Part 11 (1/2)

”It's not a problem with me,” Drew a.s.sured him.

”Jeb, Marshall?” Kenny carefully asked.

”It's none of our business. I don't have a problem with your being gay,” Jeb said.

”Same goes with me,” Marshall added.

Kenny let out a breath he'd obviously been holding. He nodded and then walked out the back door.

”He's sensitive about it, isn't he?” Jeb commented.

”Yeah, around you two he is. He's never been that way with me before.”

”I really hate that,” Jeb confessed. ”I like Kenny, and I'm sure I'll like Robert.”

”Robert seems to worry more about what people will think,” Marshall said.

”I think you're right.” Drew sighed and sat down.

”You tired, baby?” Marshall asked.

”Just tired of everything being so difficult.”

Drew decided she wanted a nice, relaxing bath. She'd been on edge for a long time now. The men could make the rounds this time.

”I'm going to have a bath. The three of you can make rounds.” She smiled shyly at them. ”Maybe you two could come dry me off later?” She made it a question.

”Nothing would please me more,” Jeb said.

She noticed his and Marshall's eyes grow dark. She loved knowing she had that effect on them. She smiled then turned and sauntered over to the stairs to walk up to the bedroom. She slipped out of her clothes and took a quick shower to wash off the dirt and sweat from working with Jeb outside. Then she turned on the water in the tub and added her favorite bath salts.

When she slipped into the sudsy water, a soft sigh escaped her mouth, and she laughed, thinking how much like good s.e.x a hot, relaxing bath could be. She spent the next thirty minutes fantasizing about Jeb and Marshall and all the ways they could have s.e.x. She hesitated at calling it ”making love.” They really didn't know each other all that well.

h.e.l.l, she was having s.e.x with them. How much better could she know them? Disgruntled at having messed up her mood, Drew dunked her head under water and proceeded to wash it. When she rinsed, she realized someone was in the bathroom with her when a breath of air made her s.h.i.+ver. She still had her eyes shut and was almost afraid to open them. Surely it was either Jeb or Marshall.

When she opened them, there was no one there.

Drew s.h.i.+vered and quickly let the water from the tub and stepped out. She wrapped a towel around her and closed and locked the bathroom door. Could she have imagined the slight whisper of air that had blown past her? She had a difficult time believing she was mistaken. The men wouldn't have played with her like that with everything going on around the ranch.

A sharp knock on the door had her screeching in alarm.

”Drew! Are you okay?” Jeb's voice sounded alarmed through the door. He rattled the door k.n.o.b. ”Let me in, Drew.

She hurried and unlocked the door, letting Jeb in. He grabbed her by the upper arms and looked down into her eyes. He must have seen something there, because he pulled her into his arms despite the fact that she was still wet.

”What's wrong, baby?”

”IaI was was.h.i.+ng my hair and had my eyes closed. I swear someone was in the room with me. But when I got them clear, so I could open them, there was no one there. I know they were there. It wasn't you, was it?”

”No, it wasn't me. I would never have scared you like that. I didn't see anyone, but I came in through the back door. The front door is unlocked. We've got to keep all the doors locked all the time from now on. We'll all need keys.”

”I doubt I even have a key to the d.a.m.n front door. I'll have to look for it, and we'll get keys made tomorrow when we're in town.” Drew wrapped her arms around Jeb and let him hold her. It felt so good to be able to lean on someone for a change.

”What's going on in here? Did I miss something?” Marshall's grin quickly changed to alarm when he noticed their somber expressions.

”Drew had a scare.”

Jeb pushed Marshall out of the way and led Drew into the bedroom. Then he told Marshall what happened to Drew. Marshall frowned.

”Are you sure someone was in here with you?”

”I'm sure. I felt a breeze, like someone had walked by. There aren't any drafts in this house. It's built solid to keep the cold wind out during the winter.”

”d.a.m.n. Jeb, no one needs to be alone anymore. Not even in the house.”

”We're going to get keys made in town tomorrow and keep all the doors locked as well,” Jeb told him.

Marshall took the towel from Drew and began to dry her off. He patted her skin then rubbed her hair until it was no longer dripping.

”Jeb, go get her hair dryer, and we'll dry her hair in here so she can sit on the bed.”

Drew sat on the bed and s.h.i.+vered. She still felt spooked even with both men in the room with her. Then she thought about Kenny.

”What about Kenny? He's by himself out there.” She started to get up and grab her pants.

”No, your hair is wet. You'll catch pneumonia if you go out with wet hair,” Jeb said. ”I'll go get Kenny and let him know what happened.”

”Thanks, Jeb. I don't want anything to happen to him, either.” Drew squeezed his hand.

”I've got her,” Marshall said before he turned on the dryer and began blowing her hair.

Drew enjoyed having someone brush out her hair and dry it for her, but part of her was still worried about who was messing with her ranch and why. How far would they go? If they would hit her on the head, would they try and kill someone?

”You're thinking too hard. Try and relax. You've got creases between your brows. They're going to stick like that if you don't relax.” Marshall leaned over and kissed her on the nose.

”I can't get it out of my mind that someone is trying to ruin me and the ranch. I don't bother anyone. I mind my own business. What do they want?”

”Probably the ranch itself. If you can't make your payments on the ranch, it will go to the bank and be auctioned off, right?” Marshall asked.

”Right.”

”So who has a vested interest in gaining the ranch?”

”Brett Gunnison, but I can't see him stooping to petty tricks to get the ranch.” She finger combed her hair to see how much more it needed of the hair dryer.

”Some of this hasn't been petty, Drew. Knocking you over the head wasn't petty. That was a.s.sault and could have even been attempted murder. Burning down a barn isn't petty, either.”