Cowboys In Her Pocket: A Romance Menage Western Contemporary (Cowboys Online Book 2) Read online

  Dan turned to look up at her bedroom window. The sun sparkled off the pristine glass panes, making his eyes hurt. He dropped his gaze to the main floor. The windows sparkled as well. Hadn't she just cleaned the windows the other day?

  Dan laughed. Yeah, that’s what she’d seen. Glints of light off her spotless clean windows.

  From somewhere out in the lake came the lonely wail of a loon.

  Relief spilled through Dan. The culprit had been the light flaring off one of the ranch windows. Maybe some wildlife or maybe a couple of loons flying low enough to the ground made JJ see some movement.

  She’d be relieved when he told her that there was nothing to be afraid of. Just thinking of getting back to her and spending the rest of the afternoon and evening in bed with her made Dan painfully aware of his attraction to her. It was time to get back to JJ and show her how much he needed her in his life and in his bed.

  * * * * *

  The next day...

  A flash of light, followed by the ear-splitting crack of thunder, made JJ jump in the garden where she'd been rototilling. She shot a quick glance at the sky and anxiety burst through her at the swollen black clouds on the southern horizon right over the lake.

  Oh, crap. A storm.

  She'd been outside all morning, enjoying the warm sunshine and fresh air while trying to finish tilling the garden so she could surprise Dan when he returned from his daily trek checking on the cattle. It appeared her surprise wasn't going to happen.

  A sudden gust of wind blew JJ’s cowboy hat off her head and tore through her hair like manic fingers. She took a step toward her hat to retrieve it, but another bright flash and shattering crack made her swear in fright. Screw the hat — she’d look for it later. With trembling hands, she grabbed the nearby tarp, covered the machine and tied it down with some rope.

  Wow, storms came up pretty quick out here.

  JJ headed toward the ranch house and cast a glance at the lake. Usually the water looked inviting, but now whitecaps rode giant angry dark-blue waves. The roar of the waves as they crashed against the rocky shoreline made her heart beat faster.

  Goodness, everything was so loud now compared to the earlier quiet she'd been loving. She’d been so intent on finishing the garden she hadn’t even noticed the approaching storm.

  In the nearby forest, branches creaked, cracked and dropped to the ground. Gusts of wind made the nearby pine trees dance and groan. Giant raindrops spattered JJ’s face and she ran for the nearest entrance to the ranch house, suddenly worried for Dan's safety.

  Dan had left earlier this morning to check on a herd in their west pasture and he wasn’t expected back until later tonight. Yesterday, she’d experienced her first outdoor sex adventure with him and after he'd explained that what she’d seen was most likely her sparkling windows and a couple of loons, she'd relaxed and they’d spent the rest of the day in bed, having sex.

  Supper had been at midnight, followed by some more lovemaking and joking about the missing cake leftovers. Dan had been out the door early this morning, while JJ had been asleep.

  After a quick shower and some breakfast, she'd ventured outdoors to do the rototilling. Now, with the storm coming in, that would have to wait.

  More flashes of lightning sizzled overhead, chasing JJ onto the wraparound porch at the front of the ranch house. A crash of thunder rattled the glass panes as she entered the building. Another crack made her cry out as she slammed the door behind her.

  Sudden silence followed, and she cursed as a moment later shards of rain pelted the windows.

  The shrill of the phone on the living room table made her jump. Spears of fear suddenly raced through her.

  It was dark in the hallway and as JJ entered the living room, she flipped on the lights. She cringed as wind bombarded the windows with such a ferocity that she swore the glass would break.

  “Moose Ranch, JJ speaking,” she answered in a shaky voice.

  “Hey, sweetheart, you sound stressed. Is everything okay?” Concern etched a familiar man's voice and relief made her sigh.

  Brady. Thank God!

  “I’m fine. Just got caught in a storm and I’m a little out of breath. How’s it going?” When are you coming home?

  “We’ve hit a bit of a snag on that special organic feed we wanted for the calves. The specialty stores are sold out. One says they'll have more tomorrow. So we can’t get back until we have it.”

  Her hand clenched tighter around the phone. She wanted them home, now. Please come home.

  JJ brushed away an unexpected rush of tears and stared at the nearby kitchen windows. Rain gushed down the panes. Dan was out there in this weather. Concern for his safety made her bite her bottom lip.

  “JJ? Are you still there?” Brady asked. The line crackled and instincts told her it was just a matter of time before the phone died due to the storm.

  “I’m here.” Emotions, thick and raw, welled inside her chest.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe we should come home and forget the feed.”

  Oh goodness, JJ didn't want to put the health of the calves in jeopardy. So many had been born through the late winter that they were running out of the nutritional supplements fast. And the last thing she wanted was to screw the guys' plans. She didn’t want them to come back on her account. They would think she was a baby and not cut out for this kind of life. That’s the last thing she wanted for them to think.

  “No, you deal with business. Stay there. Dan will be back tonight. I’m fine.” Liar!

  She heard Rafe telling Brady he wanted to talk to her, but then the line went dead. The lights flickered also and died. The room was thrust into a gloomy semi-darkness that only added to JJ’s anxiety.

  Shit!

  JJ slammed the receiver down onto the cradle.

  Okay, everything is fine. Just get the generator up and running and start cooking.

  JJ always felt better when she kept herself busy. Besides, Dan was used to this kind of weather. He’d know what to do. He was probably holed up in one of those numerous utility sheds they had scattered over the thousands of acres of property.

  JJ nodded. Yeah, he’d be fine. She’d be fine too.

  But she wasn’t. Something wasn’t quite right, and JJ wasn’t sure why she had the feeling she wasn’t alone. Maybe she’d feel better once she got the lights back on.

  Chapter Two

  Man! This is one hell of a storm! Dan thought as amidst the downpour, he sawed into the third tree that had fallen over the trail that would lead him back to the ranch and to JJ.

  Sure, it wasn’t unusual to come across fallen trees on this particular trail. That’s why he carried the chainsaw, but this was getting damned ridiculous. They made it a point to keep this trail well-groomed because it was the main artery from the north pastures back to the ranch. It appeared they hadn’t done a good enough job. Trail grooming was another thing to add to the long list of things to do before the snow fell again.

  But first they needed to get through spring, summer and the autumn. Plenty of time for the work to get done. Another crack of thunder snapped overhead and Dan shook his head. He hoped JJ was doing okay. She wasn’t used to these kinds of storms. Because of the greenhouse effect, the weather up here was getting extreme. Winds were fierce and the storms more intense.

  Dan continued to chainsaw and tried like hell to see through the waterfall that flowed off the brim of his cowboy hat. Hell, maybe he should just hunker down and wait this one out before he got hit by lightning. JJ would be okay. She was a strong woman, despite her anxiety attacks.

  Turning off the chainsaw, he then tucked it into the atv trailer and grabbed the small emergency tent. In moments, the tent was pitched. Tossing in his duffel bag where he kept an emergency pair of dry clothes, a small propane stove and some food, he removed his rain gear, scrambled inside the tiny one-man tent, zipped up the tent fly and waited.

  “Am I losing my mind?” JJ said aloud as she searched the fridge for the bear s
teaks she’d put in yesterday to thaw for tonight’s dinner. She just couldn’t find them. What in the world was going on? Had Dan taken them with him? No, he wouldn’t do that. Would he?

  Had she just dreamed that she’d done it? With all the sex she’d been having with Dan since Rafe and Brady had been gone, maybe her brain was addled and she was misplacing things? Or maybe the steaks had gone down the same rabbit hole like the cake?

  JJ shook her head and slammed the fridge door. Well, she’d just have to whip up something else for dinner. In the meantime, she needed to put the laundry away. Thankfully, the generator had allowed her to get laundry done. The storm was easing, but it was still raining cats and dogs. It was also getting hot in here.

  Moments later, JJ had a couple of the windows beneath the side-porch veranda open and the kitchen ceiling fan on. Her arms laden with the piled-high laundry, she ascended the stairs to the upstairs bedrooms.

  First stop, her room.

  As she entered, she smiled at the cozy bedroom. It was plain and simple decorated in red and brown hues. The room consisted of a queen-sized bed, a dresser, a night table and some shelves. The furniture had been handmade from the knotty pine cultivated from their land. The guys made all their furniture in their sawmill located on the other side of the barn.

  JJ felt safe and snug in here. It was full of memories of her being tied down on her bed and made love to with tenderness or fucked senseless by all three of her cowboys. Just remembering her sensual moans as their mouths kissed and licked her body parts or the sweet caresses of their hands upon her breasts or watching them with eager anticipation as their huge cocks drew closer to her…

  Mercy, it was getting hot in here. JJ dumped the laundry basket onto her bed and began sorting through the items. When she had the underwear folded, she opened the top drawer and hesitated. Inside the drawer, her few remaining undies were a tangled mess. A slither of shivers snapped up her spine. She gazed around her room. Nothing appeared to be out of order. Just the underwear.

  Maybe Dan had been in here? No, that wasn’t something he would do. JJ frowned as she quickly rearranged the underwear and then placed the freshly laundered ones inside. As she slid the drawer closed, a sound creaked up from the main floor. She froze.

  Was that the back door opening? She hadn’t thought to lock it.

  Had Dan returned? She wanted to call out, but something warned her to keep quiet.

  The buzz of the kitchen ceiling fan sifted through the silence. Rain began to pound once again onto the metal roof overhead.

  JJ strained to listen. Did she hear footsteps? Yes, footsteps. They were light and slow from somewhere downstairs. A floorboard creaked.

  Oh no.

  It was the loose plank in the hallway which lead from mudroom to the living room, passing the bottom of the stairs. JJ’s heart suddenly seemed to stop beating. She wanted to run, but her feet stuck to the floor like cement.

  For some insane reason, she knew it wasn’t Dan. Or Rafe. Or Brady. They wouldn’t come in quietly.

  Suddenly, JJ remembered seeing something yesterday right after Dan had made love to her up against the tree. But Dan had reassured her there was no one around, as he’d seen nothing out of the ordinary. She’d believed him. Had felt safe again. But someone must have gone through her underwear drawer. The steaks and cake were missing.

  Creepy tremors rippled through her. Disbelief and terror made her move quickly and quietly to her bedroom door. She'd left it open.

  She peered out and listened. Another sound. JJ fought back the scream that threatened to destroy the last shred of her self-control.

  She needed to get out of the house. But the only way out was down was the stairs.

  She could hide in Dan’s bedroom. It was the closest to hers. She struggled to go slowly as she crossed the hallway. A rumble of thunder cracked nearby. She jumped.

  Damn! The storm was returning.

  Once inside Dan’s room, JJ closed the door and felt just a touch better. She could hide under the bed. No, his closet. She’d hide in there. He had a rifle in there. The key to the rifle case was in a locked box on top of the closet. The key to the locked box was in his night drawer. He’d shown her once. Just in case of an emergency, he’d said.

  This was an emergency.

  JJ’s throat grew dry as she slid the drawer open. She found the key beneath the drawer lining. Her heart cracked against her chest as she slipped into the darkness of Dan’s closet. Her hands shook as she brought down the locked box that held the key to the rifle case.

  Good Lord! This was just too much to go through in an emergency. What if the intruder was already up here?

  The familiar stirrings of claustrophobia slithered through JJ. She inhaled, trying to breathe. Her throat constricted.

  No!

  She shook uncontrollably as she pulled the closet door closed just enough to give her the light she needed to be able to stick the key into the box lock. It popped open and she grabbed the other key.

  Within seconds, she had the rifle unlocked. She darted the bullets into the chamber just like the guys had showed her during some lessons they’d given over the winter months.

  Quietly she closed the door. She pointed the rifle in such a way that when the intruder opened the door she could shoot right in his chest area. Less chance of missing.

  Her heart cracked like exploding cannons in her ears. She waited.

  “JJ sounded stressed,” Brady said as he removed his shoes, slid them under the hotel bed and lay down on the lumpy mattress.

  Rafe blew out a tense breath as he watched Brady cross his arms beneath his head and stare at the ceiling. He acted as if he wasn’t overly concerned about JJ and that they hadn’t just brought back some fast food for supper. It lay on the bed beside him, untouched.

  But Rafe noted the muscles jump in Brady’s cheeks and the firm set of his jaw.

  Brady was concerned. And Rafe was picking up on it. Big time.

  “Before we headed out to grab the food, you said she said she was fine and there was a storm,” Rafe replied, hoping to tell he was reading Brady all wrong.

  “Yeah, that’s what she said.” Brady replied.

  Rafe slung his jacket over the back of a chair and plopped himself down on his bed, leaving his bag of burger, fries and chocolate milkshake untouched. He settled on the other bed and took the same position as Brady. He stared at the ceiling, as frustration clawed through him. Why in hell didn’t they just go home?

  “If we call North Country Air, I’m sure they’d get a pilot out to us by tonight and we could be back early in the morning, before the sun even rises,” Rafe suggested. Hope surged through him. Yeah, that was a great idea.

  Brady frowned. “JJ wouldn’t like that. She’d think we were babysitting her. Besides, Dan’s with her. I don’t want her mad at us for coming back early. She said for us to stay. So, we stay.”

  Rafe laughed. “What? You’re afraid of a little bitty lady like JJ? Come on, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Brady pouted. “Hell, she could threaten not to feed us, among other things. She’s got us by the balls and if she doesn’t like something we do, she’ll let go of them and then we’re in the doghouse. I for one prefer to be in her bed. We’ll hang here until we get what we need and then we’re heading back.”

  Rafe nodded. Brady was right. JJ held a lot of power over the three of them. They needed to stay in her good graces. Besides, she was going to have to get used to being alone at the ranch house during the days and sometimes even spending some nights alone. Running a ranch included branding and haying and a shitload more things that needed doing when they got back into full swing. Still, Rafe just had a bad feeling he hadn’t been able to shake since Brady got off the phone with her over an hour ago.

  For the short time Brady had spoken with her, Rafe had overheard. There had been something off in her voice. Sure, Brady had said there was a storm going on, and that she was probably nervous about it. But he just had that
feeling something else was wrong.

  JJ didn't know how long she'd been waiting in that closet with the rifle aimed at the door opening.

  Waiting. Worrying. She didn't dare move. Didn't dare breathe.

  Who was here? Why didn't they call out? Did they know she was home? Why didn't she hear anything anymore? Had they left?

  What if they were right there on the other side of this door, waiting for her to come out? Was the intruder ready to pounce on her?

  Sitting in here brought back crazy memories of her stepfather. Of the many times he'd come home drunk and flown into a rage if JJ or her mother said one wrong thing. Or if one of them gave him the wrong look.

  Hell, he hadn't needed an excuse to lock her in closet so he could beat her mom. The dull thuds of fists pounding flesh, the harsh screams of her pain and her shuddering sobs when he finished using her as a punching bag rang like sharp blades of pain in her ears.

  She'd pound on the closet door until her fists were bloody and raw. No one ever came to her rescue. No one ever called the cops.

  Why would they? Her stepfather was a cop.

  The couple of times they'd called for help, his cop buddies showed up. They removed him, he came back, and things just were worse.

  Instinctively JJ's finger tightened on the trigger. She struggled to inhale a breath as, for an instant, she was thrust back to that time in her life when hope had been nonexistent. She'd known the only ways out had been to run away from the situation. Her mother was so afraid of him, she'd refused to even discuss such a thing. And JJ couldn't leave without her mom.

  The only other way to get rid of him was to kill him.

  So she'd killed him.

  JJ blinked as she forced her thoughts back to reality.

  The rain had stopped hours ago. The crack in the door was letting in too much light. The sun was shining. It was too hot in here. Sweat dripped into her eyes. She blinked away the stinging wetness.

  Yet JJ refused to move. He could be out there. Waiting.