Hard Ridin' (23 page)

“No, thanks.” She couldn’t bear to sit. She’d jiggle her way through the floor. As the employee moved off, Laurel checked her cell phone.

It shouldn’t surprise her that Jens hadn’t called. He probably assumed the worst. They hadn’t explained in the cryptic note they’d left. Hell, Jens’s mind was probably all over that, thinking everything from elopement to them sticking him with the Rope Burn Ranch and all the responsibility of running the huge operation in the middle of growing season.

Seeing that there were no new texts or messages, Laurel shoved her phone into her back pocket again. She rubbed her hands on her thighs and stared at the little window cut into the office door. The back of Holden’s head was visible, moving slightly as if he were arguing a point. When she saw his hand twitch in the air, she knew that’s what was going on.

Shit. He’s not going to be given the loan.
Would she even be able to get a loan either? She had no job technically. No income. Was living on a nest egg that was already half-invested.

She’d opened her mouth and told Holden she could contribute, but the fact was, she wasn’t certain that would happen. Still, she had to keep her farm. How much could Breaker possibly want for it? The house was in sad shape and the acreage small compared to what he already possessed.

Her mind whirled back to Jens. After last night, she’d thought nothing could break through the impenetrable fortress of their combined love. When Holden first asked her to go with him to secure the land, she’d jumped at the idea. Now she wished she’d stayed with Jens just to let him know she hadn’t abandoned their love.

If anything, she was in deeper. Her body still hummed from their double penetration. She could practically feel them moving within her.

The man behind the desk stood, and Holden did too. Their hands met across the desk in a firm shake. Did that mean good news or bad?

Pressing her back against the wall, Laurel stared at the door. Holden’s broad shoulders filled the little window, and then the oak slab opened. Their gazes met and a twinkle lived in his hazel eyes.

Heart pattering wildly, she jumped to his side and gripped his hand.

“We’ll get those papers drawn up and get your loan underway today, Mr. McAlister.”

Relief rushed through Laurel’s veins and weakened her knees. Holden lashed an arm around her waist, keeping her upright.

He thanked the loan officer. As soon as the man moved off, Holden grasped her shoulders and spun her to face him. “We’ve got it. It will be a day or two, which means we’ve gotta stay here in town. I plan to call Robbie Breaker tonight and let him know we’ll have the money in hand and be at his door within the week. That’s if he’s around. Half the time he’s nowhere to be found.”

“And Jens? Should we call and tell him?”

Holden’s mouth tightened. “Not yet. We can’t have him interfering and possibly causing trouble with Breaker. It’s only a few days, Laurel, and then we’ll be home with Jens to make amends.”

Concern was a dead weight in her belly—a familiar weight. Holding off about calling Jens didn’t set with her. All too well, she knew what it was like to be left dangling. For months, she’d waited for word from Holden and had finally given up. She didn’t want Jens feeling that hopelessness she had.

How to convince Holden that they needed to let Jens in? Since the beginning, the relationship had been out of balance. One tipping the scales, and then the other. Both men had taken control—Jens in the bedroom and with the decision surrounding them sharing her, and Holden about wrangling them out of this situation with the land.

It was time for Laurel to step in and exert her power. Whether or not Holden agreed, she at least had to let Jens know they were okay.

The rain came down in heavy sheets, making it impossible for Jens to even work off his frustration. He wanted nothing more than to hurl himself into some back-breaking exercise—digging fence holes, shoveling manure. But today there would be no escaping his dark thoughts.

Laurel and Holden had been gone for two days. Two days of bone-deep yearning. In the past forty-eight hours, Jens had come to realize that his life really was nothing without his two lovers.

The short text message he’d received from Laurel yesterday saying they were okay and had a little “surprise” for him didn’t untie the knot in his stomach. If they went and got hitched without him…

He sighed and stared out the window, reliving every moment he’d spent tangled in bed with Laurel and Holden.

A ripple of awareness ran through him. If someone had told him a year ago that he’d be in bed with his best friend, sharing Laurel and swapping pleasure with each other, he would have laughed his ass off. But falling into loving Holden had been so easy—like galloping across a flat with the wind at his back.

Pain ricocheted in his chest. He’d screwed up so bad. Everything was ruined—the progress the three of them had made toward living in harmony extinguished in one fit of stupidity.

Now Jens knew he should have confided to Laurel and Holden. He ran a hand over his jeans pocket where his cell was located. How many times had he thought of calling them? But no—he was terrified of hearing wedding bells and giggles of glee in the background.

Leaning his forehead against the cool window, he fought for control. He was becoming a pretty good zombie. Drifting from one task to another, busying his hands while his brain slowly shut down. The lights on stage were dimming with his hurt, his mind so bruised, he didn’t know if he’d ever recover.

His heart sure as fuck wouldn’t.

What would he do if his lovers left him? He’d still have the ranch, but double the bills. Holden surely wouldn’t support the Rope Burn Ranch if he wasn’t living there. And that would mean Jens might lose it to the bank. He’d already lost the Ransom place to Robbie Breaker. Hell, what was the rest of the acreage too?

The day he’d awakened to find Holden and Laurel gone, he’d gone up to the organic farm and worked for hours, replanting plants that had been drummed over by the downpour. Each tiny plant was securely in the ground now, leaves cupped to drink up the rain. But if the weather didn’t straighten up soon, Laurel would lose her strawberry crop.

Chafing a hand over his face, Jens focused on his reflection in the window. He looked older, worn out. Sleepless nights and stress did that to a man. Maybe he should go back to bed and stay there until it stopped raining.

His pocket vibrated and he jerked violently, smacking his forehead off the window. “Shit!” Holding a hand over his new hurt, he fumbled for his phone. One glance at the number, and his heart plummeted.

Not Laurel or Holden, but the courthouse. Belinda’s extension.

“Jens here.”

“Hello, Jens. I found another file about that piece of property you inquired about the other week. Would you be able to come down to the courthouse and take a peek?” Belinda’s voice was sickly sweet like triple chocolate ice cream with hot fudge sauce and chocolate sprinkles.

His stomach hollowed out. What sort of papers were in that file? And did he really want to see them? For all he knew, Breaker owned the entire Rope Burn Ranch and everything Jens had worked for would be torn from under him.

“Sure,” he croaked. “Give me forty-five minutes.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Her tone insinuated more and her overpowering perfume practically clogged his head though she was miles away.

With his keys in hand, he left the house, unable to stop thinking that it might be the last time he walked out that door as an owner.

Laurel gripped the arm rest as Holden took the turns around town at high speed.

Everything about being in their hometown felt good. A big old cashier’s check was squirreled away in Laurel’s purse, and they were on their way to the Breakaway Farm to pay off Robbie Breaker.

They couldn’t get there fast enough, and Laurel wasn’t even arguing with Holden about his reckless driving.

He sat inches from her. She looked striking in a black T-shirt, tight jeans and her new cowgirl hat. Alone in the hotel, they could have made love all night, but both had agreed not to. Without Jens, it was all wrong. The closer they got to ending this conflict and returning to Jens, the more enticing Laurel appeared, though.

He shot her a glance. “You keep looking at me that way, and we won’t make it to Breaker’s. I’ll have to pull over and take you.”

She squirmed. “No, no. Just drive, buddy.”

A short laugh burst from him.

“You’re feeling it too?” she asked, eyeing him.

“If you mean that I’m giddy at the idea of buying out the Ransom place for good and holing up in our house with you and Jens while this rain comes down, then yes.” He reached across the console and squeezed her fingers.

She smiled as they rounded the last bend to the Breakaway Farm.

A picturesque farm house stood in the back field, the design very similar to the Ransom homestead. Warm memories filled Holden. She might not be staying there anymore, but he would always think of it as hers. Her heart and soul were in the fields surrounding the old clapboard structure.

As they drew up before the house, a big farm dog trotted around the corner to greet them. Laurel climbed out of the truck, her purse tucked tightly under her arm. She let the dog sniff her and followed Holden up to the front door.

Mrs. Breaker appeared, peering at them through the screen door. “Yes?”

“Ma’am, it’s Holden McAlister. This is Laurel Price. We’re here to talk to your son.”

Laurel shivered. Holden slid an arm around her shoulders, his warmth permeating her thin, rain-spattered shirt.

“Oh yes. You helped with my Robert. I’d like to thank you again,” Mrs. Breaker said as she opened the door for them.

They scooted into the small living room. A homey smell of baked goods and clean linen reached Holden, reminding him of so many good moments with Jens. He couldn’t wait to get back to the ranch and Jens.

“It was my pleasure to be with you in your time of need,” Holden said to Mrs. Breaker.

She gave a nod, her eyes a little watery. Then she excused herself and went into the next room. Voices could be heard as she evidently spoke with her son.

A minute later, Robbie Breaker appeared, a scowl on his face. “What do you need, McAlister?”

At Holden’s side, Laurel ruffled. Her whole body tensed.

“We’ve come to buy you out on the Ransom place.” Holden held out his hand and Laurel unzipped her purse. She placed the envelope on his palm.

Robbie stared at it as if it were a pile of dog shit. “What’s that? I didn’t ask to be bought out.”

“No, but we’ve got an offer you won’t be able to refuse. Don’t be greedy now, Breaker. Your family has no interest in that land. You didn’t bother to claim it for all these years.”

“Because Dad refused to take action. I’m not so soft.”

“Robbie…” Mrs. Breaker chided with a click of her tongue.

“The land belongs to us fair and square. Now that it’s improved, you’ve made my job easier.”

Laurel gasped, suddenly quivering all over. She took a hasty step forward. “What do you think you’re going to do? Sell my crops—the ones I invested in?”

Robbie eyed her, his gaze on her a beat too long for Holden’s comfort. He clenched his fists, ready to do battle and lay the man out in his own living room if needed.

“Look, lady, I’m sorry you were hoodwinked by McAlister and his sidekick Anderson. But that’s not my concern—”

Laurel shoved closer to the man, crowding his big, six-foot-three-inch frame. Holden’s gut somersaulted. If Breaker so much as laid a finger on a single hair on her head…

The screen door banged shut behind them and Mrs. Breaker gave a startled cry as Jens burst into their house uninvited and strode across the room.

“What the hell are you doing here? Get out of our house!”

Holden’s heart raced at the sight of Jens—scruffy and looking exhausted after some obviously bad days, but his presence filled a chasm in Holden’s existence. Jens carefully avoided looking at Holden or Laurel as he stalked up to Robbie.

“I don’t like the way you’re looking at this lady. Now back off, Breaker.”

He placed the heel of his hand on Jens’s shoulder and shoved him back. Jens rocked but held his own.

Laurel broke. “Stop it! Robert Breaker, you should be ashamed of yourself. This is no way to continue your father’s legacy. I didn’t know the man, but from what I’ve heard, he was a good and kind man who worked hard for what he had. Don’t you think he never did anything with the Ransom land because he didn’t earn it, other than to win at a hand of cards? A stupid game of chance won him that parcel, and he knew it wasn’t right to claim it. Now, Holden, Jens and I have payment for the land”—she cut her eyes at Jens as she included him—“and you’re taking it.”

He glared at her. She snatched the envelope from Holden and slapped it against Breaker’s chest, head tilted all the way back to stare at him, her eyes shooting bullets of fury.

“Take this and leave us alone. The check more than covers the property’s worth. Now you can officially tear up that document saying the land is yours.”