Her Alpha Cowboys Page 3

  In all the craziness, I’d nearly forgotten about the poor official from the US Geological Survey. He’d been attacked leaving Nora Statler’s house and had died from his injuries a few days later at the hospital.

  “Have they sent anyone else out to finish the investigation for him?” I asked.

  Logan shrugged, but Cole spoke up. “Nobody else has come out here as far as I know, but I think the sheriff was planning on calling the regional office in Great Falls to follow up. I’ll try to be sure he asks about the water results, but who knows whether they’ll be able to give us any information. The red tape around something like this can be pretty frustrating.”

  I saw Daisy Lynn reach over and place a hand on his thigh. “If anyone can get the answers we need, it’s you and Prescott. I just wish there wasn’t so much craziness going on. I worry about the two of you chasing down all of these sketchy leads.”

  “That’s our job, babe,” Cole said, tossing her an easy grin. “You know Prescott, though. He’s completely by the book. We’re out there looking for the bad guys, but he makes sure we’re as prepared as we can possibly be when we go into potentially dangerous situations.”

  “I know,” she said. “And that’s all I can ask. But I don’t think I’ll ever stop worrying about the two of you.”

  “You’ll never hear either of us complain about it, either,” he said. “We’re lucky to have someone in our lives who gives a damn.”

  Even in my current sour mood, I had to admit it was a sweet exchange. Maybe when the USGS finished testing for poison, they could check the water for whatever had made my two best friends each fall in love with two men at once.

  For as long as I’d known Daisy Lynn and Janessa, we’d never, ever talked about threesomes or any kind of polyamorous relationship. But now they were both in those relationships and seemed to be thriving—seemed to be truly, completely in love.

  I seemed to be the only one who still hadn’t jumped on board the threesome bandwagon. It was almost laughable, really. My friends had each managed to find two guys who loved them and who had swept them off their feet.

  Meanwhile, I hadn’t even managed to hold Dade and Cordell’s attention for more than a couple of hours.

  Even with Daisy Lynn away spending the night with Cole and Prescott, the dinner table at the Triple J Ranch was more crowded than normal. For the past couple of weeks, it had just been the five of us—me, Cade, Boone, Janessa, and her uncle, Justin. Daisy Lynn had been spending more and more time with her guys across town, not that any of us could blame her. She’d told us that she felt safe with Cole and Prescott, and it was obvious that she loved them.

  But now we had a couple of new faces around the table.

  “I can’t thank you guys enough for all the help you’ve given us today,” Boone said, nodding across the table to Dade and Cordell. “I don’t even want to think about how this whole thing might have turned out if you two hadn’t been there.”

  “Amen to that.” Cade nodded. “You guys were everywhere all at once today—helping with the horses, helping Becca, bringing the mares and the few things we were able to salvage back here tonight… we’re really in your debt now.”

  “We were just trying to be neighborly,” Dade said with a friendly smile.

  “Yeah, we’re not going to talk about debts or favors or anything like that,” Cordell added. “You guys lost your house today. You don’t owe us anything.”

  I did my best to keep my eyes on the plate of food in front of me, but it didn’t help that I was seated at the end of the table and could still clearly see everyone else through my peripheral vision. With Dade and Cordell on my right, Janessa, Cade, and Boone on my left, and Justin directly across from me at the head of the table, there was really no escaping this particular conversation.

  I was still going to try, though.

  “You know, I was thinking…” Janessa began, catching my eye before turning her attention to Dade and Cordell. “Didn’t you guys say earlier you were staying in some kind of travel trailer while your ranch house is being remodeled?”

  This was new information for me, probably since I had intentionally stayed away from Dade and Cordell after realizing they didn’t want to have anything to do with me. Even I had to grudgingly admit that it was pretty admirable that they’d spent so much time and energy helping Cade and Boone when their own living situation was less than ideal.

  Okay, so… fine. Dade and Cordell were good guys. That didn’t mean I had to like them. And it didn’t mean I had to talk to them—even though I had caught them both looking my direction more than once during dinner.

  “That’s right.” Dade nodded. “The house that came with our land needed a lot of work. We’re used to living in pretty cramped conditions, though, so the travel trailer hasn’t been too much of a hassle.”

  “Speak for yourself.” Cordell grinned, elbowing his friend. “You’re just lucky I’m so laid-back. You’re not the easiest person to share a hundred square feet with.”

  Justin spoke up for the first time since we’d finished eating. “You guys are more than welcome to stay here for a while if you need to. We have spare bedrooms and plenty of space out in the bunkhouse.”

  “That’s sort of what I was going to suggest,” Janessa said before Cordell or Dade could answer. “You could even bring your trailer out here if you’d prefer to stay in it. But honestly, I think we’re going to need a couple of extra hands to help look after all these horses. And since you guys were offering stud services for Cade and Boone anyway…” She shrugged. “I don’t see any reason why you all couldn’t continue your business arrangement out here.”

  I felt my stomach tighten at the thought of Dade and Cordell staying here. Here on the ranch where I’d have to see them every day. If Janessa had asked me first, I would have given her at least a half-dozen reasons why that was a bad idea. Or… I would have at least given her one good reason.

  But she hadn’t asked. Why would she? It wasn’t like I’d really had a chance—or the inclination—to talk to her about Cordell and Dade.

  I wasn’t making any pretense of keeping my eyes on my plate anymore. I was watching intently as Cordell and Dade exchanged looks. Dade shrugged and Cordell nodded. “I think we could make that work,” Cordell answered. “And if we could bring our three studs out here as well, that would make the whole thing more convenient.”

  “Perfect!” Janessa clasped her hands together. “That’s settled, then. You guys bring whatever you need—the trailer, the horses, whatever. I think this arrangement is going to work out really well.”

  I exhaled a breath that I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding in, causing everyone at the table to turn and look my way. I did my best to smile even though my stomach was in knots and I was pretty sure I’d actually started to sweat.

  Cordell and Dade were good guys. There was no question about that, even if they weren’t interested in me. And if this whole conversation had happened earlier in the day, I probably would’ve been happy for the chance to get to know them a little better. I might have even been a little bit excited by the idea.

  Now, though?

  I just didn’t know. Was it going to be awkward? Was it going to be torture? Would I end up liking them anyway, in spite of my current feelings?

  I.

  Just.

  Didn’t.

  Know.

  But I still managed to smile. I still managed to nod my head and say it was great news.

  Now if I could just forget all about the way they’d both looked at me earlier. And then I could try to forget about how much I’d liked it.

  Chapter 4

  Cordell

  I felt a little guilty for skipping the big breakfast Janessa had prepared, but I’d honestly just been so exhausted from the day before that I hadn’t been able to resist the prospect of an extra half-hour of sleep.

  Between evacuating the horses from Cade and Boone’s ranch and then hauling our own horses and travel trailer
to the Triple J Ranch, our day hadn’t officially ended until well past midnight.

  I looked longingly back at the bed I’d just climbed out of a few minutes earlier and shook my head. Even with the too-thin, too-narrow mattress, the travel trailer bed had been a welcome sight.

  But the sun was up and so was I—my body’s internal clock was apparently permanently rewired to be on military time, even after a year of civilian life—and now it was time to get my day started.

  Dade was nowhere to be found in the cramped trailer, and I had vague, dreamlike memories of him getting up and going outside sometime around sunrise. Probably first in line for breakfast, knowing him.

  I finished getting dressed, washed up, and pulled my boots on, unsure of what my new routine would be out here on someone else’s land. The Triple J Ranch was huge—vast pastures and rolling hills, even some light forests as far as the eye could see. I’d heard the Thoreson’s land went right up into the mountains, and it extended out in every direction as far as the eye could see.

  The small operation Dade and I had started seemed completely insignificant in comparison, but even the Thoresons had to have started somewhere way back in the day, right?

  I opened the trailer door and squinted against the early morning sunlight. The place looked different in the daylight, and it took my still-half-asleep brain a few seconds to get its bearings.

  The first thing I probably needed to do was to check on the horses—ours first and then the ones being housed here from the Tate ranch. There were so many that Janessa and Justin had temporarily converted a huge barn into makeshift stables until Cade and Boone decided it was safe enough to return to their own farm.

  Even though our own ranch house was a construction zone and our current living arrangements left a lot to be desired, I still couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for Cade and Boone to see their home and everything they’d worked so hard for go up in flames.

  It had been traumatic enough to witness as an outsider, and I could still feel that burning, acrid smoke in my nostrils if I spent too long thinking about it.

  That chaos and destruction felt like it was a world away from the bright sunlight and green pastures all around me, but I knew that the Thoresons had dealt with their own bouts of unfortunate events over the past few weeks.

  There were enough of us here now that someone would have to be a damn fool to try and mess with these animals or destroy any of this property right under our noses. Then again, I’d learned over the years to never underestimate the foolish lengths some people would go to just to watch the world burn.

  I took a few steps away from the trailer and looked around. The ranch seemed quiet at this time of the morning, but I knew there were probably at least half a dozen people hard at work in the various barns, stables, and outbuildings—not to mention the hive of activity that the main house had become with so many unexpected guests.

  It was nice, though. There was enough space for all of us out here, and even though Dade and I were the newcomers, it felt like we’d been welcomed with open arms. I was pretty sure that Justin Thoreson was just happy to have a couple of extra hands to help out with the chores and some extra eyes to keep watch over the place.

  Whistling absently to myself, I started to walk over to the barn where our horses were being stabled. As I got closer, I could see that one of the big front doors was open just a little, just enough for a person to slip inside.

  Probably a farmhand out feeding the animals or getting supplies… but the sight still made me slow down a little and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

  What if it wasn’t someone hard at work? What if it was someone out here trying to cause trouble? Maybe trying to start another fire? And there was a lot of dry hay up in the loft of that barn.

  I opened the door a little wider and stepped inside, wincing as it creaked on the old hinges. There was an old yellow overhead light that was practically useless since I’d just come in from the bright sun. I blinked and looked around, peering into the shadows of the barn where the light couldn’t reach.

  Was there anyone else in here? The place was so big and still so damn dark, even as my eyes started to adjust. I took another step and then caught a flurry of movement at the other end of the long space, close to where we were keeping our horses.

  Oh, hell no.

  The huge investment of money and time aside, I liked those horses better than I liked most people. If someone was in here fucking with them, I wouldn’t hesitate to crack a skull or two.

  “Hey!” I called out. “Who’s there?”

  “Shoot!” The high-pitched voice was followed by a distinct thud. “Oh, come on.”

  I took a few more steps and had to choke back a laugh at the sight in front of me. Becca was standing there with her hands on her hips, half-covered in hay. And she did not look happy to see me.

  “I’m not sure who won that fight,” I said, nodding toward the mostly destroyed bale of hay at her feet. “But it looks like you gave that hay a run for its money.”

  “So funny.” She rolled her eyes as she bent down to dust herself off—and I forced myself to look away to keep my eyes from going places they probably shouldn’t. Not with a girl as innocent as Becca, anyway. “I was doing just fine until you showed up and scared m—scared the horses.”

  I figured it was probably best not to point out that the horses seemed a hell of a lot more interested in the hay on the floor in front of them than in anything I was doing.

  “Seems I owe the horses an apology, then,” I said, smirking as I walked over and helped toss the larger chunks of hay into the horse trough. “Wasn’t my intention to scare anyone—just the wrong place at the wrong time, I suppose. You know a thing or two about horses, I take it?”

  She shrugged and I could see her cheeks turn a dusky pink even in the dim lighting. “I’ve been around them quite a bit lately. Yours are different, though. I never really knew the difference between a thoroughbred and other breeds… but now I can see it. It’s like a race car compared to a four-door sedan.”

  I laughed. “That’s… yeah, I’d have to say that’s pretty accurate. Can’t say I’ve ever heard it described that way, but I like it.” I reached out and patted the side of the horse’s face as he nudged against the barrier that served as a door to his makeshift stall in these makeshift stables. “About as expensive as a race car, too. I’m afraid we let him get a little spoiled back at the Tate ranch with all those mares.”

  “He deserves to be spoiled,” she said, smiling sweetly as she reached out to gently pet the other side of his face. “He’s beautiful. Just look at those eyes…”

  I looked over at her instead. “I have to admit I am a sucker for beautiful eyes.”

  She turned away, but not before I saw her cheeks go an even deeper shade of pink. And her smile might have been a tiny bit wider, too. Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, I walked over and grabbed a broom. “I suppose I should help you clean this up, since I’m partly responsible for the mess. Hopefully that will make up for the way I frightened… the horses.”

  “That’s nice of you,” she said, stealing a glance in my direction but looking away again as soon as our eyes met. “Do you know how long you and Dade will be staying here?”

  The question took me by surprise, but I did my best not to let it show. Just the fact that she was letting her guard down enough to talk to me was a nice change of pace after she’d done everything she could to avoid looking in our direction at dinner the night before.

  Not that I could really blame her. She couldn’t have known that Dade and I had decided she was way too pure and innocent to get tangled up with the likes of us. Just like she couldn’t have known that our decision for her to ride back to the Triple J Ranch with someone other than us had been as much for her own good as it had been for ours.

  Flirting was second nature to Dade and me, and it wouldn’t have been fair to lead her on. As beautiful as she was and as much fun as she might be so
meday, she was way too sweet right now.

  “No idea.” I shrugged, still trying to play nonchalant. “As long as Justin and Janessa want us to stay, I guess. Or until our house is ready—whichever comes first. I’m not in any particular rush to leave, though, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Oh, no, I didn’t mean…” She picked a piece of hay from her shirt and shook her head. “I was just curious. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be here, either. Daisy Lynn and I didn’t really plan on staying for too long, but with everything that’s been going on we feel like we need to stay close by.” She cleared her throat. “And then, well…. I guess Daisy Lynn might be staying in town on a more permanent basis.’

  I nodded. “With the sheriff and the deputy. I kind of figured.”

  “Yeah, it seems like everyone has been falling in love lately.” She sighed. “I don’t think—”

  A noise behind us cut her off and made both of us spin around.

  Damn it, Dade.

  “I thought I heard a couple of familiar voices in here,” Dade said, smirking as he gave me a knowing look. “Morning, Becca. Cordell.”

  “Did they run out of food up at the house?” I asked. “Or did they kick you out when they realized how much you can eat at one time?”

  Becca laughed quietly as she finished sweeping up the hay. Dade gave me an inquisitive look, but I just shook my head to his unspoken question.

  No, nothing happened. No, it isn’t like that. Yes, I’m still tempted.

  Dade gave me a half-nod. Yep, he was feeling the same way.

  But even though I was pretty sure that we were both still in agreement that she was off-limits, I’d known Dade long enough to know how his mind worked. He didn’t look as uncertain as he had the day before. He wouldn’t have still been standing there watching her otherwise.

  It wasn’t like we could do anything about our curiosity, though. Yeah, she was beautiful. Yeah, she was intriguing. But would she be open to the same kind of relationship her friends had both gone for? I kind of doubted it.