Shared By the Cowboys by Cassie Cole

29

Rebecca

For the next few weeks, we were so busy at Cassidy Ranch that the days blended together.

I tended to my normal chores with the chickens and goats and Bessie, then filled in wherever the guys needed me. I finished repairing the leaks in the stable, then helped Blake construct the fence along the river. He was still mostly a quiet guy, but it was a different kind of quiet now. Content rather than annoyed.

Not to mention all the grab-ass we played while working. Based on how often he liked to pinch me, he was definitely an ass man.

I started sleeping with a different guy almost every night. Cody walked right into my room one night, closing the door and stripping off his clothes, then striking a sexy pose with his hands on his hips and only his cowboy hat on his head.

“Howdy,” he said in a lusty tone that was so ridiculous I busted up laughing.

“Well shit,” he said with a boyish grin. “I dunno if I’ll be able to get it up after having you laugh at my junk.”

“I’m not laughing at it, I’m laughing at you,” I said, tossing aside the covers. “Get in here and warm me up.”

He dove into me like he’d been thinking about it all day.

The next night Mason caught me brushing my teeth in the bathroom. He jerked his head to follow him, then disappeared from the doorway. I finished brushing and then went into his bedroom, closing the door behind me. The two of us locked together like magnets, tearing our clothes off and surrendering to the mindless drive of our bodies.

One thing was certain: I wasn’t getting much writing done. But I didn’t mind.

My agent, however…

Terry tried calling me one day, and then again two days later. I ignored both calls. Part of me wanted to talk to her, to tell someone about all the fun I was having, but I knew she would twist my enthusiasm into a way to improve the book I was writing. Right now I wanted to enjoy what I was doing, without it being tainted by ulterior motives.

I wish I could tell them, I thought while cuddling with Blake one night. But I knew it was too late for that. If I came clean now, after I had slept with all three of them, they wouldn’t forgive me. They would accuse me of using them and the ranch for my own purposes.

And what stung the most? They would be right.

The next thing for me to tackle were the crops. I did so much research on how to harvest lentils and field peas that when it came time to cut them down, I felt like I did have a degree in agriculture.

“Give the plants a little shake,” I said as the four of us walked through the rows of crops. “Hear that rattling sound? It means the pods are mature enough to harvest.”

The plants had to be yanked out by the roots, which was long, hard work without heavy machinery. I began to see why the previous owners of the ranch had only planted two small fields. Anything larger than that would have required a sizable investment in cultivators, tillers, and plows.

It took six hours to harvest all the lentils and field peas. When we were done, we laid the full plants out in the sun behind the barn.

“We’ll dry them until they turn brown,” I explained. “Should take a week, maybe two. Thankfully there’s no rain in the forecast.”

Mason pulled off his cowboy hat so he could wipe the sweat from his forehead. “Got any ideas about a winter crop?”

“A winter crop? Um, I haven’t really thought much about it…”

Cody bobbed his head. “The family we bought the ranch from mentioned carrots or radishes. But they said they sometimes don’t survive if we get a real long freeze.”

I faked a grimace and nodded. “It’s a lot of work with not much return. We can try if you guys want…” My tone made it clear what I thought of that idea.

“We’ve got enough work on our plate,” Mason said. “Be thinking about the spring, though. If you stay, I mean.”

“Yeah, definitely,” I said. “What about hay? For two hundred head of cattle, you’ll need a lot of hay come winter.”

“That’s on the future list,” Mason explained. “For now, we’ve got contracts to buy what we need from neighboring ranches.”

Cody and I worked on Wildfire that afternoon. The black Mustang still refused to let the men anywhere near him, but he had become fond of me. Well, maybe not fond. But he tolerated me enough to feed him.

After a few carrots, I managed to get the saddle over him. Ten minutes later I managed to tighten the straps to hold it into place.

“Atta girl,” Cody said. “You fixin’ to ride him today?”

I was exhausted from harvesting the lentils and field peas, but now that there was a saddle on the horse it was tough to say no.

“Think I’ll try,” I replied.

“Be careful.”

I spent a few minutes soothing the horse and getting him used to my voice and the saddle. Then I stuck a foot into the stirrup and mounted up.

Wildfire snorted and stepped sideways, but he didn’t buck. I tensed and gripped the pommel tightly, waiting for things to go south, but then the horse relaxed.

I tightened the strap of my hat, took a deep breath, and nodded at Cody. “Okay. Open the gate.”

He hesitated. “You don’t want to just ride him around the pen?”

“He needs to let out some energy,” I said. “Once he does that, I can work with him better.”

The handsome blond looked like he wanted to argue with me, but then he popped the latch and swung the gate open.

Wildfire walked toward the opening. I could sense his suspicion, like this was some sort of a trap. Cody backed away as we passed through, turning toward the open ranch land.

Then Wildfire let loose. He shot forward, beating his legs with furious fervor, intent on being free.

“Be careful!” was the last thing I heard Cody shout before we raced away from the ranch.

I dipped my head low over the Mustang’s neck as he galloped over one hill and down the other. Riding an unbroken horse was totally different than riding one of the others. Even when Beans was galloping, he was hesitant like he was waiting for a command from the rider. He was tame.

But Wildfire shot across the land with unrestrained strength, hooves thundering into the ground. For several minutes I simply hung on for dear life as he savored his freedom.

Eventually, he slowed on his own accord as he grew tired. He caught a glimpse of the river to the right and turned that way, pausing when we reached the edge so he could bend down and drink.

“Good boy,” I said soothingly. “You’ve worked up a thirst.”

When he had quenched himself, I used the reins to turn him to the right, back the way we came. He resisted for a moment, tugging on the bit in his mouth, but then decided to turn in that direction like it was what he wanted all along.

I spent the next ten minutes slowly guiding him with the reins. Getting him used to the idea of doing what I said rather than what he wanted. By the time we rode back to the ranch, he was downright obedient.

Cody tipped his hat as I rode up. “I won’t lie, Becca. I’m mighty impressed.”

Mason was standing on the front porch, arms crossed and a huge smile on his face. I gave him a playful little wave.

“He’s your horse now, that’s for certain,” Cody said. “I’ll never get him to obey me like that.”

I beamed with pride as I dismounted and led him into the stable.

“Can I ask you something?”

Cody closed the stall door on the horse. “Becca, you can ask me anything.”

“Why’d you name him Wildfire?” I asked. “Don’t get me wrong, it suits him. But it’s nothing like the other names. Bucket, Poptart, Beans…”

“Well shit,” Cody said, scratching his blond hair under his cowboy hat. “I thought if I gave him a silly name it’d just piss him off more!”

“So you’re cool with me renaming him?”

“Depends. What do ya have in mind?”

“I was thinking Hot Pocket. Since he looks calm on the outside, but is as hot as lava on the inside!”

Cody’s rich laughter filled the barn as we put away the horse tack.