Part 16 (2/2)
”Would have done you good,” Robert teased.
”Not when he hasn't shaved yet.”
”Now what are you complaining about?” Jeb's voice came from above them.
”Shave before you hug on Marshall,” Drew called up.
”Naw, he likes it rough,” Jeb said as he followed Marshall down.
”Coffee is in the kitchen, guys,” Robert told them.
”Kenny still in bed?” Marshall asked.
”Yeah. He'll be down soon,” Robert predicted.
”Don't suppose I could talk either one of you into cooking biscuits and gravy, could I?” Jeb looked from Drew to Robert and back to Drew again.
”Food, food, food. Is that all you think about? You were still hungry last night when we went to bed.” Drew's face grew warm as soon as she realized what she'd said. ”I'll fix it.”
She jumped up and hurried to the kitchen to hide out. She couldn't believe she'd said that in front of Robert. They were probably all sharing a good laugh at her expense now.
Thirty minutes later, she had breakfast on the table for the men. Everyone showed up after one call that is was ready, including Kenny. They made short work of breakfast. Robert took over cleaning up while they discussed the plans for the day.
”Marshall and I will check the herd and feed them. Kenny, you and Drew see about the horses this morning.”
Jeb pulled on his coat and scarf before pulling Drew into his arms for a kiss. She returned it but broke it off quickly. She grabbed Marshall and stole a kiss from him before opening the door and headed for the barn. Kenny caught up with her about halfway and grabbed her arm to stop her.
”Hey, don't go running out like that again. We need to stick together.”
”Sorry. I wasn't thinking. I just want to get out and check that everything is okay.”
They opened the barn door and inhaled the sweet smell of hay and the not-so-sweet smell of manure. It all meant home to her. How could she fault the men wanting their own place to call home?
”I'll muck, you brush and feed,” Kenny said.
She thought about her options while she took care of the horses. If she knew how they really felt about her, she could offer to sell them the ranch, and they could all live on it together, but she was almost certain they wouldn't accept it.
What if she sold it to Kenny and Robert and took to the road with them? She could do that. But she wouldn't be as happy until they had their own ranch again. Besides, she still didn't know how they felt about her. She could be making all these plans centered around two cowboys who liked her just fine as a bedmate but not as anything more permanent. Finding that out would hurt. It would hurt a lot, but she would survive. Should she ask them how they felt about her, or leave well enough alone?
Drew was no closer to an answer by the time she'd finished the horses than when she'd begun. She waited on Kenny to finish forking new hay into the last stall before she opened the bar doors and held them for him to wheel the wagon out, full of the dirty hay. She followed him around back where they dumped the mess in a compost pile of sorts. It took both of them to wheel the thing through the snow. Finally, Kenny just dumped it as close to the pile as he could get and used the pitchfork to transfer it to the pile.
”Let's shovel a path over to the house. It's gotten pretty tough to walk through it now.” Drew grabbed one of the snow shovels, but Kenny took it from her.
”You're either going inside or over where Marshall and Jeb are. You're not shoveling snow.”
”You've been talking to Jeb haven't you?”
”Come on. I'll take you over to them, and you can discuss it with him.”
Jeb walked up and smiled. ”I think we've already had this conversation, haven't we, Drew?”
”Fine. I won't shovel snow. I'll go inside and get warm.” She started to turn around then stopped. ”How are the cows?”
”Doing fine.” Jeb leaned on the shovel.
”Everyone is accounted for?”
”They're all up and eating,” Jeb told her.
”Great. In another couple of days, we need to ride out and look for the others. The snow should start melting tomorrow if the temperatures rise enough.”
”Which means it will refreeze into ice at night. We'll be lucky if we don't fall and break something,” Kenny complained.
”Don't go borrowing trouble, Kenny.” Drew popped him on the arm and headed off to the house.
She stomped her boots off at the back door and opened the kitchen door only to come face to face with Brett.
Chapter Sixteen.
”What in the h.e.l.l are you doing here, Brett?” she demanded, pus.h.i.+ng past him.
”Is that any way to treat a neighbor who's come to make sure you're doing okay after all the snow?” He crossed his arms and turned around when she slammed the door.
”Where's Robert?” she asked.
”Is that pervert here, too?” Brett spat the words out like they left a bad taste in his mouth.
”Robert is a friend of mine, and you're not. I'd be more than happy if you would leave now. You're not welcome on my land.”
”Might not be your land much longer, Drew. Don't you think you should consider my offer before you lose it?”
”Which offer, Brett? The one where I marry you and sign over my land to you, or the one where I just sell out to you for a fraction of the worth of the land?”
”Either one. I'd be plumb happy if you'd consent to be my wife.”
”Over my dead body,” Jeb and Marshall both said.
”What is it with you, Drew? Do you have to collect perverts and convicts like pets? Or are you f.u.c.king them all? Is that it? I'm not perverted enough to marry you?”
”That's right, Brett. You're too soft for me. I like my s.e.x down and dirty, and you're just not man enough to give me what I need. Now get out of my house and off my land.”
”You're going to lose this land, Drew. Don't come begging to me when you do.” He walked through the living room and slammed the front door.
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