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Authors: Missy Lyons

Tags: #Menage a Trois (m/m/m), #ManLove

Heart of a Cowboy (6 page)

BOOK: Heart of a Cowboy
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“You need a break. You’ve been in there every hour for the last two days.” Luke leaned against the pen’s gate, laughing.

“I just want to give the little guy half a chance.” Derek dropped the bottle and had to wipe straw from the nipple before returning it to the calf’s mouth.

“He can go a few hours without you. Why don’t you take a break and get yourself a nap? I’ll tell one of the other guys to take over for you.”

“I don’t know if I could.”

“You have to sleep sometime, greenhorn.”

“Okay, but I’ll be thinking about him the whole time I am gone.”

The calf finished the last drop of milk and kept mouthing the nipple until it fell from Derek’s grasp once more. “That’s all. There’s no more. You drank it all.” He scratched the calf’s ear and the calf seemed content to lick his fingers before nosing around the straw.

Derek made his way out of the pen, leaving the calf a feedbag of grain. He still wasn’t eating anything more than milk yet, but it wouldn’t be long before he caught on. The latch caught on the way out, marked by a metallic ring.

“You haven’t seen Ishwar lately, have you?” Ever since they got back to the ranch, the Indian seemed to have been avoiding Derek. He had expected things would be developing to some serious nookie by now, but it was like Ishwar got his rocks off and suddenly he disappeared in the wind. It was unexplainable and nobody seemed to know where Ishwar had gone.

“I don’t know. He didn’t say anything more when he left than he’d be gone a couple of days.”

“Oh.” Derek couldn’t keep the disappointment from his voice.

“But he could have gone to Remington’s Bar and Grill downtown.” Luke shrugged his shoulders.

“Why do you think he’d be there?” It wouldn’t be the first place he’d look, but Logan didn’t have a reason to lie to him either.

“It’s the closest watering hole to this sleepy town. Lots of guys drink their paycheck before they can spend it.”

“I’d go check it out, but I don’t have a car.”

“I can give you a lift if you want.”

“Thanks.”
“No big deal.”

* * * *

“Aww, it’s too early. No one’s here yet.” Taylor looked around the restaurant, disappointed to find only a handful of customers were in the bar. He gave a dimpled grin to his friends before heading to the pool tables in the corner. “Anybody up for a game of pool?”

“Naw, maybe later,” Derek replied. He had tagged along with his coworkers for a night on the town, but he really wanted to check out the bar and see if Ishwar was there.

Three of the cowboys followed Taylor to the tables, and two more headed to the bar for their beers. Derek walked the perimeter, checking out all the patrons’ faces closely. Although a few Indians were there, none of them was his Indian friend. Most of the men were cowboys who had probably come into the closest watering hole to wherever they worked. All of the guys were dressed in their good jeans—the ones without holes and dust. The few ladies in the bar had at least three men surrounding each of them.

Hell, he was in a straight bar.

Derek hadn’t been in one of these places for years. Not since he tried to go straight and got himself a job washing dishes at the White Elephant Bar. This would be interesting.

Not.

There would be no man-loving tonight. He couldn’t even distract himself with a drink.

Where the hell was that Indian anyhow?

* * * *

“I am telling you, we have a problem.” Ishwar clenched his teeth, attempting to rein in his rising temper. The elders didn’t believe him, didn’t want to see what was going on right under their noses.

“Without any proof—”

“By then it will be too late. What do I have to do? Bring back the head of a Wendigo on a platter?” Ishwar was furious they didn’t seem to believe him.

“Even if what you say is true, the contract is not broken unless they have set foot on our land. We are still bound to honor peace between us.” The chief eyed him patiently over the long wooden table.

“They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. It is only a matter of time before one bites us,” Ishwar argued.

“They aren’t to be trusted,” Banyan, the tribe’s historian, agreed.

“I don’t think there is anything to worry about. Those are just stories our forefathers told us to keep us afraid of the dark.”

“No, the stories are true.”

“Then we have to act now, before they do.”

“No. We must wait and find out what they have planned, why they are here.”

“Well, first we will have to find out where they are staying.”

“Or if it’s really Wendigo at all. How do we know? Ishwar saw tracks but it could be anything, a wolf, a stray dog.”

“It’s the Wendigo.”

“Did you trail them to find out? Where are they?”

“Of course not. You wanted me to ask them if they really were the shape-shifters of our legends? Go into their den and announce who I am? You might as well ask me to wear barbeque sauce.” Ishwar was irritated he would suggest such a thing. It would be one thing if there were a party of warriors, but just him? One lone medicine man? It would be stupidity.

“If Ishwar says it is the Wendigo—then I believe him. He knows the signs to look for and can recognize them just as we all do.”

“Then I say we go and find out exactly what we are dealing with.”

“I’ll go.”
“Me too.”

“I should not have been gone this long.”

“Ishwar, you have to go to show us what you found. It is your responsibility and we must ensure the humans nearby do not discover the Wendigo before we do.”

“I know my duty, Father.” He didn’t mind showing a troupe of hunters the tracks, or the prey that was left to rot. What bothered him most was that it would be another day he would be gone. Jesse wouldn’t worry about him, but he was just beginning to crack beneath Derek’s protective walls and get close to him. He hated the fact that listening to his father and being loyal to the tribe meant another day away from Derek.

* * * *

“Why aren’t you drinking, buddy?” One of the field hands from Jesse’s ranch was drinking a lot, stacking the beer glasses up in front of him.

“I can’t drink.” He made a vow not to drink after losing his best friend in an accident after partying.

“Oh. Good for you for getting help.” The cowboy gave him a sloppy grin.

“No, you don’t understand. I just don’t drink. I’ve been through too much and besides my wallet’s empty. I guess I’m just here for the company.”

“The company’s not that good. Have one on me.” The guy gave him a lopsided grin and motioned to the barkeep. “Bartender, get him a soda or something.”

“Thanks, but I don’t know when I can pay you back.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Thanks. What’s your name again? I know I’ve seen you around, but I still can’t remember all the names of everyone.”

“My real name hasn’t been used in so long I think I forgot it. Everyone just calls me Bear.”

“Bear?” Derek could see why. He was a round man with a grizzly three-inch beard. A Texas Rangers baseball cap sat on top of his head. He reminded Derek of a teddy bear, but bigger. Still, the name felt awkward to him. He tried to roll the name over his tongue once more to help him remember. “Thanks, Bear.”

The bartender asked him what he would have. Derek responded with a Pepsi. The caffeine and sugar wouldn’t matter. He wasn’t planning on sleeping very soon tonight anyhow.

The cold wind blew in as the door slammed open, chilling every person in the bar. Three model-fine men walked inside. The kind of man who looked like he just walked off a Ralph Lauren runway, and with three men that sexy, every head in the room turned to watch them as they came in. The first two walked side by side, and were stunning. Square shoulders framed their athletic bodies. Waves of dark brown hair framed the first one’s face. The other had dishwater blond hair, but he kept his in more of a military look, shaved close to the scalp and gelled to perfection.

But the third man—he was breathtaking.

“No man should look that fine.” His fair white skin held a natural glow and provided a dramatic backdrop to his raven black hair, which fell to his shoulders, with streaks of silver on his temples. The age should have been a turn-off, but it was a total turn-on. The guy looked totally lickable. Downright edible. Derek blushed immediately. He hadn’t meant to stare or to comment, but it was hard not to. The last thing he needed right now was to draw attention to himself. “Who are they?”

“Yeah, you talking about those guys who just came in? They never socialize much. I don’t know why the Collin brothers bother coming.” Derek watched the room part; men stepped to the side and every eye was glued to the new group. One of the women left her date, feeling the same damn attraction as Derek, and was immediately rebuffed. Turned away, she stalked back to her date. The waitress ignored several tables to take their order, flirting shamelessly and thrusting her bosom out in front of her like a weapon. “Steal all the women, drink all the beer, and then leave so fast those star-struck gals won’t even talk to a regular guy.”

“But you said the Collin brothers never go home with any of them?” How odd. If they were looking for a sexual conquest they could pick it up easily enough for all the women throwing themselves at them.

“Never.”

“Then maybe it’s not what they are looking for.” Men didn’t go to bars to dance. It was either to drink or get lucky. Bars and nightclubs were the watering holes of this century, where stealthy hunters could walk away with a win, but the fact that they didn’t made him wonder what they were there for. He gazed upon them for a few minutes, unable to determine anything from their actions. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something was odd about those guys.

“Hey look, it’s the pussy dressing up to play a cowboy.” Laughter answered the vicious remark.

Derek’s neck snapped violently toward his verbal assaulter. How the hell had he not noticed Bo and two of his cronies come up right next to him? Involuntarily, he shrank back in his seat and his bottom lip curled.

“Hey, knock it off, Bo. The kid’s got the heart of a cowboy and that’s what matters,” Bear intervened.

“My business ain’t with you, Bear. I was talking to the pansy sitting next to you.”

“Bo, this isn’t the place for trouble.” Bear’s voice was low and warning.

“What the fuck do you want?” Derek had purposely stayed away from him since the last incident. Avoided him like the plague. Running into him here sucked big hairy donkey balls.

“The stupid prick got me a warning at work and put on probation.”

Derek stole one last look at the guys behind Bo and his friends. Stunning blue eyes met his gaze, captivating him. It was hard to look away and when he finally did, his eyes met Bo’s fury in his gaze.

“What are you looking at?” A vein popped at his neck. The guy was a volcano ready to explode.

“Nothin’.” Derek looked away quickly. This wasn’t the place or the time he wanted a confrontation, but he was getting one whether he liked it or not. A spark of defiance lit a fire inside him. Angry fists clenched his gut. What the fuck had he done in a previous life to deserve this? It didn’t feel like he could say anything to diffuse the situation, and if he was going to get his ass kicked he may as well deserve it. “Nothing but your ugly mug.”

“You tryin’ to mess with me, boy?”

“You’re the one starting a fight, not me.”

“I don’t need to start something with a piece of shit like you.” Bo grabbed Derek’s shirt collar, jerking him off his bar stool. “I finish shit.”

“Asshole.” Derek spit in the other man’s face, grasped his wrists firmly in his fingers, and wrenched the other man’s hands away from him.

“No way, man. Don’t do this here.” Bear tried the gentle approach, pulling at Bo’s arm, but that gave Derek just the opening he needed for a quick jab.

Bo fought back, throwing a roundhouse punch, but Derek ducked low and head-butted the other man in the stomach.

The crowd of onlookers sounded like they were cheering the fight on.

“Call the cops, Johnny. We got a bar fight.” A blond waitress shook her head in disgust.

“Why, you little fucker! You’re going to pay, you little shit.” Bo pushed Derek to the ground and fell on top of his body, straddling his hips. He was unforgiving and immediate in his punishment, pummeling Derek with his fists. Anger and frustration fueled his attack. He was too quick for Derek to get a counterattack in. Derek covered his head with his arms, doing his best to defend himself from a serious blow. A crack of bone against bone sounded, as Bo’s fist landed on his rib cage. The brutal crunch left him twisted in pain. A painful fire lit his lungs and made it difficult to breathe. He could hardly move because the pain was too intense. He knew he couldn’t just lie there on the floor; a shadow was overtaking his vision. If he blacked out, the man could kill him.

Desperation sparked Derek’s last act. He lifted his leg sharply, hoping to do some damage to the man’s jewels. A sharp knee to the groin brought the man down on top of him. Bo’s lungs emptied. His face contorted and he grabbed his balls before rolling to the side.

“Motherfucker,” Bo groaned, pulling himself to a standing position and then hulking over Derek’s body, tapping his own chest with a fist. “You want more of this?”

“You boys going to take this outside, or do I got to get nasty?” Johnny the bartender looked ready to join in the brawl. A bright, shiny aluminum baseball bat was thwacking against the palm of his hand to back up his threats.

“Hey, I didn’t want to fight. It was Bo’s—whoa.”

Bo grabbed him and lifted him over his head. He struggled to be free, but the man seemed superhuman, turning their wrestling match into a game of horseshoes, throwing Derek across the room like he was a ragdoll. A table broke his fall.

Derek groaned, closing his eyes to the world. The problem was it didn’t lock out the searing pain. “Shit, that hurt.”

“Damn it! I said take it outside!” Johnny slid over the bar like Bo Duke. He smashed the bat into a wooden column for effect. Nobody paid any attention to his warning, standing around the room watching the fight like a bunch of mannequins.

“I said to call the cops, not join in the fray. Why do I have to do everything myself?” The waitress made a run for the phone on the wall behind the bar.

BOOK: Heart of a Cowboy
8.07Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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