Love Under Two Benedicts(16)
Kelsey opened the small fridge she kept in her office and handed Susan a bottle of water. Taking one for herself, she sat down behind her desk, unscrewed the cap, and drank.
“So. You went out with my two favorite brothers last night.”
Since Susan was grinning like a fool, Kelsey relaxed. “Um, we didn’t exactly go out.”
“I kind of figured that. Where did they take you?” She scrunched her eyes for a moment, then blinked. “Oh, of course. To the ranch.”
“I hope you’re not going to ask me for a play-by-play because I am not dishing on sex with your big brothers.”
Susan made a face. “Don’t worry. I don’t need any details.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“Necessarily.”
Kelsey laughed, the absurdity of the situation tickling her. “You know, if we were male, and I was seeing one or both of your sisters, you’d probably feel duty bound to bust my chops.”
“Yeah, but see? That’s where we women are so superior to the male of the species.”
“Uh-huh.” Not very eloquent, but in light of the way she’d behaved last night, Kelsey wasn’t feeling particularly superior at the moment.
“I’ve known for a while they had their eye on you. Should I have said something, given you a heads-up?”
Kelsey played with the condensation on her water bottle while she sorted through her thoughts. Unaccustomed as she was to opening up to most people, it had surprised her, right from their first meeting, that she’d been able to confide in Susie.
“I don’t think I even really saw them until a few weeks ago, if you know what I mean. Then they began to stop by for coffee, and we’d chat, first one, then the other. I thought they were vying for my attention, you know, a kind of sibling rivalry sort of thing.”
“Maybe I should have filled you in on the family history, then.” Susan’s frown caught at Kelsey’s heart.
“I don’t think I was ready to see that, either.”
“So…we’re fine? I don’t want you to think that I asked you to move here to Lusty to set you up or anything.”
“No, we’re fine. That is, as long as you’re okay with the fact that I’m using your brothers as my own personal sex objects.”
For one moment, Kelsey thought she saw a look of concern settle in Susan’s eyes, but then the other woman blinked, and only laughter lurked there.
“They’re big boys. They can take care of themselves.”
Big boys. Yes, they certainly were. Kelsey felt her face color as she put another meaning entirely on that expression. Since Susan immediately seemed to be enthralled with her own water bottle, she guessed the double entendre had registered with her, too.
“I’m seeing them again tonight,” Kelsey said. “I—” She wanted to be able to talk to Susan about them, she realized. At least she won’t even blink about my being with two men. “I used to think that I’d never have sex again.”
“I know. You said the therapist told you when you were ready your libido would awaken again.”
“Yes, and I didn’t believe her.” Then, because this was her best friend and she didn’t want her operating under any misconceptions, she said, “I’m ready for this. I need it, but it will never develop into anything permanent. I haven’t changed my mind about that. I’ll never fall in love again and certainly never get married again.”
“This is the new millennium,” Susan said. “Women don’t have to fall in love or marry their lovers in this day and age. We’re free and independent creatures.”
When Kelsey tilted her head to consider that, Susan laughed. “Like I said, they’re big boys. I’m sure they’re not interested in hearts and flowers, either. And, as long as everyone is having a good time, what’s the harm?”
Kelsey couldn’t have agreed more. Her focus was only on the physical. As she took a good drink from her bottle of water, she refused to think about why Susan’s assertion of her brothers’ intentions seemed to dig at her heart.
Chapter 6
Matthew rolled the window down as he drove his pickup truck away from the center of town en route to the ranch. Early afternoon on a Friday in the middle of summer, and the streets of Lusty, Texas, had turned quiet. Of course, for the most part the streets of Lusty were always quiet.
He shook his head because the image of the young man he’d been popped into his thoughts. When he’d lit out of here headed for Chicago at the tender age of twenty-one, all he wanted was to leave quiet—and family tradition—behind. He’d wanted busy, bright lights, and action.