Corralled (25 page)

A considerate friend would give them a heads- up that you’re here, in
case the sexual screams of ecstasy get out of hand.

Dread weighted his stomach like an anvil as he opened the bedroom door and poked his head in.

LORELEI JAMES 9

Naked Lainie was sprawled on her stomach, facing away from naked Kyle. Hank’s gaze moved to the rumpled sheet on the floor, then to the candles poking up out of the nightstand next to the packs of rubbers and the bottle of lube.

Son of a bitch. Resentment arose. Thick. Sharp. Bitter.

First Kyle bought her flowers? He took her on carnival rides and won her a stupid stuffed giraffe? And then the smarmy bastard finished off his night of seduction with candles? Jesus. No fucking way could Hank compete. He just wasn’t that smooth.

You’d better get smooth if you want a level playing field. If you want
a serious shot at winning Lainie for good.

But how? He sucked at this kind of stuff. Which was why onenight stands worked best for him. Fuck and leave. He hadn’t dreamed he’d have to come up with some romantic shit to keep Lainie interested.

Kyle grunted and rolled over, looking at Hank groggily.

“What’s up?”

“We’re in Billings at Metra Park. I’m so damn tired I can’t keep my eyes open. Wanted to let you know I’m crashing for a few hours in the upper bunk.”

“Thanks. When Lainie starts stirring, I’ll warn her to be quiet.

I’m gonna catch another couple of hours of shut- eye myself.”

Hank waited for Kyle to toss off something flip, like that he and Lainie hadn’t done a whole lot of sleeping last night, but Kyle turned on his side and hunkered into his pillow.

Huh.

Hank lumbered up the ladder to the sleeping berth and closed the heavy vinyl curtains. Flopped on his back, staring at the backs of his eyelids didn’t spur his creativity in the seduction department.

Was he supposed to shower her with gifts? Another thought occurred to him. Kyle knew his way around a guitar. What if he

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started writing love songs? Serenading her by a campfire? Or in the moonlight? How could Hank compete with that? Would Lainie expect him to pen poetry?

For fuck’s sake, snap out of it. You’re so goddamn tired you’re actually considering writing a tribute to her tits just to one- up your friend. Go
to sleep.

He jerked the sleeping bag over his head and conked out.

9

Hank was having the best dream about being pillowed between Lainie’s lush breasts when he heard, “Hank?”

He peeled his eyes open.

Lainie was right there, lying next to him.

Her cool fingertips drifted across his cheek. “Morning.”

“Morning. What time is it?”

“Almost eleven.”

“Christ. I feel like I’m in a time warp. Did Kyle get checked in?”

“Yep. You slept like the dead. Didn’t move even when we drove the camper to the fairgrounds.”

“I was tired. It ain’t so comfy sleeping in the truck cab, that’s for damn sure.”

“I don’t imagine it is.” She leaned over and pressed her lips to his. “Thank you for giving Kyle last night. I don’t get why being alone with me is such a big bonus to either of you, but now Kyle feels he was treated fairly, so he’s happy.”

Hank said, “Did he make you happy?” even when he knew he shouldn’t have asked.

Lainie blinked at him.

“Sorry. Never mind. You don’t have to answer.”

“You both make me happy. That’s why you’re sharing me, remember? I told you guys I wouldn’t choose. I still won’t.”

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Didn’t she know he and Kyle were hoping that was exactly what she’d do? Pick one man over the other? His best option at this point was to deflect. “Isn’t Kyle back yet?”

“He’s waiting around to see if his new buddy Breck is hitting this event or if he swung over to one in North Dakota. I’m also supposed to tell you he called Red Lodge and confirmed he’s competing there tonight.” She frowned. “Why don’t all places have the call- in option? It’d be easier than racing from town to town to make the entry cutoff times.”

“The only places with the call- in option are when there are two events very close together and only hours apart in start times.

Like Billings and Red Lodge. Most competitors hit both events.

Neither venue wants to lose the entry fees or make the contestants choose. So they work together, but it’s not the norm.”

“Oh.”

“Anyway, what about you? Did you scope out the medical-services situation while I was sawing logs?”

“I wasn’t sure it’d be a good idea. I didn’t want to get stuck here when we’re racing to make the Red Lodge rodeo. Plus, since it’s probably my turn to drive, I should rest up while you guys are in the arena.” Lainie rubbed at the bristle on his face. “I haven’t driven yet. I expect to pull my weight, Hank.”

“Neither of us has a problem telling you what we want or need, do we?”

She shook her head and kept stroking his morning beard.

“Sorry. I’ll shave.”

“No. Don’t. I like this rough side of you.” She smiled. “Which is why it’s so hard to ask you if I can have a hug.”

A hug. Lainie wanted to hug him? Hank’s gaze tried to catch hers, but she’d ducked her face from view. “Sure, darlin’, hug away.

Whenever you want. You don’t even have to ask.”

Lainie crawled right on top of him. Tucking her head under

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his chin and stretching her body the length of his. She expelled a soft, feminine sigh.

“Something goin’ on?”

“Like what?”

“Like why you’re bein’ so damned cuddly all of a sudden.”

“You don’t like it?”

Hank clamped his hands on her ass when she attempted to squirm away. “Of course I like it. Just surprised me, that’s all.” He trailed his fingers up and down her spine. Soothing her, because something had spooked her.

Or someone. Maybe Kyle had taken things too far last night.

Hank wouldn’t push her for answers, even if it killed him, because he hated to be grilled when he wanted time to think things through.

They remained wrapped together for the longest time.

Lainie’s voice was whisper soft when she finally spoke. “Know what’s sad?”

“What?”

“I don’t know what to do with myself on this trip. It’s been so long since I’ve had free time that I honestly don’t remember what I used to do when I didn’t have to fill the hours with work.”

“That’s not sad, Lainie; that’s life.”

“What do you do when you have free time?”

“Sometimes after we get chores done, Abe, Celia, and I target shoot. Or we hang out and watch TV or movies. Head to the bar and play pool or darts with the guys. We do a lot of ranch- related stuff; seems like the work is never ending.”

“But I mean when you’re by yourself. Do you read? Or whittle? Or craft things out of leather?”

Hank snorted. “Not hardly.”

Lainie propped her chin on her hand and looked at him.

“When I was taking care of my grandma, she told me a woman has LORELEI JAMES 9

to have interests of her own. Not just the ones that please her husband or her kids.”

“Did she follow her own advice?”

She smiled. “Oh, Grandma was great at handing out advice, especially if you didn’t ask for it. She was good at traditional things.

She knitted. Embroidered. Sewed. Did crossword puzzles and word searches. Made her own soap. Grew her own vegetables.

Planted flowers and fruit trees. She started out having to can and freeze foodstuff if she wanted to feed her family. But it became more. Something she enjoyed and took pride in.”

“Didn’t you want to learn to do any of that?”

“I did learn a lot of it. But it’s not . . . portable. I can’t drag ripe fruit, jelly jars, paraffin wax, and an enamel pot with me to whip up a batch of jam. I never really ‘took’ to sewing and embroidery, as she used to say. I loved working with her in the garden. But again, not something I can do either at my apartment complex or on the road. Been a long time since I did any word searches, but I sure loved them. I’d buy us identical books and we’d have races to see who finished first.”

He stroked her back, letting her get it out.

“I feel . . . displaced. And not because I’m bored traveling. This feeling has been building for a while now, and I was too busy to think about it before. But now that I’ve got time on my hands . . .”

“It’s all you can think about.”

“Exactly.”

Hank almost wished they wouldn’t have to hurry from Billings to Red Lodge for tonight’s performance. After the Red Lodge rodeo ended they’d be back on the road, headed to Miles City, leaving them no time to play tourist. Lainie knew what she’d signed on for— rodeo cowboys hitting a whirlwind of events, and in between the arena performances were the lonely miles of blacktop.

But he wanted to give her one real vacation day, where they

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could hang out, relax, and not have to worry about busting balls to get to the next event.

So whisk her off someplace on your own. You’re not doing this Cowboy Christmas for yourself; you’re doing it for Kyle.

That wasn’t entirely true. Hank needed to square off with as many bulls as possible to nail his EBS audition.

A brilliant idea pinged in his head. There was a place on this route— or close enough to it— where he could take Lainie for a day and night of R & R. A secluded cabin outside Great Falls. A cabin that boasted all the amenities of a fancy hotel, but without the people. His buddy Devin had given him an open invitation to use it whenever, so he’d have to call and make sure the cabin was available.

“You’re acting serious, Hank. I didn’t mean to bring you down.”

He smooched her forehead. “You’re not. I’m just trying to come up with a response that don’t sound flip.”

“And what have you come up with?”

“Not a damn thing.”

She laughed softly.

“It’ll be good for you to take the time to think, not just for the short term, but maybe with an eye to making some changes when you get back to Colorado.”

“You are so smart.” She wiggled up his chest for a better angle to kiss him. Sweetly. Lazily. Not without passion, but without urgency. As if the feel and the fit of his mouth moving on hers were satisfaction enough.

Except it wasn’t enough for his cock, which rose to the occasion promptly. He knew Lainie couldn’t help but notice the erection digging into her hip.

She broke the seal of their mouths and murmured, “Hank, if you want we can—”

LORELEI JAMES 9

“Ignore it. Just an automatic reaction to you, darlin’. Not everything has to do with sex. I like bein’ with you. Holding you like this. Nothin’ else needs to happen, okay?”

“Okay.” She snuggled deeper into him.

Hank felt her contentment and could’ve stayed wrapped up in her softness and sweet need all day, but duty called. “Much as I hate to leave, I’ve gotta shave, clean up, and get to the grounds.”

“Thanks for listening and not thinking I’m some kind of whiny drama queen.”

“Never even crossed my mind.”

9

Lainie opted to hang out in the camper during the rodeo. That didn’t sit right with Hank. Especially in light of their conversation about her restlessness.

Neither Hank nor Kyle was a spill- his- guts kind of guy, but they were smart enough to recognize something was up with Lainie.

They hung on the fence away from the contestant area, watching the tie- down roping. Kyle smacked the end of his bull rope into the wooden post. “What do you think is goin’ on with her?”

“I figure it’s a combination of not having the daily stability of her job and her worry about wanting to be with both of us.”

“You got that feeling too, huh?” Kyle said. “I caught the tail end of her phone conversation with Tanna yesterday.”

“What’d you hear?”

“Nothin’ specific, just the impression she’s ready, anxious even, to be double- teamed by us. Not the way we’ve been doin’ it, if you get my drift.”

“We talking no- holes- barred?” Hank asked casually.

“I reckon. I ain’t exactly sure how that’ll work.”

“Me neither.”

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The announcer tried to rile up the crowd for the next event.

“This morning after you went to check in, Lainie crawled up in my bunk,” Hank said, during a lull.

Kyle’s head whipped toward him. “She did?”

“Nothin’ happened, but I got the feeling she was only there out of guilt. Trying to make me feel better for her havin’ alone time with you last night.”

Pause. “Son of a bitch. She did the same damn thing after we left Muddy Gap. That afternoon in Gillette, she sought me out to reassure me and we ended up . . . Ah, hell. She shouldn’t be reassuring us, Hank; we oughta be reassuring her.”

“I know. I ain’t bein’ a dick when I say it’d be easier all around if we nixed the individual alone time with either of us from here on out— unless she requests it.”

“Agreed.”

Hank shot Kyle a look from beneath his hat brim. “That was quick.”

Kyle shrugged. “Don’t make much sense to argue when we all want the same thing.”

“True. Don’t know what we’ll be able to do about reassuring her tonight, since we’ve got a long- ass drive to Miles City after we leave Red Lodge.”

“We have to come up with something. Figure out how to make time, bein’s we’ll be spending the majority of our time on the road the next two weeks.”

“She asked if she could drive tonight.”

“I say we let her.”

Hank allowed a grin. “Then we’ll be rested up.”

“I’m in. I’ll follow your lead. Until it’s time for you to follow mine.” Kyle pushed back from the fence and slung his bull rope over his shoulder. “Gotta get my head in the game.”

9

LORELEI JAMES 9

When the time came for Hank to hit the dirt, he was ready. The quality of both the bulls and the riders was high. But sometimes during afternoon events, in the hot sun, the livestock were lazy.

Neither broncs nor bulls bucked hard. Which wasn’t bad for him—a lethargic bull usually wasn’t problematic. But riders needed ornery, rough stock to score well.