other room, but other than a glimpse of a cabinet, she couldn’t see anything more. The doorway behind her led to the stairs, but she didn’t know what lay on the other side of the stairs. Another room? Maybe an office, she wondered. They would need an office for running the business side of the ranch, right?
The bedrooms were upstairs, but how many were there? She decided that since they always left the bedroom she was staying in that there were at least two others, one for each brother. She couldn’t help but wonder why neither of them used the one she was in. It was certainly big enough. In fact, with the bathroom, she figured it to be the master suite. Maybe they were waiting for one of them to get married and then move into that room. The idea of them marrying anyone drew a low growl from her throat. She couldn’t bear to think of them with another woman. They were hers. Now where had that thought come from? You’re getting hooked on them. You need to keep your distance. You know what happens to anyone you care about.
Jeni ran a shaky hand over her face and leaned back against the back of the couch. He wouldn’t hurt her men. They were hers. She would leave before he found her. Just as soon as she could locate her car and make sure it was all right to drive, she’d leave. They would forget about her soon enough. But would she forget about them?
* * * *
Brock found Brady in the stable mucking out a stall and mumbling to himself.
“Thought the ranch hands were going to do that,” Brock said.
“Yeah, they were, but I needed something to do. Besides, they’re busy enough keeping the herd together and breaking ice. I swear that shit freezes hard in less than five minutes.” Brady leaned on the pitchfork and regarded his brother with a questioning look. “So, did you find out anything?”
“Yeah, she’s running from her ex-husband. He’s some sort of bigwig. She’s afraid he’ll hurt us, so she wants to leave.” Brock leaned against the stable doors.
“We can take care of her. Did you tell her it didn’t matter, that we’ll keep her safe?”
“Of course, but I don’t think it made any difference to her. She’s got it in her head she has to protect us.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. She doesn’t need to protect us from some asshole who thinks he can beat on women and get away with it.” Brady grabbed the pitchfork and went back to work. “You set her straight, didn’t you?”
“I tried, but she isn’t listening to me. Time will tell if she trusts us or not. We have at least another twenty-four hours to convince her we can keep her safe,” Brock said.
“Sounds like what we need to convince her of is that we can take care of ourselves.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Brock grabbed the pitchfork from Brady’s hands and started mucking the next stall.
“It all boils down to trust, like you said. She needs to trust us.” Brady pulled off his gloves and stuck them in his coat pocket before stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets.
“So, we start small. Like getting her to trust us enough to let us hold her—together.” Brock finished that stall and proceeded to scatter hay around the floor.
“Seems like we’ve already done that, Brock.”
“No, we’ve slept holding her. That’s entirely different from deliberately holding her between us. One of us can even kiss her while the other one holds her. Show her we’re okay with her wanting both of us. If she trusts her feelings with us, the rest will follow.” Brock leaned the pitchfork against the wall near the entrance to the barn.
“I’m game for that.” Brady clapped his hands together and rubbed them expectantly.
“Don’t get all excited. You still have until after dinner to wait for all of this.”
“Yeah, but I’ll have her to myself this afternoon,” he said. “Speaking of which,” he stared at his watch, “it’s nearly one now. Think I’ll go wash up and see what Jeni is up to.”
Brock just
The bedrooms were upstairs, but how many were there? She decided that since they always left the bedroom she was staying in that there were at least two others, one for each brother. She couldn’t help but wonder why neither of them used the one she was in. It was certainly big enough. In fact, with the bathroom, she figured it to be the master suite. Maybe they were waiting for one of them to get married and then move into that room. The idea of them marrying anyone drew a low growl from her throat. She couldn’t bear to think of them with another woman. They were hers. Now where had that thought come from? You’re getting hooked on them. You need to keep your distance. You know what happens to anyone you care about.
Jeni ran a shaky hand over her face and leaned back against the back of the couch. He wouldn’t hurt her men. They were hers. She would leave before he found her. Just as soon as she could locate her car and make sure it was all right to drive, she’d leave. They would forget about her soon enough. But would she forget about them?
* * * *
Brock found Brady in the stable mucking out a stall and mumbling to himself.
“Thought the ranch hands were going to do that,” Brock said.
“Yeah, they were, but I needed something to do. Besides, they’re busy enough keeping the herd together and breaking ice. I swear that shit freezes hard in less than five minutes.” Brady leaned on the pitchfork and regarded his brother with a questioning look. “So, did you find out anything?”
“Yeah, she’s running from her ex-husband. He’s some sort of bigwig. She’s afraid he’ll hurt us, so she wants to leave.” Brock leaned against the stable doors.
“We can take care of her. Did you tell her it didn’t matter, that we’ll keep her safe?”
“Of course, but I don’t think it made any difference to her. She’s got it in her head she has to protect us.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. She doesn’t need to protect us from some asshole who thinks he can beat on women and get away with it.” Brady grabbed the pitchfork and went back to work. “You set her straight, didn’t you?”
“I tried, but she isn’t listening to me. Time will tell if she trusts us or not. We have at least another twenty-four hours to convince her we can keep her safe,” Brock said.
“Sounds like what we need to convince her of is that we can take care of ourselves.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Brock grabbed the pitchfork from Brady’s hands and started mucking the next stall.
“It all boils down to trust, like you said. She needs to trust us.” Brady pulled off his gloves and stuck them in his coat pocket before stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets.
“So, we start small. Like getting her to trust us enough to let us hold her—together.” Brock finished that stall and proceeded to scatter hay around the floor.
“Seems like we’ve already done that, Brock.”
“No, we’ve slept holding her. That’s entirely different from deliberately holding her between us. One of us can even kiss her while the other one holds her. Show her we’re okay with her wanting both of us. If she trusts her feelings with us, the rest will follow.” Brock leaned the pitchfork against the wall near the entrance to the barn.
“I’m game for that.” Brady clapped his hands together and rubbed them expectantly.
“Don’t get all excited. You still have until after dinner to wait for all of this.”
“Yeah, but I’ll have her to myself this afternoon,” he said. “Speaking of which,” he stared at his watch, “it’s nearly one now. Think I’ll go wash up and see what Jeni is up to.”
Brock just
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