Valentine Cowboys (10 page)

Then there was their job to consider. If they were just some unknown ranchers out working their own herd and the scandal hit, that would be bad enough. But like it or not, the Maverick ranch and Maverick Western were tied together. A huge company like Maverick Western, which had built its reputation and customers worldwide over the past hundred years selling a wholesome western lifestyle, couldn’t have this kind of thing attached to it.

Blue would be forced to fire them both as an example. Then he and Dakota would be jobless and homeless. They’d have to move back in with their families, in shame, and look for another job, which would be near to impossible to get. Or move to another part of the state where no one had ever heard of them and hope that Blue would give them a good referral so they could get another job.

Justus’s stomach began to twist as he pictured being unemployed and ruined.

“If you don’t say something soon, I’m gonna fall asleep.” Dakota leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

“I’m good. You’re right. We need to wait and see what happens with her job. Go back to sleep.” Justus knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep well again, not for a long time, but there was no need for both of them to suffer.

With a sigh, Dakota hoisted himself off the pillow and swung his legs over the edge of the mattress. “Too late now. I’m awake. Might as well get up. Besides, Blue’s flying home today and I wanna make sure that trashcan in the calving shed is emptied before he gets back and sees anything in there he shouldn’t be seeing.”

Justus remembered the two used condoms and wrappers that were probably right on top of the paper towels and rubber gloves and other garbage. Not to mention the tube of veterinary lube that was most likely still on top of the bales of hay instead of back in the metal medical box where it belonged.

His face heated. So many little things could expose what the three of them were doing together, so many details they had to remember to handle to protect her and the Mavericks, all so Justus could have a few hours of stolen pleasure.

Was it all worth the risk to so many? He knew the answer, he just didn’t like it. Justus stood. “I’ll swing by the calving shed, check on the heifer and calf and empty the trash while I’m there. I’ll meet you inside at breakfast.”

He glanced at Dakota. They knew each other too well. Dakota would know something was still bothering him. Eventually they’d have to talk about it, but luckily, for now anyway, all Dakota did was stare at him through narrowed eyes before he nodded. “All right. See you in a few.”

* * * *

Justus walked into the calving shed and the memories of last night had him stumbling to a halt just inside the doorway. He stared at the stacked hay bales where he’d stood between Melody’s legs and plunged into her for the first time while Dakota spread her wide for him. He swallowed hard, almost able to still feel how tight and hot she’d been. Even tighter once Dakota had slid inside her ass.

A shiver ran down Justus’s spine as visceral memories of her muscles gripping him had his cock twitching. His face burning, he strode toward the bales and grabbed the tube of lube. The cap was missing. Justus dropped to his knees and had to search the floor. He finally found it amid the loose pieces of hay the night’s activities had knocked off the bale. Even as shame filled him, he couldn’t hold the tube without imagining lubing up his fingers as well as his cock and sliding into Melody again. And the sick part was that as he pictured doing it, Dakota was there, too, right alongside him sharing everything with her. The two of them together, filling her completely.

He wanted that. He wanted her. All three of them together was hot as hell, but it was an impossible situation. Justus couldn’t even imagine giving up Melody, but the way things were, how could he keep her? This wasn’t New York or Los Angeles. They weren’t rich or…or Mormon or whatever religion that was in the TV show with all the wives and one husband. These kind of things only happened on television, right?

Sure, Justus knew things happened. On the rodeo circuit after a party and a few too many beers all sorts of crazy, sexual stuff happened. Not to him, of course, but to guys he knew. But that was a drunken one-night thing and this wasn’t like that. People—average, boring people like him anyway—didn’t really stay together as a threesome on a long-term basis. At least he didn’t know of any if they did.

Justus knew what he had to do. He had to enjoy her now while he had her and then let her go. It was the only way. He couldn’t have her without Dakota, they’d made a pact and he meant to stick with it, but he couldn’t keep her with both of them and not make them all social pariahs. So what he’d do is hope she didn’t get the job, while praying she got a job somewhere because she needed one. Then it would be taken out of his hands. She’d move away and it would be done.

His stomach fell at the thought, but it would be the best thing for them all in the long run. She’d leave at the end of the week and he and Dakota would get on with their lives. That didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy being with her every moment they could while she was still here though. After he checked on the calf, he’d go inside and tell Dakota they needed to call Melody later today and make plans to see her again as soon as possible. It would hurt like hell, letting her go after spending even more time with her, but he wasn’t willing to sacrifice what little time they had left. He’d deal with the loss later.

Resolved, Justus turned to the heifer and calf. They needed more water. He grabbed a bucket and headed for the sink and let the comfortable familiarity of the tasks he’d performed for years lull his mind into a peaceful numbness.

He carried the steaming hot, black coffee and the place setting for Blue back to the dining room and found Justus already there. Good, the shed must be all straightened out. No one would be the wiser.

“How are they doing?” Dakota sat while questioning Justus.

“Good. Fine. I gave them fresh water.” Justus glanced up quickly before concentrating solely on the plate in front of him. He reached out and piled it high with bacon and hash browns.

Justus never was good at hiding stuff. He looked completely guilty. Oh well. Good thing Dakota was good at this kind of shit. He came up with a topic to deflect the attention off Justus. “So, Blue. I thought Miss Casey was coming back with you from New York?”

“She kept the original flight. She’s got some stuff to tie up at the office this morning…uh, I think I heard her say that at the, uh, meeting. She’ll be here later this evening… You know, because she, uh, wanted to get some photos of the calving. For the website and that blog she started.” Blue avoided meeting Dakota’s gaze and stared into his coffee mug.

He might try and pretend he hadn’t spent the past week in the bed of Maverick Western’s Director of Marketing in New York, but they all knew better. Blue was as bad as Justus at hiding things. They both sat at the breakfast table looking guilty as sin. Dakota smothered a smile. Mrs. Jones came in carrying a platter full of fried eggs and broke the tension, to Justus and Blue’s great relief, judging by their expressions. Amateurs.

The rest of breakfast went off without a hitch. They talked a little bit about what had been happening on the ranch since Blue’d been away. As long as there was ranch business to concern him, Blue would never look too closely at anything else. Dakota didn’t know why Justus continued to act so nervous, even as they all walked into the calving shed together.

Justus should just relax. They weren’t going to get caught for what had happened last night.

Or maybe they were.

“What the hell are those?” Blue had no problem making eye contact now as he stood over the trash bin and glared at first Justus and then Dakota. Justus had forgotten to empty the trash and two very used condoms lay right on top in plain view.

“Shit,” Justus blanched and mumbled the curse under his breath.

“I thought you emptied that.” Dakota shook his head and kept his voice as soft as he could so only Justus would hear him.

“I saw they needed water. I got distracted and I guess I forgot.” The panic on Justus’s face would have been funny if the situation weren’t so fucked up.

Blue’s chin dropped low as he squeezed his eyes shut. Dakota knew him well enough to know that was not a good sign. Yelling he could handle, but a silent Blue was bad. Real bad.

Finally he opened his eyes and blew out a breath. Blue looked from one to another. “All right. Look. I know you two are close, that you’ve been together pretty much forever. I’m not gonna judge you. If you two wanna live your lives like this, fine. But there’s gonna be some rules. I don’t wanna see it. I don’t wanna see any evidence of it. You two can have your time alone together when I’m not around.”

As Blue’s words sunk in slowly, Dakota eyes popped open wide. “Holy crap. No, Blue, it’s not like that.”

Justus, still wearing a stricken expression, looked at Dakota. “Like what?”

“He thinks you and I…” Dakota pointed at the trashcan. “That you and I were using those on each other.”

Justus’s mouth dropped open. “Aw, jeez. No. Blue. No.”

That wasn’t real articulate so Dakota decided to elaborate, and apologize, and lie. Sometimes extreme messes required all that.

“Justus and I had a couple of girls in here last night.” When Justus swung his surprised gaze to Dakota at that fib, he figured he better start talking faster. “We know it’s wrong, but we knew the calf was gonna take a long time and we’d have nothing to do but sit around and wait for hours, so we thought we could impress these two girls if they saw us working. If you wanna fire us, I’ll understand. It was wrong and I’m sorry. We both are.”

“That was damn irresponsible of you two.” Blue sounded pissed, but Dakota could still see his relief. Blue was old-fashioned. He’d be so happy that he didn’t have to picture the two of them doing each other in the bedroom next to his in the bunkhouse, they might just get away with this.

Dakota nodded. “I know it was. I’m sorry, Blue.”

“I’m sorry, too. It won’t happen again. I promise.” Justus finally got himself together enough to apologize as well.

“See that it doesn’t. Now empty that damn trash and go check on the herd.”

“Yes, sir.” Dakota grabbed the bin and with a glance at Justus, headed for the door.

* * * *

“That was close,” Justus said as he glanced at Dakota on their way out to check on the herd.

“No kidding.” Dakota let out a snort. “Too close.”

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Dakota shook his head and trudged forward.

“But if I hadn’t forgotten—”

“It’s fine. It’s done. He’s okay with it. He’s not happy, but I don’t think we’re going to get fired over it, so it’s fine.”

Justus let out a sigh. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For coming up with that lie about the two girls and protecting Melody.”

“No problem.”

Justus stayed quiet for the rest of the walk until Dakota finally turned to look him. “What’s wrong? Why do you look so miserable? I told you everything is fine.”

“Because we can’t do this anymore.”

“Sure we can. We just have to be more careful.”