But why weren’t they telling her about what they did? They shared their bodies with her, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t sharing all of their life with her. Should she question them? Or would that cause more problems?
No. They’d tell her eventually. She had to trust them enough to wait.
Missing them was harder if she did nothing, so she opened her computer and got to work. After, of course, checking her e-mail.
She had several short e-mails from Kid. The first was to tell her that he’d arrived home and that his mother was doing better. The second was a reminder that she didn’t need to leave the ranch. He’d enlisted help in handling other complaints they were checking on. The third was the shortest one that got straight to the same question she’d been asking herself since she’d awakened.
Do you love them?
Leave it to Kid to get straight to the point. Unfortunately, that question led to others.
Do I love them? Yes.
Do they love me? I think so.
But what does that mean? Would I move to be close to them? Is this enough for them? Or would they want me to live with them? Will they want to get married later? What about children?
There’s so much that has happened, and yet not much has been said.
She’d never thought much about marriage like other women had. But maybe that was because she’d never had anyone she’d even consider marrying. Now that she did, how could she marry them both?
Since bringing her home a couple of days earlier, they’d had little time for each other. When the men were able to get back to the house, she hadn’t wanted to barrage them with questions. She’d heard enough of their exchanges to know that whatever they were doing had their livestock’s best interests at heart. Still, that didn’t mean she wasn’t disappointed when they’d dragged in very late and had gone to separate bedrooms instead of coming to hers. Feeling let down, she’d gone back to her room, determined not to seem clingy.
Once, they’d awakened her with soft touches that had led to a wild romp of quick sex. When they’d finished, she’d hoped that they would linger, lounging in bed together. But a call had gotten them hurrying out of the house, skipping the breakfast she’d wanted to cook for them.
Damn wolf.
She hated the idea of harming any animal, domesticated or otherwise, but the wolf that kept attacking the cattle and even horses was different. He was a rarity, an animal that didn’t kill for food, but for sport.
She sighed and tried to concentrate on an article supporting the industry of cattle ranching. Her mind, however, wasn’t ready to work. Not when her desire to have Rick and Gunner sandwiching her between them kept popping up and forcing every other idea away.
At least she couldn’t be faulted for a lack of trying. But the day dragged on with very little work getting done. Instead, she’d finally close her computer, then had kept herself busy by cleaning the house and doing their laundry. By the time the sun had set, she’d grown too restless to stay inside.
One of her favorite places was the porch. The home was like many in the area, with a generous-size porch and several rocking chairs. She couldn’t resist sitting there and enjoying a hot toddy. Taking her tea-and-whiskey combination with her, she chose a chair near a small table, then eased into it and placed her mug down. The night was clear, giving way to a spectacular view of the stars. A full moon hung overheard, the darker craters of its surface begging her to find the man who lived there.
It was a perfect night for romance. The only problem was that Rick and Gunner hadn’t made it home yet.
“Where are you guys, anyway?”
She gazed at the moon and talked to the man staring back at her from the sky. “This just sucks. You’re up there and making the world look so romantic, but where are the men I love?” She glanced around her, aware that it was the first time she’d spoken her feelings out loud.
The man in the moon remained silent.
Which as it turned out was a good thing. The sound of the back door opening and closing earned her attention.
They’re home!
Not bothering to take her mug along with her, she threw open the front door and rushed toward the back of the house. She hadn’t gotten far when she almost barreled into Gunner and Rick.
Stunned, she took them in, naked as the day they were born.
None of them spoke. Instead, they seemed lost in the moment, each of them wondering what to say.
“Did I miss a skinny dipping party?”
Gunner’s usual lighthearted attitude seemed forced. “Nope. We’d have definitely invited you to that.”
She let out a breath, all at once, overwhelmed by their nude and hotter-than-hell bodies. They were sweaty and dirty, but that only made her want them more. Drawing in a long breath, she took in the fragrance of their bodies mixing with the labor of their work.