Three to Ride

Chapter Twelve

“Where did she go now?” Max turned and looked around the wide, expansive park that housed the picnic grounds. His heart seized a little as he realized he couldn’t see Rachel anymore.

“She’s with Stella,” Rye replied calmly from the ground where he was relaxing. He rested back on his elbows, looking over the crowd. The grounds were covered with people picnicking on blankets, quilts, or making do with the soft grass. There were several tents around the perimeter where people were serving food or offering goods for sale. A large stage was set up at the edge of the park.

Everyone was out for Founder’s Day. It was a day to celebrate Bliss’s long history and the great men and women who had built the town. No one mentioned that the town had really only been in existence since 1968, when a group of hippies decided it would make a nice commune. Max smiled as he watched Rachel passing out slices of peach pie. His own mama had been one of those hippies. She’d met their dad and become a rancher’s wife. Max and Rye had been the first children born in Bliss. His mother would have loved Rachel, Max thought wistfully.

“Rachel would have gotten along great with Mom, you know,” Rye said in one of those frequent moments when they were thinking the same thing. Max didn’t question it. It was just one of those twin things. It had been like that all their lives. Max felt a little sorry for all the people who didn’t have it.

“I’m just glad she seems to get along with Brooke.” Max stared at Rachel, wondering just how she’d gotten past Brooke’s defenses. Brooke had started talking to Rachel on the phone every couple of days. He knew his baby sister was a hellion. Brooke had scared off more than one female before. She’d been pleased with Rachel, though. She was already talking about making Rachel’s wedding dress. Rachel had protested that it was a little early for that. She had no idea that he and Rye were already looking for rings. After Monday, they would make it plain what they needed from her. Max just had to hope she could accept it.

Stefan was stepping up to the stage to announce the next set of auction items. A whole load of local art had already been auctioned off. Some of the local businesses had put items up as well. Stella had offered up a package that included a Pie of the Month membership. The Bliss Repertory Theater had offered season tickets. Henry and Nell had offered performance art lessons. All proceeds would go to the Talbot Foundation, a scholarship program for artists.

Max was getting impatient. He’d come because Rachel had ordered him to. He was anxious to get back to the ranch and work. He wanted to bundle Rachel up and take her back there, too. Last night had just about given him a heart attack. First there had been the moment he and Rye had walked into the diner and realized she wasn’t there. After Rye made him calm down, they had started up the route she would have taken to get home. They’d made it to her abandoned Jeep when Callie called over the Bronco’s radio telling them Mel had Rachel at his cabin. He owed that crazy and promised to listen to at least one long conspiracy theory a month in payment. He would nod and not interrupt. It was a sacrifice, but well worth it.

Rachel was calm by the time they had gotten to Mel’s, but Max knew she’d had a bad night. He’d cradled her while she slept, promising himself that, after Monday, she would still be in his arms.

“Damn, brother,” a cocky voice said, “that really is one gorgeous girl.”

Max looked up and noted that Rye’s attention was now focused on the two young cowboys standing not far from the blanket Rachel had smoothed out for them at the beginning of the picnic. Max grinned. He remembered what it was like to be twenty-something. He’d been an ignorant ass, too. And he and Rye had had one thing on their minds.

Max looked around, trying to figure out which young lady had caught the brothers’ eyes.

“You’re right about that,” the taller one said. He had his hands on his waist. There was an enormous buckle on his belt proclaiming him the rodeo champion of something or other.

Rye and Max exchanged a look. Max immediately knew these were brothers who shared their toys. He knew his brother was thinking the same thing he was. Those boys were on the prowl, and some lucky woman was in for the ride of her life.

Stefan tapped on the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen…”

But Max was still watching that younger version of himself. He’d have to point the cowboys out to Rachel. She would find them amusing.

“It’s those tits that get me,” the shorter one said. “I can’t wait to get my hands on them.”

His brother smiled as though he was thinking about something very pleasant. “I can’t wait to see all that hair spread out. I love that color. Do you think her pussy’s strawberry blonde, too?”

“What!” Max yelled, nearly spilling the beer he was holding. It was left on the ground and completely forgotten as he sprang up, realizing those idiots were talking about his woman.

Rye was right beside him.

“Hey, don’t spill your beer, old man,” the shorter one advised, tipping his Stetson. “You only get so many beers in your life. You gotta enjoy each one.”

“Come on, Shane,” the other one said. “I think the auction’s about to start. I don’t want to miss buying up that honey’s time.”

“Excuse me, sir,” the first one said, politely stepping around Rye. “We need to go buy a girl.”

They swaggered toward the stage, but Max heard the parting remark. “Nice one, Shane. You’re always polite to our elders.”

“Elders!” Max shouted. Heads turned, but the younger brothers didn’t look back. Max felt his fists clench. They were looking at his woman and talking about her tits. He had kicked ass for far less before.

Rye put a hand out to stop his brother. “Calm down.” Rye’s eyes were on Rachel as she took off her apron and folded it neatly. “She’s a beautiful woman. You can’t kick the ass of every man who finds her attractive.”

“Watch me,” Max growled.

His brother sighed. “Don’t embarrass Rachel. You’re supposed to be behaving.”

Teeny and Marie walked up. Teeny and Marie had been their mother’s closest friends. They had been like aunts to the brothers when they were growing up. After their mother had died, it had been Teeny who sat with them at the hospital and Marie who took charge of the arrangements. Their families were interwoven like all the families in Bliss. Brooke had worked at the Trading Post during her teen years, and Teeny’s son was Rye’s deputy.

“Listen to your brother, Maxwell,” Marie admonished. Max looked at the sixty-year-old woman. She was solidly built with a no nonsense air about her. “You calm down. You have bigger things to worry about than those two boys. The whole town knows about Rachel. We’re all watching out for her.”

Max and Rye had talked to Callie and Logan about getting the word out to the town to watch Rachel. It looked like it worked. Now he had to hope Rachel didn’t find out. “Well, while you’re all watching out for Rach, I can kill two asshole brothers.”

“Those young boys are all arrogance and charm,” Teeny said, shaking her head. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Rachel turned them down flat last night.”

“What?” It was Rye’s turn to yelp.

Marie stared at him for a moment. “I thought you would have heard. It was all over town. Those Kent boys came into the diner and asked Rachel out. They said something about two being better than one.”

“But Rachel told them she had a boyfriend.” Teeny pushed her glasses back up her nose. They were always falling off. She leaned forward conspiratorially. “Stella said they talked about her after she was gone, though. They seemed very interested. They weren’t at all concerned that she had a boyfriend.”

Max just bet they had talked about her. He should have answered the phone last night. He’d wanted quiet time with Rachel, but from now on, he’d always answer the phone just in case someone was calling to tell him about young men in desperate need of a good ass-kicking.

Rye was looking at the women like he wished they’d be quiet. “Like I told Max, he can’t kick the ass of every man who hits on her. Rachel took care of it.”

“We have one final item on the block for today’s auction,” Stefan was saying smoothly.

“See.” Rye pointed to the stage. “We’re almost done, and then we can take Rachel home. She’ll be far away from the lustful gaze of rodeo cowboys.”

She might never leave the ranch again. Damn upstart cowboys.

“One of our most beautiful citizens has agreed to auction herself off for an evening,” Stefan said with a little laugh. “This will consist of a fantasy date at the Talbot estate. It’s an evening of dinner, dancing, and whatever else can happen between consenting adults.”

Everyone was chattering about the spicy item up for auction.

“See, I bet they were talking about Jen. Jen’s the only one crazy enough to auction herself off.” Rye turned his attention to where the Kent brothers were standing near the stage. “They’re practically drooling. Stefan’s going to get some decent change out of those idiots, and then they’ll forget all about Rachel.”

“Let me introduce our—” Stefan stopped as a young woman walked up onto the stage. “What should I call you, Rachel?”

She grinned and shrugged. “Let’s call me a love slave.”

“Excellent.” Stefan pushed her gently to the front of the stage. “Do I have a bid on our little love slave?”

“Five hundred dollars,” one of the Kent brothers yelled.

Max felt his eye twitching. He knew he should be yelling, but his limbs wouldn’t move. This was what it felt like to be paralyzed with rage. Yes, he was going to do it. He was going to finally go utterly psychotic and prove the whole town right. He was going to walk over to those arrogant assholes and take the first one apart. Then he’d beat the other one to death with his dead brother’s leg. He looked to his own brother. Rye would save him from his towering rage. Rye would have calming words. Rye would talk him down.

Rye’s face was red as he pointed at the young cowboys. “You, kill now, Max.”

Max started stalking off toward the idiots trying to buy his woman for the evening. It would be their last evening on Earth.

“Maxwell Harper, you stop right there,” Rachel said over the microphone.

“No.” Max didn’t even slow down as he yelled at Rachel. She wasn’t talking him out of it. “I’m going to kill them. They are not going to spend the night with you as their damn love slave.”

Rye was right behind him as they bore down on their prey. The Kent brothers stood their ground. Smirks marked their faces as they watched Max and Rye move in.

Max saw Rachel up on stage, tapping that foot of hers. It was one of the things she did when she thought he was acting like a dumbass.

“Well, I was thinking you might buy me, Max,” she said with a little huff.

Max stopped. He forgot about the cowboys for a moment. Rachel was staring down at him. “Did you plan this, baby?”

She leaned over, holding her hand over the microphone. It gave him an excellent view of the creamy mounds of her breasts. It also gave the Kent brothers a view. “Yes. I thought it would be fun. I have a whole night planned around being your very obedient little love slave, Max. I know I take control most of the time, but I thought you would enjoy a little obedience from me for once.”

His cock got hard at the thought, and he knew Rachel noticed. Damn it. He was going to kill Stefan for letting her do this. It was sweet, and she’d obviously not thought that other men would be bidding. “Fine. Five hundred and one dollars.”

It did not go unnoticed that Rachel rolled her eyes at his overwhelming increase.

The Kent brothers laughed, too.

“Six hundred,” the one named Shane bid. He winked up at Rachel. “I think you’re worth it, darlin’. I’m sure the old man’s next bid will be six hundred dollars and fifty cents.”

Max growled. He took a step forward, but Rye held him back. Rye looked up at Stefan. “Max will go to a thousand.”

Max grimaced, but looked at Rachel, who was waiting expectantly. Her big green eyes were watching him. “Fine.”

The Kent brothers grinned. “Two thousand.”

Max could hear people talking all around him. He didn’t have two thousand. He was building a damn business. He was going to end up in jail because there was no way he would let his Rachel walk off into the sunset to play love slave to two rodeo cowboys.

“Twenty-five hundred,” he heard Rye say.

“I thought the other one was bidding,” complained one of the Kent brothers.

Stefan looked down from his perch on the stage. “Which one of you is bidding? You should know there’s no pooling money. If you do that, then both of you have to share the prize.”

“We’re more than willing to share.” Shane sent a smoldering look Rachel’s way. “We heard those two over there don’t. We’ll show Miss Rachel a real good time. We’re going to show her just how good two men can be.”

“Three thousand,” Rye shouted. He looked at the younger men. “Three thousand, and I let you live. You go a single dollar over, and all bets are off.”

Max took up the topic. His voice was low, so Rachel couldn’t hear him. “It won’t be a fair fight, boys. You try taking our woman, and you better watch your back the rest of your damn lives. You understand me?”

“I hear you,” the tall one said. “As it happens, we could only go to two grand.”

Shane sighed. “Damn. I guess we’ll have to find comfort elsewhere. You fellas don’t happen to have a sister, do you?”

Rye shoved a hand against his brother’s chest.

“You stay away from my sister, asshole,” Max yelled.

The Kents were laughing as Rye pushed Max away.

“Calm your ass down, Max.”

Max looked at his brother, who didn’t seem as pissed off as he should be. “Now they’re talking about our sister.”

Rye looked brutally irritated, but not with the cowboys. “She’s safely in Denver, Max. Have you given any consideration to the fact that we just purchased a slave for the night? We just bought a slave for the two of us.”

Max’s mouth dropped open. He looked up at the stage, where Rachel was talking to Stefan. “She can’t know what it means. She was just saying that.”

Stefan jogged off the stage as Rachel talked to some blonde who had come with him. She seemed to be giving Rachel very explicit instructions.

Max stopped the elegantly casual Stefan. “This little date I just went into hock for…it’s just dinner and stuff, right? She was joking about the slave part.”

Stefan frowned. “If she was joking, then Lana wasted an entire morning training her. Rachel was very specific in her demands. She wanted to be a proper slave for the evening. I stocked the guesthouse with everything you could need. There are condoms, lubricant, toys, anything you could want. The hot tub is ready, as well. Dinner will be waiting. She requested that no servants be present, since she intends to be naked the entire time. I do not believe she was joking.”

“Damn.” Max completely forgot about his need to kick the Kent brothers’ young asses. The thought of Rachel naked and submissive to their whims was more than he could comprehend.

“I’ll get someone to give me a ride home, brother,” Rye said. Max couldn’t miss the disappointment in his brother’s voice.

“No,” Stefan insisted sharply. “I was serious about the rules, Rye. You put in your money, you share the prize.”

“That’s ridiculous. You can’t make her do that.”

Stef laughed. “I didn’t make the rule, Rye. Rachel did.” He slapped Rye on the back. “Take some advice from a man who knows women. She’s ready. She wants everything the two of you can give her. Go on and get your woman.”

Max and Rye turned to the woman in question. Lana was handing her a key. It was the key to Stefan’s guesthouse, where the three of them would come together for the first time.

Max looked at his brother and knew they were thinking the same thing.

About damn time.