Unbridled and Unbranded (20 page)

“You’re lying.”

“Talk to that idiot lawyer you employ who is also your accountant. He failed to notice that the application wasn’t approved and now you’re screwed.”

Callie launched forward. Her fingers were splayed in the shape of claws as if ready to scratch Drew’s eyes out.

Clay was closest to her. He grabbed her and kept her from hurting him.

“Let me go.”

“He’s not worth the lawsuit he’d claim if you disfigure him,” Clay said clearly.

Bo and Rafe both walked around in front of Callie, still struggling in Clay’s arms.

She stopped the minute she was surrounded by the three of them.

“Get lost, Kincaid. Or I call the police.” Bo fisted his hands and tried not to take a practice swing at Drew’s face.

“You’ve screwed with the wrong man.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just go.”

Kincaid got in his huge truck and spun out, fishtailing a wide swath of dust in the air as he left.

As soon as he was gone, Rafe and Bo turned to Callie. Clay’s hands still rested on her slim waist.

“I don’t have an extra seventy-five bucks, let alone seventy-five thousand dollars to pay my taxes.” Her tear-filled eyes lifted to look at the both of them. “What am I going to do now?”

* * * *

Callie didn’t think she could take another blow. She called Landon the instant Drew left, not caring that it was Friday evening or that it was nearly ten at night.

He
had
made a mistake in not following up with the expected assessor’s notice of approval on her application. He’d waited for the letters that hadn’t come. He profusely apologized, but Drew was correct. She owed a shitload of back taxes.

She needed upwards of a hundred thousand dollars or else she’d lose the land. Landon mentioned her grandmother’s trust, but she hung up on him.

“I have a proposal,” Clay said when she returned.

“I won’t marry
you,
either.”

He grinned. “Not the proposal I had in mind, but I’m suddenly a little dejected that you’re turning me down.”

“What’s your proposal?”

“Lease your entire property to the DRMC.”

“What?”

“If you lease the land to our club, we can agree on, say, a ten-year lease, and in lieu of rent for the first year, we have the funds to pay all the back taxes right now. Then the land is still in your name. We’ll arrange a lease agreement so you’ll have funds available each year. The DRMC will hire a manager to run it and use it for our own purposes.”

“Like what purposes?”

“Like riding the range. Roping cattle. Watching spring calves be born. There are quite a few people willing to pay big bucks to get a true experience on a working ranch. Plus, there are a few of our members who like to ride and do ranch work. It doesn’t appeal to me, but to each his own. I don’t mind providing the experience. And I’ve had more than a few requests.”

“I didn’t know that,” Rafe commented.

“There are several members of our group that like to do all sorts of different things on a ranch, and we had planned on eventually using our DRMC property to bring some of it in, but having your ranch all ready and available is handier. A property that is coincidentally attached to our southern border would enable us to use our land for something else. Like more plots of land for those who in the club who want to live here year-round.”

“I’d have to think about it, but for now it sounds great.”

Clay stuck out his hand. Callie almost didn’t want to take it. But she did. She looked up into his brown, luscious eyes and held on to his hand for longer than she probably should have.

He leaned in closer. “Are you sure you don’t want to marry me?” His sudden grin made her heart flip over.

She smiled. “I don’t think Bo and Rafe would allow it.”

Rafe piped up. “You got that right, but perhaps something else slightly less permanent could be arranged that would be mutually beneficial to all four of us.”

“I’m in.” Clay squeezed her hand and stared deeply into her eyes. “Whatever you want. Just let me know.” He released her hand, nodded once each to both Rafe and Bo, and headed out the front door.

Callie turned to her two men with a heated face. They both smiled.

“We know you like Clay. You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

“I’m trying not to be. I guess I haven’t sorted out my feelings for him yet.”

“We’ll help you with that,” Rafe said.

“New subject,” Bo said. “Are you okay with the DRMC leasing your land instead of selling it outright?”

She nodded. “Actually, I’d never even thought about it before, but it’s perfect. The land stays in my name. Any funds earned on the ranch are still mine, but I don’t have to run it. I can take whatever money is left after the taxes and live on the yearly rent. Once the calves are born next year, I can sell enough to get me started overseas.” She looked deeply into their eyes and a sadness fell over her. “But I’ll miss you both very much.”

“Speaking of overseas,” Bo said with a bit of hesitation. “Would you like to hear my plan? I did have a
real
plan in mind to discuss for the three of us to stay together.”

Rafe turned to him. “You have a plan for the three of us?”

Bo crossed his arms. “I’d intended to get a few more pieces of information in place and also having a long talk with Rafe before telling you, but I better get it out before the next catastrophe happens.”

Rafe laughed. “If it keeps the three of us together, I’m certainly for it.”

Bo smiled. “I want to sell
my
property, Callie. I want the two of us to go with you when you go overseas.”

“What?” Rafe’s eyes widened. “Why did that never even occur to me? Such a good idea.”

Callie sobered. “But I thought you just came back here to retire and settle down on your family ranch, Bo.”

“I did, but a beautiful, feisty brunette from my past has ensnared me. I love you. I don’t want to hold you back from your dreams, so the only way that I can see for us to be together is to follow you out of town, if you’ll let us.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Callie moved forward and slung an arm around each of them.

“Did you have your heart set on going it alone?”

“No. I just never expected you’d want to go with me.”

“I’d love to show you a few of my favorite places in Europe,” Rafe whispered. “I enjoyed my stint overseas, when I was in the military. I didn’t have the chance to sightsee like I wanted to back then, but I wouldn’t be opposed to following your artistic whims.”

Bo also leaned in closer. “I lived in London for the most part while I built my security business and before I came back, but there are also several places that I spent time and enjoyed very much. I’d love to show you a few places in Scotland, Italy, France, and Germany. There are lots of beautiful cities and landscapes for you to paint.”

Callie sighed. “That sounds wonderful. I should share with you something, too. I have a trust from my grandmother. If I marry a local boy in the next ten days, I’ll have half a million dollars assigned to me.”

Rafe glanced at Bo. “I’m a local boy now, but Bo is likely a better candidate for a legal ceremony.”

“I’d marry both of you in a heartbeat.”

“You will anyway.” Bo kissed one cheek. “But I’ll marry you sooner rather than later so you can have your money. What are you doing on Monday morning?”

“I never intended to do it. Marry for that stupid treasure hanging over my head. Drew found out about it somehow.”

“Maybe the same way he knew about your back taxes when you didn’t. Maybe he’s been reading your mail.”

“I’d love to sic the post office on him for tampering with the mail. But I probably can’t prove it.”

Rafe smiled. “Clay might be able to help us with that. He had lots of film footage on your property for the past few weeks. That’s how we found out about the water diversion equipment all stacked up at the southern edge of your property on Drew’s side of the fence. I’ll ask if he has some footage on the mailboxes at the front gate.”

“Are you two really not upset with me for wanting Clay to participate with us?”

“Nope. We think it’s very sexy,” Bo said.

“Tell you what. We’ll make it a final farewell before we leave for our overseas adventures. We can get the Stadium and Clay can join us on the platform or in our private box while we watch others. There are so many choices. We could even invite him here and have a session in your office or in your bedroom.” Rafe rubbed his hands together as if delighted.

Callie felt the heat in her cheeks. “What if I want to touch him while the two of you fuck me?”

“No problem,” they said in unison. “We’d be fine with a ménage a quatre.”

Callie’s pussy gushed with the possibilities of having Clay join them for sex. Perhaps she was a wanton woman, but she’d found the perfect cowboys to share her life, from her past, for her present, and even into her future.

She kissed Rafe on the mouth then turned to Bo and kissed him as well. Soon they sandwiched her between them and rocked her world.

Chapter Thirteen

Four months later, annual event at DRMC Stadium

Clay was a little nervous. A feeling that didn’t happen too often to him. Tonight was the DRMC’s official annual event.

And he was participating in it for the first time in a really long time.

Callie, Bo, and Rafe had settled all their land issues and would be headed for London in a week. Tonight was their farewell to the club for a while as they’d be living overseas from now on.

Clay would miss them, but would never forget tonight’s events. And nothing had even happened yet. Although only he knew it for certain, the Stadium was packed tonight.

Once he’d mentioned to a few of the members that he would be participating, there’d been practically a stampede into the facility for tonight’s event.

Callie was very special to him. He knew it was likely wrong to be thinking of his former wife as the night progressed, but he couldn’t seem to get her out of his head. Callie reminded him so much of her, he almost couldn’t get past it. So he planned to use it to his advantage.

There were many members who thought he’d punished himself for far too long over his loss. Many who’d invited him to join threesomes in the past, but he’d always declined until now. Several months ago, he’d been tempted by a new member to the club. Jessica was married to his good friends Deacon and Boyd. They lived on property at the DRMC and managed a ranch of their own in the area. Each time he saw Jessica, Clay was always reminded of his wife.

And Callie, with her long, beautiful hair, reminded him of Larissa even more. He’d loved his wife. He also loved Callie in a special way. He wanted to participate in this foursome with the idea that perhaps he’d be able to move forward from this night on.

He glanced at the clock and moved into the hallway leading to the main Stadium stage. Ahead he saw Callie, Bo, and Rafe just outside the door.

Clay knew the stage had been set up with an oversized, stuffed bench seat sofa. There were two sides, but no back, and the seat was raised to the perfect level for a fourth to join in on the fun. Red velvet adorned the piece. Also there was a chair for him to watch the three of them for a time. That’s where he’d planned to start. But perhaps he’d also help undress her.