Cowboys Mine (16 page)

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After getting
the bonfire roaring, Colton stepped back to admire his handiwork. They had a
few hours of daylight left, but the fire would stave off the chill and it was a
focal point for the guests of the corn roast. Children ran by, forcing him to
arch his back to keep out of their way. He should be happy, and the event
usually put him in good spirits, but he needed more than corn, booze, and
friends. Colt needed Eva.

North had grabbed
a table for them on the periphery. There were a lot of families and groups of
cowboys waiting for Mr. Ford to give his annual speech. He’d give thanks to God
for the harvest, his family, and friends. He’d make his predictions for next
spring’s weather, and he’d tell funny stories involving locals everyone knew
well. He’d surely mention Eva and Bessie’s blue ribbon. Maybe he’d throw in
something about Eva tying the knot with Luke Weston. He ground his teeth
together just imagining her with another man.

Colton wanted to
be the one Mr. Ford spoke about with pride. He wanted to be good enough for Eva.
But those were fantasies, not unlike the ones he had as a boy when he wished
for someone to save him from the hell at home. Nobody ever came.

Once the
speeches were through, everyone began to talk, eat, and socialize. The music
was pumped through the portable speakers bringing a sense of carefree abandon
to the event. Colton sat back and watched all the partygoers, his eyes
continually roving about for Eva or Luke. He’d grabbed a couple beers from the
cooler, and he wondered how many he’d have to drink to ease the pain. The pain
of watching Eva fall in love with the man her father chose for her.

“Look who’s
coming,” said North, nudging him in the ribs.

It was Lorna and
Katie Blackwood. The sight should have made his cock hard. They wore short
shorts despite the cool temperature, but they were known around town for their
flirtatiousness. Colton used to play along, and normally he wouldn’t be against
fucking either of them behind the barn.

Now he wasn’t so
sure.

“Why are you two
sitting over here all by yourselves?” asked Lorna. She fluffed up her hair and
sat next to him.

“Just taking a
breather.”

“You don’t mind
if we keep you company?” asked Katie.

“Suit yourself,”
said Colton. This was what Mr. Ford expected of him. He was only good for one
thing, making a complete ass of himself. Why didn’t Eva’s father think of
him
when setting her up? Why was he only
good enough for the town tramps?

“I heard you
went to Chester,” said Lorna. “I’ve always wanted to go there. How was it?”

Colton eyed the
bonfire, the shadow of Eva appearing behind the flames. He stood up to get a
better look. “North…”

His brother
joined him, standing and looking off into the distance.

“Colton?”
Lorna’s voice grated on his nerves.

“We should get a
closer look,” said North.

He mentally
scolded himself. “No, this is her choice, like Mr. Ford said. I ain’t going to
force myself on her.”

“Who are you
looking at?” asked Katie.

He turned to the
women, trying to keep his manners while wishing they were gone. “Nobody.”

When Eva began
to walk in their direction, he scrambled to get in his seat and appear
nonchalant. He didn’t want her to know how much he was pining over her.

She looked so
fucking pretty, her blonde hair fluttering softly behind her. He wanted to hold
her, kiss her, and drown in her sweetness. God, he missed her.

“Hi,” she said. Where
had her smile gone? Was he the one to chase it away? Eva stood in front of
their table, her face solemn. Just hearing her voice settled something inside
of him. She was the key to his sanity. “Can I talk to both of you for a
minute?”

“Where’s Luke?”
He couldn’t help himself. His jealously had been brewing since he first saw her
walk off with the other man.

She frowned.
“What do you mean?”

He leaned over
his knees, his beer bottle dangling from one hand. Lorna’s hand travelled up
and down his back, and Eva watched the motion. “I mean Luke Weston, the great
guy with your daddy’s blessing.”

“That’s not
fair,” she said. “Can I please talk to you in private?”

The sky had dimmed
a degree and the sunset wouldn’t be far off with the shorter autumn days.
Country music hummed in the air, enhancing his volatile emotions. Why couldn’t
he catch a break? Did God hate him that much? It seemed like he’d been treading
water his entire life, never able to reach his goals.

North rose to
his feet.

“Fine,” he said,
standing next to his brother. Before walking away, he turned to the Blackwood
sisters and tipped his Stetson in farewell.

They followed
Eva through the bustling yard, weaving in and out of groups of people. Colton
knew most of them, and not one turned a head as the three of them passed.
They’d been a trio for over a decade, and the Ford house was their second home.
Only he couldn’t go back to seeing Eva as the little girl next door—no matter
how hard he wanted to.

When they turned
the corner around the large livestock barn, Eva shoved him against the wooden
wall boards. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her breathing heavy.

“Why are you
doing this to me?” She pressed her hands to his chest to keep him in place. “You
have no right!”

“You think you
can overpower me?”

“Whatever, Colt.
I just want you to talk to me. You’re acting like a stranger.”

He stared at her
for a long moment. “Maybe it’s better that way.”

Tears slipped
down her cheek and she choked on her words. “You’re supposed to love me!”

Colton took a
deep breath. How could he keep feigning disinterest when she looked up at him
with such vulnerability in her eyes? He was hardwired to look out for her and
keep her happy. All he’d done since coming home was make a mess of everything.

“I’ve been
waiting for you to tell your dad about us, but you keep putting it off. Now I guess
I know why,” said Colton.

“Are you
suggesting I have a have a flame burning for Luke?” She’d raised her voice, the
hurt in her tone making him feel like a jackass. “I don’t care how much money
he has or how perfect his family is, because that’s what you’re thinking,
Colton McReed. I know you too well.”

“Your daddy sure
approves.”

“I don’t want
Luke!”

“Well you’ve got
me at a loss then, Eva. What is it you want?”

She fiddled with
the buttons on his shirt. Her hair fell to the sides of her face when she
looked down. “Do you really have to ask?”

Chapter Fourteen

The annual corn
roast carried on long into the night. By the time things started wrapping up
the moon was out and the brisk wind had the partygoers pulling on sweaters and
blankets. Although it had been an exciting day overall, it wasn’t the same as
other years. Eva could feel the tension between her the twins like winter
molasses.

Eva took Colt
and North by the hand and led them away from the festivities. Her father had
some crazy idea that she needed help planning out her own life. She knew he
meant well, but he couldn’t inspire her to love Luke Weston. Her whole heart
belonged to the McReed brothers, and he’d have to accept that once she told him.

She needed to
get them alone, away from her father and all other prying eyes. She craved
intimacy, that unique connection they shared in Chester.

“Where we
going?” asked North. They walked through the tall grass to the back of the
house and then down the slope to the old hay barn. It was pitch black when they
turned the corner, the distant flood lights at the front of the property
blocked out.

“It’s a secret.”

When they got to
the barn, she climbed up the wooden ladder to the loft. She used to play up
here when she was a kid, so it brought back fond memories when she saw nothing
had changed. Eva used the quilt she’d been holding around her shoulders and set
in on the ground in her favorite spot. She settled on her back and looked up
through the exposed roof boards. In all these years, her father hadn’t repaired
the damage caused from the big ice storm that pummelled their outbuildings. She
was glad for it.

“You can see the
stars,” she said. Once her eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings, the moon and
stars gave the loft a wash of light.

Colt squatted
next to her, looking at her like she was a puzzle to solve.

She pointed up.
“Look, it’s the big dipper.”

When she turned
her head to the side, Colton was staring at her rather than the sky. “I can’t
do this, Eva. I’m sorry, baby girl, I’ve fucked up everything.”

His shaggy blond
hair fell down over his eyes as he settled next to her. He was stunning, the
moonlight highlighting the masculine planes of his face. She knew he was
hurting, and not just because of her. All she wanted to do was make everything
right.

She touched his
face, wishing he’d kiss her. “I want to belong to both of you. In every way.”
Eva had been obsessing over the brothers during the long lonely nights at home.
She kept wishing they’d knock on her window, but they never came. “I’ve been
dreaming about our night in Chester.”

Colton’s jaw
clenched.

“What if your
father doesn’t approve after you tell him?” asked North. “Will you forget about
us then?” He was still standing up, leaning against a support beam. His dark
features blended with the shadows, but the faint lighting reflected off the
metal of his belt buckle.

“I’m a grown
woman. If he doesn’t accept the men I love, then he doesn’t accept
me
.”

North walked
around the barren loft, each step punctuated with a hollow echo and occasional
creek in the wood. “That would be a big sacrifice. Maybe too big.”

“Some things are
worth fighting for,” she said.

The McReed
brothers had literally been fighting for her all their lives. They protected
her, coddled her, and made her feel safe in every way. How could she walk away
from them now that her love burned hotter than the sun?

North peeked in
the burlap sacks in the corner. “What’s all this?”

“We couldn’t fit
everything in the cellar.” There were apples, carrots, potatoes, turnip, ginger,
and garlic. Some they’d grown, others were used as trades for beef or other
crops.

North pulled out
a pocket knife from his back pocket, flicking it open. The blade gleamed in the
moonlight. He grabbed an apple and carved off a slice to eat.

Colt dropped to
his back, his arms behind his head as a makeshift pillow. His sweater rose up,
exposing the lower half of his ripped abs and the dark trail of hair
disappearing into his Wranglers.

Eva had hoped
they’d take control once alone with her. Her body was a hormonal mess, her
thoughts continually drifting to her basest desires. She didn’t want to spell
out the fact that she wanted them to fuck her. How could they have forgotten
their night in the city?

“Why’d you bring
us here, Eva?” asked Colton.

“So we can be
alone.”

She couldn’t
walk away once the roast was over, not after seeing them all evening. All her
old perceptions had changed, and they were no longer just North and Colt, her
best friends from the next ranch over. They were her everything, not to mention
the perfect specimens of the male form—tall, strong, and muscular. She thought
back to all the times she’d seen them working under the sun in just their blue
jeans or the many nights they’d slept cuddled beside her in nothing but fitted
boxer briefs. How had she managed to look past those devastatingly good looks
for so long?

“It’s getting
late. What do you want to do?” asked North.

“I want you both
to make love to me.”

“Here?”

“Here.”

Colt shifted to
his side, cupping her cheek in his big hand. “I want a lot more than this
night, Eva.”

“I know. I’m
giving you all of me—tonight and forever.”

North squatted
down next to her. “People will talk. You don’t even know if your own parents
will approve.”

“It’s better
than the alternative.” Eva leaned close enough to steal a kiss from Colt. He
didn’t push her away as she half expected, but he kissed her back. She moaned
into his mouth, loving the feel of his lips and brush of his tongue.

“God, I’ve
missed you, baby girl.” He kissed her with passion, the length of his body
pressed against her. She closed her eyes, absorbing how good it felt to be in
Colton’s good graces again.

When he
attempted to unbutton her jeans, she immediately helped him, not wanting him to
change his mind. Her body was hotwired, her pussy contracting in distracting
waves. North tugged her pants clean off her body, her bare legs breaking out
into gooseflesh from the cool evening air.