Her Cowboy Cousins: A Reverse Harem Romance Read online

  “Damn straight we do,” Morgan says in his usual heavy Southern accent.

  “I grabbed one more farmhand, Kevin Sholls,” I tell them.

  “Oh, good. He’ll be a hard worker,” Spencer says. In this town, everyone knows everyone. I have yet to mention a hire that they do not immediately recognize by name.

  “One more new cook, Etta Mae,” I continue.

  “Also a good choice,” Morgan agrees.

  “Yeah, they both had great interviews. I don’t foresee any issues with either of them…” My sentence trails off as I realize the next person I need to announce is Eva. I know how they both felt about Eva back in the day, and considering we all thought she was no longer living here, this one is going to be hard to explain.

  “Eva Collins came in, and I gave her a job as a maid—”

  Spencer cuts me off immediately. “Wait, Eva Collins? Like… your ex, Eva Collins? The beauty queen of Downy County wants to be a maid?”

  “Yes,” I admit.

  “I thought she moved away a long time ago!” Morgan looks surprised.

  “She moved back.”

  “She moved back, and you… gave her a job? But last time I checked, you hated that woman!” Spencer chides.

  “I don’t hate her,” I argue. “We dated in high school, which I might remind you was a long time ago. I’m not harboring some grudge against her.” And I’m really not. I couldn’t care less about Eva.

  “Yeah? Well, I am,” Spencer says definitively. “I don’t see why you’d just open up a job for that woman.”

  “Look, man, I wouldn’t normally, but she wasn’t looking so good, okay? She’s a far cry from the pageant girl she was in high school. She looks like a mess, she’s got a kid now… I couldn’t just do nothing. Sometimes you have to have some compassion.”

  “A kid?” Morgan asks. “No fucking way.”

  “Yeah. And from the sound of it, she doesn’t want to be back in Autumn Falls. So, I’m guessing as soon as she’s back on her feet, she’s going to be out of here right quick. She’ll be out of our hair before we know it.”

  “Whatever, fine. I hope she is.” Spencer looks down. He knows when to stop.

  “Better news: I found a receptionist today!” I toss out, knowing it’s going to shift the conversation toward something more positive.

  “Oh, yeah? Who?” Morgan asks.

  “Her name is Sarah Lowell,” I tell them.

  “Oh, no, no, no.” Morgan shakes his head. He clearly knows exactly who she is. “We can’t hire her! Isn’t she too young to work for us?”

  “What?” I laugh. “Too young? She’s twenty-one.”

  “I mean… twenty-one ain’t exactly jailbait, but she will be a distraction,” Spencer says, eyes getting wide. “She is one cute girl.”

  I see what’s going on here. They both know her, and they’re both attracted to her. Not surprising I suppose, as we did always seem to have a similar taste in women.

  “She was really personable. I think she’ll know how to talk to our customers, and she’ll probably be a perfect face for the ranch. That’s what we need, right?’

  “I guess,” Morgan says, pretty unconvinced.

  “I’ve got a feeling she’s going to be a great fit for us, but either way, I already gave her the job, so let’s try to give her a chance,” I tell them both.

  Though I suspect giving her a chance isn’t going to be the issue… controlling their attraction to her will be.

  Sarah

  I push around the scrambled eggs on my plate after taking a bite of bacon. The eggs look great, like always. My mom is an awesome cook. But I hardly have any appetite knowing I’m starting a new job this morning.

  I force myself to eat because I don’t want to upset my mother. Her eyes are already puffy. It’s clear she’s been crying, though she’s putting on a brave face for me. I don’t want to make anything harder for her, so I push through the meal.

  She sits across from me. “Excited about today?”

  “Definitely. I think it’ll be really great,” I tell her, “and it’ll be nice to bring some more money back home, for sure.”

  My mom forces a smile, but I can tell something is off.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’m a little worried about you working with the Zachary cousins.” She pats her lip with her napkin.

  “Why? Nothing wrong with them,” I tell her, and she looks up to meet my eyes.

  “I mean… you need to be careful about Spencer. He’s always been a wild child, and you know damn well he chases anything in a skirt.”

  I look down and give a gentle pat on my pants. “Good thing I’m in jeans then, huh?”

  “Oh, Sarah, be serious. I remember when he was younger, all the trouble he gave his poor parents, partying all the time. People don’t change. He’s guaranteed to be wild as ever, and you had best stay far away. I still don’t see why you couldn’t have just kept your job at the diner. They were good to you.”

  “Mom, I’ve told you a hundred times. I need more money. I’m trying to save for culinary school. This job has better pay and better hours, and it’s necessary right now. It’s a good job. Besides, I don’t think I’ll be seeing much of any of the Zachary cousins. I’m going to be up front at a receptionist’s desk checking people into their rooms.”

  “Well, maybe. But I don’t think this is the kind of thing Chuck would have approved of,” she tuts before sipping her coffee, as if this is a casual statement.

  It isn’t a casual statement at all, and it stings. Chuck was my stepfather—the only father I’ve ever known, considering my biological father left me and my mom when I was just a baby. Chuck and I were very close. He passed just a few months ago.

  It’s cruel of my mom to use him to make her point. I know that she’s grieving like I am. Her tearstained cheeks are a reminder of that, so I don’t call her out on how unkind that was. It isn’t worth it when we’re both hurting. I shrug it off and try to take another bite.

  I hope my mom knows I’m right. There aren’t many decent-paying jobs in Autumn Falls, so if I want to get out of this town, and I desperately do, I can’t be overly picky about the jobs I take.

  I was expecting that when I arrived at work today, I would immediately begin my training, but that ended up not being the case.

  I walk into the main building of the dude ranch to loud, grating noises. Nails being hammered into the wall, the sound of a drill… At first I don’t know where they’re coming from, and none of the three men are anywhere to be found. So I follow the trail of noises. There they are, absorbed in constructing something: Marshall, with his serious demeanor, dark stubble across his strong jaw; Morgan, his dirty-blond hair falling into his blue eyes, and the playboy Spencer, his lean frame attractive in jeans and a plaid shirt that’s tight enough to show off his muscles.

  “Um… Hi? Hello?” I say when none of them notice me walk up. But because of how loud it is, they don’t hear me either. “Hello?!” I call out.

  Marshall notices me first, and when he does, his face immediately sinks.

  “Oh, shit! Sorry Sarah, I completely forgot that you were scheduled in today. Uh… Guys, you know Sarah?”

  They both nod. I had met Spencer and Morgan many times around town. Marshall I didn’t meet until the other day because apparently he was in the city for the past decade.

  “Was I not supposed to?” I ask.

  “Well,” Marshall says, wiping his hands on his jeans before coming up to me, “I apologize. I probably should have called to tell you to skip coming in. I don’t have time today to train you. But let me show you what we’re doing here. This room is the customer service and reception area. We’re going to put a window in this wall so when people walk in, you’ll be the first thing they see. But in order to finish today, it’s going to take all of us.”

  He rubs his hand across his square jaw. I wonder what it feels like with all that stubble?

  “I guess she co
uld just head home for the day, come back on Wednesday?” Spencer suggests.

  I don’t want to do that. I really want to start racking up hours.

  “I mean… I could help you guys…” I glance around the room and see a couple of paint cans in the corner. “I’ve helped my dad paint loads of times. My mom is really finicky and is always wanting to change colors in the house.”

  Marshall squints his eyes. “Actually, you know what, that would save time. You can go ahead and start on this finished wall if you’re sure you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all!” I say, thrilled that I’m not going to be sent home.

  Funny that I made that jeans joke to my mother, because now that I’ll be painting, I’m pretty glad I didn’t put on dress pants or a skirt. I’m sure when I’m actually working as a receptionist I’m going to need to wear something considerably more office-friendly, but I still haven’t gotten info on a dress code yet. Not that it much matters if there aren’t any guests here yet.

  The rhythmic strokes of the paintwork are something I don’t mind at all; it’s actually really calming. It’s a weird thing, I know, but I even like the smell. Painting reminds me of Chuck, which makes me feel at home, in my element. At least, I feel in my element until the first time I turn around after getting the first coat on the wall.

  When I do, I find that Marshall, Spencer, and Morgan all now have their shirts off. I can’t blame them; it’s damn hot in here and they’re working pretty hard, sweat beading off their foreheads, dripping down their strong, tanned, cut bodies...

  I was so engrossed with painting that I hadn’t noticed them take anything off, and I’m caught completely off guard. All three of them are extremely fit. They all look like Greek god statues. Perfect abs, huge arms… I’d be lying if I said I didn’t notice their good looks before, because I have. Meeting Marshall yesterday, it was impossible to ignore the way his dark, slightly curly hair fell perfectly all around his face, leading my eye to his strong jawline. With his physique pretty much hidden under clothes, I didn’t realize he was this ripped. They all are. Three incredibly sexy men.

  With their lean, muscular bodies right in my face, I can’t ignore it. And I feel my breath get a little heavy as I try not to stare while I wait for the first coat to dry.

  Easier said than done.

  I haven’t spent a lot of time around men, not since leaving high school, anyway. The only guys I ever saw were at the diner and they were rarely very attractive. Being around three handsome men as they stand shirtless and sweaty in front of me is definitely a change of pace.

  The tension rises the longer I wait. It only breaks when another woman steps in from the hall with a suitcase in hand. Again, the guys don’t notice her at first, the way they didn’t notice me come in. They’re way too busy with the job they’re doing. So I interrupt them.

  “Uh, Marshall…” I say softly.

  “Yeah?” he asks, focused on the task.

  “I thought you said there were no guests today, but I may have misunderstood?” I turn my head and smile at the woman.

  Marshall looks confused as his eyes go from me to the blonde woman in the doorway.

  “Eva… What are you doing here?” he asks, surprised.

  “I’m here to get settled in, of course.” Right then, a young girl walks up behind her with another suitcase. “Where will we be staying?”

  I notice Morgan and Spencer looking at each other, clearly irritated, though I can’t figure out why exactly. Who is this Eva woman? Is she not a guest?

  “Eva, I hate to break it to you, but this is not a live-in position,” Marshall tells her.

  She looks horrified. “What? But it has to be! I mean… we talked about it. How I have to move out of my parents’ house…”

  Marshall looks over his shoulder at his cousins, who are flashing disapproving looks in response.

  “Yeah, and I thought when you said that, you meant that you were going to be saving money to move out at a later date. I had no idea that you were trying to leave her place immediately.”

  “Yes, absolutely I am. I have to. They don’t want us there anymore.” She puts her hand on the shoulder of who I assume is her daughter, though she looks nothing like her. She does not have long, straight blonde hair like her mother, but instead has darker curls going down to her shoulders.

  Marshall sighs. “All right, all right. I guess you two can stay in the bunkhouse for now, if you have nowhere else to go.”

  She grins. “Oh, thank you, Marshall!” She squeals and wraps her arms tight around him. “I promise, y’all, I won’t be a bother at all,” she says over his shoulder to Spencer and Morgan, who both look totally unconvinced, but say nothing.

  “Just go ahead and get settled in. It’s unlocked, same place we had our interview,” Marshall tells her.

  I notice immediately that none of the guys bother to offer her help with anything.

  “Come on, Hayley, grab your suitcase,” Eva calls to the little girl.

  “Hey, Hayley, is it?” Spencer asks.

  “Yeah,” the young girl says. She can’t be older than twelve. There’s a tinge of attitude in her voice.

  “We’ve got a black stallion around here. His name is Ramsey. Be sure to stay away from him—he may be pretty but he sure ain’t friendly.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t go near that thing. I’ll be staying away from all of the horses, trust me,” she says in a prissy tone.

  “Uh, all right then,” Spencer says, his annoyance showing.

  As soon as Eva and Hayley are out of earshot, Spencer speaks up again. “Never known a little girl to dislike horses.”

  “Quite the attitude on that one,” Morgan agrees.

  “Seriously, Marshall, what the hell were you thinking?” Spencer starts right in.

  “Don’t start with me…” Marshall mutters.

  “It was one thing to hire her, but to let her live here? Live here, Marshall? With her kid?” Spencer says, exasperated. “You didn’t even ask us about it, man.”

  “I’m with Spencer on this,” Morgan agrees. “She cheats on you and makes your life a living hell, and in return you invite her to live here with us?”

  They all seem to forget I’m in the room, and I feel like an intruder on their conversation. But speaking up seems just as awkward as standing here quietly, so I just stay as still as I can. I fix my eyes on a knot in the wood I’m painting.

  I can’t believe that woman is actually Marshall’s ex. For some reason, that makes my stomach turn a little. I do my best to shove it down because it doesn’t make sense why the thought bothers me. I barely know Marshall, and I definitely don’t know Eva. There’s no reason that their history should upset me at all.

  “What the hell was I supposed to do, you guys?” Marshall asks. “I was on the spot! You saw her; she’s a fucking mess now! And she has a daughter. Am I supposed to put her and her kid out in the cold? I’m not going to do that. I’m not that kind of guy.”

  “Nah, apparently you’re the kind of guy that lets a woman stomp on your heart and then opens your home to her,” Spencer says angrily.

  “I’m not gonna lie, I don’t really want to live with that spoiled priss,” Morgan speaks up.

  “Can we just fucking—” Marshall is about to finish his sentence when he turns around and sees me. He looks flush with embarrassment that they’re having this conversation in front of me.

  “Um…” I try to think of a way to make things less awkward. “Maybe while this paint is drying, I could get familiar with your booking system?” I ask.

  “Yeah, great idea,” Marshall says awkwardly. “Morgan, can you grab one of the laptops for her? She can work at the kitchen table.”

  “No problem,” Morgan says politely before smiling at me. “Just follow me.”

  He leads me into the next room, which is pretty quaint for an industrial kitchen. There are giant ovens with tons of burners and a huge industrial sink, but the furniture and the tile feels very old-school count
ry. It’s pretty homey.

  “Go ahead and take a seat. I’ll grab my computer and you can take a look,” Morgan tells me.

  “Sounds great,” I say as I pull a chair out from under the table and sit in it.

  He comes back just seconds later and hands me the laptop. “There’s no password, so just, you know, help yourself. The booking system will pop up automatically as soon as it’s turned on. That’s all I ever use this one for.”

  As he hands it to me, his hand brushes against mine. My fingertips touch his as I take the laptop. I’m surprised when I feel a surge of electricity between us and my cheeks heat up as our eyes meet.

  Sure he’s my boss, but I can’t help the fact that he’s handsome beyond belief.

  Morgan

  I hurry back to my cousins, pretty eager to finish the construction work we need to get done, but of course when I return, they’re still arguing.

  “You are friggin’ unbelievable, man! You may not care about her breaking you like she did, but I do! And I don’t want her staying here!” Spencer nearly shouts.

  “Why? Why do you care so much, Spencer? It was a goddamned decade ago. Why should it still bother you if it doesn’t even bother me?”

  “Because you’re family! Because you don’t let people hurt your family, and I’m not going to let that shit go. I remember how broken up you were about little Miss Beauty Queen. I mean, what’s your endgame here, Marshall? What, you see her again and think maybe you have a chance to still get laid, or…?”

  Marshall scoffs. “You’re kidding me, right? Of course not! Of course I have zero, nada, zilch interest in her! This is just me trying to be a nice guy. I’m doing the right thing here. Maybe you should try it too.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I interject. “I think things are getting a little nasty. We should just take a second to calm down.”

  I hate when people argue. I’m no good with conflict. I find it really stressful.

  “But you agree with me, right, Morgan?” Spencer asks. “You don’t want her here.”