Her Cowboy Cousins: A Reverse Harem Romance Read online

  Her Cowboy Cousins

  Veronica Wade

  Copyright © 2019 by Veronica Wade

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. Marshall

  2. Sarah

  3. Morgan

  4. Sarah

  5. Spencer

  6. Sarah

  7. Sarah

  8. Sarah

  9. Spencer

  10. Sarah

  11. Sarah

  12. Morgan

  13. Sarah

  14. Marshall

  15. Sarah

  16. Sarah

  17. Marshall

  18. Sarah

  19. Marshall

  20. Sarah

  21. Sarah

  22. Epilogue

  23. Excerpt from Her Biker Boys

  About the Author

  Also by Veronica Wade

  Marshall

  I take in a deep breath as I wait for yet another knock on the door, yet another person in a long line of applicants I’ve had to see today.

  The familiar, sweet scent of hay fills the space that I’ve turned into a temporary office. Really, it’s not meant to be an office at all, but a small spare building with a few beds that we offer to hired help if they want or need to stay on the farm. It’s quaint, cozy and homey… but not very official.

  The knock finally comes, about five minutes late. I’ve never in my life shown up to an interview five minutes late. It’s not a good look. I’m already put off. Until I open the door, that is. That’s when my annoyance is quickly replaced with shock.

  It only takes me a second to recognize her. She looks a lot older than I remember, but not so old that her face isn’t familiar.

  “Eva?” I ask.

  “Marshall!” She immediately wraps me up in a big hug, the way she so often used to.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask her.

  Eva forces a smile. “I’m here for the job, of course,” she answers in her usual Southern belle drawl.

  That much has not changed. Her looks may have faded, but that voice is clear as day in my mind. I could remember the days when that classic Southern voice used to call me “baby.”

  “Man, you haven’t aged a day! Still handsome as ever, you are,” she flirts.

  I wish I could say the same for her. She’s the same age as me, thirty-one, so for the life of me, I cannot figure out why she looks fifty. But I’m not about to comment on that, especially knowing how seriously Eva has always taken her good looks.

  She was a beauty queen, royalty in the pageant circuit when we were younger. Our senior year of high school she had been crowned Miss Downy County, and she would proudly tell that fact to anyone who would listen.

  She broke up with me soon after that. Forever searching for greener pastures, that was Eva. And when she was feeling pretty high and mighty about her status, she thought she deserved a whole heck of a lot better than Marshall Zachary. She may not have said that outright, but it was pretty clear to anyone with half a brain.

  With her standing here now though, I don’t feel much animosity about our past. That was a lifetime ago. Things are different. I’ve been through so much in my life since I last saw her; my old relationship with Eva is the last thing I’d worry about.

  “Uh, come on in,” I stutter as I open the door for her. “I didn’t even realize you were back in Autumn Falls.”

  “I wasn’t planning on being in Autumn Falls,” she admits, “but here I am. One thing I’ve learned: life doesn’t always go as expected.”

  “I suppose it doesn’t.”

  Eva eyes me suspiciously for a moment. “You lost your accent. If I were going by voice alone, I wouldn’t even know it was you.”

  “Oh, yeah, I’ve been told that. I guess that’s what a decade in the city does to a person.”

  “The city? You left Autumn Falls too?” She seems surprised to hear it.

  “Yeah, is that a shock?”

  I like to think I was always headed for bigger and better things. I had always gotten good grades in school, had a knack for math… as noble as it may be, I never really planned to stay back and live the farm life.

  And yet here I am.

  “I guess not now that I think about it,” she says. “But you were always close with your parents. Didn’t think you’d leave ‘em.”

  “It’s true, but I visited often, and they understood. I think they were even pretty proud once I got my feet under me.”

  Proud is an understatement, but I don’t really want to brag to Eva right now about all my success while she’s applying for a farmhand position. I became successful, and I worked for a very prestigious financial institution. I set up investment accounts for both my parents that have made them a tidy sum of money over the years. I’m good at what I do. Or, I guess, what I did. Now I have a whole different future in front of me.

  “But you’re back here now?” she asks me. “For the foreseeable future?”

  “Yeah, I am. Little over a year ago, my great uncle passed—”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Eva interrupts.

  “Yeah, thanks. He was a great man, very close to all of us. He never married, so he left the ranch to me and my two cousins. You remember Morgan and Spencer?”

  “Yes, of course.” She nods.

  “Well, I moved back to help Morgan and Spencer run the ranch. We tried to run it as a traditional ranch but it wasn’t working, and after a few months I suggested we make it a dude ranch. And now we’re doing pretty well.”

  I can’t lie, I am pretty pleased with my idea of making it a dude ranch. And it means that I can utilize the skills I used to use in finance to help run our business. I’m not a farmhand. Crunching the numbers is what I’m good at, and I’m happy to do it.

  “Sounds amazing! Y’all are obviously doing pretty well for yourselves, hiring on help and all.”

  “Yep, it’s been pretty busy. We just can’t do it all on our own anymore.” I pause for a moment before switching gears. “So, let’s get to it, shall we? Do you have a resume for me?”

  “Oh, of course!” Eva hands me a white piece of paper, crumpled a bit on the edges. Again, she isn’t exactly the picture of professionalism.

  I quickly run my eyes down the page. There isn’t much on there. She lists her previous success as Miss Downy County, which seems totally irrelevant for the job at hand.

  “Dancing?” I ask, unsure what kind of job that is. Until her face flushes a bit.

  “You know… I… dance.”

  Right, duh, how could I be so dumb? I’m kicking myself for even bringing it up. I try to move along quickly.

  “I see. Well, it looks like you haven’t done a lot of manual labor, and that’s mostly what we’re looking for here, Eva. I’d love to help you out but I’m not sure you’d be such a great fit.” I give it to her straight; no reason to beat around the bush.

  She begins to tap her foot uncomfortably. “I was thinking maybe I could do that receptionist job you got there in the ad?”

  “Right. The only thing is, you’ve got no customer-service skills listed. Plus, if I remember correctly, you’ve got quite a temper, and I can’t have a receptionist angry at the guests.”

  Sure, she could have changed, but being that she was such a hothead when I knew her, it wouldn’t feel right letting her interact with guests that much. A lot of the people we get that
come to stay are pretty entitled rich folk. They want a quaint taste of a ranch but they’re paying a lot of money for the best suite, and if they have a complaint, they’re not kind about it in the slightest. I don’t think my Southern belle here has the mental fortitude to handle some middle-aged rich woman screaming at her about the freshness of our coffee.

  Eva bites her lip. “Can I be honest with you?”

  “Sure,” I say, unsure of what might be coming next.

  “I’m in a real pickle, Marshall. I don’t want to be in Autumn Falls, but… I’m flat broke and have to stay with my parents in their tiny place. Not just me by myself, which I could handle, but me and my daughter both.”

  “You have a daughter?” I ask, pretty surprised to hear this. It’s hard to imagine her being responsible for a child.

  “Yes, a beautiful little girl, and I love her so much, but it’s no cakewalk being her momma. Especially with the money problems I’ve been having. I don’t want to be staying with my parents long. I need to get out, and I need to save money. I have to put a roof over not only my head, but my daughter’s head… I’ll do anything, any position, whatever you want. I just need a job.”

  I look at her and despite our past, it’s hard not to feel sorry for her. She looks downright broken. It’s weird to see her like this after only knowing her as the girl who was on top of the world who looked down at everyone.

  I sigh. “Okay, look, I don’t think you can do any farmhand positions, and I can’t have you in customer service, but… I think I can take on another maid.”

  I wasn’t even planning on hiring maids, honestly. We’re staffed right now. But I suppose I could fit her into the rotation. With tips she might do okay.

  “You will?” Eva squeals and immediately leaps up and wraps her arms around me. “Oh, thank you, Marshall, thank you! You have no idea what this means to me. I promise I won’t let you down.”

  I laugh awkwardly. “Okay, okay. I believe you.”

  She smiles at me. “When do I start?”

  “Possibly Monday. I’ll go ahead and give you a call. Your current number is on the resume, right?”

  “Sure is!” She leans up and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “I cannot thank you enough for this, Marshall. You’ve made my life so much easier. You always were my knight in shining armor.”

  She’s unabashedly flirting with me, trying out those worn feminine wiles, but frankly, I could not be less interested. On top of how crappy she was to me back when we were young, she seems kind of a mess. Not the kind of woman that grabs my attention. I like a woman I can hold a conversation with, a woman with brains. Not to say that Eva doesn’t have any, but… okay, well, it doesn’t seem like she’s got much going for her these days. She seems to have gone full bimbo.

  She leaves pretty quickly, much to my relief. I didn’t want to keep entertaining her. I didn’t want to give her a job, but I felt too bad for her not to offer anything. A job as a maid is the least I can do.

  I only have one more person to interview today, and then possibly a few tomorrow. I look over my sheet, checking out the positions I’ve already filled and what I have left to fill. I could definitely add a farmhand or two, but I could also survive with those I’ve hired so far.

  The one thing I really need is a receptionist, and that’s been damn hard to find for whatever reason. No, I know the reason… it’s this small town.

  The economy here at Autumn Falls breeds a particular type of person. The men are good at manual labor, the women are good at twirling on stage, and neither are suited to high-profile businesses. I need someone smart, personable, who can hold a pleasant conversation, and who I can trust to talk to customers and leave them walking away happy. I haven’t seen that yet.

  There’s a new knock on the door, pulling me away from my sheet of positions to be filled. They’re five minutes early, which bodes well—this person is likely serious about the job.

  I open the door to find a young woman with long, honey-blonde hair, bangs right at the line of her eyebrows, and reddish-brown freckles speckling her cheeks. Her body is curvaceous, with a peek of cleavage between the buttons of her plaid shirt, which is tied around her waist. Her jeans are a pale blue wash, and cling to her curves in a flattering way that makes me want to stare more. I pull my eyes away.

  “Hello, I was told to come to this building for my interview,” she says in a sweet voice as she extends her hand. “I’m Sarah.”

  I shake her hand back.

  “Sarah, hello. I’m Marshall. Nice to meet you.”

  She steps in and I shut the door behind her, and though I kick myself for thinking it, I really can’t help but notice how damned attractive she is. How fresh she looks.

  Too young for me, no doubt. She’s probably ten years my junior… which is why I feel like a bit of a creep thinking this way about her.

  Can’t help noticing when a woman is attractive though, and damn, she is one gorgeous girl.

  “I’ve got my resume right here,” she says, holding out her hand. Her voice is young and sweet, but professional at the same time.

  I take it from her and glance at it. I’m hoping desperately to see some customer-service experience on there since I’m getting antsy to fill this receptionist position, but I don’t. Her only real job is listed as a short-order cook at the local diner.

  “I know it’s not much,” Sarah tells me, “but I’ve kept my job at the diner for years. I’m a good cook. I saw that you need cooks and thought it could be a great fit.”

  Unfortunately, I filled those positions earlier this week.

  “And why are you leaving the diner?” I ask her. “I mean, if you’re currently a good fit there.”

  “Well, I don’t want to get too personal or anything, but if I’m honest, the most important thing is that you offer more money to your cooks than the diner does, and I’m in a position where I could really use the extra cash.”

  “I see…” I say slowly. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Yes, of course,” she says, leaning forward.

  “Say I was an angry customer, upset about the room not being set with new towels after housekeeping came by, and I came to your desk and started complaining. How would you respond?”

  She thinks for only a moment. “Well, of course, the first thing I would do is apologize and insist on sending towels to the room immediately. And if I were authorized to do so, maybe I’d offer a complimentary meal for the inconvenience? Something to keep you happy, something to write a good review about.”

  I’m impressed with her instinct. She has no customer-service experience, but she seems smart, kind, and I’m sure if I give her the receptionist job, she’ll excel at it. At least, I hope she will. Even with no direct experience she seems like a safe bet.

  “You know what, Sarah, I usually ask more questions, but here’s where I’m at. I’ve already got cooks, but I really need a receptionist. You seem like you’d be good at it. Is that something you’d be interested in here?”

  Her eyes widen slightly in surprise. “A receptionist, really? But… I don’t have any kind of experience with that. Is that fine?”

  “Well I think you have potential to make this work. I’ve got a good feeling about you. It’s really hard to find someone around here who seems like they’d be good at talking to people, but I’ve got hunch you will be. And as the icing on the cake, reception pays a dollar more an hour than the cook’s job.”

  She smiles. “Okay, yeah. I’ll give it a try!”

  “Great, can you start next week?” I ask.

  “Absolutely, I’d love to! Thank you so much!” she says. Again, it’s hard for me to ignore how cute she is, the way the freckles stretch across her nose when she smiles and the curves of her body as she bounces on the chair. But I push those thoughts out of my head.

  “Fantastic, we’ll start training you then.”

  She reaches out to shake my hand. “See you then!”

  What a sweet girl. Soft-spoken, but bubbly.
She’ll be a great face for our operation. I really want someone working as the receptionist who will make people feel comforted when they walk in, and she definitely seems like the kind of gal who would be easy for people to talk to. Not too jaded, not too sophisticated, but a warm, welcoming face for a dude ranch.

  Glancing down at my list again, I realize I’ve got nearly every position filled now. There are a couple more interviews tomorrow for farmhand jobs but even if they don’t work out, I think we’re going to be good.

  It’s a great relief since I am more than tired of interviewing people. It’s been interesting, running this dude ranch with my cousins. I’ve taken on the lion’s share of the executive responsibilities because of my history, but hiring and firing people really isn’t the kind of work I enjoy. My thing is cold, hard numbers. Like evaluating our profits, brainstorming ways to cut costs and increase profits, figuring out what is sustainable, and maximizing our earnings. As much as I would like to pass off the job of hiring folks to my cousins, I’m not sure that they’d be great at evaluating people. And the last thing I want to deal with are piss-poor employees.

  I grab my list and lock the door behind me before heading to the stables to discuss the new hires with my cousins.

  They’re just about finished cleaning when I arrive.

  “Hey, looks like I arrived at the perfect time,” I say as I look around the stables. Fresh straw in the stalls, and nicely swept wooden floors give a good impression.

  Spencer flashes me a look. “Yeah, pretty sure you took your damn time with those interviews specifically so you’d miss out on this delightful chore.”

  “Guilty as charged.” I grin at him and Morgan. “But you’re going to be happy to know we’re pretty much set for help. You guys want to hear about the new hires I made today?”