Damon's Challenge(9)

“Meredith,” Damon said. His voice was right outside the door. She saw the door handle go down, but the wood wouldn’t budge, at least not for now.

“What’s going on?” Andy asked.

“She’s locked the door.”

She heard their conversation, and part of her wished they felt fucking guilty. They’d not even tried to hide their feelings. All the times Andy got aroused around Damon made so much sense to her now. They must have been laughing at her stupidity. He invited a guy he didn’t know back to their home, and she didn’t even put up a fight.

Andy had been her first and only love. Was everything they had a lie?

“It’s a brass lock. You can break in without a problem.”

“And fucking scare her. She’s in shock. This is not what I wanted to happen.” Damon let out a stream of curses. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she held on tightly to herself.

“Baby, come on out, so we can talk about this,” Andy said.

Shaking her head she felt the first sob release from her throat.

“Shit, she’s crying.” Damon’s voice was louder than the others. She’d only been going outside to check and make sure they were okay. They’d been in the stable for a long time. She should have known. Did other women have a cheating bone or something that let them know their husband was straying?

“What you saw wasn’t all of it,” Damon said. “I need to see you, Meredith. I can explain everything that’s happening.”

Meredith stayed put. She wasn’t going out there to talk to either of them.

“You’re going to have to break down the door,” Andy said.

“I’m not going to do that. Stop ordering me around, and I swear to you, if anything happens to her, I’ll make sure you can’t sit down for a month.” Damon was getting angrier by the second. His voice had an effect on her body. She felt her clit swell and her cream drench the lips of her sex.

“Could you please leave?” Meredith asked, wanting to be alone.

“Baby, come out and we’ll talk.”

Glancing at her watch she saw time was wasting. The rest of the men deserved a good cooked meal before they left. Getting up from her seat, she walked toward the door and released the lock.

Neither of them charged into the bathroom. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she cleared her throat and stepped out of the bathroom. Both men were large and staring down at her.

“I need to get started on dinner,” she said, gazing down at the floor.

“Dinner can wait,” Andy said, reaching out to her. She flinched away from him.

“I don’t want you to touch me.” She kept her stare on the floor. “If you’ll excuse me, I really need to finish some food.” Her body was tense as she waited for them to say something else.

Please leave me alone to deal with my pain.

I’m not good enough for Andy. I can’t give him what he needs.

“Andy, let her go. We’ll talk to her afterward,” Damon said. The man who’d stolen her husband was clearly in charge. Brushing past them, she walked downstairs toward the kitchen. The items she’d bought yesterday were all packed away. She heard them leave the house seconds later. Cutting off everything else she got started on the casserole for the men. She worked without really thinking, putting the meat into the pot along with the vegetables and herbs. Every once in a while she had to stop to grip the counter. Her husband, the man she loved with her whole heart, was in love with another man. At any other time she’d have left. There was nothing to laugh about. When he asked for a divorce she had nowhere else to go. She couldn’t live in Creek Valley after everything happened. She would be all on her own in the world. On their wedding day, Andy had made a vow to her. Vows mustn’t mean anything to him.

With dinner cooking, she walked upstairs to the one of the bedrooms she’d hoped to put her children in. She spent an hour putting bedding on the single bed and putting her wardrobe into the spare room.

All the time she was working, tears were pouring out of her eyes. The last couple of months had been difficult. She and Andy couldn’t find the spark they once had in the bedroom. At least she now knew the sparkle was gone a long time ago.





Chapter Two

Andy worked hard to try to get everything done for that night. Meredith didn’t leave the house once. He didn’t even see her lurking in the windows watching him. The fact she wasn’t looking out at him, saddened him. He loved seeing her watch him, and now it was gone, he missed it. When had he started taking her for granted? Damon was working hard as well.

All of the ranch hands wouldn’t have a clue that his life was in turmoil because of what he’d done. The cold was seeping into his bones. In the coming day the land would be covered in easily an inch of snow. The men were rounding up the cattle ready to put them up for the snow. He built plenty of places to keep his ranch in working order during the winter and summer. With the harsh snow it would cost him some money, but it was all worth it.