Shared By the Cowboys by Cassie Cole

43

Rebecca

I thought I was going to die.

When I lost my balance and fell from the saddle, part of my brain accepted that it was over. That this was the end. The wolves would pounce on me like I was an unlucky calf who had strayed from the herd.

But Wildfire didn’t abandon me. The Mustang spun around, running back at me and charging the wolves directly. They scattered in surprise, giving the horse enough time to stand over me so I could get to my feet. And then, as the wolves circled, he shielded me with his body and kicked at the air.

It was a futile gesture that wouldn’t have mattered, but the animal protected me anyway.

Except it wasn’t futile, because it bought us just enough time for the Cassidy brothers to arrive. Blake’s shotgun cracked like a whip, then a second time, and when the three cowboys rode forward to protect me, the wolves fled as fast as they could.

“You deserve a carrot,” I told Wildfire. “Or an apple.”

“Hell, give him some hard apple cider,” Cody said. “He earned it!”

Blake kept an arm around me like he wasn’t about to let go any time soon. He used his free hand to touch Wildfire’s saddle. “The strap broke. Looks like one of the wolves tore it.”

“You can ride with me,” Mason said atop his horse.

Blake glared up at him. “She’s with me.” His tone brook no argument.

I rode in the front of Blake’s saddle, with his legs straddling mine and his cock pressed against my ass. He held me to him with one arm while using the other to control the reins. I closed my eyes and felt safe as we rode home.

“The former owners kept mentioning wolves,” Cody babbled on as we rode. “Was wonderin’ when we’d finally see some. Didn’t expect it to be like this, though. No sir. At least you have a good story to tell, huh?”

“I do,” I said softly.

Mason rode in silence. I glanced over at him and wished I knew what he was thinking behind those brown eyes.

He’s not going to forgive me, I thought sadly.

Terry’s rental car was still at the ranch when we got back. We stabled the horses and walked into the house.

“What was that about?” she demanded when we came through the door. “One minute I’m on the phone with Random House, and the next minute the three of you are riding away like it’s a race.”

“Wolves,” I said. “I was attacked by wolves. The guys saved me.”

“Oh.” She looked at each of them, then back at me. “You see, this is why I like the city. There aren’t wolf attacks in Great Falls or Missoula. Anywho, let’s get back to business. The sooner we finish negotiations, the sooner I can return to New York.”

“Please wait in the other room,” Mason said in a deadly-quiet voice. “We need to talk to Rebecca.”

“I don’t think you understand what I went through to get here so quickly,” she replied. “My time is valuable, and…”

One look from Mason made her trail off. She opened her mouth, closed it again, then curtly walked out to the front porch.

Blake put a blanket around my shoulders and sat me in the chair next to the crackling fire. After being out in the cold, the warmth helped me relax. I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them again all three Cassidy brothers were standing in front of me.

It felt like I was on trial, but with three judges instead of one.

“Tell me everything,” Mason said. “From the start.”

And so I did.

I told them I grew up on a ranch an hour from here. I explained that I went to school in Missoula for creative writing, not agriculture. I took part-time jobs while getting on my feet as an aspiring writer, and eventually turned to it full-time. I slowly built up a loyal following, which grew with every novel. My last two books were bestsellers.

And then I told them how I wanted to write a book that took place on a ranch, just like the one I grew up on. But I needed a fresh experience with cowboys I had never met before. Something to compare against my memories on my family ranch.

“I didn’t want to tell you I was writing a book,” I explained numbly, “because you might not act natural if you knew. You would put on a show. I needed your behavior to be authentic. My original intention was to reveal my motives at the end of the three-month contract, but then…”

“Then we slept together,” Mason said.

I nodded. “And then we slept together. And before I could figure out what to do next, you confided in me about your previous wife, and the relationship with all three of you, and then things moved really fast and it was too late to tell you even though I wanted to, and Terry insisted I write a book about a polyamorous relationship…”

Blake knelt at my side and rubbed my leg. “Relax. Breathe. Take your time.”

I nodded and caught my breath before continuing.

“I made the decision to stay longer than my contract. But I was waiting to sort things out with my agent, Terry, before I told you. Rather than tell her the truth, I lied to her and claimed you guys disapproved of the book being written. That way I could stop writing it, she would get off my back, and I could write a different book that didn’t resemble Cassidy ranch so closely.”

“So you weren’t just writin’ any old book,” Cody said. “You were writin’ one about us? Like, the three of us sharin’ a woman?”

“Something close to that, yes,” I admitted. “It was wrong to do that without talking to you first. And it was wrong to lie to you about my intentions here. It’s just a stupid book. I don’t care about it, especially when compared to the love I have for you three. You’re so much more to me than just another novel. Can… can you forgive me?”

Blake smiled warmly at me. Cody looked like he wanted to forgive me, too. But he looked at Mason for guidance.

The eldest Cassidy brother studied my face, like I was a map he was trying to memorize before a trip. I wanted to look away, to stare at the ground or the wall or anywhere else, but I made myself meet his gaze.

“My first impulse?” he finally said. “No. I couldn’t forgive you. I was ready to write you off the moment you ran from this room.”

My stomach twisted, and I nodded slowly.

“But while we were riding up into the mountains? I couldn’t stop thinking about you, Rebecca. I was terrified that something had happened to you. That we’d find your body, torn open by those animals. I saw your lifeless eyes in my head.”

Blake dipped his head and nodded in agreement.

“And I realized,” Mason went on, “that there are worse things than being lied to. Losing you would be much, much worse—whether we lost you to the wolves, or lost you as our partner. Before we saw you and Wildfire? I couldn’t bear it. I thought I had lost you, and it tore me up inside.”

There was a shimmering wetness in his hazel-brown eyes, and he quickly blinked the tears away.

“Once we did find you, it felt like I had found a winning lottery ticket. It felt like I had been given another chance. And I’m not the kind of man who can turn that down.”

“So you forgive me?” I whispered.

Mason’s jaw clenched, and he spoke with sadness rather than anger. “I want to forgive you. I really do. But trust is hard to earn back once it’s lost. You said we’re more important to you than your novel. It’s going to take a while before I truly believe that. You understand?

I didn’t know what to say to him. He was right: it was going to take a while to build back that trust. If only there were a way to prove that I wasn’t just using them, that I cared about them more than any book…

I sat up straight. “I have an idea. Wait here.”

I rushed upstairs to my bedroom and returned with my laptop. All three brothers watched me with confusion as I returned to my spot by the fire.

If I were to convince Mason that what I said was true, I needed a grand gesture. Something dramatic to prove how much they meant to me.

So I tossed my laptop into the fireplace.