Briar's Cowboys (10 page)

After checking dinner, which she’d again put in the slow cooker, she ran to get ready. True to Jax’s word, she discovered minutes later that the drive had been plowed. Someone had also cleared snow off her truck. Jax had left a note on the seat listing things to pick up at the farm and feed store. Laughing, she started the truck. No one had a free minute on the ranch, even someone heading into town to socialize.

* * * *

“I can’t even tell you how glad I was when Robert called and told me not to come in today,” Verity gushed when she and Briar were seated in a booth at Leena’s diner. The place was homey with gingham curtains and a fifties soda-fountain feel. A couple old-timers lounged on stools at the counter, and Briar wasn’t so sure they weren’t the same guys who’d been there when she’d come here as a teenager when the restaurant had been called Daly Grub. Overall, she liked all the warm, old-world changes.

“I’m glad too—though I have to admit, I had half a mind to drive over to the Flying D today just to see you. I know the place is busy, but maybe, we could have gotten a minute.” Briar leaned her chin on her hand and grinned at Verity. “You look fantastic. Daly agrees with you.”

Her friend laughed. “So do Patrick and Sim. I’m sure you know how it is around here. I mean, I knew when we were younger, but I didn’t realize how widespread the lifestyle is.”

“You mean the ménage stuff?” Briar asked. Heat rushed to her cheeks. “I’ve, um, kinda experienced it.”

Verity waggled her eyebrows. “Good, huh?”

“Good,” Briar agreed. “But…I just got here,” she whispered, almost stunned that she and Verity were already discussing this.

“And? That’s how it is, hon. Don’t sweat it. Enjoy it.” She sipped the coffee the proprietor of Leena’s, Leena herself, had poured when they’d first arrived. “So I know you’ve been in Chicago. Tell me everything. What have you been doing the past twelve years?”

“That’s an awful lot,” Briar laughed then grew serious. “And not much at all, too. How about you?”

“Went to school to become a vet. Came back here and was immediately tackled by my two guys. Thought I’d have to leave for a job, but one materialized. Happily ever after, with a little bit more joy on the way.” She pressed a hand to her belly then leaned forward. “But don’t tell. No one knows yet. My two men are pretty overprotective. They’d want me to stop working right away, and that’s not happening. Yet.”

“You’re being careful, right?”

“Always. But you know how men are…”

Actually, Briar really didn’t. Not yet. “I have four to deal with,” she confessed, feeling a bit like the town freak.

Verity shrugged. “I had four at first, too. I still have fun with the other two when they’re in town on leave. It’s physical intimacy versus emotional commitment. I belong to Patrick and Sim, and I’d never dream of being with the other two without my main men approving and being there, too. I’ve noticed there are usually two of the group who stake their claim on a woman. Have you seen that yet?”

It didn’t take even a moment’s thought before the “yes” entered her thoughts. Jax and Ram had clearly made it known that she was theirs—at least for now, she reminded herself—and the other two were temporary.

She nodded, answering her friend’s question.

“Jax, right?” Verity said.

“And Ram. How did you know?”

“I saw the look on his face when he told me you were coming back. Besides, I remember him looking at you back then. He had a thing for you, but he was way too shy to do anything about it.”

“He’s not shy now.” No, he was more of a take-charge guy who knew exactly what he wanted.

“People change,” Verity laughed. “Who’d have thought I’d end up back here. I was Jonesing to get out of Dodge and look where I’m at—and happy about it too.”

“I guess you’re right.” Her hands wrapped around her coffee cup as she thought. A grin pulled at her lips. “So…would you say there’s something in the air here that makes people crazy in lust right away?”

“Oh yeah. Hits within a mile of our borders.” Verity smiled. “Women never know what hit them. Gosh, I know I’ve said it, but I just can’t tell you how glad I am you’re back. When Jax told me you were coming, something just clicked inside me…like the final piece of my past was finally back where it belonged.”

“I felt just that way when I drove into town. You know, the first person I saw when I got here was Patrick. Crazy, right?”

“He told me. I don’t think you’d left the lot before he was on the phone gloating to me.” Verity rolled her eyes. “We’d love it if you and your guys could come to dinner one night.”

“Maybe…” Briar bit her lip. “I’m not sure what my schedule will be—don’t get me wrong. I
want
to,” she quickly added, not wanting Verity to think she was brushing her off. “It’s just…I think I’m going to look into getting a job. When I drove in today, I saw the Bowen Bar is hiring. That’s right up my alley. And if I don’t get a job there, then it’ll be somewhere—even if I need to go to Gillette. I don’t have a choice. With the financial mess my father left, I need to look into something to get us by until the ranch starts pulling in an income again.”

Verity’s brows drew together. “Things are that bad? Have you talked to Robert? I’m sure he’d help you out until you get things straight.”

Briar shook her head. “He’s already done so much. He’s had four of his men—on his dime—taking care of my place all this time. I can’t ask him for more.”

“He’s your family
and
he was being neighborly. I’m sure if you asked him, he’d say the same thing. He’s also one of your friends, remember. We promised to always take care of each other.”

“We were ten. Look, I’ve got this.”

Verity blew out an irritated breath. “I won’t tell him, but God help you when he finds out. He takes his protector/descendent of the town founder thing really seriously. I swear it’s why he hired me.”

“Bull. He lets you take care of his animals. He’s a smart man. He’d never let you touch them if he didn’t think you’re intelligent and capable. It’s been twelve years, but I bet that hasn’t changed a bit about him.”

Verity nodded, and as Briar directed the conversation to her friend’s work on the Flying D, she blew out a silent, relieved breath that they’d changed the subject. She didn’t doubt the guys would fight her about the job—especially if she worked in the local Daly bar frequented by hordes of horny, single cowboys on the make.

* * * *

John Bowen looked Briar up and down before he glanced at the credentials she’d penned on the piece of paper he’d ripped out of a notebook for her. The bar apparently didn’t do applications, so the scrap with ragged bits hanging off one side had to fill the gap.

They both leaned casually against the bar where he’d been doing inventory when she’d come in. She liked the look of the place, all dark wood with the feeling of an old-time saloon. Part of her wondered if this bar hadn’t been here since “back in the day”. She seemed to remember a Bowen bar from when she was younger.

“You have a lot of experience,” he said, taking a pen from behind his ear and making a note on the page. His curly brown hair stuck out at an odd angle after he dislodged the writing utensil. He straightened his wire-rimmed glasses before pinning her under his sharp perusal. “Do you think you can handle a bunch of rowdy cowboys who’d like nothing more than to take you home?”

“Pretty sure. Desperate guys in the city aren’t that much different from here.”

“True enough. What sort of hours are you looking for?”

“Whatever you can give me.”

“Hmm,” he replied, making another note. Her insides flipped nervously, wondering if he’d send her packing rather than offering her a job.

“I can demonstrate making any drink you’d like,” she offered. “I’m pretty well-versed in the latest things, as well as the old standards.”

“Hmph,” he laughed. “Not much call for that. As long as you can draw a beer and work with Johnny, Jack, Jim and Morgan, you’re just fine.”

“I can do that.” She’d learned those basics her first day on the job as a barkeep. If that would be her biggest challenge, she’d be good to go…if he hired her.

“Don’t you own a ranch?” he asked suddenly.

And so the small-town reality closed in.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Your daddy left you screwed over, didn’t he?” He held up a hand. “Don’t answer that. I already know he did. I was hoping not, but when you own a place like this, you’re privy to information most people think is secret. Like… I bet they told you all his money went to medical bills. Don’t answer that,” he said again. “‘Cause partly, it’s true, but you know, your father wasn’t much of a card player, if you know what I mean. He lost a lot.” He pointed. “Right over at that table there. Hey, Brian,” he called over his shoulder. “Peter Daly’s little girl is here applyin’ for the bartending job.”

A burly, blond-haired man pushed through the wood-slatted swinging doors leading into the back room. “You don’t say,” he said as he wiped his hands on a towel then dropped it onto the counter behind the bar. “Are you serious about that, little lady?”

Briar fought the instant urge to narrow her eyes at the man. Little lady and ma’am would be the bane of her existence around here. “Yes, sir, I am,” she replied with a slight smile.

“Very good,” he complimented her. “I could tell you kind of wanted to smack me there, but most of the customers wouldn’t have noticed.” He stuck out a hand. “Brian Bowen, John’s partner in crime here at the bar. If you’ve been over to Leena’s, you’ve met our girl, Leena.”

Right. A ménage. Another reminder that her arrangement with the cowboys on the Last Chance was the status quo here. “I was over there earlier. Nice place. I like the way she’d decorated it. The Daly Grub used to be sort of…
grubby
.”

“Yeah, my dad wasn’t great at keeping the greasy spoon from being greasy.”

His dad? “Uh…oh, sorry—”

Brian interrupted her apology with the wave of a hand. “Heh. It’s true. Don’t worry about it. So when can you start? I assume John wouldn’t have called me out here if he wasn’t planning to hire you.”

He and Briar looked at John for confirmation, Briar trying hard not do a little dance of glee at the prospect that she’d gotten a job that easily.

“Yeah,” John confirmed. “I think she’ll fit in, and it’ll be good for us not to be doing double duty every night. Plus, having a girl behind the bar is sure to draw a crowd.”

“I can start tonight,” she said, wondering if she shouldn’t feel a tiny bit objectified by his girl behind the bar comment, but she wanted the job so she ignored it. “Is there a uniform?”

“Hon, we don’t even have applications. Just wear something the customers will like, but nothing too sexy. The guys mostly control themselves, but they’re still
guys
at heart. We don’t want a brawl in here. You’ll be mostly behind the bar; Devon, our waiter, gets the tables. Not that I think anything will happen, but it’s probably safest that way. We don’t want to invite trouble,” John told her. He glanced again at the paper under his hand. “Although, I’d say with this defense training, you’d deal with the cowboys just fine if there was ever an incident.”

“Be here at three,” Brian said. “We close doors at eleven, and that’s when you’ll go home, too. Most of the cleanup is done during the last half hour, or by Dev or by us in the morning.”

“Eleven?” she asked in surprise. That sounded almost too good to be true. She’d been expecting to get home at three or four in the morning.

“Yeah, ranch owners appreciate our hours,” Brian answered. “Last call is at ten-thirty so we can get the cowboys out the door at a reasonable hour. When you have a staff, you’ll understand how important that is. Hung-over cowboys are grouchy and next to useless.”

“I can guess.” Her guys were always out the door before the sun. Staying out until the middle of the night wouldn’t work with their schedules.

She glanced at her watch. One-thirty already… She’d have to hurry to be back here by three. “If you don’t have any more questions or anything, I better run. I don’t want to be late on my first day.”

“Go,” Brian laughed.

Briar hustled out the door, wondering what she’d tell her men. She had no doubt there would be arguments about the bar job—maybe any job for that matter. Jax had mentioned he and Ram had the money to help her get by, but as far as she was concerned, taking care of finances was her responsibility. She didn’t want any of her cowboys, Cannon and Hawk included, feeling as if they were a burden on the Last Chance and offering to leave. The ranch needed workers, and the workers needed to be taken care of. As owner, that was her job to ensure, no matter what she had to do or, even, do without. If she spent as little of the ranch’s money as possible while they got things back in the black, then maybe the Last Chance could get out of this mess.

As luck had it, none of the men were near the house when she got home. Quickly, she ran upstairs to get clothing and sturdy shoes for that night. She stuffed them in a duffle then sprinted downstairs to leave the four men a note next to the Crock-Pot to tell them she’d be out with a friend all evening and she’d be home late. Guilt plagued her, but she knew lying to them was for the best, or they’d find a way to stop her before she even had a feel for the job. At least, she’d get through her first night without drama with her lovers.

Chapter Five

Jax scowled at the note in his hands. This was the third one in three nights, and he knew it was as much a lie as the previous two had been.

The first note had said she’d be out with a friend, but when she’d come home smelling of alcohol and smoke, he’d been suspicious. Perhaps she and an old friend actually
had
gone bar hopping in the city. He guessed that could be true. Still, she’d looked exhausted and, after a shower, had fallen into bed, barely noticing Jax and Ram climbing in with her.

Last night had been a repeat of that.

And tonight, she was gone again.

The past mornings, he and Briar had worked together in the office, but she’d been evasive about her whereabouts at night. She’d stuck to her story about going out with friends. Not wanting to push her, Jax hadn’t pressed. What footing did he have for demanding answers after just ten days? But, oh, he wanted to. He wanted to push hard, make her tell the truth then turn her over his knee and spank her hard—and then, maybe fuck her hard. It was base instincts at their worst, and he knew he couldn’t fold to them. Still, knowing that didn’t erase the instinctive need to make her tell him the truth and stop messing up things between her and the group.