Cameron, Paige - Commando Cowboys Rescue Their Bride [Wyoming Warriors 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) (16 page)

“I don’t think so.”

She turned from where she had started to look for wood. For a moment, his expression stopped her breath. Sincerity shown on his face and—she wasn’t sure what else. She didn’t want to know, at least not right now. Making herself turn away, she moved along the riverbank in search of firewood.

* * * *

He wanted to pick her up, and bury himself in her sweet, rounded, delectable body. But they had to talk. What happened last night had haunted him all day. Her sweetness, the softness of her body, and the feeling of wanting to protect her and care for her surprised him. And he realized her reaction to him and Ethan worried her.

In a way, he was glad. It showed her determination, in spite of the strong draw between them, to do the right thing. She thought it had to be either him or Ethan, and it was tearing her apart. Still, when he explained she could have both of them, he had no idea how she’d react.

After finding a stick, he fastened the line and tried to keep his mind on the business of catching their dinner. When they finished eating, he’d tell her she had choices. What would happen then, he didn’t know. But he and Ethan had to convince her to stay.

Last night she’d not only wrapped her body around his, but she’d also wrapped herself around his heart. All the attempts he’d made to try and deny his feelings had failed miserably. When he went by the cabin today and found it empty, fear had grabbed him so hard he had almost ripped the door off its hinges getting outside to his truck to hunt her down. Luckily, he spotted Marie and her little boy. When he stopped and asked if she’d seen Morgan, she’d told him where to find her.

His line yanked, and brought his attention back to the task at hand. In a few minutes, he caught two good-size fish.

Morgan had gathered a pile of sticks and some rocks. He looked at them, and then at her.

A girlish smile crossed her face. “I read a book once where the cowboy set the fire inside a ring of rocks.” A blush spread across her face.

“Smart girl. Thanks.” Justin started the fire and soon had the fish sizzling in the frying pan. He opened a can of beans and poured them into another small pan he’d removed from her bedroll. Looking around, he saw Morgan had gone to the river, taken off her boots, rolled her jeans up, and walked along the sandy edge.

“It’s cold,” she said, seeing him looking at her. “Feels good.”

When the meal was done, he called to her. She grabbed her boots and hurried to the fire.

“The air gets cold around here when the sun starts going down. I’m glad you reminded me to bring my jacket.” She went to her horse and got the jacket she’d thrown across her saddle. He handed her a tin plate loaded with fish and beans, and a fork to eat with.

“All the comforts of home. Thank you.”

They sat side by side leaning against a large tree. The sun was setting, leaving behind streaks of gold and red that slowly faded to darkness.

“Thank goodness for the full moon and zillion stars, or it’d really be dark out here.”

“Scared a big, bad animal will eat you?” Justin teased.

“No. I have a bigger, and very dangerous, animal right here beside me.”

“Right.”

They laughed, and by an unspoken agreement kept the conversation light throughout the meal. They sipped water from Justin’s canteen and finished all the food.

“For dessert.” Justin went to her horse and got her canteen. He loved the way her eyes sparkled and opened wide when he surprised her. “Taste.”

She took a swallow, raised her eyebrow, and asked, “It’s a liqueur, right?”

“Yes. Grand Marnier.” He took a sip.

“Warms the body, but may muddle my head. No more until we talk,” she said.

“Good idea.” Justin screwed the top back on. “Let’s talk.”

“I’d like to move closer to the fire, where I can see your face.” Morgan got up and walked toward the dying fire.

Justin put a few more sticks on to burn, and made seats for them out of the blankets he’d brought. Morgan sank gracefully onto hers. He enjoyed watching her. Her movements were fluid, like a dancer’s, and her face showed every expression, even when she tried to hide them.

“You’re staring at me.”

“I am. Guess I’m stalling. First I have to tell you that if you decide to leave the ranch and go away permanently, you have to forget us completely.”

“I don’t understand. You’re right I will have to leave. I can’t choose between the two of you. But forget you? I doubt that’s possible.”

“We do important work for the government. It’s never talked about outside of our own community unless absolutely necessary. Because of the way Ethan and I feel about you, there is a need for you to be given some information. We took a chance bringing you here.”

“I don’t understand.”

“What I’m about to tell you is not known outside our ranch.” He took a deep breath. “In our community, it’s acceptable for two men to have one wife. In fact, it’s encouraged.” There, he got the words out. He wasn’t much good at long conversations. Ethan was much better. He could talk the ear off an old sow when he got going on a subject he was interested in. It had caused him to be teased when he was younger. His buddies were sure he’d end up going to Washington in some political job. Justin smiled at the memory.

“What?”

While he’d been thinking of Ethan, Morgan had been looking at him with shock on her face.

“Yes, so you don’t have to choose between us.”

“Ethan is agreeable to this arrangement?”

Justin nodded his head. Her expression wasn’t too encouraging. He should have waited for Ethan to sweet-talk her.

“Is the idea impossible for you to conceive?”

“I never even thought about such a marriage. Tell me about you and this community.”

“I can only say so much. If we marry, then all your questions will be answered. You’d have to love us enough to trust us about the things we can’t share.”

“By wedding, you mean one where all three of us are married to each other?”

“Well, one where you’d be my wife, and Ethan’s.”

“Tell me about the two of you. I sense something different about you both. Like on the day Ethan had the fight with Bill and his expression changed, his eyes were scary. His scent, not unpleasant, but different.”

Justin hesitated. “We have unique abilities that enable us to do our jobs for the government. Our five senses are stronger than the usual person’s. We each have certain abilities that may be different even from each other. We’re also much stronger than men outside of our community.

“We don’t advertise our uniqueness. People in town believe we just run our ranch. But we also do secret missions others can’t or won’t attempt. That’s all I can tell you at this time. I’m trusting you won’t talk about this to the others or ask them questions?”

“I won’t promise not to discuss what you’ve told me with Sara.”

“That’s all right.” At some point he’d taken hold of her hand. She pulled free of his grip and stood.

Morgan strode across to where the horses were tied. “Take me back to the cabin, please. I need time alone to think about what you’ve told me.”

They didn’t talk. Justin put out the fire and gathered the items he’d brought along. He quickly secured them in the blankets and fastened the rolls behind their horses.

Morgan waited by her horse. Her head turned away from him.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

He gave her a boost onto her saddle. Then they began the long trek back. The moon and stars lit their way. Damn, he hadn’t handled this situation well. As they got close and saw the buildings in the distance, he slowed and turned toward Morgan.

“Ethan wants to marry you, even if you don’t want to marry us both. Have I scared you away with what I said?”

She bit the edge of her bottom lip, sending heat straight to his unruly cock.
Down boy, there won’t be any lovin’ tonight
.

“Are you all right with that—if I decided to marry Ethan and not you?”

“I’d go away. Live somewhere else.” The words came out before he could try to gloss over the situation.

She turned back in the direction they were heading, and encouraged her mare to go faster. An uncomfortable ache settled in his chest. He was almost sure this wasn’t going to work out well for any of them.

She rode directly to the cabin and dismounted, handing the reins to Justin. He saw the sparkle of tears in her eyes when she looked up at him.

“You and Ethan are very close. I’d never get between your friendship. Right now I don’t see myself marrying both of you, or choosing between you. And I don’t know what to think about the other information you told me.” She waved and ran to her door.

He waited, hoping she’d return, but the door shut and the light went on in her bedroom. How in the hell had it all gone so wrong? He should have waited for Ethan. They’d have talked with her together.

Turning his stallion toward the barn, he led the mare along with them. He hadn’t told her Ethan and the crew were due back tomorrow for a few days. Maybe Ethan would be able to change her mind.

Feeling irritable, angry, and sad, he was glad he had the horses to take care of before he went home. He’d work off his frustration, at least part of it.

Chapter Ten

Ethan slipped into his and Justin’s cabin expecting to find his brother asleep. Justin had come out of his chair before the door had opened completely.

“Whoa, Justin, it’s only me,” Ethan said, noting the tension in Justin’s muscles. “I thought you’d be in bed long ago.” He glanced at the wall clock. “One o’clock and you still awake must mean trouble.”

“I’m afraid I’ve ruined things for both of us with Morgan,” Justin blurted out.

“I’ll make coffee while you tell me what’s been happening.”

Justin followed Ethan into the kitchen and sank into one of the chairs by the table. He gave a quick recap of all that had occurred since Morgan arrived.

“She really threw mud in your face?” Ethan grinned.

“Yeah, the guys have ribbed me every since, and the wives said it was about time I met a woman that would stand up to me.” He shrugged. “It was funny after I got over being mad. But let me finish and tell you about the real disaster tonight. You know me. I’m not eloquent like you. I messed it up, but maybe it didn’t matter. She doesn’t like the idea of two husbands, and I may have scared her talking about our unique differences.”

Ethan sat a coffee cup in front of Justin. “Start at the first and tell me all of it.”

After Justin finished, Ethan tried to think of some way they might change her mind. He wasn’t going to give up until they’d tried at least once or twice more to convince her to marry them. Mitch’s ultimatum made one of them marrying her impossible. Neither of them would be happy having to live outside the community. The ranch was an integral part of their lives. Others had left, and most seemed happy, but it just wouldn’t work for them.

“How long are you going to be here?” Justin asked.

“Not long enough. We’re waiting for word of a meeting with the head guy. Bill has supposedly gone to arrange our get-together, but neither Daren nor I trust him. I suspect he realized who I was when I went into warrior mode and beat him up after he insulted Morgan.

“We’re concerned he might decide to come here and bring others with him. I went by and saw Sahale on my way here tonight. He’s going out on rounds to check the cattle, and to look at all the perimeters. He has an uncanny ability to sense if strangers are around.”