Monroe, Marla - The Ranchers Take a Wife [Men of Space Station One #1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (11 page)

When he let off of her she sucked her way back up, then licked him clean and fastened him back up into his jeans. He reached over and wiped a smear of his cum from the corner of her mouth and held it out to her to lick clean. She sucked his thumb into his mouth and teased it with her tongue.

“I think we’re going to make it there a little sooner than I thought,” Cam told her.

“Why?”

“Because I was going faster than I should have been pulling trailers.” He smiled at her.

She smiled back and reached for his hand. He let her hold it for a few minutes then pulled it back.

“I need both hands, baby, to be safe.” She looked disappointed, but she didn’t say anything.

He noticed that Phillip had caught up with them and was shaking his head at him with a grin on his face. Cam shot him the bird, much to Lacy’s amusement. She laughed so hard she would have fallen off the seat if not for the harness she had put back on once she’d finished sucking him off.

He thought all the rest of the way there about her and how she had bent over backward trying to forge a relationship between them. He hadn’t been too supportive of it, though. For some reason, as much as he had wanted a wife, now that they had one, the responsibility was weighing heavy on him. What would happen once she got pregnant? Just the thought of her carrying their child sent shivers down his spine.

He would love to have children, but that meant more responsibility, and with the strange animal lurking around the house, he was worried about her safety. Add to that the safety of a child that may or may not mind… It overwhelmed him.

Cam looked over toward her. Was she already pregnant? It would probably be Phillip’s since he hadn’t been very active lately. Did that matter? He thought about it. No, it didn’t. He still worried the same whether it was his or Phillip’s. He was truly fine with having Phillip as a partner and cohusband, so to speak.

Lacy kept turning around to watch the trailers.

“Is something wrong with the trailers?” he asked looking back.

“No, but I keep thinking I see something moving around back there. I guess it’s just the dust from the road.”

He began to watch closer, but didn’t see anything. What would it be, anyway?

“Probably just the road dust like you said,” he agreed.

“What happens when we get there?”

“We drop off our trailers for them to unload and weigh. Then we get our credits and buy our supplies for the winter. I’d like to be back home before full dark, though, as we still have to unload the trailers.”

“Okay, I’ll hurry.” She pulled out a folded paper and read over it.

“Is that the list you and Phillip made up?”

“Yeah. Is there anything you think we might have missed putting on it?” she asked.

“No, can’t think of anything. Phillip usually knows better than I do what we might need.” Cam watched her nod and fold the list back up before replacing it in her coat pocket.

“Are you warm enough?” he thought to ask.

“Just fine. I might get cold on the way back, so I brought a small blanket and gave it to Phillip to put in his buggy.”

Cam was impressed by her always thinking ahead. She was a planner. That was good. He tried to think of something more to say, but they were about to pull into the town now, and he needed to concentrate on getting the trailers through the town to the grain bins.

As soon as they were parked outside the grain bin, Lacy unbuckled her harness and jumped out of the buggy. Cam yelled at her to stop and be still. She stared at him as if appalled that he’d yelled at her.

“Don’t ever jump down out of this buggy by yourself again. It’s dangerous when the engine is still running. Plus, I don’t know if it’s safe around here to be wandering around. Stick next to me until I can get you out of here.”

Lacy swallowed and looked away. Phillip walked up then.

“How long do you expect it to take to unload?” Phillip asked.

“I don’t have a freaking clue.” It was the first time they’d done this. Why did Phillip think he’d know?

“Sorry, you don’t have to bite my head off.”

“Don’t worry, he’s an equal-opportunity biter,” Lacy said with a frown.

Phillip sighed and stared at Cam.

“Fucking take her somewhere else while I take care of this. You can leave the bin keys on the dash of the buggy.”

“Cam,” Phillip began.

“Just do it.”

Phillip took Lacy’s hand and pulled her along with him toward his buggy. He’d screwed up again. Things had been going great, and her jumping out of the buggy like that had scared him. That always made him say or do something stupid. She would be riding back with Phillip, so he wouldn’t even have a chance to apologize. As if he ever did, anyway.

She was growing closer and closer to Phillip and farther away from him. It was his own fault, but he didn’t know how to stop it. Nothing he did or said turned out right. He liked her. He cared about her. Maybe even loved her, but his fear for her kept him on her shit list. He seemed to be staying on it more than he was off it. He had to do something. He couldn’t spend the entire winter cooped up with her and not be able to touch her without worrying about her. Maybe being inside where she wouldn’t be in danger would help. God, he hoped so. Because otherwise, it was going to be a long, cold winter.

Chapter Nine

Lacy tried to let Cam’s words roll off her back, but she couldn’t quite manage it. Tears welled up in her eyes. She fought hard to keep them from falling, but one made its way down her cheek.

“Aw, baby. Don’t cry. He didn’t mean anything by it. He’s just stressed over delivering the crops for the first time. Remember, this is all new to us.” Phillip hugged her close then smiled down at her. “Let’s go shopping.”

“Where are we going to put stuff without the trailer?”

“They’ll wrap everything in plastic wrap and hold it for us to pick up later.”

“Oh, then let’s do the grocery shopping first,” she suggested.

“Your wish,” he began.

She laughed and put a finger to his lips. “Don’t say it. I don’t want to command anyone.”

They filled their list and added a few things in that they hadn’t thought about. Once they were through at the groceries, they headed for the mercantile store. They picked out clothes for the winter for her and replacement clothes for the men. She got a much-needed pair of boots to work in the garden and a pair of work gloves that fit her hands.

While she was there, she met one of the women from the shuttle who’d married the owners of the stores. She was picking up some material for sewing. They chatted while Phillip talked to one of her husbands. It was good to talk to another female for a change. They laughed about getting used to the longer days and the different plants and animals. She asked about some of the other women and found out that everyone was married now. Several of the women were already pregnant as well.

Lacy wondered if she were going to get pregnant or if she couldn’t. What would the men do if she couldn’t get pregnant? Would they want another wife? The thought nearly doubled her over in pain.

“Hey, Lacy, are you okay?” Phillip suddenly grabbed her and turned her to look at him.

“Yes, yes. I’m fine. Just a slight headache. I guess the trip was a little harder on me than I thought.”

They said good-bye and Phillip took her to a small restaurant where they got coffee and Phillip got a sweet roll to go with his. He tried to give her a bite, but she honestly didn’t think she could eat anything right then.

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. I have a little headache is all. I haven’t had one in a long time. It’s already going away.” She forced a smile she didn’t feel.

“If you say so. You’re still awfully pale.”

They finished their coffee and waited another twenty minutes for Cam to show up. When he didn’t, Phillip had he stay there while he went to see if they had trouble getting the trailers unloaded.

“Don’t go anywhere. Get another cup of coffee.” He kissed her quickly on the mouth and hurried out the door.

Lacy ordered another cup of coffee and sipped on it for what seemed like hours with all sorts of odd thoughts running around in her head. Uppermost was the thought that Cam was mad at her again. She couldn’t seem to do anything to please him for long.

Thirty minutes later, they both walked in. She stood up, but Cam waved her down and walked up to the counter and ordered a cup of coffee for him and Phillip.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

Phillip looked over at Cam and nodded. His smile was obviously forced. Something was up and it involved her somehow. What now? She felt her heart sink.

“Everything’s fine. The trailers are all unloaded and Cam has most everything loaded up now. We’ve been waiting while he did all the work.” Phillip sipped his coffee.

Cam wouldn’t look at her, but then he didn’t look at Phillip either. It was strange the way he looked everywhere but at them.

He drained his cup and sat it on the table. “You two ready to head back home?”

Lacy immediately stood up. “I’m ready.”

“Good. Let’s head out.”

Phillip frowned then quickly drained his cup and pulled on his coat.

They followed Cam out to where the buggies were parked in the center of the little town. She let Phillip help her up into his buggy and watched as Cam climbed into his. When Phillip started the buggy, he glanced toward her and frowned.

“Put on your harness and wrap that blanket around you. It’s going to get colder as the sun sets.”

“Right, sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” She quickly wrapped up in the blanket after fastening her harness.

“So everything went well with the crops? They were like they needed to be?” she asked Phillip.

“Yep, everything was good. Even weighed in heavier than we had hoped.”

“Hey, that’s great.” She smiled and reached over and squeezed his leg.

They chatted on and off the rest of the trip. By the time they returned home, she was almost asleep. She waited for Phillip to cut the engine and come around to get her down. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

If Cam noticed, he didn’t comment on it. He didn’t say much of anything. She studiously ignored him and reached up to take a box from Phillip as he handed it down. She carried it in the house and put it away before meeting Cam at the door with another box. She took it from him and unloaded it.

They worked like that in silence for several minutes until she finished unloading a box and he wasn’t there with another one. She walked out to get the next box and heard them arguing inside the trailer. She stopped and listened when she heard her name.

“What in the hell were you doing looking for her anyway?” Phillip demanded.

“I wasn’t looking for her. I just asked how many were left that hadn’t chosen, and they said they’d all gotten married,” Cam argued.

“Then how did you know Rachel was married to Andrew and Danny?”

“I asked, okay? I was curious, is all.” Cam’s voice rose.

Lacy couldn’t stand it. She hurried back into the house and upstairs to the bathroom. She closed the door and threw up in the toilet. She was shaking all over but knew the second when Cam walked in the bathroom.