The Cowboys' Cure (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

“For the house? Why? We have a renter. The guy, Austin, already transferred the money into our account for the entire term of the lease.”

  “I wasn’t talking about that ad.” Will’s smile grew while he shot his blue eyes in Scott’s direction. “I posted another in the personals about a week ago, and this morning I got a big bite. I figured it couldn’t hurt. It’s time we find us a woman, and I think this is finally the one.”

  Scott felt his lips tighten in anger. “Are you kidding me? Fucking shit, William. A personal ad? You’re joking, right?”

  A laugh filled the kitchen, again, and Will rested his head against the wood. A curse quickly followed as he pushed off the frame. “What the hell? You knew this was wet. Why didn’t you warn me? I’m never going to get this shit out.”

  He ran his fingers through his light brown hair. The white paint stood out drastically, and was matted to a good portion of the side. Scott couldn’t help but laugh as Will looked over his shoulder to inspect the damage done to his clothing.

  “Serves you right. I can’t believe the stuff you do sometimes. Haven’t you gotten us in enough trouble, lately? That bar incident was pushing it.” When pain shot across his friend’s face, Scott calmed. “Okay, that wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know the woman was in a relationship. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s cool.” Will waved him off and focused back on his hair.

  “So what did you write in the ad?”

  “Just the facts. I said, hot male couple looking for a partner to share. Call or swing by the house. I even left them the address and telephone number.”

  “Jesus, William! What in the hell is wrong with you? Go delete it. Now.”

  “No way. I told you I think I found her. This will work out fine. Trust me.”

  “Trust you?” Scott sighed. Flashes of William on his phone entered into his mind. His friend had been distracted every time he’d tried to ask him something. Damn, he’d been so focused on the rent house, he’d hardly noticed. Scott froze. “The blonde that stopped by yesterday. She was one of them, wasn’t she? The one with the big…ah…” Hovering his hands over his chest, all he could do was shake his head, stunned.

  The look gave it away, and William nodded. “Yeah. She was all right, but something wasn’t right with her. I think she might have been stoned. Not sure, exactly.”

  “You let a woman who was possibly drugged up on our land?” Scott stalked forward, the lovely vision disappearing. They’d worked too hard to risk losing their ranch. A knock sounded from the entry way, stopping his approach.

  He glared at his friend, pointing his finger. “You’re deleting that ad. Today. That’s probably our guy.” Scott rubbed his palms up and down his jeans. “Shit. I wanted to be done with this before he got here. What kind of landlord doesn’t have a house ready for their tenant?”

  “One who runs a ranch.” Will stepped out of the way to make room for him to pass. A stranger stood at the door, approximately six foot tall. He was on the leaner side, but capable looking enough to do work. The red hair was bright as the sun beamed down over it, casting light shades of blond highlights. Well, shit. He didn’t look anything like he had imagined.

  “Hey, you must be Austin?” Scott extended his hand, but stopped the moment the guy’s eyes travelled up and down the length of his body. Was he getting checked out?

  “I’m not Austin, but if that’s what you want to call me, I’m okay with that. Austin, Todd, Rachel, your choice.”

  Speechless, Scott couldn’t move. Couldn’t even speak.

  “You placed an ad in the paper. It said couple looking for a partner. I—”

  Scott shook his head. “I’m flattered, but the ad has been filled. Thank you.” He shut the door and spun around to see William standing there with his arms raised in surrender.

  “Take it off, now. I’m not messing around. You can’t just give out our address to strangers. What if they wanted to rob us or something? It’s insane.”

  “Honest newbie mistake.” Will shrugged. “I’ll put woman instead of partner. That probably wasn’t the smartest thing to write now that I think of it.”

  “The address and phone number wasn’t, either. Don’t change it, remove it. We have enough troubles trying to keep this ranch going. We don’t need the added stress of having to worry about a female. Hopefully, once Austin arrives I can talk him into helping out here. In the e-mail it said he was going to be looking for work. Until he finds something else, he can give us a hand. That is, if he wants.”

  “Fine. I just don’t see an alternative. We spend all of our time working, and I want a woman to laugh and cuddle with. I miss that. I guess desperation is starting to take over.” Will picked up a roller and took over Scott’s spot at painting. His friend’s words hit Scott right in the gut. William was right. They needed a woman to love, and one that didn’t mind having them both.

  * * * *

  Relief rushed through Austin the moment she turned onto the highway. She’d made it out of town. She was free. She was—alone. At the revelation, a million thoughts swamped her. Hadn’t she assumed joy would be the main emotion she’d feel once she was done with this part of her life? If anything, what weighed the heaviest was confliction and fear.

  Austin tightened her grip on the steering wheel while she fought to see the road. Why was she taking this so hard? She should be thankful that she didn’t have to endure any more verbal or physical abuse. Happiness could now fill her life. Not sadness. She’d spent way too long tiptoeing around, trying to be the woman John wanted. Yet Austin couldn’t control how utterly lost she felt.

  Something was horribly wrong. Deep down, she knew the results of her failed marriage weren’t her fault, but the guilt was there, all the same. Could she have done something different? No. Nothing she could have done would have changed the way John treated her. No one deserved that much pain. Not mentally, and especially not physically.

  Mindless, Austin shook her head. She couldn’t think about that. She hit the button for the radio, but immediately turned it off. Endless miles flew by, and the quietness drug her deeper into thought. Images exploded of how John would take the next few weeks. Would he constantly be pacing or looking for her?

  Don’t think about it. It doesn’t matter. Just block it out. That, she did know how to do. Emotions, worries. Yes, she’d lock it all away, and start over new. It was time to stop being scared. Maybe she’d get lucky and he’d move on. It was her only hope. But one she wasn’t convinced of.

  Refugio was a busy little town. Within ten minutes Austin made it to the outskirts. One more hour and she’d be home. Her new home. Turning into a convenience store, she rolled down her window and watched as Henry’s BMW pulled in behind her. With a grace that always seemed to surprise her, he got out and walked to her door.

  “I think you’re safe from here on out. I didn’t notice anyone following.”

  Austin looked around, just realizing that she hadn’t even paid attention to that part. It was a good thing Henry had or else she might have been leaving town for nothing.

  “Thank you. You’re a great friend. You and Grady come see me as soon as the coast is clear. I’m going to miss you both, horribly.”

  He leaned down over her window, smiling. “We’re really going to miss you, too, Austin. I’ve loved having you around, and I know Grady is upset you’re going. If you need anything, give one of us a call. You still have that cell Grady got you?”

  Austin looked down and pulled it from her purse. “Right here.”

  “Good, both of our numbers are already programmed in there for you. I mean it. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

  Austin wrapped her arms around Henry’s neck. “I won’t, and thank you. Thank you for everything.”

  “You bet.” Henry’s arms tightened. “Now off with you before someone happens to catch up. We wouldn’t want that.”

  Austin pulled back, the adrenaline from fear making her shake. “You don’t really think John will come
looking for me, do you?”

  He shrugged and glanced over his shoulder toward the traffic. The uneasiness in his stare as he turned back toward her tightened her stomach. “John’s not right in the head, Austin. I don’t care what everyone else thinks. The man’s definitely unstable. I’m just glad he’s had two months to come to terms with the divorce. I think things would have been extremely different if the law allowed you to end your marriage any sooner. He wouldn’t have had time to adjust.”

  Austin sighed. “Yeah, let’s just hope you’re right and he’s done all the adjusting he needs to do to move on and forget about me.”

  “I didn’t say forget about you. I’m not sure he could ever do that. Let’s just hope for your sake he lets things go.” Henry glanced at the main road and turned his attention back to her. “Now, no more about John. He’s probably the last thing you want to talk about right now. Plant one on me and be on your way to your new life.”

  Austin didn’t hesitate to press a kiss to his cheek. “Take care, and call me any time.”

  “Same with you, sugar.”

  Henry winked and took off for his car. He waited for Austin to pull out before she saw him head back in the direction of Corpus Christi. At seeing the black car disappear, her heart sank. This was it. She was truly on her own and she’d never been more scared in her life.

  To forget about the fear Austin decided to go over her plans for the future. All she’d ever done was secretarial work. She really didn’t want to go back to just answering a phone and taking messages. Accounting, that’s what she was good at. There had to be some place where she could get a job. Victoria wasn’t but a twenty minute drive or so, and its size was a lot bigger than the town she’d previously lived in. Hell, if all else failed, she’d go back to waiting tables somewhere. She’d done that in her younger years.

  Different possibilities teased her mind until she ran out of occupations she could apply for. Trees aligned both sides of the two-lane highway, and just as Austin approached the peak of the hill, the trees broke to display the most stunning valley she’d ever seen. She’d been driving for over an hour now and Crush was supposedly a few miles up the road. As she went down, the land went back to being flat, and out of nowhere reassurance flickered in her chest. Whether it was the beautiful view, or that she was coming to terms with this being her new home, things just felt right.

  A bridge stood off in the distance, not long in length, but definitely higher than she was comfortable with. The river below didn’t hold her attention for long as Austin noticed the bright colors on the tress. It was beautiful here. She stared in awe while she took a quick peak at a couple in an old boat blasting through the middle.

  “I bet they were having so much fun. I’m going to do that some day.” Austin turned the music on low, finally starting to feel the muscles in her shoulders loosen a little. The beginnings of town came into view and after a few winding curves, she felt herself smiling.

  There was more than what she had assumed. The buildings ranged from restaurants to cute little shops. A salon caught her attention and she suddenly wished she could cut hair. It would have been a nice place to work.

  Austin grabbed the directions from her purse and glanced down. “A right at the McDonalds.” Sure enough the fast food place came into view and she turned. Within a few minutes she found herself back on a highway.

  The beat from a new song had her swaying before she realized what she was doing. Austin paused and swallowed hard. It was time to let the past go. This was what she had been waiting for. There was no reason to feel fear. John wasn’t going to find her. Yes, this was a new place, but it couldn’t be worse than what she’d left behind. Her life would be what she made of it, and from this point on she sure as hell didn’t want it to be depressing and full of anxiety. That was all she’d ever known. But not anymore. Now, she was free. A new person. It was time she started acting like it. Or at least trying.

  A yellow mailbox came into view, and going off of the instructions, she turned and started heading down a long dirt road. It only took a few minutes before she finally saw two houses come into view. She felt her smile broaden as she looked at the picturesque scene. Her new home was a good distance from the highway, but not too far. For as far as she could see looking back, the only things in view were a fence, cows, and land. Holy hell, it was perfect!

  “Home.”

  A large white older model truck was parked in front of the bigger of the two houses. Austin pulled in front of the smaller one and knew she’d made it to the right location. It matched the pictures she’d viewed perfectly. Light gray was trimmed in white. Roses grew tall in front of a large window. No flowers were bloomed, but maybe she’d get lucky and see some in time.

  The clock read half after six, and her stomach growled. Shit, with as stressed out as she was, she’d forgotten to eat breakfast or lunch. Austin turned off the car and slowly got out. The front door stood open, along with all the windows. Curiously, she walked in.

  The smell of paint was fresh as she made her way past the entryway and into the small living room. A dark brown couch stood away from the back wall with a small oak coffee table not a foot in front of it.

  Austin walked further in and froze at the sight of a shirtless man staring out of the kitchen window, directly over the sink. All she could see was his tanned back, but by God, it was so wide and muscular it rooted her feet to the ground. All the air left her the moment he turned around and the most startling gray eyes she’d ever seen met hers.

  For the longest time, they stared at each other, neither saying a word. Heat inflamed Austin’s body. It was enough to snap her back to reality. This wasn’t like her. She’d been so used to being numb, she wasn’t sure what to think about the response.

  “I’m sorry. I should have knocked.”

  “No. It’s all right.” Tight jeans hugged to the man’s waist as he walked forward. “I know why you’re here, but you should probably leave. My friend is taking that ad off the site so you’re wasting your time. You see…” He paused and the area between his eyebrows drew in while he studied her.

  “But…” Confused, Austin felt herself take a step back.

  “I’m sorry. I’m afraid it’s just not going to work out.”

  “It better work out!” A million thoughts raced through her mind. What would she do if she couldn’t live here? Where would she go? There was no way she could risk going back to Portland, and the only people she knew lived there.

  The man’s gaze narrowed in her direction. “Listen, right now just isn’t a good time.” The stranger stepped forward, some unknown expression crossing over his face. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re beautiful and well, hell, I’d love to fuck you every which way south, but honey, the last thing I need is a woman taking over my life right now. My focus needs to be here, on this ranch. Not, there.” His hands gestured toward her body. If she wasn’t mistaken, her breasts in particular.

  “Excuse me?” Fire heated Austin’s cheeks. Just hearing the word “fuck” come out of his mouth caused her body to tingle. Not to mention the way he implied it. Her pussy turned wet the moment the words left those full lips.

  “Will, tell her you’re taking the ad off.”

  Noticing he was looking behind her, Austin turned around, feeling her mouth dry instantly. This other stranger was just as gorgeous as the first. His dark hair was slightly wet and he was shirtless too. The muscles in his chest were just as defined as the other man’s.

  “He’s right, baby. As of right now, the ad is deleted.”

  They still weren’t making sense, but Austin wasn’t about to get kicked out of something she’d already agreed to, even if they hadn’t signed a contract. “But I already paid. I have nowhere else to go. You can’t do this to me.”

  “Paid?” Gray eyes shot to the man who he’d called Will. “You made them pay to come see us?”

  “No way, Scott. I don’t think I could do that even if I wanted to.”

  His face har
dened. “Wait.” Scott looked down at her. “What’s your name?”

  “Austin. I paid to rent this house.”

  “Oh…shit.” He shook his head back and forth. “Damn. I’m sorry. I thought you were supposed to be a man. Wrong ad.”

  “Wrong ad?” She put up her hand. “I’m not even going to ask. That’s none of my business. You’re going to let me still have the house, right?”

  “Of course we are.” Will flashed a big smile. “You’re going to like having us as neighbors. Do you dance, Austin? There’s this bar in town that’s great for dancing. I can take you.”

  The change in topic threw her off for a moment.

  “Wait now.” Scott walked forward.

  The closer both men got, the more Austin fought to keep still. Her body was positively screaming at their nearness, and she was conflicted on what to do. Living next to these hunks was definitely going to prove to be a problem if she was going to remain in her renter status.

  “We needed someone to help with the ranch,” Scott whispered in Will’s direction.

  “Come on.” Will rolled his eyes. “We’ve been doing it for how long by ourselves? We got this. Plus, you heard the lady. She has nowhere else to go.”

  “I don’t know.” Scott glanced at her and looked back at Will.

  “Please. You need help? Just tell me what to do. I’m a hard worker. Just don’t go back on our deal.”

  Scott laughed. “I don’t want you doing our work. You’re liable to get hurt and then we’d end up having to pay more in doctor bills than anything else. Listen. You can stay, okay? My friend’s right. We’ve been doing this for a long time now. We’ll be fine.”

  The sadness in the man’s eyes twisted Austin’s heart. There was so much pain there. She knew that look. He may not have been a victim of abuse, but there was something he harbored deep within. “Well, if there’s anything I can do please let me know. I don’t mind work.”

  “Thanks.” He grabbed his shirt from the counter and slid it on. The muscles flexing in his abs nearly had her stepping forward. “Let me show you around. It’s nothing fancy, but it serves its purpose. If you decide you want to buy any new furniture just let us know and we can put our stuff in the storage shed out back.”