Part 4 (1/2)

”Nope, I think I'll save that for another time. You rest now. I've got more work to do outside. It won't hurt you to take a nap.” He bent and kissed her again.

She yawned as if suggesting a nap had brought the yawn on.

”Maybe a short one.” She yawned again and closed her eyes.

He smiled and picked up her clothes. He laid them across the foot of the bed and eased from her room. Then he walked back down to the kitchen to pour out his coffee and get another cup. He finished it and the cookies then returned to the front porch to work on the railing. He felt a lot less stressed since he'd felt her come on his face. He could hardly wait to tell Jeb. For now, he had work to do.

Jeb and Kenny rode back up at dusk. Both of them were worn out and dirty from head to foot. Jeb hadn't worked this hard in a long time. Actual work was a lot different than lifting weights in prison. Marshall met them at the barn and took the two horses.

”I'll see to them. You two need to go shower and get ready for dinner,” Marshall told them.

”Go on ahead, Kenny. I'll be right behind you.”

Kenny nodded and walked over to the back door where they washroom was.

”Trouble?” Jeb asked.

”Yeah, you too?” Marshall asked.

”Yep. Someone had cut some fence lines and run the cattle until they'd separated. We got them all back together and repaired the fence, but it's going to take going out there every day to keep it under control, I think. Kenny said he'd been repairing fences nonstop for the last two or three weeks.”

”That Brett Gunnison showed up to warn her about us. Then when he realized we were already here, he threatened to bring the sheriff out to run us off. She stood her ground and told him to leave. He's obviously after her land. Wanted her to marry him then wanted her to sell to him.”

”We're going to have to watch the house and barn real close from now on. My money is on him being behind all the problems she's had.”

”I'll add my two dollars to that bet, as well,” Marshall said.

”What else? I can see it in your eyes,” Jeb said. He had an idea already from the grin on his friend's face.

”She let me taste that sweet p.u.s.s.y of hers. She's hurting for pleasing, Jeb. But she's a screamer.”

”I think Kenny understands we're going to be seeing to her needs. He's okay with it. I honestly think he was more concerned about his partner than he was for Drew. He thinks she can take care of herself.”

”f.u.c.k,” Marshall said, frowning.

Jeb knew he was thinking about their relations.h.i.+p back in prison.

”So you think she's going to be receptive to both of us?” Jeb asked, hoping to pull Marshall's thoughts back from where they'd gone.

”I think so. She wanted me to f.u.c.k her. I told her we'd take care of that later. She didn't say anything.”

”Okay, I'm going to go on and take a shower. I'll see you inside.” Jeb walked toward the house, leaving Marshall to care for the horses.

The minute he stepped inside, he could smell her. Honeysuckle. He'd never be able to forget that scent for as long as he lived. He cleaned off his boots at the back door, with the wire brush nailed to the porch. Then he walked inside and heard Drew talking to someone.

She must be on the phone. He walked into the kitchen to the scent of a home-cooked meal. It made his mouth water.

Sure enough, when he walked through to the living room to go upstairs, she was on the phone arguing with someone. He hesitated at the stairs, hating to eavesdrop. He didn't want anything to upset her. He remained at the foot of the staircase.

”Sheriff, I'm telling you, I know what I'm doing, and that's the end of it. They told me the truth from the start, and I need the help. If the townsfolk are so d.a.m.n worried about me, then they can come out here and help me with my ranch. Otherwise, they need to b.u.t.t out of my business.”

There was silence as she listened to whatever he said.

”I'll tell them. Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine, sheriff. Goodnight.”

She hung up the phone and sighed. He decided to make his presence known and find out what that was all about.

”Bad news?” he asked as he walked into the living room behind her.

”That was the sheriff. Brett called and told him you and Marshall were out here on my land.”

”I take it he doesn't approve.”

”No. I'm a woman alone, and I don't need to be trusting a couple of ex-cons.”

”If we're going to be more trouble than we're worth...” he started to say they'd leave, but she interrupted him.

”No, you're not leaving. I need you here. I trust you, and I believe you did what had to be done about those boys. You've paid your debt as far as I'm concerned, if you even owed it.” She ran her hand over her face. ”He said he'll make it so that you can report to him once a week until the snow comes, then I'm to report to him by phone once it gets too hard to get anywhere in the snow.

”Do you trust him? He won't lie and say we aren't checking in?”

”No, you can trust him. He's helped me out when I've had trouble. He doesn't like Brett, so he's a good man in my books.” Drew sighed.

”I'm going to take a shower and clean up. I'll be down in a little while.”

”Dinner will be on the table in thirty minutes,” she said.

”I'll be down in twenty,” he said and smiled before collecting a quick kiss from her.

He turned and took the stairs two at a time. Marshall had been right. She was in need of some good loving. He and Marshall could give her that in spades. For how long depended on her. If she'd let them stay, they might eventually be able to buy some property of their own and start their own ranch. It all depended on her.

The new development with the sheriff would definitely make things easier on them. By reporting to the sheriff in town instead of having to drive to Billings every week, they wouldn't be leaving her without protection for an entire day. If Brett was behind all the problems, he'd figure out their schedule and use it. He'd talk to the sheriff and see if he would be willing to let them each come on different days so she would have at least one other man there every day besides just Kenny.

The idea of leaving her alone rankled with him now that he knew her. Now that Marshall had had a taste of her, she was theirs to protect. He wouldn't let anything happen to her if he was alive and able to protect her. Marshall would give his life for her just as quickly.

With that thought, Jeb stripped and stepped into the shower. He needed to wash the dirt and sweat from his body in case he could use that body to bring her more pleasure tonight.

Chapter Five.

Drew finished was.h.i.+ng the dishes and leaned against the sink, thinking. Kenny and Jeb had told her about the cut fences and the divided herd. She wanted to think everything was just coincidence, but it had been happening too regularly. Someone was out to drive her out of business. The only person she knew who had anything to gain by that was Brett. She knew he wanted the land awfully badly, but surely, sabotage was beneath him. Besides, why not try and enlarge his land on one of the other sides. Why hers?

She dried her hands and laid the dishcloth over the pots she had in the dish drainer. She scooped soap into the dishwasher and turned it on. She needed to watch the weather, and then she was going to bed. It had been a long day. She smiled. Well, it had been broken up nicely, but still...

She walked into the living room to find the only place left to sit was between Jeb and Marshall on the couch. She sank down onto the couch, glad to be off her feet.

”Weather is just about to come on,” Kenny told her from his seat in the rocking chair.