Lily's Cowboys (8 page)

Helen smiled, “I don’t think the boys feel that way. From the looks they were giving you during dinner, I’d think they wanted it to be nothing but their business.”

Lily’s face flushed as she looked at Helen, “Helen, I don’t want the boys to think of me in that way. I’m just here temporarily.”

Helen looked at Lily surprised, “But, why? You couldn’t ask for any finer young men and if Ethan feels the same way… Well, you know they’ve been looking for one woman to fill their life.”

Lily smiled sadly at Helen, “Yes, but it’s not me. When they have healed enough and no longer need help it will be time for me to leave.”

Helen started to say something but Lily just shook her head not wanting to discuss it further. They finished cleaning the kitchen about the time Clive came in to say it was time to go. After that everyone left. Lily looked at the clock and was surprised at how late it was. Tomorrow would come early and there was always a lot that needed to be done.

“
Lily.” Allen said quietly from the doorway.

Lily looked around to see Allen and Caleb standing in the doorway watching her. Flushing a little, she licked her lips before replying, “Yes, Allen.”

Both men felt the impact of her shy tongue licking her lips. Unable to stay so far from her they both moved, each one approaching her from a different side of the table. Lily watched uneasily as both men moved toward her. She found herself trapped between them with no escape. Allen reached her first.

Cupping her face in his hands, he murmured, “I’m sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t have accused you of having sex with Harold and Brad.”

Lily licked her suddenly dry lips again, “No, you shouldn’t have.” She whispered turning to face him.

She felt the warmth from Caleb’s body behind her, pressing her closer to Allen. Caleb slid his arms around her waist holding her hips against the front bulge in his pants.

“
I’m sorry, Lily. I should never have accused you of having sex in my brother’s room.” Caleb said softly in her ear, before adding, “At least with someone else.”

Lily shivered as Caleb’s warm breath fanned her neck. She arched her neck to the side desperate to get away from the feelings washing over her. She was there for a reason, she reminded herself. She was there to help them, not be seduced by them. Not to fall in love with them. She had no room for falling in love. She had no future with them. It would only bring heartache.

Lily gasped when she felt Caleb’s lips on her neck. Arching backwards she unknowingly thrust her hips and breasts into Allen. Lily’s eyes swung around and locked onto Allen’s. She couldn’t look away. Allen groaned. He had dreamed of kissing Lily every night for over a week. Every day he thought about how she would taste. He had to know. Crushing her between his body and his brother’s he captured her lips drinking her in like a drowning man gasping for a breath.

“
What the hell is going on?” A voice demanded from the doorway.

Lily broke away from Allen and groaned. “You owe me twenty-five cents. Place the money in any of the cursing jars in the house.” She said huskily unable to break her heavy gaze from looking at Allen’s lips.

Allen rested his forehead on Lily’s while Caleb chuckled softly. “Bad timing, bro, but welcome home.”

Lily looked over to see the huge figure of Ethan Cunnings standing in the doorway. Smiling at him, Lily asked softly, “Are you hungry? I can warm you up some roasted chicken and vegetables. Or, I have some pie left.”

Ethan stood there for a moment and just watched as his brothers reluctantly let the petite female standing between them go. When he had first walked in he had thought it strange how quiet the house was. When he had left it had been filled with the sounds of crashing bottles and curses. He had come home a few days earlier than he had planned determined to get his family back on track. He definitely hadn’t been expecting to find his two brothers enjoying a feast. He had never been so turned on in his life as when he had watched his brothers kissing the girl, at least not until she had looked at him with desire laden eyes and asked him if he was hungry. Oh hell yeah he was hungry. She had the most incredible eyes. He just knew he could drown in them. He looked at her swollen lips and his mind seemed to short-circuit. He wanted to feel her lips wrapped around him.

“
I stopped on the way home.” Ethan replied huskily. He only had an appetite for one thing right now and she was standing there looking at him.

“
Oh, well. In that case, I’ll say goodnight to everyone.” Lily said with a forced smile. “Goodnight, Ethan. Goodnight, Allen. Goodnight, Caleb. See you in the morning.”

All three men stared in disbelief as Lily slipped around Caleb and closed the door to her bedroom. Running his hands through his hair, Caleb turned, leaned over and groaned. “I don’t fucking believe your timing, Ethan.”

“
Caleb?” A soft voice called out from behind the door.

“
Yes, Lily?” Caleb groaned.

“
You owe me another twenty-five cents. I heard that.”

Allen started chuckling softly at first, than it grew louder until it was a full-blown belly laugh. He was laughing so hard he couldn’t catch his breath. Soon, Caleb had joined him and then Ethan.

“
I don’t know what the hell we are laughing about but it sure sounds good to hear you two.” Ethan said.

“
Ethan.”

“
I know, I know. I owe you twenty-five cents.” Ethan called out. “Let’s go into the living room so we don’t disturb her.”

“
It won’t matter.” Allen warned. “If you cuss, she’ll know so be careful what you say. She made Brad pay up before he left here tonight for what he said to Caleb when he got home. I know she wasn’t anywhere near them to hear.”

Ethan walked into the living room. It was the same but it seemed different. He couldn’t quite put his finger on the change but it just felt warmer, more like a home. Turning to look at his brothers he was floored by the changes he saw in Allen. It had only been a little over a week since he had seen him but it was like looking at a totally different person.

“
Okay, which one of you are going to tell me who the hel… heck that was in the kitchen?” Ethan asked placing his hands on his hips.

Caleb glared at Ethan and Allen before shrugging his shoulders, “I just met her late this afternoon. All I know is her name is Lily and I’m staking my claim on her right now.”

Allen’s breath hissed out sharply, “Like hel…heck you are! She’s mine.”

Ethan glared at both of them before asking again, “Okay. First, tell me who the hell she is?” He didn’t care if he had to pay another twenty-five cents he wanted to know who the hell she was because he was going to stake his own God-damn claim.

Allen ran his hands through his hair again before waving his brothers towards the chairs. He sat heavily on the couch and stared at the fire a moment before answering, “Her name is Lily and she is the new housekeeper Maggie hired. She started a little over a week ago. The first time I met her she literally knocked me on my ass.” Allen grimaced and ran a hand down his face and looked at his two older brothers, “I just know since she came into my life I look forward to getting up in the morning and I haven’t needed a drink or had a nightmare. Hell, just thinking about her gives me a damn hard on.”

Both Caleb and Ethan absorbed the impact of what Allen was saying. Caleb looked at Ethan, “I just met her this afternoon but what I felt when I just heard her was almost enough to floor me.” He looked at Allen, “When I thought the two of you were getting it on in your bedroom upstairs it took everything I had in me not to join you. Probably the only thing stopping me was I needed a shave and shower. Later, when she ran into me and I held her in my arms I knew I wasn’t going to let her go.”

Caleb stood up and paced back and forth in front of the fireplace before turning and shoving his hands in his front pockets, “I want her and I don’t plan on giving her up.”

Ethan listened to both his brothers before replying, “I guess that makes three.” He responded quietly. “I don’t why but I know she was meant for me.” Looking at his brothers again, he corrected himself, “For us. It looks like we finally found the woman we’ve been wishing for. Now all we have to do is convince her.”

“
This is the first time she’s let me really touch her. We usually spend every evening in the den either talking or I like to listen to her read to me.” Allen said with a slight tinge of red seeping up his neck.

Caleb looked startled, “What was she doing in your bedroom upstairs then? I thought for sure you and her were an item.”

“
I don’t know. I’ve still been staying in the downstairs guest room.”

“
Well, maybe we’d better go check to see. I’d personally like to get her up in the master bedroom myself. Do any of you know her plans? Where’s she from? Does she have any family?” Ethan asked as he moved toward the front staircase.

Allen shook his head. “No. It’s strange. When we are together she is always asking questions about us. I never seemed to get a chance to ask her about herself.”

“
Well, that’s about to change.” Ethan replied looking at both his brothers. “I want to know everything about her. If she turns out to be some little gold-digger looking for a big haul we’ll deal with it but I want to know.”

Caleb started to say something but Ethan shook his head as he looked at him, “It won’t matter. She is ours. I just want to know her game plan so we can defuse any potential problems before they develop.”

“
I’m telling you, she’s not like that.” Allen said heatedly as he opened the door to his old bedroom, “Lily wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Allen turned on the light to his old room looking around in disbelief. The covers on the bed were turned down with colorful throw pillows arranged on it. It looked like it was ready for him to crawl into. On his dresser was a bouquet of flowers, their scent filling the air. All his clothes were placed neatly back in his closet. A new picture of him and his brothers taken a little over a year ago stood on one night stand. All three of them were on horseback and silhouetted by their home behind them. Allen remembered the day well. He, Caleb, and Ethan had left early to help with the round up. It had gone well and they had been enjoying being together, joking and cutting up all day just like when they were boys.

Allen was shaken because the picture seemed to speak about everything that was important to him, home and family. He blinked back tears as he realized how close he had come to forgetting that over the past eight months. It humbled him to realize how much pain he had inflected on his family because of his own anger.

Ethan laid his hand on Allen’s shoulder seeming to understand what was going through his mind. “Welcome home, Allen.” He said quietly before turning and leaving the room.

Caleb just nodded to Allen before he left too. Allen stood there for several minutes trying to get his feelings under control. Gently shutting the door he went over and sat on the edge of the bed. For the first time since his capture and release he cried. He cried for his lost friends and comrades, he cried for the loss of his parents, he cried for the pain he had inflected on those he loved, but most of all he cried for the life he almost threw away out of selfishness.

Lily paused as she felt the shift in the house. It wasn’t anything she could put her finger on, more like a feeling something big had just taken place. With a smile, she finished brushing out her long hair. The brothers were reunited again. Things were going well, she thought sadly, a little too well. If the brothers once again realized how much they needed each other than her job here would be finished. It would be time to go again. Laying the brush down on the vanity, Lily pulled out a ragged journal opening it up to a new page.