by BJ Wane
“Cut her some slack,” Greg replied, grabbing a plate at the front of the food line. “She just twisted it. By morning, I suspect the swelling will be almost gone and she’ll only have to baby it for a day.”
“We’ve got the all-day excursion tomorrow, so you better hope she sticks close and keeps off her feet since you won’t be around to watch her.” Devin scooped a large serving of pulled pork onto his plate, smiling at Mary as she came out of the back kitchen carrying a tray of pies. “For me? Mary, you shouldn’t have,” he teased.
“And I didn’t, so don’t get any ideas. One piece until everyone has a chance to get theirs.” Setting the tray at the end of the row of dishes, she shook her salt and pepper, curly-haired head and her finger at him. “I mean it, both of you. The guests come first.”
Greg added a spoonful of mashed potatoes to his plate, winking at their motherly employee. “Of course, Mary. We always put our paying customers first. This plate is for Kelsey though, so I get dibs on getting a second piece for me when I return from delivering her dinner. She hurt her ankle earlier and is sitting up at the house with it propped up.”
“Oh, the poor dear, what a way to start her vacation. Here, I’ll take it and introduce myself. You sit down and eat with Dev.”
Devin shrugged at Greg as Mary plucked the plate from his friend’s hands. “You know it’s easier to let her have her way.” Short and round, they both watched her waddle across the room to the doors, noticing she added the largest cut of cherry pie to the food Greg had piled on her plate. “I doubt that girl can get through half of that, and then Mary will be upset over the waste.”
Greg picked up another plate and started filling it as he replied, “I wouldn’t bet on it since she told me she eats everything.” He nodded toward a table that still had two empty chairs. “Let’s join the Colters.”
Devin followed Greg to the table, hoping acting the dutiful host would help keep his mind from shifting to the petite blonde with the wide blue eyes who was sprawled on his sofa. Since he didn’t plan on getting friendly with Greg’s guest, he sure as hell had no business picturing her in his bed or tied down over a spanking bench at The Barn.
Three hours later, Devin straightened from sinking the eight ball in the corner pocket and winning a game of pool against the Colter brothers who were new to their ranch this summer. The retired professors enjoyed fishing, hiking and shooting pool with him, swearing one of these evenings they would beat him.
Returning his cue stick to its slot on the rack, he said, “Sorry, fellas. I’m calling it a night. You’re signed up for the trail ride in the morning, aren’t you?”
Jed, the oldest by a year, smirked. “Yes, but we don’t need as much beauty rest as you.”
Devin returned his grin without touching that remark. “Good night.” Lifting his hand as he pivoted to leave, he noticed the room had cleared out and the buffet was cleaned up. Stepping out into the star-studded night, he spotted Greg by the firepit, along with a few guests and Mary’s husband, Les strumming his guitar along with Tom. Their poker game would have to wait until another night; entertaining the guests always took precedence. Greg nodded as Devin jerked his thumb toward the house, indicating he was turning in. The longer trail rides left at the crack of dawn.
The faint strains of guitar picking tunes followed him along the path, but his mellow mood evaporated as soon as he noticed Kelsey sitting on the front porch, her foot propped on the rail. Seeing her looking so alone as she gazed toward the small group around the fire tugged at something inside him he had no intentions of acknowledging, let alone delving into.
His displeasure at finding her still up came through in his tone as he climbed the steps to the porch. “What are you doing up? Considering the long day you’ve had, you should have been in bed two hours ago.”
Tilting her head back as he stood over her chair, her sarcastic drawl slithered under his skin. “Gee, Dad, I’m sorry. I didn’t know I had a curfew.”
Devin wasn’t into age-play, but damned if her words didn’t conjure up a scenario that had no business popping into his head. Narrowing his eyes, he growled, “Be careful, little girl, or you just might find yourself on the receiving end of ‘Daddy’s’ ire, and it won’t be your ankle left aching.” Spinning on his heel, he stormed inside before she could taunt him into another unacceptable response.
Kelsey’s pulse jumped and tingles raced across her buttocks as she watched Devin enter the house. She didn’t know what came over her every time he revealed how undesirable he found her presence at his ranch. Maybe she goaded him to hide the hurt his cool indifference evoked, or maybe he just got to her on the same sexually aware level as his friend and partner. Whatever the reason, she’d better get a handle on it before he made good on that threat. Then again, considering the tight pucker of her nipples and the quick spasm between her legs his irritated line produced, there could be worse ways to pass the time here than provoking the one who didn’t like her while cozying up to the one who did.
She’d enjoyed meeting Mary earlier as much as she had the older woman’s cooking. Without a doubt, the pulled pork, smoked turkey, coleslaw, corn and pie were the best she’d ever eaten. Either that or her trek into the woods along with the continuous fantasies weaving through her head all day conspired to build up her appetite to the point anything would taste like the best she’d ever eaten. Mary told Kelsey about her husband, Les and their jobs that included cooking the food for a morning and evening buffet for a maximum of twenty guests and taking reservations. In the fifteen minutes she spent with her, Kelsey learned the cabins were booked solid during the summer months and that the ‘boys’ were the best employers anyone could work for.
The surprisingly soothing guitar music ceased and she glanced toward the glow of the firepit to see the small group dispersing. Lowering her foot, she stood and hobbled inside, making her way to her room and her lonely bed.
Kelsey awoke with the remnants of another bad dream about a man falling to his death before her eyes still troubling her, dashing her hopes the change of scenery might set her mind at ease from feeling responsible for her assailant’s demise. The quiet house and still throbbing ankle didn’t improve her mood. Less swelling apparently emphasized the discomfort but she managed to work her jeans back on with little effort, her thoughts straying to the way Greg had taken great pains to avoid looking at her bare legs as she’d sat in front of him in her panties and top. She didn’t know whether to take that resistance as a compliment or an insult. Thank goodness she’d had enough wherewithal to resist the urge to taunt him by spreading her legs. But, damn, the temptation to do so had been there in spades.
Shaking her head at the sorry state of her wayward thoughts and needy body, she glanced out the window, hoping the sun provided as much warmth as it appeared to by early afternoon because she had no intentions of staying holed up inside, alone all day. But first, coffee and work. Limping into the kitchen, she was wondering how many cupboards she would have to snoop through to find a cup when she smelled the rich aroma of a freshly brewed pot. A warm fuzzy spread around her chest as she hobbled up to the counter and saw the note propped against a coffee mug next to the full carafe.
A serving of this morning’s breakfast casserole is in the oven and Mary will bring you lunch around noon. Stay off your foot. G
The warm fuzzy disappeared as she read that last line. She was a grown woman, damn it, perfectly capable of knowing if her ankle required continued babying by this afternoon. If it did, she would keep it up and risk going stir crazy. Greg telling her that rubbed her the wrong way and it took reminding herself they were doing a huge favor for her foster parents and she needed to respect their turf. If she didn’t care so much for Jordan and Theresa and weren’t so grateful for the way they’d taken her in and continued to be there for her after she had aged out of the foster care system, she wouldn’t have agreed to come here in the first place. I mean really. I’m a nobody, always have been. Why they would think that man
was after me specifically is beyond me. But they had insisted and she was stuck here for the time being. She may as well make the best of it.
Now, why did her head dive into the gutter at that last thought, as if making the best of this situation meant trying to lure one of her hosts into her bed a few times?
With effort, Kelsey switched gears and focused on work as she downed breakfast and carried a refilled cup of coffee to the desk in her bedroom. Arranging the chair in front of the computer so she could prop her foot on a small stool, she settled down to concentrate on numbers and get her mind off her hormone-driven lust.
By mid-afternoon, Kelsey’s work was done for the day and, other than a dull ache and a little puffiness, her ankle was much improved, and so was her mood. Shutting down the computer, she slipped her feet into her sneakers and bent to lace up just the left one, leaving the right loose to accommodate the leftover swelling. Picking up the plate Mary left with her, now empty of the thick ham and cheese sandwich, she made her way slowly over to the social hall. She glimpsed several hands through the big barn’s open doors, their laughter echoing in and out of the cavernous building. Shielding her eyes, it was easy to pick Greg out of the small group of riders winding their way through the herd of lowing cattle out in the pasture. He sat a head taller than anyone else on a horse that appeared large enough to carry a man of his size with ease. Even with the ranch activity taking place, she found the area quiet compared to early afternoon in downtown Philly.
A tall, lanky man with thinning gray hair and a welcoming smile greeted her from across the room of tables and chairs as she entered the hall. “Hi there. You must be Kelsey.”
“I must be. And I bet you’re Mary’s Les.” Their voices resonated in the large space devoid of anyone else except them. The buffet table sat empty, the fireplace unlit and the dead animal heads adorning the walls looked sad.
“Have been for forty-five years,” he boasted without pausing in running a dust cloth down one wooden leg of the pool table. “You’re as pretty, and as little as she said.”
Suppressing a sigh, Kelsey returned his smile and held up the empty plate. “Thank you. I’m returning this.”
“Just set it up on the buffet. Mary went to Billings for supplies and lunch with our daughter. You need anything else?”
Envying the other woman’s excursion away from this wilderness exile, she shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m just going to walk around a bit. I’m stiff from sitting all morning.”
She shuffled over to the buffet and Les frowned with a look aimed toward her ankle. “Don’t overdo. The boys would take any more harm coming to you personally.”
The boys can kiss my ass. Kelsey stifled the spurt of irritation that produced that thought as well as the lust the image produced. Pulling open the door, she said, “I won’t. It’s almost healed. See you tonight.” She stepped back outside, the faint whinnying from the horses out in the fields along with high-pitched tweets coming from birds flitting about in the trees greeting her. A slight breeze ruffled her hair and loose tee shirt as she strolled toward a corral holding three horses. The fresh, open air and lack of industrial noise was a vast cry from the crowded city where she worked and lived, and was almost creepy. She’d take the hustle and bustle of people jostling along the sidewalks and the clamor of bumper to bumper, impatient traffic any day. At least among the masses, she knew what to expect.
Leaning her arms on the fence rail, she eyed the horses, taking note of how large they were when this close to them, and wondered what the people who came here found so appealing about the animals. Curious, she held out her hand only to have it yanked back by a calloused grip before the biggest horse reached her.
“Sorry, ma’am,” the man said, dropping her wrist. “But you don’t want to get the attention of these three. They haven’t been broke yet, and Red there would take it out on your hand once he discovered you weren’t offering a treat. I’m Tom, the manager. Greg mentioned you might get antsy today, Ms. Hammond, and the boys don’t want you getting hurt again.”
Kelsey’s annoyance with ‘the boys’ was growing by leaps and bounds as she realized Greg must have told his employees to keep an eye on her. “I appreciate their concern,” she drawled. “Thank you for your timely intervention.” She cast a wary look at the horses that appeared so docile. “Do you have any I can get to know? I need something to do in the afternoons, and I figure learning to ride might be fun.” Not. Even though she doubted she would find much enjoyment in that activity, it was better than sitting on the porch twiddling her thumbs every afternoon while everyone else was out doing their thing.
A smile creased Tom’s leathered, lined cheeks, crinkling his brown eyes shaded by his hat. “Come with me. Cleo is a small mare, a pretty bay roan with a sweet disposition. She would be perfect for you.”
“What’s a bay roan?” she asked, following him to the next barn and the attached corral around back.
“That’s a horse whose coloring is a mixture of red and white hair all over.” Pointing to a petite mare with large doe eyes and a grayish coat with hints of red, Tom whistled then said, “This is Cleo,” as the little horse trotted over with a toss of her head. “Here.” Pulling a sugar cube out of his pocket, he handed it to Kelsey. “Hold it out to her with your hand flat so you don’t get nipped.”
Cleo’s velvet soft mouth tickled Kelsey’s palm as she took the sweet treat and she felt her attitude toward the equine species shift into the positive column. After getting Tom’s nod, she reached out a tentative hand and stroked her nose and then down her soft, corded neck.
“If you want, I can saddle her and walk you around a little.” Tom looked down at her feet and bit his lip. “How’s the ankle today?”
She’d never earned such fretting attention from so many people before and it left her unsettled. “It’s much better, just a little lingering soreness. I’m game to try, if you don’t mind.”
“Nope. Give me a minute to get a saddle.”
Kelsey found riding more entertaining than she’d imagined. Seated atop the dainty mare, she enjoyed the view spread out for miles as Tom walked them around the corral. Once she settled into the rhythm of Cleo’s slow, smooth gait, it was easy to relax. She could feel the shift of Cleo’s muscles against her legs with each step and realized how powerful even a smaller horse could be. As long as she didn’t look down and see how far away the ground was as it moved beneath her, she got a kick out of this new experience.
“You’re a natural, Kelsey.” Tom smiled up at her as he brought them to a halt. “Want to take her out to the field? I’ll be right by your side.”
“As long as you don’t move away from me too far.” She reached out and stroked Cleo’s silky neck. “She’s a sweetie but I still don’t trust anything that’s this much bigger than me.”
Tom snorted and shoved his hat back. “I hope you’re just referring to animals since most of the human population over the age of ten is bigger than you.”
She gave him a mock scowl. “Ha, ha. Good things come in small packages, or haven’t you heard that before?”
He chuckled and tugged Cleo toward the rail where he tethered the reins, saying, “I think it’ll be good for the boys having you here. Sit tight and I’ll go get my horse.”
Over the next thirty minutes, Tom gave Kelsey riding instructions in a field away from all other activity, teaching her how to steer her horse and control how fast she wanted to go. She kept Cleo to a steady, slow pace, not ready to try anything faster. They spotted a small group of white-tailed deer and took a moment to watch their graceful run across the prairie as the sun’s brightness dulled to an amber orange with the start of its descent. Squinting her eyes, Kelsey saw Devin’s group of riders merging with Greg’s and then head their way, her pulse jumping as they neared and Devin and Greg’s piercing eyes settled on her.
“Is that the group Devin took out trail riding all day?” she asked Tom.
“That’s them.” Tom flipped her a proud gri
n. “In two weeks, reservations drop in half and you’ll be able to accompany an excursion by then. Maybe not such a long one though. Do you want to wait up for them?”
Kelsey’s heart thudded with anticipation as she nodded. She didn’t know which man fired her up more or what accounted for her interest and sudden obsession with sexual fantasies. It could stem from the stress of being accosted and then responsible for a man’s death, or escorted out here to Timbuktu, away from everything and everyone she knew. But as the group neared and she damn near drooled watching Greg and Devin handle their huge mounts with a combination of strong control and coaxing, soothing strokes, she pinned all of her wayward thoughts on lust-driven hormones. I can live with that, she mused with a sigh as they approached and the ripped, corded muscles of both men’s forearms rippled as they pulled back on their reins. Her face heated as she wondered if those lean muscles would bunch if either man swung his arm and cracked his palm against her butt.
Crap, pull your mind out of the gutter. There are people around.
The first words out of Devin’s mouth cooled the rush of heat their nearness evoked, his sharp tone once again laced with censure.
“You were supposed to stay off your ankle today.”
A deeper blush stole over her face as the eyes of strangers shifted her way, his cool reprimand rubbing her the wrong way. Tightening her hands on the reins, she replied evenly, “I am off it. Can’t you see I’m sitting down?”
“Devin.” Greg nudged his horse between Devin and Kelsey. “Go on in. I’ll follow with Kelsey.” He waited until the group was out of earshot before turning to Tom. “How far did you get with lessons?”
Tom reached over and patted her arm. “She’s got a good seat and has steering down perfect. Just needs practice before she can take Cleo any faster than a walk.”
Kelsey nodded. “There. Tell that to Mr. Grumpy. And, my ankle is fine.”
