He pressed his lips to her temple, so sleep warm and soft— Damn, leaving her was tough. Now he understood better why Blake was a grumpy ass some mornings.

He dragged on his things from the night before, eyeing his watch on the drive to the ranch. He had enough time to grab a coffee and change so he didn’t get his good clothes wrecked.

He slipped into the trailer and pulled to a stop. Jesse rotated from where he was holding up the kitchen counter, coffee pot bubbling away beside him.

His twin looked him over. “Walk of shame, eh?”

“Like you haven’t come home wearing the same clothes before.” Joel breathed in deep, the scent of caffeine nudging the back of his brain. “You make enough coffee for two?”

“Of course.” Jesse cleared his throat. “Everything okay last night? You took off like a shotgun blast.”

Joel grabbed the cream and sugar while he waited for the coffee to be ready. “Had a bit of trouble, but it worked out okay.”

“Really.”

They waited in silence, and it was the weirdest thing. Jesse didn’t look too happy. Joel scrambled for a reason. “You pissed because I spent the night with her?”

Jesse shook his head. “I told you what I thought, you told me. It’s none of my business, right? Only…”

Dead silence again.

Awkward, and confusing. This wasn’t how it was around Jesse, ever. They were both upfront and honest.

This tension between them was stupid. Joel chose to ignore it, looking instead for a few other answers. “Last night did you hear anyone talking about Vicki?”

Jesse snorted. “Um, yeah.”

Asshole. “I don’t mean the usual, I mean anything out of the norm.” Maybe Vicki wouldn’t appreciate him sharing this, but he had to know. “Someone hit her.”

Jesse tensed. “Hit her? Like how?”

“Across the face. Some woman called her a whore. That’s why I left so fast. She was pretty shaken up.”

“Fuck.” Jesse stared out the window. “Yeah, some of the guys were talking about the Hansols. Sarah got caught in Mike Lanhott’s bed.”

“And someone must have mistakenly pointed out Vicki as Sarah.” Joel had been right. How the hell could he help Vicki when idiots like that decided to cause trouble? “Whoever it was needs a butt-kicking.”

Jesse seemed to jerk himself to attention. He fiddled around as he filled two travel mugs and handed one over. “I asked you before if you knew what you’re doing. I’ll ask again. This seems like a crazy situation. You really want to get in the middle of it?”

“Damn it, Jesse, enough. I’m in the middle, there’s no changing that.”

Jesse literally backed off, pacing to the far side of the room. “Fine. Don’t bite my head off more than you’ve been doing. It was just a—”

“What the hell does that mean?” Joel put his cup down and glared at his brother. “When did I bite your head off?”

“Lately? Every time I ask your plans. Or when I suggest we go do something.”

“Bullshit.”

“Not bullshit.” Jesse grabbed his coat. “I’m starting chores. I’ll meet you there.”

The door slammed behind him as he left.

Joel thought through the past days as he got changed then headed over to the ranch. It was no use, though. He had no idea what the fuck Jesse was moaning about.

It was a couple hours later before he tracked him down, both of them working opposite sides of the chore list until finally meeting. Jesse’s odd behavior aside, Joel was frustrated by the menial jobs today. Chores were far more boring when done alone, and he missed having someone to help pass the time. Not that they ever talked much, only there was a rhythm in two people doing familiar tasks.

He found Jesse in the feed room, loading sacks. “Way to hold a conversation there, bro. Walking out gets us to the bottom of things fast.”

Jesse shrugged. “You didn’t really want to talk. You want to drive to the back to check the breeding stock or deal the sheep?”

“Why don’t we do them together?”

“Nope. Don’t feel like wasting my entire morning with you.”

What the hell? “You’ve got a mighty big chip on your shoulder, jerk.”

Jesse dropped the bag he’d just tied, standing and glaring Joel’s direction. “You want to lay off. Trust me on this one, bro.”

“Tell me what’s wrong, asshole.”

“You’re too busy.” Jesse slammed out the door. Again.

What the fuck was his problem? Joel grabbed the sacks from the floor and surged after his twin. He tossed the load in the truck box, twisting to give the conversation another go. Jesse, however, was damn near pouting as he stared into space.

Good grief. “You seriously want to do chores alone?”

Jesse shrugged. “Been doing them that way a lot lately.”

Joel thought hard to put that comment into perspective. Nope. He couldn’t figure it out. He opened his mouth to find out more when Vicki’s motorbike sounded in the distance.

Jesse made a big deal out of rolling his eyes. “Guess your girlfriend is coming to steal you away.”

“Grow the hell up, Jesse, and stop being an ass.”

“When you stop, I’ll stop. How’s that for a deal?” Jesse slammed the door of his truck and gunned the engine, heading out way faster than he should. Joel held his breath as Vicki pulled to stop just in time as Jesse shot off the gravel onto the highway ahead of her, cutting her off.

Fucking asshole. Joel grabbed his phone, but Jesse refused to pick up, his phone going to voice mail.

“You try something stupid like that again and I’ll beat your head in. What the fuck were you thinking?” Joel jabbed the end call button and shoved his phone into his pocket as Vicki pulled to his side.

She caught the heavy bike and set the kickstand, swinging her leg over and jerking her helmet off. “What is his problem? Goddammit, he could have killed me.”

A total body shiver took her, and Joel wrapped his arms around her. “I gave him hell. So sorry that happened.”

“Not your fault.”

But it seemed like it. Guilt smacked him upside the head. Jesse was in a mood, and it felt as if it was his responsibility to get his brother out of it. Just like in the old days.

Only, this wasn’t his responsibility, not really. Jesse was acting up, and this time Joel refused to join him, rescue him or otherwise step in until the jerk confessed what the hell was wrong.

But Vicki he needed to take care of, and now. He caught her by the hand, rubbing her cold fingers. “You okay?”

Vicki flushed. “Umm, yeah?”

Their activities of the previous night rushed back in. He looked her over carefully, enjoying the view even as he was honestly concerned. “Sore?”

She cocked out a hip and planted her fists on her hips. “Gee, you should come right out and ask if my hoo-ha hurts. Yes, Joel, I’m a little tender, which is why I didn’t appreciate having to basically can myself fighting with the bike as Jesse did his bat-out-of-hell imitation, but I’ll live.”

“Jesse is an ass.”

“No arguments from me.” She tugged him toward the barn. There was a first. They were around the corner before she seemed to remember where they were headed. “Umm, horses?”

“Only one,” he promised. “Sable is here. Don’t worry, we’re not going to do any more than you feel comfortable with.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t think you can distract me with your fingers in my pants today, either. Just saying.”

“Oh, if I put my fingers in your pants? You’d be distracted, alright, but we have other plans.”

His phone went off. Jesse willing to apologize already? He checked the display. Nope, another of the clan. “One second, Vicki.”

She wandered to the nearest railing and crawled up as he answered, part of his mind on the call and the other part on how good her ass looked in those jeans. “Matt? What are you doing up already?”

“I was lying here, lazing in bed, and thought I’d call you.”

Fucker. “You have early chores next weekend, asshole. I’ll be sure to phone you when I’m in the middle of screaming hot sex…”

Vicki glared and he trailed off. He covered the mouthpiece. “Just kidding.”

She didn’t look happy, though.

Joel rushed to get off the line. “Matt, what’s up? I’ve got something I need to take care of quickly.”

Before Vicki learned where they kept the castrator.

“Hope and I were talking. We checked the weather forecast. If you were serious about wanting to go camping with us, we’re heading out tomorrow for a night.”

“That soon? I’m okay with it, but I’ll have to ask Vicki.”

“See if she can get the day off work. Hope’s got the shop closed on Mondays, and it looks like this might be the last weekend before the snow flies.”

“I’ll call you back to get details,” Joel promised.

“Much later, okay? Hope’s naked and—”

Joel didn’t bother to respond, just hung up on his brother and planned subtle revenge for down the road.

Vicki had turned around, elbows hanging over the top railing to hold herself in place. “What do you have to ask Vicki? If that’s Jesse wanting me to stand in the middle of the road for a little more target practice, he can—”

Joel snorted. “Not Jesse, Matt. Remember we talked about camping?”

“Yeah?”

“How about tomorrow?”

Her eyes widened. “Umm, seriously?”

“Last chance this season.”

She shrugged. “If they let me off at the shop, sure. Why not?”

Joel was surprised how much her quick agreement delighted him. “Awesome. If it works, I’ll get the gear together this afternoon. You can help.”

“You want me to cook? I can make some stuff up ahead of time.”

Okay, now this was officially a good idea. “Definitely. I can pick up groceries with you.”

They grinned, Jesse’s stupid behavior pushed aside.

He held out his hand again. “Come on. Let’s go see Sable.”


She peered around the yard. Sable was in the far corral, and Joel had promised that’s where the beast would stay, but right now? Vicki was still tired, she was pissed off at Jesse and more tender than she wanted to admit. The combination wasn’t a good one. “Maybe we should skip the lesson today.”

“Sure.”

His instant capitulation made her look up with suspicion. “Really?”

Joel shrugged. “Hey, you’ve got time. Just, you know, no lesson, no reward.”

Sad, how dangling that carrot in front of her nose made her pay attention. Only he’d forgotten one thing. “Well, let’s see. Last night I got to experience your mouth on my breasts, oral sex and full-out sex. Maybe I’ll be okay skipping the reward today.”

He paused, probably going through the list she’d named. “Damn, you’re right. I totally messed that up, didn’t I?”

She laughed, catching him by the front of his shirt and pulling him closer. “You didn’t mess anything up, and you know it.”

Standing on the railing gave her enough height to meet him head-on, lips level with his. She slid her fingers into his hair, accidentally knocking his hat to the ground.

Joel moved in closer, pinning her to the rail with his body, careful as he slipped his thigh between her legs but pressing close enough she could enjoy the entire hard length of him.

Insane that a few kisses later she was feeling much better. After so long wanting to experience not just sex, but intimacy, there wasn’t anything she could compare this to. Joel did everything so intensely. She loved it, taking his hungry kisses and returning them with enthusiasm.

Something nudged her ribs. She chuckled into his mouth. The man was insatiable, probably going for her boobs again. He’d seemed rather fixated on them the previous night.

Joel spoke in between kisses. “What’s…got you…giggling?”

“You’re tickling my ribs.” She pulled back and glanced down, right at the moment when a blast of heat that shouldn’t be there rolled along her arm.

She screamed, leapt off the railing and wrapped her arms around Joel’s neck in a frantic attempt to get away from Sable, who had her damn enormous horse nose stuck through the railings, close enough she could have taken a huge bite out of them. Instant terror had Vicki’s stomach clutched into a rock-hard knot the size of a football. Her blood raced, deafening her to everything, including whatever the hell Joel was saying.

She knew he was talking because his lips were moving, but the only thing audible other than the rush of blood were her own shrill cries.

He had her around the waist, still pinned to his body, only now he ran toward the barn and away from where Sable—God—stood with her head hanging over the railing right where she and Joel had been fooling around.