Hernando Heat

Chapter Five

By the time Joe returned with the wagon, Katie and Mason had packed most of the personal items she wanted to take. The rest she could get the next day.

“Don’t forget this.” She turned at Joe’s teasing tone and saw he held her shotgun. It was one of the few times she’d seen him smile all evening.

She returned his smile. “Do you think I’ll need it at y’all’s house?”

“Probably not. But make sure you bring it to work with you every day.” His smile faded as he started helping Mason move her things to the wagon.

The men wouldn’t let her carry anything. She stood and watched them work. Despite Mason’s declaration, she knew it wouldn’t be as simple as losing her heart to him. She already felt a subtle draw to Joe as well. From what she’d heard about the cousins, she knew they were close. The last thing she’d want to do was come between them.

No, perhaps a little friendly courting wouldn’t be improper, but she refused to interfere with their relationship. And she knew nothing could come between friends, brothers, or cousins faster than jealousy over a woman.

She thought about Paul’s picture safely tucked inside one of her trunks. On second thought, keeping a little emotional distance might be the safest thing for all of them.

The three of them wouldn’t fit on the wagon seat together. Mason rode his horse while Joe and Katie rode in the wagon. Katie suspected from Mason’s alert, wary manners as he rode that he preferred the mobility of the lone horse. First riding ahead, then behind, rarely alongside for more than a few minutes before he was off again investigating something.

When he disappeared behind them, Joe noticed her glance back to check on him. “He’s paranoid.”

“I gathered as much. About what?”

While still sad, his gentle smile softened his expression. “Be prepared for both of us, but especially him, to keep a close eye on you. At least for the next several weeks or until they catch the man who tried to attack you. He’s very protective.”

“I’ll admit I’m not used to having someone hovering over me.”

“If it gets to be too much, let me know and I’ll have a talk with him. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with us.”

“Was this his idea or yours?”

“Do you want an honest answer?”

She tried to gird herself. “Yes.”

“It’s nothing personal, but I’m fine without a woman around.” He glanced at her. “We have something in common, although I don’t claim to compare your loss to mine. I wasn’t married to her yet.”

“He mentioned your fiancée.”

His expression hardened, as did his voice. “Did he?”

She took a chance and touched his arm. “Please don’t be upset with him. I asked. You looked so sad at dinner, and I wanted to know why.”

Like a fickle summer rain shower, his expression cleared. “I’m sorry. I just don’t like to talk about her.”

They rode in silence for a few moments, Mason checking on them before riding ahead. “Sometimes,” she softly said, “it does help to talk about the ones we’ve lost.” This was a subject she had unfortunate experience with.

“I think the worse part,” he finally said, “is some people don’t understand why I don’t just move on. They don’t understand it’s not that easy. No, we weren’t married yet, but I loved her fierce. I was ready to spend the rest of my life with her.”

She squeezed his arm. “No, it’s not easy, no matter how much time you had together. And you’re right that people don’t understand.”

She pretended not to see him brush his hand across his face, wiping at his eyes. “Like I said, please don’t take it personal.”

After gently squeezing his arm again, she released it. “I won’t. As long as you promise to talk to me if you need an understanding ear.”

He nodded. “I promise. Thank you.”

She hadn’t left Brooksville since her arrival the year before, so she wasn’t familiar with the road they traveled. Despite night falling, the large moon provided plenty of light. As they turned onto a private lane, Joe pointed out their house in the distance. Around them, in fenced pastures, she saw clusters of the herd, illuminated by moonlight.

Struggling not to think back to her past with Paul, she forced a light tone. “How many head do you have, Joe?”

“Nearly five hundred. Like I said, we don’t expect you to do any farm chores like that. Just in the house. I pay one of my stable hands to milk and collect eggs, things like that. So all we need you for is things in the house.”

“I appreciate it, but I can do chores like that, too, if you need me. We had a spread of our own. I’m used to farm work.”

“No, ma’am. That’s not our deal.” She caught another faint smile from him. “I don’t go back on my word.” He pulled the team up in front of the house. She loved the large, airy wraparound porch. Unlike many of the small, squat, one- and two-story homes in town, this house spread out a little, designed to catch any breeze wafting across the pastures to help keep it cool during hot Florida summers.

Mason hitched his horse to a rail near the front porch and walked over to help unload the wagon. He untied the ropes securing her things and carted the first trunk inside. Joe climbed down from the wagon before her. Instead of waiting for him to help her, she decided to climb down on her own. Unfortunately, her foot tangled in her skirt hem, and she felt her balance tip the wrong way. She let out a startled cry as she started to fall, but she didn’t hit the ground. Instead, she landed in Joe’s strong arms.

Instinctively, her arms grabbed for his neck as he caught her. When their eyes locked she realized maybe she had an even bigger problem than she realized. Lightning raced through her as his worried face studied her.

“Are you all right, ma’am?”

She nodded. More to break the admittedly pleasant tension than anything, she said, “If you don’t start calling me Katie, I’m going to swat you.”

The next smile he gave her didn’t look as sad. “Sorry, Katie.” He gently set her on her feet.

Mason reappeared. “What happened?”

“Joe saved me from myself,” she said, her gaze still focused on Joe. “I tripped trying to get out of the wagon by myself.”

Wearing a wistful look, Joe turned back to the wagon. “Let’s get you settled.”

An hour later, the men had her things moved inside what now was her room. A large, airy guest room on the northeast corner of the house, it would stay cooler during the summer, she imagined. The cousin’s rooms lay across the hall from hers, and she fought another rush of heat to her face as she remembered the feel of Joe’s strong arms around her.

No, it’d be safer to keep her emotional distance from both men. It would prove far too easy for her to fall for either of them. And having been a married woman, she knew darn well the significance of the hard bulge she’d brushed up against while briefly in Joe’s arms.

She also knew why Mason had frequently adjusted his trousers that evening while he helped her pack, even though she suspected he thought he hid that from her.

Both men were attracted to her. Fair enough, because she felt the same.

She just prayed it wouldn’t cause a problem, because for the first time since Paul’s death, she felt reasonably safe.

As she blew out her lamp and settled into her new, comfortable bed, she suspected sleep would be a long time coming.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Katie heard a soft squeak as the bedroom door opened. When she looked, in the moonlight she spotted Joe and Mason standing there.

Both bare-chested.

She swallowed hard and ignored all her brain’s warnings about common sense and decency as she wordlessly held out a hand to them, welcoming them into her bed.

Without a sound, both men slowly walked over to stand beside her bed. As one, they unfastened their trousers and let them drop to the floor. They stepped out of them and climbed into bed with her.

Joe took the sheet from her and gently drew it down her body. Mason leaned in and kissed her, his stubble slightly scratchy against her cheek. She felt Joe’s fingers undoing the buttons on her nightgown, parting the light fabric and exposing her breasts.

Her heart raced faster as he leaned in and took her left nipple into his mouth. His tongue flicked against it, rapidly turning it into an achingly hard and throbbing point. Mason sat up and moved down, taking her other nipple between his lips and giving it similar treatment.

She closed her eyes and moaned as Joe guided her own hand between her legs, encouraging her with his hand to rub her clit with her fingers. She felt wanton, and yet it felt so right and better than anything she could have ever dreamed of.

As the men settled in and sucked on her nipples, she quickly shed any last reserve and started rubbing her clit, plunging her fingers into her drenched pussy and gathering her own juices to lubricate her now frantic actions.

As the men continued to suck, she felt her first orgasm since before Paul died bubbling beneath the surface, blossoming, taking her breath away.

The men didn’t stop, their hot, wet mouths helping to pull her orgasm up and out of her until she gasped for air—

And awoke to find her hand working frantically between her legs, and that she was alone in bed.

Gasping and sweating, she sat up and looked around, heat filling her face. She closed her eyes and collapsed back onto the bed.

A dream. Just a dream.

She started to laugh and had to pull the pillow over her face to stifle her near-hysterical giggles that soon turned into sobs. The dream had felt so right despite having two men servicing her.

What am I going to do?

How would she ever survive living with both of them without succumbing to at least one of them?

And how would she ever choose between them, if they were both interested in her?

Joe lay awake, staring at the ceiling. This time his thoughts turned to the attractive woman sleeping just steps away across the hall. Not that he could do anything about it. Mason had already made his intentions more than clear. Joe hadn’t anticipated how good it would feel holding her, even though it had been innocent and totally unplanned.

He just hoped she didn’t feel how hard his cock strained against his trousers as he let her down. She smelled good, felt perfect in his arms.

At least Mason would be happy. She would be good for him.

Eventually, he drifted to sleep, although he was tortured by dreams of Laura…and of Katie. The next morning he awoke before dawn to the sound of noises in the kitchen. He pulled on trousers and yanked his suspenders up as he went to investigate. He found Katie, already dressed and ready to start her day, rummaging through the kitchen.

“What are you looking for?”

Apparently she hadn’t heard him, because she let out a startled cry as she jumped and turned, a hand pressed to her chest. “You scared the deuce out of me!” Her face looked red and flushed.

“Sorry. Can I help you find something?”

“Yes, thank you. I was looking for tea.”

“We don’t have any. We’ve got coffee.”

“Ah. Okay. I’ll make that then.”

He showed her where it was and realized she had assembled a bowl of batter. “What’s that?”

“You like hotcakes, I hope?”

He smiled. “I certainly do. Unless Mason’s the one handling the spatula. His hotcakes are lacking a certain…”

“Flavor?”

“Edibility.”

“Hey,” Mason grumpily complained as he entered the kitchen. “That’s not true. It’s only the first five or six that aren’t edible. After that, you can get them down if you chew them long enough and use plenty of syrup.” He yawned, scratched himself, and then seemed to remember there was a lady present. His face reddened. “Sorry, Katie. ’Scuse me.”

Joe fought back the jealous twinge he felt at Mason’s arrival. Joe knew he had no claim on her. Not that Mason had an official claim by any stretch of the imagination, but he loved his cousin, and the last thing he wanted to do was move in when Mason had already stated his interest.

Katie laughed, apparently amused by their exchange. “Well, I’ve never had complaints about my hotcakes before, so hopefully they’ll be up to your standards.”

“I’m sure they will,” Joe assured her.

Joe left them in the kitchen and returned to his room to freshen up and dress. Mason apparently had the same idea, because he heard his cousin return to his room a brief moment later.

Good, he’s not alone with her.

Joe cringed at the thought. He couldn’t allow himself to go there. No, not at all. But now that he realized the seed was planted, he couldn’t bear to dig it up.

Katie let out a relieved breath when both men returned to their rooms. After her dream, she’d spent a restless night, albeit in a comfortable bed, but her thoughts turning to one or the other man just across the hall from her room.

Or to both.

Katie felt her face redden and quickly steered her imagination away from that. She relaxed as she cooked, something she enjoyed and hadn’t done much of for the past year.

No, don’t think about that.

One of the first things she’d unpacked had been Paul’s picture. Set up on the shelf in her room, next to his mantle clock, she fought the urge to cry. It didn’t matter what he said before he died, she didn’t know how to give her heart to someone else. And now she had two eligible men literally underfoot to choose from, if she wanted.

The men emerged from their rooms, fully dressed this time, and tucked into their meals with appreciative noises and frequently repeated thanks. Mason offered her a playful wink. “If the rest of your cooking is even half this good, you’ll have the two of us fighting to keep you here. You realize that, right?”

Her face warmed. “You barely know me,” she mumbled as she turned to the sink to wash her own plate. “You may be tired of me by next week.”

“Nope,” Joe spoke up. “Not very likely. Heck, your hotcakes are a darn sight better than the best thing Mason’s ever attempted.”

“You’re not much better,” Mason shot back. “Who ever heard of trying to mash raw potatoes?”

She burst out laughing and turned from the sink. “What? Raw potatoes?”

It was Joe’s turn to blush. “It was the first time I ever tried making them,” he mumbled. “How was I supposed to know you cook them first?”

He looked so miserable she decided muffle her amusement. But the thought kept her smiling up until Mason’s next comment broke into her thoughts. “I’m ready to head to town whenever you are, Katie. They’ve already got the buggy hitched.”

She looked around the kitchen and realized she already thought of it as “hers.” That’s when the full impact of her loss struck her with heavy clarity. She enjoyed her work, but she missed having a home, not just a place to lay her weary bones at the end of each lonely day. It wasn’t until both men crowded close, concern on their faces, that she discovered she was crying.

“What’s wrong?” Joe asked. “Did we say something to upset you?”

She wiped her face with the dish towel and shook her head. “I’m sorry. No, it’s not you two. You’ve been wonderful.”

“Then what is it, Katie? What’s the matter?”

She forced a smile. “I’m just being a silly woman, that’s all. Missing what can’t be anymore. Just give me a couple of minutes and I’ll be ready to go.” She hurried to her room and mentally chided herself for her weakness, for letting her emotions get the better of her in front of the men. They were good, kind men who didn’t need to be saddled with her burdens.

Mason watched her return to her room. The sorrow on her face worried him. “Do you think she’s okay?” he asked Joe.

“Give her some time to adjust. She’s been through a lot. Widowed, attacked, upended again, and now in fear of her in-laws. It’s to be expected.”

Mason watched as Joe headed out the back door to go check on things at the barn.

What’s up with him? he wondered. His cousin suddenly seemed sad, too. Mason left through the front door to make sure his horse was tied to the buggy. He would make arrangements with the livery stable in town to take care of the buggy horse every day, so Katie wouldn’t have to ride and he could have his own horse to make rounds.

When she appeared on the front porch a few minutes later, her bonnet neatly tied and her shotgun ready, his breath caught. She was a truly fetching woman. He could easily picture spending his life with her. He hurried over and offered his arm to escort her to the buggy.

“I appreciate you doing this, Mason, but I can drive a buggy. Truth be told, I can hitch a team and work a plow, too. I’m not a fragile woman.”

“Katie, as long as Joe or I have anything to say about it, you won’t have to do that. We made you a deal, and we’ll stick to it.”

She tried to argue with him, but he shushed her. “If you think I’m going to let you go to town by yourself this soon after someone tried to attack you, think again.”

That finally pulled a sweet smile from her. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

He felt his cock stiffen in his trousers as he helped her up into the buggy. “Not nearly as much as it means to me and Joe.”

Over the next two weeks, life settled into a comfortable routine. Joe took turns with Mason to ferry her into town despite her repeated protests that she could take the buggy herself. She didn’t miss their wary alertness on the ride into town, or that the only time Joe wore a pistol was when he drove her.

She felt no pressure from Mason, although he didn’t hide his feelings from her. She enjoyed his playful, teasing ways, a lightness of mood she knew he reserved only for her.

With Joe, she enjoyed their quiet talks about life, love, and loss. She suspected she was the first person he’d ever truly opened up to about his grief.

She also recognized Joe had feelings for her that she suspected he’d never admit due to Mason’s prior claim on her. Unfortunately, she knew that there was no way she could ever force herself to choose between the two handsome men.

She loved both of them.

Every night she stared at Paul’s picture as she silently talked to him, her heart breaking. A man she loved beyond her reach. Two men who obviously cared for her and she couldn’t dare admit it to either one for fear of it destroying their bond.

Every morning she wound Paul’s mantle clock and said a silent prayer that an answer would come and take the choice from her without hurting anyone.