Oak, Sophie - Siren in Waiting [Texas Sirens 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (11 page)

Jimmy’s mouth was turned down, and his brother, Brian, joined them. Brian looked like he was on his fifth whiskey. “What’s wrong with you, man? You haven’t been the same lately.”

Maybe he wasn’t the same because he was growing up and his friends seemed to want to stay the same. They were still the same redneck idiots they had all been in high school, except some of them had wives and kids. Jimmy had two kids by two different women, and here he was looking for baby mama number three when he didn’t pay support to the ones he had because he couldn’t keep a job.

This was why he spent a lot of nights at Mouse’s place watching TV while she worked on other people’s taxes or read a book. He told himself it was because his house was too quiet, but he enjoyed her company. She could talk about anything.

“I’m fine, man,” Bo said. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long week.”

It had been a long week. He’d had to completely reinstall a large portion of the east fence after straight-line winds tore it up. His shoulder had been aching for days. Mouse had fussed over him and made him put a heating pad on it.

Damn, his brother was right. He was such an asshole. He’d been using her for years. He’d gone to her for comfort and love and offered nothing real in return.

Brian snorted. He was older than Bo. He’d been in the same class with Trev.

Sitting next to Trev and having dinner had been a weird experience. Bo had always liked Shelley. The dark-haired woman had been popular, but in a sweet way. She’d always been nice to Mouse. Bo had gotten to know her pretty well when George had gone into the hospital for his final days. Apparently Mouse had helped Shelley through her mother’s final days, and Shelley had shown up to pay the favor back.

Sitting with Mouse and Shelley and Trev tonight at dinner had been a revelation. He hadn’t been forced to laugh at dumb jokes or compare women’s breast sizes. They had talked about politics and things happening in the world. Sure, he’d mostly listened, but he’d enjoyed that meal more than he liked to admit.

He’d missed Trev.
Asshole.

“Bo’s been spending too much time with that group out on his ranch, if you ask me. They think they’re better than us because they came from the city.” Brian had a real problem with anyone who hadn’t been born in a town the size of a postage stamp.

“Aidan was born here,” Bo argued, but there wasn’t a lot of heat behind it. He was starting to get damn tired of this conversation.

“Yeah, well, he left as fast as he could.” Brian tossed back his drink, swallowing the contents and slamming the glass on the bar when he was done. “And he’s brought back those two. City snobs. Did you know that woman of his is trying to force the city to spend thousands of dollars so she can wash her hair in artesian water?”

Now Bo didn’t try to stop his eye roll.
Idiots
. “Lexi is trying to get the city to upgrade the water filtration facilities that serve the school. And Lucas put up some of his own money for the project.”

“Yeah, we don’t want no money from fags.”

This was the shit Bo put up with on a daily basis. “Well, you fight him then. I’m sure all three of your kids will be fine. They might be deformed, but at least they won’t have taken fag money.”

Why did he hang out with these guys? Habit. He’d been trying to fit in since the day he’d figured out it sucked to not fit in.

Brian scratched at his head. “Yeah. That’s right. Hey, what do you mean by deformed?”

He was saved from having to explain that to a very drunk Brian by a well-manicured hand dipping into his shirt.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Clarissa practically purred in his ear.

Thinking about running as fast as he could. The whole thing with Clarissa had seemed like a fun idea, but she was kind of scaring him now. He looked down and saw her bloodred nails disappearing into his shirt.

“Yeah, Bo, how’s it going?” Melody swept in beside him. She was a blonde, too, though hers seemed a bit more natural than Clarissa’s. Melody’s hand slid along his thigh.

Bo nearly jumped out of his seat. “It’s going good, ladies. But I seem to be a little tired.”

Clarissa cocked a hip, and that taloned hand of hers rode it. “What do you mean, you’re tired? It’s not even ten o’clock. We’re supposed to head out to Angel’s party.”

Angel. He’d forgotten about that. Angel threw some wild parties that lasted for days. He had to work tomorrow. He’d promised his brother he would come in and meet the new foreman and pick up a feed order.

“You know I have to work in the morning. I think I’m going to call it a night.”

Clarissa’s mouth turned down into a pout that would do a two-year-old proud. “Tomorrow is Saturday.”

“Yeah, the cows don’t care. They don’t stop eating because it’s the weekend.” Ranching was a twenty-four-seven job. And it was a great excuse to get out of something he never should have gotten into.

“He’s gotta work hard because that brother of his is way too busy fucking his boyfriend to do real man’s work.” Brian belched.

Bo’d had just about enough of Brian. And he’d had just about enough of all of this. “Shut your fucking mouth. You don’t know my brother. My brother damn near gave up his legs for this country. You will treat him with some respect.”

Jimmy stood, his hands waving. “Hey, guys, there’s no reason for this to get ugly. We’re all just joking around.”

That was the excuse for everything. Bo had said the same words a thousand times.
Don’t fight. It’s not worth fighting over. Just laugh it off and let the good times roll.

Maybe some things were worth fighting over.

“I think I would like an apology.” Bo stared at Brian.

Brian stood up. He towered over Bo. “Maybe you’re a faggot, too. Everyone saw you sitting with Trev McNamara. Did big-city living give him a taste for boys, too?”

“Trev ain’t doing Bo. Bo’s not gay. And Trev’s not either, though his taste in women sure has gone down.” Clarissa’s lips curved up like she had a secret she was dying to tell.

The music from the jukebox seemed to pulse through the bar. Bo could feel it in his boots. The place was just too damn loud, and he didn’t like the company. It was definitely time to leave. It was time to fucking change. He’d made too many decisions based on keeping his place in a group of people he didn’t even like anymore.

“Now that we’ve got my sexual orientation out of the way, I think I’ll head on home.” He wouldn’t. He was going to make a beeline for Mouse’s place. Right after he stopped for some flowers. Could he get flowers at this time of night? He wanted to apologize to her.

Damn, he wanted to treat her right. She was the only person in the world who ever stuck by him. It was past time to start treating her the way she should be treated.

“I don’t know if I want this discussion to be over.” Brian stood in his way. “I think it’s about time the good citizens of Deer Run got together and forced your brother out. We don’t need his kind around here.”

Bo just about laughed. Aidan and the company he was invested in, Barnes-Fleetwood, had poured more money into Deer Run’s coffers than the town had ever seen. There might be a large group of assholes who talked bad about his brother’s way of life, but ninety-nine percent of them had profited from his business. If Brian wanted to show up at the O’Malley Ranch with torches and pitchforks, he would most likely do it alone.

And then Aidan would find a nice place to bury Brian.

“You do that, buddy.” He wasn’t getting into a brawl with some dickhead whose mind was way too small.

“You can’t leave. I told everyone we’re going to that party.” Clarissa and Melody had formed a hair-sprayed phalanx in front of him.

He didn’t want to fight with them, either. “I appreciate the offer, ladies, but I have to pass tonight.”

“Hey, I was talking to you.” Brian’s meaty finger poked him in the back.

“Maybe you should sit down, Brian. I’ll get you another drink.” Jimmy tried getting in between them.

“Back off, asshole.” Bo could feel the whole bar starting to watch the scene playing out. He could hear the bartender on the phone, already calling the cops. Fights at The Rusty Spur were legendary.

“Are you planning on going to that pathetic little whore?” Clarissa asked.

Bo turned to her, Brian utterly forgotten. He had a pretty good idea who she meant. Aidan could stick up for himself. Mouse couldn’t. “What did you say?”

Melody seemed to be smarter than her friend. She took a quick step back. “Nothing. She didn’t say nothing.”

“Yes, I did. I think you’re planning on dumping me for that sad-sack little mouse who follows you around. Damn, I always thought she was a dried-up old prude, but she must be doing something right. Have you been fucking her all these years? She must have learned something from you since she’s sleeping with Trev now.”

Damn it
. The story about the diner had gotten all over town, but it hadn’t gone down the way Bo had hoped. “We had dinner with the man. Don’t you go around trashing her reputation.”

“I don’t have to. She did that all on her own. Melody saw it, too. Old Mouse Hobbes left here with Trev McNamara wrapped around her. I guess he knows the real women of this town won’t have anything to do with him.”

Brian laughed behind him. “Bo couldn’t even do Mouse Hobbes. Damn. Maybe I’ll give that girl a whirl. I like my women with a little cushion, and after Trev’s done with her, she should be experienced enough. Yeah, maybe I’ll see what she’s doing.”

The whole world took on a strange red sheen as though someone had put goggles with bloody lenses over his eyes. They were talking about Mouse. They were talking about his Mouse. The entire idea of that fuckhead Brian’s hands on his sweet Mouse sent his fist rearing back.

Bo attacked the other man, fists flying.

In the background, he could already hear the sirens wailing.

* * * *

Mouse couldn’t breathe. Sitting on Trev McNamara’s lap was the most erotic thing that had ever happened to her. He wasn’t pawing at her or making any aggressive moves. His hand was on her waist, and the other cupped her knee through the material of her skirt.

“Put your arms around my neck, Beth.” He seemed calmer than before. His voice was a rich, dark blend of sensuality and command.

It was nothing like the times she’d been close to a man before. It hadn’t happened often, and they had really been boys, not men. She’d gotten into trouble the one time she’d gone to a party. Some drunk guy from two towns over had gotten her in a corner and put his hands all over her.

Bo had saved her.

But she wasn’t going to think about Bo tonight. She let her hands find Trev’s shoulders. Even through the cotton of his shirt, she could feel the supple muscles that covered his body. He seemed to be hard everywhere.

“Now, answer my question.” The hand on her knee came up to brush across her bottom lip. “How do you like to be kissed?”

“Soft. And I don’t like the tongue thing.” That boy who had molested her had put his tongue all over her. She remembered it surging into her mouth. She couldn’t stand it.

“Well, I’m going to have to fix that. Because I definitely want to put my tongue on you. But we can go slow.” His words seemed to do just that. They seemed slow and languid, like he had all night and intended to use it.

It was utterly different from what she’d expected from him. He’d seemed so close to the edge. She really thought he would throw her over the nearest surface and take her. A part of her wanted that. She would get it over with and know once and for all what it felt like.

Of course, she also hadn’t expected him to tell her he wanted more than one night.