Valentine Cowboys (6 page)

He’d given her both of their numbers. They really were close friends, living, working, drinking together. Time to find out what else they did together—besides her last night.

She took a deep breath and dialed the top number on the napkin. A masculine voice answered. She hesitated a beat. It was hard to tell which one it was over the phone. “Hi, it’s Melody.”

“Melody. Hi, it’s Justus.”

Justus had written his number first. That made sense and made it easier. Justus was less intimidating than Dakota. Even so, she longed to stall, delay the conversation that had her hands shaking and her heart pounding. “Are you busy?”

“Nah. Not so much. Just finished throwing some hay to the horses. Now I’m gonna go find Dakota. He was out checking on the herd. What are you doing?”

“I’m at school.” She let out a short laugh at how strange that sounded. “I just had my interview today.”

“Great. How’d it go?”

“All right, but there’s someone else they interviewed too so I don’t know what’ll happen. I have to wait for them to decide.”

“I’m sure you’ll get it.” Justus’s firm tone left no doubt in her mind that he wanted her to stick around town.

“Thanks.” His confidence in her was nice. She only wished she shared it. And she had to wonder if Dakota felt the same.

Dakota was by far the bigger puzzle to her. Angry about some imagined twelve-year-old transgression on her part one moment, cradling her against his chest as she came the next. Marking her neck, as if he was staking his claim on her. She reached up and touched the spot where she’d covered the bruise with makeup for her interview. Good thing it was cold out so she could wrap a scarf around her neck too.

“So, uh, did you think at all about this thing with us?” Justus’s voice brought her back from memories of last night and to the present, as well as the situation she had yet to deal with. He was so damn cute as he asked the question. Kind of hesitant and hopeful at the same time. Melody smiled even as her pulse pounded harder.

“I’ve thought a lot about it.” She’d done nothing but think about it.

Justus paused a beat. “And?”

“And I have a question for you first.”

“For me? Okay. Shoot.”

Melody swallowed and forged ahead. “Have you and Dakota ever done this kind of thing before? Both of you with one girl?”

“No. Never.” There was no hesitation before his answer.

She believed him. “Then why now? Why me?”

“Twelve years ago Dakota and I made a pact we’d never let a girl break up our friendship. If one of us went after you, the other one would be left out in the cold. This is the only way.”

“Sharing me is the only way to preserve your friendship?” she asked with a laugh.

“I know it sounds nuts. Hell, it is kind of crazy, but I think it’s working. At least I thought last night was pretty great. Wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was.” She couldn’t lie to him about it. She sure as hell couldn’t pretend she hadn’t come. It had been pretty obvious to everyone in that truck, and probably anyone walking by who might have heard her. Melody’s cheeks flushed with heat at that thought. “Justus, what if I get the job? You know then I’ll be moving back to town again.”

“That’d be great.” His enthusiasm traversed the phone lines.

Great
wasn’t the adjective that came to Melody’s mind. If they had their little threesome, their relationship afterward would be awkward. Embarrassing. Doomed. All better descriptors than great, but only if she let this situation go any further than it already had. She could write off last night as a bad decision. Some heavy petting that didn’t go too far. Hell, last night wasn’t much more than kissing really.

She remembered Justus and Dakota’s hands on her, inside her, Dakota touching her in a place no one ever had before. She knew her justification was bullshit. It had been much more than kissing and the mere memory of it had her insides twisting, wanting more.

Melody drew in a shaky breath. “All right.”

“All right? You mean—”

“I made my decision and yes, I think I want to see you two again.”

Justus whooped in her ear. “That’s great. Wait until I tell Dakota.”

Great, now he’d go rushing off and tell Dakota they were going to get lucky tonight. She began to feel like this was a huge mistake. More, she began to feel like a whore. “Justus?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not sure I’m ready for sex yet.”

“Wait. You’re a virgin?” The shock in his tone made her laugh.

“No. I don’t sleep around but no, I’m not a virgin. I’ve definitely had sex before.” Though her college boyfriend never knew how to touch her the way these two cowboys had last night.

“Phew. How about this…what if we meet and have a beer and see how the three of us get along?”

“Like a three-way date?”

“Yes, but only we’ll know that. To everyone else, it’ll look like three old friends hanging out.”

“And then?”

“And then it’ll end just like any other date. Dakota and I will try and kiss you goodnight and hope you’ll let me…I mean us.”

She smiled. “I’ll let you kiss me.”

“And more?” There was a smile in Justus’s voice.

If last night was any indication, yeah, she’d let him do more. Melody laughed. “Maybe. Okay, we’ll give this thing a try. Tonight?”

“We’ve got some stuff happening here at the ranch that needs our attention. One of the heifers is close to calving. Can I get back to you after I check with Dakota?”

Calving. Jeez, she’d forgotten how rural her hometown was after living in the city for so long. “Sure. Just let me know.”

“Will do, and Melody, I had a really good time last night and I’m really looking forward to our date, and that kiss.”

She smiled. What the hell, might as well tell him the truth. “Me too, Justus.”

Damn. Now her panties were wet, just from his voice and the promise of a kiss. She was in big trouble. If she was put under the spell of those two again, she had a feeling there’d be a whole lot more than a good night kiss, and maybe that wouldn’t be bad.

Hell, chances were she wouldn’t get this job. Having two guys to soothe her damaged psyche and make her forget reality for a little bit, two really nice guys at that, in spite of this crazy plan, might be exactly what she needed. Between student loans, her parents, and rejections from countless job applications, it was amazing to Melody she managed to get up and dressed every day. Some mornings she had to fight the urge to crawl into a ball and hide under the covers all day.

The only reason she’d even been in the bar last night was because she’d seen a help-wanted sign in the window and figured it couldn’t hurt to explore her options. Fine arts degree or not, a job was a job, even if it was slinging beer at the local hangout. Unfortunately, it had been for a part-time dishwasher and paid minimum wage, no tips.

Wrong or not, being with Justus and Dakota made her feel alive again. Made her forget her worries, at least for a little while. Made her remember the good old days and simpler times, when the only thing to worry about was if the boy in the row next to her liked her or not.

She smiled. He liked her all right. So did the boy next to him. And she liked them too.

Dakota blew out a long breath. “Hell, I’m worried about her too. Besides being a first-calf heifer, she’s small. We should have kept her away from the big bulls and only let her breed with one on the small side.

Justus frowned. “None of the Maverick bulls are small. We’re known for the size of our animals.”

Dakota sighed. “Doesn’t matter now. We gotta deal with it ourselves.”

“Damn, I hope that calf is at least facing the right way.” Justus glanced up at Dakota. “What if it’s not?”

His friend shrugged beneath the bulk of his jacket. “Then we’ll have to call the vet.”

Emergency vet visits cost money. That cut into profits. “Blue rotated that one calf himself last year.”

“That one wasn’t breech, it was just turned the wrong way. And besides, Blue’s not here.”

No, he wasn’t, but Justus sure wished he were. This would be the first time Blue wasn’t here during calving season. That meant this would be the first time he and Dakota were all on their own. They definitely had to call Blue.

Justus realized his cell phone was still in his hand and the reason he’d come to find Dakota in the first place hit him. “Aw, crap.”

“What?”

“Melody called.” Justus held the phone up. “That’s what I was on my way to tell you. She wants to go out.”

“She wants to go out?” Dakota’s eyebrows shot up. “With both of us, like I said? Why did she call your phone? What exactly did she say?”

Fragments from the conversation swirled in Justus’s mind, along with the realization Dakota was acting a little jealous that Melody had called his phone. He’d gone along with this crazy plan because everything had moved so fast, and was so crazy with them and Melody in the truck. Her pants half off, his hands all over her, but now Justus realized Dakota was right. This situation was a firestorm waiting to happen.

It had to be completely even between them both or nothing at all. If Justus went out with Melody alone, it could very well cost him his friendship with Dakota. At the very least it would change it. He’d known it on some level before but now he really felt it as Dakota glared at him—Melody had to be with them both or not at all. And how the fuck would that work in the long run? Justus couldn’t imagine it. He couldn’t think that far ahead. It hurt his head and his heart because he knew the answer. The three of them couldn’t work for more than a short fling. The local pastor wouldn’t exactly agree to marry them all, now would he?

Justus shook the disturbing thoughts from his head. He couldn’t deal with them now. And maybe that was the answer. Have fun and enjoy being with her while they could and deal with the future later.

He blew out a breath and watched it freeze in the air before him. “She said lots of things, and she called my phone because I wrote my number first, but I guess we’ll have plenty of time to talk about it while we’re waiting it out in the calving shed all night.”

This would take all night, too. Older cows could deliver in two hours, but first-calf heifers could take six hours, and that’s even if things went smoothly. He better go tell Mrs. Jones they wouldn’t be eating dinner inside either. They’d have to eat something they could bring with them to the shed. Damn, this night was gonna suck. Just when he thought they’d be enjoying a beer, and hopefully more, in the company of Melody, they’d have to put off their fun until tomorrow night.

Justus looked up at Dakota, who was frowning at him. “Okay, listen. I’m gonna go tell Mrs. Jones what’s going on and that we’ll be missing dinner. You go back to the shed, check on the heifer and call Blue. Then I’ll meet you there and we’ll call Melody together and figure out when we’ll be able to see her. All right?”

“All right, but you and I are going to talk about that phone call and how this is going to work.” Dakota scowled.

“We will. No problem.” Justus went to turn toward the house and then turned back. “Dakota?”