Ride Me Dirty(17)

I glanced at the others, who all nodded.

"Um, are there menus?" I wondered. I didn't see any propped up by the salt and pepper shakers against the wall.

Sally patted my hand. "We come here enough, honey, that we don't need  them. Jessie knows everyone's orders by heart. I'd go with the  cheeseburger if I were you."

"Not a salad?" I asked, thinking how many calories were in a burger.

"You're not one of those veggie types, are you?" She looked aghast.

"No." I picked up my water, took a sip. "Just watching my weight."

Sally eyed me. She shook her head. "Cheeseburger."

I glanced up at the waitress who was already writing that down. "Gotcha."

It seemed I was having a cheeseburger.

"Can you explain to me about water rights?" I asked.

Sally nodded, waved to someone across the room, then turned to me.

"While the State of Montana owns all waters within the state on  everyone's behalf, if a body of water flows through your property, you  get the rights to use the water. There are senior water rights and  junior water rights. The property with the oldest priority date has the  more senior right to the water. Meaning, that property gets 'first  dibs.' If someone with junior rights is redirecting the water of a more  senior right, they can force the junior person to stop or change."

"It sounds like Kindergarten," I replied.

Sally nodded shrewdly. "It is, but there's no real sharing. If you've  got a senior water right, you can redirect for livestock, a creek  diversion, crops, whatever. It's a big deal out here."

"So Charlie's water rights are senior?"

Sally laughed again, deep and throaty. "Honey, your water rights are the  oldest in the county. I think they date back to the 1880's. Part of the  original Bridgewater ranch. Meaning you can practically do with that  creek of yours whatever you want." She held up a finger. "Almost."

Sounded complicated and pretty interesting. "It's an interesting study for a lawyer."

"It's a big deal for realtors, too. You're familiar with reading dry and  boring things in your profession, so this should be right up your  alley."

"Because of these water rights, the property is even more valuable then."

Sam turned his hand from side to side. "The water rights themselves are  valuable. You, as the property owner, can sell the water rights alone to  someone and keep the property. Or the reverse. You can sell the  property and hold on to the water rights."

"I'll have to check it out. It just seems strange that Charlie would leave it all to me. I haven't seen him since I was twelve."

Violet looked thoughtful. "He knew the reason why you stopped coming."

I frowned. "Well, I don't."

Violet's eyes widened. "You don't?"

"My parents said they had a falling out. That's it. After that last summer, we just never came back."

"Well, he cared for you and I think he thought the place would be good for you."

The waitress brought our orders, balancing them up her arms. My  cheeseburger was enormous and the pile of fries beside it had enough  carbs to make me diabetic. I thought about Violet's words as everyone  started to eat. Why did he think the house would be good for me? Right  now, it was only adding to my stress. If I sold it, I'd have a nice nest  egg. If I kept it, I could come here in the summers, but the upkeep  would be costly, and I couldn't look at that rooster clock forever.

"If you really want to sell, the house will need to be cleaned out before it goes on the market."

I nodded. "I figured. I think Charlie kept every paper and plastic bag  he ever got from the grocery store and he has a hobo figurine collection  that scares the crap out of me."

Violet laughed, pointed her fork at me. "I remember those. They are creepy."

"I can meet you at the house tomorrow morning. Sound good?"

I cut my burger in half, lifted the bun and poured ketchup on it.  Glancing quickly at Sam, I saw him grin around his own burger. The man  had plans for me tonight, special plans that could potentially keep me  from another meeting with Sally.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Sure. What time?"





CHAPTER SIX



CATHERINE



I'd been at the coffee shop for two hours. The woman who ran the place,  Maude, knew who I was and greeted me by name. She didn't mind that I'd  taken over a table in the corner near a plug where I could charge my  laptop and my phone. She didn't mind that I was using her for her  internet connection, especially since I was on my third mocha latte.         

     



 

While I was slogging through my emails, text messages, voicemails and  IM's, my mind wasn't completely focused. I was a little sore from a wild  night with the Kane boys and then the steamy follow up with Sam in his  office. It didn't help that the chairs were hard, and I found myself  squirming a fair amount. Damn them for distracting me-and the spanking!

It wasn't just the ache and throb of my body, but my mind kept wandering  to the feel of them, all soft skin over corded muscles. Their voices,  rough and almost arrogant in their need. The scent of them, spicy  cologne and musky sex. The orgasms. Yes, I was the screamer Jack had  pointed out.

I'd never screamed when I came before. Then again, I'd never been taken  by anyone who knew what they were doing before either. I'd thought Chad  had skill, but no. He had no clue where any of my hot buttons were. Sam  and Jack did. Every. Single. One.

Frowning down at my laptop, I tried to force myself to concentrate. I'd  never get anything done if I kept getting distracted by memories of the  Kanes and their deliciously clever moves.

"Katie?" a decidedly chipper voice called from the front of the coffee shop.

Looking up from my screen I caught sight of a petite young woman with  long brown curls heading my way with a wide, welcoming smile. The two  leashed puppies trailing behind her attempted to sniff and hump every  piece of furniture in their path but eventually they reached my side and  I found myself face to face with Little Mary Sunshine. I didn't think  I'd ever met someone so intrinsically …  happy.

"You must be Katie," she said, shoving a hand in my direction, not  seeming to notice that her dogs were going wild licking my new, pricey  flats like I'd just waded through a puddle of bacon fat.

"Hi," I said, trying to match her level of enthusiasm and failing. Was I supposed to know her from when I was a kid?

"I'm Angie," she said. "Cara's best friend. She told me all about you."

Oh, did she? For one brief, paranoid moment I wondered what Cara had  said. Was everyone in this town aware that I was in the middle of a Kane  boys' sex sandwich? Did people know what we did in the bar hallway?

"She said you inherited your uncle's place?" she asked. "Real nice man-I sure hope you're going to stay."

I blinked a couple of times at her rapid pace, unsure of what I was  supposed to respond to first. "Yes, he was a great guy." From what I  remember. I felt so bad not knowing more, remembering more, about the  man who seemed to have thought so highly of me. "As for the house, I  haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with it."

And that was the truth-from what Sally said, I'd need to do my research  before I made any decisions. As for her comment about whether I was  going to stay …  hopefully I managed to sidestep that nicely.

Of course I wouldn't stay. I couldn't. I had a job to get back to. A  career. One I worked my ass off for, thank you very much. It wasn't like  I could just walk away from that just because there happened to be two  sensational lovers in Montana who knew how I liked it, even better than I  did. An unbidden image of Jack's cock in my mouth as Sam fucked me from  behind rose up in my mind and suddenly oxygen was in short supply.

Oh shit, the coffee shop was way too warm. Didn't they have AC?

If Angie noticed my sudden discomfort, she didn't let on. She was too  busy prattling on about the countless charms of Bridgewater. Either this  woman worked for the tourism board or she really did want me to move  here.

Why? Maybe it was the jaded New Yorker in me, but I couldn't imagine why  Angie-or Sally or Cara or anyone else for that matter-cared where the  hell I ended up. They barely knew me but they were more invested in my  future happiness than most of my acquaintances back home. Heck, no one  would have come up to me, a stranger, in a coffee shop unless I'd stolen  their seat.

But, other than Elaine, no one would care if I disappeared off the face  of Manhattan. Life would go on as usual with or without me. I had to  wonder how long it would take before my parents realized I wasn't even  in town. God, those were depressing thoughts.

"Okay, well, I better get these pups off their leashes before they go  nuts," Angie said, that broad smile never faltering. "Will I see you at  Cara's tonight?"

"Um … "

"She should be calling you soon with the details," Angie added. Apparently this woman knew my social calendar better than I did.