A Bride for Two Brothers (3 page)

By the time the sun illuminated the big sky, she was up and hard at work preparing sandwiches for lunch and cooking breakfast. After the morning meal, Quinton led the men into the field. Her eyes were magnetically drawn to the seat of his tight jeans as she watched him walk away.

She was busy hand feeding Bonnie when Marcus strolled up. “I see you are getting acquainted with our beggar in chief,” he said as he took the dog’s head in his big hands and ruffled her ears playfully. “She appeared on our doorstep ten years ago, and we’ve never gotten rid of her.”

“Do you really want to?”

“Not really, no ranch can function without a mooching canine.” He gave the rambunctious dog a final spirited petting and stood so close to Kelsey that his proximity made her feel crowded. “She eats more than some of the hands, but everybody loves her.”

“Dogs are good judges of character. They see things that people miss.”

Marcus drove Kelsey into town in the same truck that Quinton had used to bring her to the ranch. The two brothers were as different in temperament as they were in appearance. Marcus was scholarly and charming. He talked incessantly and noted every point of interest along the way. By the time they reached Inverness, she guessed that she knew the area as well as any local.

He stopped the truck in front of “The Hill County Mercantile”. The building contained a more than adequate selection of meat, vegetables, and other basic food stuffs. The staff loaded a week’s supply of food into Marcus’s truck while Kelsey prepared an order for a two week supply that the mercantile’s truck would deliver in a few days. While she was busy selecting a few boxes of doggie treats for Bonnie, the company’s proprietress stepped beside Kelsey.

“I want to welcome you to our little town,” the business woman said. “My name is Alice Cummings. Marcus tells me that you will be cooking for him.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I feel fortunate to find such a good position in a town where I am unknown.”

The woman patted her shoulder and smiled inscrutably. “I imagine that you took the job because you did not know anything about your new employers.”

A cold chill ran through Kelsey’s body. “What do you mean? What have they done?”

“I admit that I am not sure. You are new in town, and I wanted to give you a friendly warning. What I do know for certain is that I knew the woman who had your job before you. Maggie Bright lived here all her life. She came in here a few months ago and told me that she was engaged to marry Marcus Whittington. I was so happy for her. She is not as pretty as you, so the chance to marry into the Whittington family was a great opportunity.

Kelsey was surprised to hear the merchant call her “pretty,” but she kept quiet so she could hear what else the woman had to say.

“Anyway, a few days ago, Maggie came in here in tears. She said that she refused to live in the Whittington house for one more day. She left for Minneapolis that very afternoon, and I have not seen or heard from her since.”

“Did she say what had happened?”

“No. She was very excited about getting married, but she was very practical too. She would not have given up such an opportunity without having a very good reason.”

“Have you heard anything bad about Mr. Whittington?”

“Not really. They are part a group of ranchers who love to party with each other, but there are not alone in that. Boys will be boys, and most girls enjoy their company.”

Marcus returned and the conversation came to an abrupt end.

Kelsey was feeling nervous when the truck started back to the ranch. She tried her best to sound casual. “Tell me about my predecessor. Did the men like her cooking?”

Marcus searched her face as he spoke. “We all enjoyed Maggie and her cooking. We especially loved her pies and roasts. They were always delicious. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I was just curious. I want everyone to be happy.”

“I am sure we will all enjoy your company.”

“Did Maggie enjoy living here?”

Marcus Whittington’s jaw tightened. “I guess that you have gotten hold of some local gossip. Inverness is a small town. I want you to know that you can ask my brother and I anything. You do not need to beat around the bush. I freely admit that I was engaged to Maggie. She broke our engagement and left. That is why there is a position here for you. None of us mistreated her in any way. I want you to stay, but I will put you on the bus any day you like. Is that what you want?”

“No. I need this job. I do not want to leave.”

“Do you need to hear why Maggie left?”

“That is none of my business. I am sorry if you felt I was prying.”

“Curiosity is a part of every female’s character. I would expect a pretty woman like you to possess that trait in good measure.”

Kelsey blushed. The rest of the trip passed in tense silence. She had just enough time to prepare a savory chuck roast and six pies for supper. All the food received rave reviews. The only thing that bothered her was the series of looks that passed between the Whittington brothers as they exchanged some private conversation. She was certain that the men were talking about her.

Bonnie feasted on a bowl of beef scraps with a crunchy doggie treat for desert. The dog would have Kelsey fully trained soon enough. The kitchen still needed much more heavy cleaning, but the young cook decided to turn in early and tackle that task on the next day.

As she walked to her room for the night, she noticed that Marcus’s bedroom door was standing open. She could not resist peeking inside. It looked ordinary enough except for one thing. The bed was the largest she had ever seen. The thing had to have been custom made. Why would any man want a bed so large? It could accommodate at least two couples with room to spare. Quinton’s door was open too. His room was much smaller than his brother’s and there was nothing unusual about any of its furniture. Kelsey could see that the men had very different tastes in their accommodations.

Her room was the last one on the second floor. Her tiny closet held all her clothing with plenty of space to spare. The private bathroom had a shower. The main room was spacious enough. She had no doubt that she could be comfortable here.

As she crawled into her bed, the soft covers felt wonderful. However, sleep was slow in coming. The veiled warning from the owner of the mercantile came back to her. Her warning had been so intense. Was she just a small town woman with too active an imagination, or was her anxiety actually well founded? The remote Rocking W. Ranch was isolated enough to allow any kind of behavior. The terrible possibilities sent a chill through her body. She knew full well that Marcus Whittington could do anything he wanted in such a setting. What, if anything, had he really done? She wondered how Marcus would explain his broken engagement. Would she ever have the nerve to ever ask him? The mystery was tantalizing.

The young chef’s thoughts drifted to her other employer. No one had warned her away from Quinton. She felt less danger dreaming about him. He had the looks and body that would make any girl dream, and his speech difficulty did not bother her. She wondered if he noticed her. Her pulse quickened as she imagined him stepping next to her and brazenly undressing her with his eyes. Finally, she dreamed about his hands taking the place of his eyes in the act of stripping her. It was a delicious fantasy.

Slowly, another reality flooded into her mind. Carl was home. He would have arrived very early in the morning. She was both amused and terrified when she thought about his possible reactions.

She sat up. At this very moment, Carl was no doubt on her trail. He may well have been after her before this morning. What had he learned so far? How long would it take for him to track her to this remote place? Would she be able to find anyone here to help? Would anyone believe her? She shook her head. If Carl caught her, no one would help. Quinton and Marcus would not be willing to face the imposing figure of the big city police captain. She would be utterly on her own.

* * *

The next morning, the men enjoyed their breakfast, especially the blueberry muffins. The ranch hands had a taste for sweets. They devoured everything she put before them. She smiled as they grabbed the sack lunches she had prepared and hurried out of the house. A girl could do worse than live with ten handsome young men. Their tight jeans and muscular behinds piqued her interest.

* * *

Fourteen hundred miles to the east, Captain Carl Barker sat behind his desk, and Sergeant Sal Colombo sat across from him. “We traced her cell phone to Pittsburgh,” Sal said. “The railroad’s security police picked up a couple of tramps who had it. They said that a woman dropped it off of a bridge in Chicago into the gondola car they were riding in.”

Carl drew in a noisy breath. “I see that little Kelsey is very clever. She knew we’d follow her phone, so she sent us chasing after it. Do you have any idea which direction she actually went?”

“The airlines have nothing under her name. We’ve also reviewed the security video from the train and bus stations. There was nothing. We’ve also made up a wanted poster that we’ve sent everywhere, even Canada.”

“What charges did you list?”

“We said she is a material witness in the murder of a cop.”

“That ought to get attention,” Carl said. “Did you put out a bulletin on her car?”

“The DMV says she sold her car. We’ve checked with the rental companies.”

“Damn!” Carl shouted and hammered his desk. “I doubt she’ll take the risk of driving. She knows that’s the best way for her to get caught. Any minor traffic stop will be the end for her.” He stood and paced around the room. “We’re going to catch her, and I’m going to make her very, very sorry when we do.” Sal gave an evil smile.

“I’ll keep you informed,” Sal said. “She has to show up after a while. My God, it’s the twenty-first century. People can’t disappear anymore.”

“Don’t be too sure. She’s a woman. All she has to do is find a man who’s willing to be her sugar daddy, and she can stay out of sight for a long time. We can’t let her get away. If she talks, you and I are going to have a lot to explain.”

“Stop worrying. She’s just a cook; she’ll screw up, and we’ll have her soon,” Sal said.

Carl took his seat again. “Which direction do you think she went?”

“I’m guessing south. She liked Cajun cooking. I can see her working in some bistro in New Orleans.”

“I’ll be going into town,” Marcus remarked. “Do I need to pick up anything?”

“No. The truck from the mercantile made a delivery yesterday,” Kelsey replied. “The pantry is very well stocked. We’ll be having roast turkey for supper.”

“Be sure and fix some of your biscuits. I could eat a pan full of those damn things, and the boys love them too.” The door slammed behind him a moment later.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Marcus had always treated her well, but ever since Alice Cummings’ warning, Kelsey had felt anxious whenever she was alone with Marcus. As soon as her kitchen chores were finished, she walked outside to get a little fresh air. The cloudless vista was spectacular. It was easy to see why Montana is called the “Big Sky State”. She was sure she could see all the way to Alberta, even though Canada was actually over twenty miles away.

She watched Quinton motoring across a field on his four-wheeler. That fact that he was shirtless made that view far more interesting. He stopped to mend a fence, and she drank in the view. After a while, she returned to her kitchen to bake some cookies for the hands. They consumed the things by the dozen. When the baking was finished, she stepped outside again but was disappointed to find that Quinton was out of sight.

A moment later, Kelsey heard Marcus’s pickup roaring up the dusty lane. When he caught sight of her, he did not park in his usual place, but roared toward her and slammed on his brakes just a few feet from her. When he bolted out of the cab waving a paper over his head, she realized that she had waited too long to flee. The furious expression on his face frightened her. He grabbed her upper arm and dragged her inside the nearby barn.

“I can’t believe you’ve done this to us,” Marcus roared. “We take you in and try to give you a chance, but you’re on the run from the law! Just look at this!” He shoved the paper he’d been waving in front of her face. She only needed a second to recognize an enlargement of the picture from her driver’s license. The document was a wanted poster that accused her of being some sort of material witness.

“I ought to take you in,” he fumed. “But first, I’m going to spank your ass.” He grabbed the waistband of her jeans and jerked them and her panties down in one move. She drove her shoulder into his chest and they tumbled down together. As the pair grappled on the barn floor, she was able to slip out of her shoes and tangled pants. She was bare from the waist down, but that did not keep her from jumping to her feet and bolting toward the open barn door. Just when she believed that she had escaped, she crashed directly into Quinton’s muscular body.

“Where are you going in such an all fired hurry?” the burly rancher asked. His hands clutched her upper arms while his eyes shamelessly perused her half naked body.

“Keep hold of her, Quint,” Marcus yelled as he got to his feet. He stepped next to his brother. “Look at what came over the wire at the sheriff’s office.” He waved the wanted poster overhead. “This little lady is wanted by the Chicago police.” Kelsey struggled futilely against Quinton’s iron grip.

“Well, well,” Marcus went on. “You didn’t count on the fact that Quint and I are volunteer members of the sheriff’s mounted posse. We search for lost people and fugitives. It looks like we found you by accident. You tried to hide out here, but I’m going to warm your ass for trying to take advantage of us.” Without another word, Marcus pulled Kelsey away from his brother and took a seat on a big bale of straw.

She found herself bent over his lap in a second. At first he simply rested his calloused palm on her bare bottom. “You can’t do this,” Kelsey screamed. Marcus laughed and delivered a sharp smack directly on the widest part of her pale behind. She could not believe the fiery pain. Carl had punished her many times, but he had always relied on humiliation and other punishments that would leave no visible marks.