd offered.

  Bridget glanced Rodney’s way, trying to determine exactly how fast he wanted to move. She couldn’t tell from his facial expression if he’d even found them somewhere new to hide.

  Rodney nodded. “That sounds great. We wouldn’t leave until tomorrow or the day after at the earliest.”

  Bridget released a slow breath. One more night. She looked at the twins. “Will you two be here?”

  Matt gave her a wickedly sexy grin. “You looking for a Valentine, Bridget? Because if so, I’m your man.”

  Mark rolled his eyes. “Did you ever consider that she might be interested in a real man, rather than a guy who acts as old as his shoe size? What size are your feet again? Eleven?”

  Matt scooted his chair closer and grasped her hand. “I doubt she’s looking for some boring stick in the mud. Be my Valentine, Bridget, and I’ll show you a good time.”

  Her face flushed as she envisioned how good that time could really be. She needed to get a grip. “You two are incorrigible. I’m not really in the market for a Valentine, so how about if I just promise to keep you in mind if that changes?”

  “You got a boyfriend?” Mark asked.

  She shook her head. “No, that’s not it.”

  Matt squeezed her hand. “Then I’ve still got a chance.”

  She laughed. “Maybe you didn’t hear my brother, Rodney. We’re leaving soon.”

  Mark shrugged as if unconcerned. “Maybe we can convince you to stay longer.”

  It would take very little for either man to convince her to stay. They looked at her with an unnerving hunger in their gazes. Her body was responding to it—hook, line and sinker.

  She considered herself passably pretty, though certainly not what anyone would call a raving beauty. She didn’t wear makeup and usually wore her long hair pulled back. In New York, she dressed in more conservative, professional attire at work. However, since arriving in Wyoming, she hadn’t been out of blue jeans.

  She’d had her fair share of dates and even lovers, but none of them had ever looked at her like Matt and Mark were looking her at that moment. Worst of all was the fact she was attracted to both of them. What the hell was she supposed to do with that unnatural feeling? If they stuck around and she indulged in a little play, she’d have to choose. For the life of her, she couldn’t decide which James brother appealed to her more.

  Rodney saved her from having to respond. “You’re welcome to try to convince her, but it won’t work. We really do need to leave.”

  Todd began clearing away the dirty dishes. “I hope nothing bad has come up to disrupt your vacation.”

  Rodney shook his head. “No. Just some things we need to take care of at home.”

  All of them rose from the table. The James twins picked up their hats and put them back on. She had never realized how sexy the cowboy look truly was until she’d met these two men who wore it so damn well.

  “Well, I guess Matt and I should head back to the ranch. We’ll be back later for dinner. Save me a seat next to you, Bridget.”

  Matt wrapped his arms around her shoulders and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Save the other side for me.”

  She wasn’t sure if she’d truly heard the sexy innuendo in his tone or if it was wishful thinking on her part.

  Her power of speech temporarily left her, so she merely nodded.

  “See you later, Bridget,” Matt added, placing a friendly kiss on her cheek.

  Mark shook Rodney’s hand and the two of them left as Todd returned to the kitchen.

  Rodney glanced around the room to make sure they were alone. “Damn. Looks like you’ve made quite an impression on those guys. Might be better if we left now. They’re both eyeballing you like you’re the prime rib at a banquet.”

  She grinned at his analogy, but didn’t bother to deny the truth of it. She didn’t even want to deny it. It felt too good. Two of the hottest men she’d ever laid eyes on were attracted to her. She was going to hold on to this high for as long as it lasted. Given her current position, it didn’t appear she’d manage to maintain it for longer than a day.

  “Did you find somewhere for us to stay?” she asked.

  Rodney shook his head. “I found a couple possibilities—cabins in pretty secluded areas, but the issue is going to be money. I asked Steven if I could borrow his truck to do a little exploring. I’m just about to head out to take a look at them.”

  “Why bother if money is going to be an issue?” Bridget wanted to stay at the B&B. A city girl at heart, she took comfort in having more people around. Hiding out in quiet cabins unnerved her. She’d had no idea how loud nature was, how much squirrels scampering in leaves could sound like a villain with a gun sneaking up behind her.

  “You’re not going to like this, but I’m checking to see if we could hole up in one without going through the realtor. I got the impression from the rental website that neither of these places gets used much in the winter. Weather tends to be an issue.”

  She looked at Rodney with amazement. He was the most honest, law-abiding person she’d ever met. “You’re going to break in?”

  “Bridget. We’re low on money and running out of options. The trial starts in three weeks. We just have to hang in there that long. I’ll call my partner a couple days before we need to return, explain why we took off and ask him to secure us transportation back to the city.”

  “We came here to try to find the information Lyle had on the judge. We can’t exactly do that if we’re stuck on some mountainside, squatting in someone else’s house.”

  “Yeah, about that.” Rodney took Lyle’s letter from his pocket. “I was playing around with this earlier and I want to show you something.”

  They reclaimed their seats at the table. Bridget could hear Todd cleaning up in the kitchen, singing along loudly with the
radio. She grinned at his off-key accompaniment to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”. She wasn’t sure where the rest of the guests had gone, but aside from his performance, the house was relatively quiet.

  Rodney pointed out the part of the code they’d already broken. “So if the first sentence is every sixth word, then we’re left with Sara and toga. Bridget, remember in college when Sara got totally trashed at the toga party. If you count six more words after toga, it takes us five words into the next sentence.”

  Bridget nodded. “We’ve done that. Silly girl swore to God and then on her mother’s grave she would give up alcohol. The next word after toga is God, but counting out six more words leaves us grave. God’s grave.”

  She’d repeated that phrase a million times in her head. They’d searched the only churchyard cemetery within the city limits the moment they set foot off the bus. They’d been so certain they would find a clue. Instead, they’d come up with nothing.

  “What if it’s not every sixth word? What if in the second sentence it’s every fifth?” Rodney asked.

  She glanced at the paper and re-counted. “Godmother’s? Oh my God. What if it is?”

  “Do you know if Lyle had a godmother? Who she was?”

  Bridget closed her eyes, forcing her memories of Lyle to the foreground. She should have been a better friend. She didn’t have a clue. She racked her brain trying to remember, but nothing came to her.

  “Fuck,” she finally admitted. “I have no idea.”

  Rodney only looked slightly disappointed. “So go five more words over and you get the word up. I have no idea what that means, but count five to the next sentence and I think Lyle gave us a clue about that the godmother.”

  Bridget looked at the third sentence. “Ellen.”

  Rodney nodded. “Ring any bells?”

  She shook her head. “No, but I suppose we could ask around. What do you think the chances are his godmother has his last name—Turner?”

  “Slim to none,” Rodney replied. “And the rest of that sentence doesn’t seem to offer up a surname. I tried highlighting every fourth word, thinking maybe it was a countdown code, but that doesn’t seem to work either.”