by Jane Jamison
“Hey, darlin’, are you looking for me?” John had his hands in the pockets of his white coat. He looked every bit the doctor.
He looked like a doctor, all right, but was the joy on his face and the light in his eyes because he’d been talking to the woman in the bed? Or because he’d caught her eavesdropping?
The woman wasn’t anything special. In fact, one look at her and anyone could see that she was ill. Very ill. Yet her beatific smile shone past the pallor of her skin and her thin frame. Life, enjoyed and appreciated, glowed in her eyes. Her short brown hair was stringy and plastered to her head. The cheap hospital gown hung on her thin frame.
“Catherine?”
She jerked her attention to John.
“Were you looking for me?”
“Oh. Yes, I was.” What else could she say? That she was going out to enjoy the soothing ambience of the receiving area?
Concern flooded his ocean-blue eyes. “Are you all right?”
She didn’t answer right away. If she had, he wouldn’t have kept moving toward her. Tatum and Smoke were on their feet and headed her way, too. She couldn’t help but get a little thrill that she’d stolen them away from the other woman.
John took her by the arms and lowered his head, his gaze intent on hers. “Are you feeling any pain?”
“No, no. I’m fine.” Warmth spread to her cheeks. Yet that warmth couldn’t compare to the heat his touch had seared into her. If he hadn’t been holding her, she might’ve ended up on the floor with her legs too weak to hold her up. “I just needed to get up and move around. Besides, my knee barely hurts.”
“Good. But you need to remember to take it easy.” His rigid stance eased.
“So will you sign my release papers?” She’d thought she’d get a rush out of saying those words. Instead, her throat clogged up.
“I guess that means you’re ready to get out of here.”
“I guess so.” Then why did her chest tighten at the thought of leaving, never to see the men again?
Taking her arm, John led her over to the woman in the bed. “Catherine Alexander, this is Robin Gallagher.”
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” Robin extended a very frail-looking hand.
“I’m happy to meet you.” Catherine was almost afraid to take it for fear of breaking one of her fingers. She tried not to, but it was difficult not noticing all the wires and tubes coming out of Robin’s body. The woman was seriously ill.
“It’s okay. I’m not contagious. I just look like an alien on a sci-fi show. You know how doctors get. If they can find a spot to put in a tube or stick you with a needle, then they’ll do it.” Robin laughed. “I know I’m a sight to see, but the alternative is a lot worse.”
“Don’t even go there, Robin,” warned Smoke. “Besides, you do have another choice where you can get better in less than a few hours. Case closed.”
“True, but I’m not discussing it again.” Robin coughed, the noise of it rattling in her chest, yet as soon as the cough was gone, her smile returned.
“Um, I hope you get well really soon.” Did her words sound as lame to them as they did to her? But what else could she say?
“Thanks, I’m planning on it.”
Catherine shifted from one foot to the other. No matter how thick the sensation between her and the men was, she couldn’t get past the awkwardness in the room. “It’s always a good idea to think positively. I’ve heard positive thoughts alone can do wonders.”
Robin’s brown eyes, so full of life a moment before, dulled. “I think you’re right. I’ve heard it can make miracles happen.” She shrugged, the simple gesture sending shudders down her arms. “I’ll give the positive thinking a try. Still, it won’t be long now.”
What wouldn’t be long now? Was she due to get released soon? Or have an operation?
“There is something else you could do.”
Catherine stared at Smoke. His expression was dire, almost angry. He acted as though he’d offered Robin a quick fix and she’d turned him down.
Robin covered his hand, lovingly. “Oh, for Pete’s sake, stop it. We’ve talked about this enough times. Give it a break, will you? All of you.”
Smoke grumbled something under his breath but nodded. “Fine, but if you change your mind…”
“You’ll be the one I call.” She patted his hand then released it. “But I won’t. Thanks for caring.”
What was Smoke offering her? Part of his kidney? A pint of his blood? Personalized care when she went home? If so, why was Robin turning it down? She was either too proud to take his help or didn’t want to cause him any pain or inconvenience.
Shoot. If one of these men offered to donate their blood to me, I’d sure as hell take it.
Still, it wasn’t her decision to make. Catherine started backing out, trying to get away from the discomfort smothering the room. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I heard John’s voice and—” And what? Ached to see him? Hoped she’d get a chance to touch all three men? She shrugged. “It was nice meeting you, Robin.”
“You, too.” Robin’s smile was back in full force. “Come by and say good-bye after the doc cuts you loose.”
“Okay.” No chance in hell.
She was almost to the door before she spun around and got out of the room as fast as possible. What were all three men doing in Robin’s room? John being there made sense, but what about the other two? Were they all friends? Or had they been closer than friends before Robin had taken ill?
She didn’t like feeling jealous, especially of a sick woman, but she couldn’t hold back the feeling. Her life had been messed up before, but now it was getting messed up in an entirely different way. “I need to get the hell out of this hick town.”
“Damn. I thought you kind of liked it here.”
She pivoted around so fast that she threw herself off balance. Thankfully, Smoke was there to steady her.
“Hey, baby, be careful. You’re feeling better, and that’s great, but don’t push it. Do like your doctor ordered and take it easy.”
The wonderful zing of electricity whipped through her again. If she had to fall every hour of the day just to get caught by one of them and feel the sensation, she’d gladly do it. Taking a deep breath to steady her libido more than her equilibrium, she pushed away. “Right. Easy.”
John and Tatum were only steps behind them. They surrounded her like a trio of predators cutting their prey off from safety. Yet if anyone were going to eat her, she wouldn’t mind if it were these three hot predators.
“She almost fell,” said Smoke.
John’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that right?”
“I turned around too fast, that’s all. No big deal.” She held back the fact that she’d loved Smoke catching her.
“Which gives us more of a reason to talk to you,” added Tatum. “Did you get in contact with anyone at home?”
If she played it just right, she might be able to wrangle an invitation to stay with them. If they suggested one of the bed and breakfasts, she’d decline and have to call Sandy to come and get her.
“No. Not yet.”
“So you don’t have anywhere to go once I sign your release papers?”
She would’ve sworn John’s eyes added tiny flecks of amber to the deep chocolate. “Not yet. I’ll have to call a friend and wait for them to pick me up. Or send a car. I don’t suppose my car is repaired?”
Smoke made a face. “From what I saw, your car’s not getting repaired any time soon. Even if it’s repairable, no one around these parts knows how to fix that kind of fancy car.”
“I thought as much.” She averted her gaze, pausing to give them an opening. If they didn’t take it, she’d be stuck calling Sandy. Or, worse, Thomas.
“You could stay with us.”
Her heart did a flip-flop at Tatum’s offer. When her gaze met his, she did her best to contain her excitement. “You’re asking me to stay with you? All three of you?” They shared a ranch together, but they didn
’t need to know she knew.
“We’re offering, yes.” He gestured toward John and Smoke. “We own the Triple Creek Ranch just outside Twisted. It’s not much, but it beats staying by yourself. Don’t get me wrong, the local B&Bs are terrific, but you’ll be more comfortable with us.”
“And I can make sure you take it easy.” John adopted what she thought of as his doctor pose with his hands in the pockets of his white coat. Laugh lines formed around his eyes with his smirk. “No charge, either.”
“Don’t let him fool you,” teased Smoke. “You’ll be safer with me around.”
She’d feel something, all right, but the word wasn’t safe. If her pussy heating up right now was any indication, the word was horny.
“Don’t listen to either one of them,” interjected Tatum. “I’m the one who’ll make you feel better. You can count on it.”
“I don’t know.” She wasn’t a good actress or anything, but she hoped she was playing the reluctant card convincingly enough to fool them. The pounding of her pulse in her ears, the rapid beat of her heart in her chest said she was anything but reluctant.
“Would you rather sit around here and wait for a friend to pick you up?” asked Smoke.
The three of them looked at her expectantly, like cats ready to pounce on a juicy mouse.
“Well…” She drew out the word, still playing her part. “It’ll take a while for anyone to get here. Plus, I’m not sure I can handle another minute inside this place.”
“Then it’s settled.” John swooped his arm around her waist and led her back to her room. “I’ll check with Nurse Susan and make sure your clothes are ready. Until then, relax and stay off that leg. Got it?”
“Got it.”
By the time he’d led her back to her bed, her body was screaming to take him. Maybe if she hopped into bed and offered to ride him, he’d take her up on it. Along with his hot brother and cousin. Yet when the time came, she lost her nerve.
She stared longingly after him as he left. “That’s okay. I’m going to stay at their ranch. They’ll be plenty of time to hop on top and ride.”
Chapter Four
“Welcome home, Catnip.” Tatum pushed the door open to the small one-story farmhouse. The pride he had for his home shone through his even-wider-than-normal grin.
“My temporary home.” Catherine hoped the interior would be prettier than the outside of the house. She gave him a small smile then stepped over the threshold—and was immediately disappointed.
Old furniture, most of it beige, was scattered around the small living area. From the front door, she could see straight into the adjoining kitchen. A kitchen that appeared as though it belonged in an old black-and-white movie. At least then the avocado-colored appliances with matching avocado-colored tiles wouldn’t hurt her eyes. She’d been prepared to see a place far below her normal standards, but this was more than she’d anticipated.
“So? What do you think?” asked Smoke, who seemed equally proud of their tired-looking home.
She spoke, as she often did, before she thought to use a filter. “I think you could use a good interior decorator. Better yet, have you considered doing a complete gut job and renovation?”
“Ouch.” John moved past her, his gaze scanning the inside as though seeing it for the first time. “That bad, huh?”
“Dang, baby,” joked Smoke. “Don’t hold back. Tell us what you really think.”
At least she realized when she was being rude. Still, what was she supposed to do? Lie? Maybe she hadn’t inherited her father’s business acumen, but she’d learned how to be a no-holds-barred straight shooter. “Sorry, but I calls them as I sees them. Guys, when was the last time you bought any new furniture?” She strolled around the living room, skimming her hand over the back of the sofa. Not only did she pick up a load of dust, she found the tear that ran down the middle of the back. “Or cleaned? Surely you can hire a maid or two”—she gave the room another look—“or an entire cleaning crew to come in once in a while.”
“Why would we do that?” Tatum flopped onto the oversized leather armchair. “This stuff’s just now broken in. Looks fine to me. As for the cleaning part of things, we don’t worry much about it.”
“The place suits us just fine,” added John with a scowl. Out of the three of them, he appeared the most irritated at her remarks. “Sorry if our place isn’t up to your usual standards.”
She held up her hands, warding off any trouble. “Hey, you asked. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
“No problem.” Smoke strode past her and into the kitchen. “We’ve got skins as thick as a bull’s. Anyone want a beer?”
She started to ask if they had anything better to drink like a fine wine then thought better of it. From the looks of things, she was lucky to be getting a beer. “Sure.” When in Rome…
Still, when Smoke handed her a bottle instead of pouring the beer into a glass first, she took a step back. “Um, how about a glass? And a clean one.”
Instead of giving her what she wanted, he stuck out his arm even more, thrusting the bottle at her. “Just try it this way, okay? Trust me. It tastes better straight out of the bottle.”
She made a face then took the beer anyway. When in Rome, my ass. She took a quick swig. The cool liquid slid down her throat and, surprisingly, she had to admit it tasted pretty darn good. She took another swig for good measure.
“Sit,” ordered John and pulled out one of the old metal chairs grouped around an even older-looking wooden table. “Get off that leg.”
She complied, ready to make things better between them. “So how big is the ranch?”
“About eighteen hundred acres,” replied Tatum, who had followed them into the kitchen to get his beer. “Not a big spread, but it suits us.”
“Got any oil leases?” She was always curious to find out where one of her company’s leases was located. As far as she knew, they were scattered all over Oklahoma and Texas.
“Not a damn one.” Tatum took a seat next to hers then propped his boots on top of the table.
I’m not eating off that table now.
She took another sip to keep from saying what she was thinking. “Why not? I thought most ranchers loved getting oil leases. It’s easy money.” Many ranchers made a good sum of money by leasing their land to oil companies.
John took off his white coat. The movement garnered her attention as she studied the way the muscles in his arms and back moved as he hung the coat on a nearby hook. “We don’t want any part of that kind of money. It’s ruining the land.”
Aw, shit.
“Yeah, what with the fracking causing earthquakes, I don’t see how anyone with a conscience can lease their land to companies that frack.”
“Take it easy, cuz.” Smoke took a long drink of his beer then held it up, checking to see how much of it was left. “You know the ranchers didn’t have a clue what was going on. Blame the oil companies and their fracking methods, not the ranchers.”
“Anyway, we’re pretty safe here,” added Tatum. “Even if fracking wasn’t causing earthquakes, folks around here wouldn’t lease out their land anyway.”
“Why not?” She couldn’t imagine turning down easy money. “Do people around here have an aversion to money”—her gaze jumped to the outdated kitchen—“and modern appliances?”
Tatum tilted his head at her. “You sure do have a lot of opinions, don’t you? As for the kitchen, we’ve always figured why fix it if it ain’t broke?”
Because you can do better. Have better. Yet again, she bit back her words. Maybe she was coming on too strong.
John joined them at the table, taking the chair next to hers. “Most ranchers and farmers around Twisted like things the way they are. We’re not very big on having a bunch of strangers running around on our land.”
“I guess I can understand that. Still, it’d be hard to pass up the money.” She would’ve thought she’d said she wanted to sell babies on the black market from the way they stared at her. “Wh
at’d I say?”
“Money’s pretty important to you, isn’t it?” asked Smoke.
“It’s the things money can buy that are important.” She took another drink, liking the cold beer even more. “I like nice things. So shoot me.”
“There are a whole lot of more important things in this world than money.” John’s voice was low, and the amber she’d seen before was back.
“Yeah. Like keeping the land clean. Like watching a calf being born. Like having a family.” Smoke leaned forward, ramping up the intensity. “Like love.”
Well, hell. What am I supposed to say to that?
Anything she said would make her seem even shallower than they probably already thought she was. Instead, she did the only thing she could do. She took another swig and averted her gaze.
“Back off, guys.” John put his hand on top of hers. “Don’t let us hound you, darlin’. Sometimes we get a little too riled up about things.”
“It’s okay.” Yet was it? Had she made a mistake in taking them up on their offer? Yet her answer came before she had time to give her question any real thought.
No. I’m glad to be here.
John got to his feet. “Catherine, we’ll haul your suitcase to your room. You can take the first room to the right down the hallway. It’s the smallest room, but you’ll be fine. Tatum will bunk with Smoke for now. Oh, and you’ll have to share the one bathroom down the hall.”
“Hey, how’d I end up sleeping with his stinky ass?” Yet Smoke was grinning.
“Just lucky, man. Just plain old lucky,” Tatum answered with a grin of his own.
“Make yourself at home, darlin’.” John motioned for the others to follow him. “We’ve got a few chores to handle, but we won’t be gone long. Sound all right?”
“Don’t you have any hired hands?” But when she saw their incredulous expressions, she hurried on. “Of course. Don’t let me hold you up.” As much as she wanted to ask them to stay, she couldn’t keep them from their ranch. Hopefully, she’d have plenty of time to be with them through the next day or so. Just how long she would stay would be up to how well they got along.
