Rough in the Saddle (9 page)

Chapter
Fourteen

“How
are you settling in?” Brooklyn asked.

Pearl
grabbed two cups and the pitcher of lemonade from the fridge, and moved over to
where she was. She sat at the table, Hot Dog sleeping on the ground by her
feet, and the sound of children giggling coming through the open window. The
guys had gone on their hunting and fishing trip, and although they were due
back tonight, these two days away from Travis after what he’d said to her felt
like a lifetime. It was silly, actually, but the truth was she felt connected
with Travis, and after he told her he wanted more with her, that it wasn’t just
about sex, she wanted to see how far they could go, how close they could get.

“Things
are going well.”

“The
job is working out? I mean working with the Sterling brothers has to have its
challenges,” Brooklyn said and grinned, a teasing note in her voice. Hot Dog
heard a dog bark, perked his head up, and started going crazy trying to get
out. Brooklyn grabbed the leash and pulled him back.

“There
were challenges, but it was mainly that they live like pigs and eat like
horses.”

Brooklyn
started laughing. “And hung like horses, too, or so I’ve heard.”

Pearl
groaned at that. She was so not getting into that with her neighbor, but it was
the truth, at least in Travis’s case.

“I’m
just teasing,” Brooklyn said on a laugh.
“Kind of.”

That
had Pearl laughing now. “I wouldn’t know about all of that.” She hadn’t told
anyone that she had slept with Travis, but there wasn’t anyone she was close
enough to in granite that telling that information to would have been
appropriate. But over the last week, and since she’d been in town, she’d spoken
more with Brooklyn, and considered her a friend. The other woman was kind and
sweet, always coming over and seeing how Pearl was doing, and even asking if
she needed help. Brooklyn had been the only one in the neighborhood to come check
on Pearl, in fact.

“So,
meet anyone in this dinky little town?” Brooklyn asked around a grin.

“Have
you
met anyone?” Pearl fired back
with just as big a smile as the other woman. Brooklyn snorted and picked up her
glass to take a long drink from it. When she set it back on the table she ran
her finger along the condensation that started to coat the glass.

“I
had someone last year. He was my high school sweetheart. He cheated on me
though with my best friend, moved to Denver, and I think they have a kid on the
way.”

Well damn.
“I’m really sorry to hear that.”
Pearl knew all about being cheated on. Well, in high school she’d experienced
the joys of catching her then boyfriend lip-locked with the head cheerleader.
That had been years ago, and when she didn’t know anything about real,
committed relationships.

Brooklyn
shrugged. “It is what it is, and in fact I shouldn’t have invested so much into
a guy that had cheated on me before.” Brooklyn stared at her glass. “I was a
stupid ass for staying with him after the last time, but he was all I knew, and
I guess I was quick to forgive him because I didn’t want to be alone.”

“You’re
so young though, and you have your whole love life ahead of you.”

Brooklyn
smiled. “Yup, that’s what I told myself when I looked hard in the mirror after
he left. I can do so much better than that prick. I just haven’t found him
yet.” Hot Dog started going crazy again, and Brooklyn stood. “I better take him
for that walk before his bladder lets you know how he can’t hold it when he gets
excited.”

“Let’s
do lunch sometime,” Pearl said. “I don’t talk to anyone aside from you and the
guys, and
it’s
nice having a female to talk to. The
Sterling guys are all
cowboyish
, if that makes
sense.”

Brooklyn
laughed. “Yeah, makes perfect sense. Everyone in this town is
cowboyish
, that, or they are old as hell.” Brooklyn left,
and Pearl watched her head down the street with the wiener dog. Where would she
end up going with Travis? Would it be a relationship that was doomed from the
beginning because she hadn’t been in a very realistic committed relationship,
not even in her adult life, and because of Travis’s reputation?

He
admitted he wasn’t used to taking care of a woman for more than a few hours,
and although she hated knowing that, she loved that he was honest. But he
wanted her, only her, and God, that felt good, felt wonderful to hear. She was
going for it, going to try out this spontaneous thing with Travis, because
that’s what it was … spontaneous. She’d never gone home with a man for a
one-night stand, never felt this kind of emotion either for a man. But with
Travis she felt it all, felt alive, and why would she deny herself that?

****

Pearl
came out of the main house and placed her hand on her brow, blocking out the
morning sun. She watched as
Jace
, Colton, and finally
Travis, rode in from the tree line. The mule was carrying several saddlebags.
They had guns strapped to their backs, and the closer they came the more she
realized that she was content, happy, too, being in these guys’ company. She
may have only known them for a short time, and worked for them, but she felt
close with them, like she was taking care of them on more than just on an
employee and employer level. They talked with her, complimented her, and asked
her to sit and eat with them. They wanted her to be a part of their lives.

Jace
and Colton took their horses to
the stables, but Travis kept coming toward her, his stallion big, powerful.
Just like him. He stopped in front of her, and even if she was standing on the
porch Travis’s horse was so massive that she was able to be eyelevel with the
man. She smiled, not able to help herself because being in his presence felt so
right.

“You’re
a sight for sore eyes,
darlin
’.” He dismounted the
horse and tied him to the banister of the porch. He then walked up the steps
and embraced her in a hug before she could react.
Looking
over his shoulder she could see
Jace
and Colton
making their way toward them, both having big grins on their faces as they
watched them.
She’d never really told them about her and Travis, and
they certainly hadn’t been affectionate with each other in front of them.

“’Bout
time you two finally stopped dicking around with the
googly
eyes and got together,” Colton said and pushed his way past Travis.

“Yeah,
no shit. You two were giving each other the ‘fuck me’ eyes for the last week. I
might have had to intervene if you two didn’t get on with it already,” Colton
said, his voice hinting at amusement. The two brothers went into the house,
leaving them alone, and she rested her head on Travis’s chest.

“This
feels good,” she whispered, and inhaled deeply. He smelled like the forest,
like pine and fresh air, and she wanted to take the scent into the very make-up
of her cells.

“It
feels really fucking
good
,
darlin
’.”
He held her tighter, kissed the top of her head, and she felt contentment, and
a place of belonging. “Come
on,
let me make us
something to eat.”

She
pulled back, surprised, but smiling. “I thought that was my job?”

He
smoothed his thumb along her cheek. “Let me take care of my woman.”

And
there went her heart, right over the ledge for this man.

Chapter
Fifteen

One month later

Pearl
brought out the bowl of potato salad she’d made earlier that morning, set it on
the picnic table, and looked out across the field. Colton and
Jace
were bringing over a large cooler that was filled with
beer and pop. They had invited over Brooklyn for a late lunch at the farm, and
although Pearl had been working for Travis and the guys for the last month or
so, it didn’t feel like a job anymore. Yes, she got paid, but then again she
had bills to pay, worked hard at Sterling Farms and for the guys, and she loved
every minute of it.

The
sound of gravel crunching to her left told her that Brooklyn had arrived. She
looked over to the side, saw her neighbor climb out of her car, Hot Dog in all
his hyperactive glory jumping out as well, and Brooklyn waved at Pearl. She
grabbed a tray out of the back of the seat, and when she made her way over to
the picnic table that was sitting under the large, shaded tree on the
property,
she gave Pearl a big hug. Pearl was a bit
surprised, but she hugged the woman back, feeling the friendship with this
woman fill her.

“Thanks
for inviting me,” Brooklyn said and took a step back. She set the tray down
that was filled with veggies and dip, untwisted the leash from around her
wrist, and tied it to the leg of the table.

“I’m
glad you could come.” The truth was she wanted to introduce Brooklyn to
Jace
and Colton, and maybe see if something clicked between
either of them. “You can let him run around if you want,” Pearl said, gesturing
toward Hot Dog, which had run around in circles under the table and got the
leash all tangled.

Brooklyn
unhooked him, and Hot Dog went running off, did a few circles in the field, and
came
running back. He did this over and over again,
both of them laughing at how wild such a little thing could be.

“Hey,”
Jace
said with this long, deep drawl, and Pearl knew,
without having to look at the man, that he was eyeing Brooklyn.

“Hi,”
Brooklyn
said,
her smile big and white, straight and
genuine, her dimples popping out on either side of her cheeks “I’m Brooklyn
Jacks.” They shook hands, and Pearl moved off to the side and finished setting
up the table as they spoke. Colton came up to Brooklyn next, his smile speaking
of seduction even though he just met the woman.

“I’m
Colton.”

Brooklyn
looked between the two men standing in front of her, a little uncertainty on
her face, but her politeness to give them both
attention
was clear. She wasn’t ignorant to the fact the Sterling brothers had a
reputation. Hell, Brooklyn lived in Granite and knew, but she’d told Pearl she
stayed away from the gossip and the local hangouts. For as young as Brooklyn
was she didn’t party like the other twenty-something year olds in town. She was
more mature for her
age, that
was for sure.

Maybe
it had been a bad idea to introduce her to the guys? Although they liked sex,
didn’t deny that to anyone that asked, they were good men at heart, respectful,
and never pushed. Pearl had seen that in them right away. They were close to
the same age, but she felt more like a momma bear toward the two youngest
Sterling brothers, wanting to protect them and lead them down the right
direction.

She
excused herself to head into the house again to grab the last of the food
items, and smiled to herself when Colton and
Jace
started telling her about their latest hunting trip, and how manly they’d been
out there in the wilderness. In the kitchen she grabbed the pitcher of sweet
tea in one hand, and tried to balance the bags of potato chips in her other
hand.

“Hey,
darlin
’.”
The sound of Travis right behind
her had her entire body lighting up instantly. He inhaled at the nape of her
neck, and she closed her eyes, set the items back on the counter, and enjoyed
the feel of his big body close to hers.

“Have
I told you that you shouldn’t sneak up on people?” she said softly, having no
heat behind her words.

“I
wasn’t going to sneak up on you, but when I saw you in the kitchen with this
little blue and white gingham dress on, my cock punched out, and I had to come
over here and touch you,” he said the words on a growl.

“You’re
insatiable, Travis Sterling.”

“
Mmm
, only for you, sugar.”

She
smiled when he ran his hand up the back of her thigh, pushed her dress up, and
cupped her ass.

“I
love when you wear these little panties. They are so innocent and hide the fact
you’re my little freak in the bedroom.”

She
was so wet, so damn needy for him that she was about to say fuck the lunch and
have him take her to his room. He spun her around, cupped her face in his big
hands, and stared at her lips.

“God,
you’re so damn beautiful.” He smoothed his fingers over her bottom lip, and she
opened for him. “I’m never letting you go, baby.” He leaned in and kissed her
softly.

“Good, because I don’t want you
to let me go.
I think I’d float right away if you did.” She’d never been the romantic type,
but with Travis she found it natural.

“Baby,
never, I’ll never let go. You’re my woman, and nothing will ever change that.”

She
curled into his big chest, just letting him hold her, and damn did it feel
good. She’d gone through a lot of shit to get here, and all of it had been
worth it. She might not have her parents anymore, and her grandmother might be
gone, but she’d always have the memories and happiness to keep her life in the
right direction.

Travis
was like her. He’d lost his parents, lost that connection to his family. But he
didn’t give in, didn’t allow it to be his crutch. Both of them were strong on
their own, but together they made one hell of a team. Things could only go
forward now, and she was looking forward to each and every day. From the ashes
came life, and that life she wasn’t about to ignore or forget. She was going to
take it by the hands and hold tight,
allow this man
to
treat her like the Queen he said she was to him.

They
both deserved happiness, and it didn’t matter if they’d come into this
relationship on unconventional terms. They were here now, together, and nothing
would change that but them. They were the ones that controlled their destiny,
and her destiny was being in Travis Sterling’s arms.

The
End

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