Two In Hand Read online

  “Well I was going to go out to the barn.”

  Daniel waved his hand, cutting her off. “No, not today’s plans. But about us?”

  “Us?” Katie set her fork down beside her plate.

  James pointed to the three of them. “Yeah, us. We don’t want to push you, but Daniel and I talked about it on the way back from the rodeo. I have an entire barn that I’m not using, thought I was going to expand a bit, and decided not to. We’re using it for storage right now, but a good weekend’s worth of work and you could use it. We have several arenas and lots of acres for your horses and to practice.”

  His enthusiasm overwhelmed her. Katie stared at the plate before her, the two guys on either side of the table in front of her a pressure she hadn’t foreseen. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

  At least that was honest, even if her stomach flip flopped and her heart hammered. Sweat beaded on her palms. She drew a deep breath. The guys deserved a better answer than that. “This has happened so fast.”

  “It’s okay.” Daniel reached across the table, his hand sliding over hers. “We don’t have to move any faster than you want to. James was just pointing out some options. We want you in our lives, no matter how that happens.”

  Her breath whooshed from her lungs. “I see.” She swallowed hard, not quite ready to make the one-eighty turn from the guys were leaving her to the guys wanted her to move in with them. Her body ached from the morning’s activities. She licked her lips, aware her food grew cold while she debated. “Can we start here?” She cut a piece of egg with her fork and ate it, giving herself time to think. A strip of bacon went next, a tiny moan of pleasure at the crisp taste on her tongue.

  Daniel smiled.

  “Sure,” James said. “Whatever you want.”

  Daniel squeezed her hand. “The bacon tastes that good, huh?”

  She nodded and popped a second piece in her mouth.

  “Well, if you like my cooking that much you can do whatever you want.” He winked at her, the motion so familiar it made her heart tighten.

  She swallowed and took a drink of juice. “Thank you. I’m not saying I don’t want to move in with you. This place is so much more spacious than my tiny farm and I think both me, and my horses, would be very happy here. Let’s just take it slow, okay? One day at a time.”

  “Sounds great to me.”

  Conversation silenced as the guys dug into their meal. Katie finished eating, relieved that they’d let her move at her own pace. This felt good, really good; there wasn’t any need to rush. Not today, and most likely not tomorrow. By the time her plate sat empty, the men had put their plates in the dishwasher. The three of them headed out to the barn.

  Katie found Luke cleaning out stalls. She leaned against the open door, trying to ignore her tender muscles. He shoveled a forkful of manure into a wheelbarrow and looked up. “Hey, I see you guys made it out of the bedroom.” He grinned and turned back to his chores.

  Katie struggled to keep a heated flush from keeping over her cheeks. To think that Luke worked out here, knowing what she and the guys were doing in the bedroom. She scuffed the toe of her paddock boots against the concrete aisle. Behind her, Daniel stopped. He rested his hand on the small of her back, his touch reassuring.

  “You missed breakfast,” Daniel announced. “I cooked.”

  “I’ve had your cooking. I’m good.” Luke grunted and continued to work.

  Katie glanced between the two men, James’ absence palpable. “He’s out rounding up some horses for Luke to ride. It’s good,” Daniel said. “Don’t worry.”

  She didn’t, not really. Something crackled between the guys, a tension Katie refused to name. Ignore it. They said they loved you. She clung to the words, wishing she knew more about Daniel’s years after he’d left. Struggling with his sexuality must have taken a heavy toll on him. She leaned into his touch, not wanting to be a burden.

  “Great. James said he had some nice horses for me. I really need to get my strength back.” He leaned on the manure rake.

  Katie took the moment. “Hey, I’m sorry I barged in here. When Sydney told me that she’d seen you with the guys, I told her you were just an old friend. She seemed to think there was something more and I over reacted.”

  Luke smiled. His blue eyes twinkled. “Well, I’m a bit more than an old friend to James. We’re good. Don’t worry about it. Who’s Sydney?”

  Katie battled back a grin. “You told me you’d sworn off anything with two legs, colts or fillies.”

  Luke chuckled. “I have. She must be a good friend if you’re that protective of her.”

  “She is. Though she says she’s sworn off men too,” Katie bantered. Talking with Luke now, she sensed the two of them probably were far more alike than not. Both sworn off of relationships, both easy to tease.

  Katie shifted her weight back and forth. Staying here and working in the barn might prove to be more taxing than she’d anticipated. Going home however…she glanced out the door where she saw a utility vehicle in one of the pastures. James, rounding up horses for Luke. Leaving the guys didn’t top her list of things she wanted to do, at least not right now. Later the horses would need care. She’d have to go home then.

  Daniel rubbed her back. “You doing okay?”

  “I think so.” Standing hurt less than sitting, and really, like easing muscles unused to work, the more she probably moved around the less stiff she’d get. “You know, I really don’t know much about what you and James do. Roping I get, but the stock contracting part sounds interesting. Would you mind giving me kind of a tour?” She turned to Luke. “As long as you don’t need help here.”

  He waved his hand at them. “Go on. I’ll be just fine. It’ll probably be a while anyway before James rounds up the horses.”

  Keeping his hand on her lower back, Daniel propelled her down the barn aisle and into the office. He motioned to the couch. She sat down, wincing a bit. She hid her smile. Just like riding a horse after a long absence, she guessed those muscles would hurt for days. Only for her men would she do that.

  Her men. The words rang true, warming her heart and her soul. Yeah, though she’d never probably known it, the situation she had with James and Daniel was exactly what she’d searched for all along.

  “So where do you want to start?” Daniel asked.

  “Why did you leave?” Katie asked, realizing that they had to start at the end in order to get to a new beginning.

  Daniel took a deep breath. “That’s a hard one. I knew we had something damn good. And I was an ass for wanting more, and yet I did. I had feelings, urges that I didn’t quite figure out how to mention. I’m supposed to be a macho cowboy. We’re not supposed to want to fuck men. And yet, I did. I wanted you and a guy. I wanted it all. So I left, because I knew until I figured myself out, I couldn’t give you what you needed. I figured you’d guessed something was going on.”

  She nodded. “I thought we were growing apart.”

  “We weren’t. It killed me to leave and I’m not leaving again.” Emotion rang in Daniel’s words.

  Katie took a deep breath and sighed. A long time ago she’d wanted to punch him, to rail against him and tell him he was being a fool. Now, she understood. And after seeing him and James together, she couldn’t imagine keeping him from that part of his life.

  “Thank you. Now, let’s talk about the farm. I can probably guess the horse business, but cows?” She screwed up her face in a parody of thinking. “I have no clue about cattle.”

  “Neither did I.” Daniel pointed to a framed print on the wall. “This is our prize bull Frogpond.”

  “Frogpond?” Katie failed to hold back her chuckles. “Why would you name a bull that?”

  “When he was a calf he got stuck in the pond and we had to pull him out. Seemed to stick.” The corner of Daniel’s mouth twitched upward.

  “Okay,” Katie replied, used to the refined world of warm bloods and carriage driving, the crazy names that the rodeo contractors gave thei
r stock, not to mention some of the names of Quarter Horses. She shrugged. Could be worse, she supposed. He could have some long name from a classical composer, and that would be a silly name for a bull.

  “Anyway, James bought Frogpond’s father at a dispersal sale, and he was bucking bull of the year on our local circuit for many years. Some of Froggy’s sons have gone onto larger rodeos. One even bucked at Calgary.”

  Katie watched Daniel as he spoke about the stock. His eyes sparkled and he moved his hands in animated gestures. He led her through the genealogy of most of James’ stock. The pictures on the wall depicted prize horses, both current and past. To Katie, it seemed she entered a world with strange rituals and different stories.

  She loved it all. Not just because of the men, though it’d be easy to chalk up her fascination with the topic to the guys who had brought it to her. Had she discovered this sooner, she bet she would have been just as interested.

  “Want to go take a tour?” Daniel asked.

  Katie sat transfixed. His words sank in and she stood, thankful for a chance to move. “Sure.” Outside the tack room Katie heard the utility vehicle.

  “James’ back. I’ll grab the cart from him and we can go that way.”

  They met James at the barn door, Katie complimenting him on his stock. He looked sheepish, almost embarrassed and ducked down the aisle to talk to Luke.

  A car pulled into the drive. Katie paused, recognizing the sports car as belonging to Sydney.

  “Who’s that?” Daniel asked. He paused beside the green utility vehicle.

  “Sydney. She’s thinking about taking Knothead.” Katie stepped forward as her friend opened the car door. “What are you doing here?” she asked, noticing her friend appeared dressed for work in boots and breeches, her expensive top smeared with horse slobber. A glance inside the car showed Sydney’s helmet on the seat beside her, along with a riding crop. “You drive over straight from the stables?”

  “Yeah. You would not believe it but Knothead took third place at the schooling show this weekend. I need to talk to James.”

  “Well I’ll be damned. That horse is good for something besides escaping from the pasture.” Daniel jerked his thumb back toward the barn. “James is in there.”

  “Thanks.” Syndey turned to her. “Everything okay? You’re here so I take it I didn’t see what I thought I saw.”

  Katie stepped forward, proud that she moved without any twinges of discomfort. No sense in letting Sydney know everything. Her friend would tease her mercilessly. “I’m okay. That hunky guy you saw them with is in the barn. He’s an old friend, just like I told you.” She made a point of speaking the last part loud enough for Daniel to hear.

  “So that’s why you showed up on our doorstep demanding to see us this morning, huh? Because you were sure Luke was an old friend. Uh huh. You got her good and riled, Sydney. But since we stuck you with Knothead, it’s probably a fair trade.”

  “Hey, you didn’t win a ribbon with him, I did. So I think I got the better end of the deal. I’ve seen Katie when she’s mad. It’s not pretty.” Sydney reached in through the window of her car and grabbed her purse, sliding the strap over her shoulder. “James is in the barn, you said?”

  Daniel nodded. “Yep. I’ll come with you. I want to see James’ face when you tell him the news.”

  “Considering that he named him Knothead, it might be fun to watch. Come on.” Sydney sashayed into the barn, Katie and Daniel following right behind.

  Sydney got as far as three steps into the barn and stopped. She glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t tell me you picked up another man,” she gasped. “Katie!”

  “I wouldn’t think of horning in on anything James decides to ride, ma’am.” Luke set down the wheelbarrow and pulled off his leather gloves. Tucking them in the pocket, he strode forward, appraising Sydney probably the same way he looked at a bronc before he got on. “Luke Timore. I’m an old friend of James and I’ll staying here for a while. And between you and me, I think Katie has her hands full.”

  “Among other things,” Sydney replied, extending her hand.

  Katie tucked against Daniel’s side, not used to her sex life being the topic of conversation. These guys batted around innuendos like they were having a regular conversation. Which, she guessed, for them, they were. “I’m still here,” Katie announced, as if they needed any reminding.

  “We know,” Sydney sing-songed back. “Where’s James?”

  “I’m right here.” He stepped out of the tack room. “Hey, how’d Knothead do?”

  “Won third place. You sure you don’t want more for him?”

  “Well, if you’re offering…come on back to the office. I have his papers in my filing cabinet.” James disappeared back into the office.

  Sydney turned to Katie. “I may have to go find the men where you do. They sure don’t have guys like this at the local shows.” She sketched a wave into the air and then hurried to the office, already pulling her checkbook out of her purse.

  Once Sydney was out of sight, Katie sighed and shook her head. Sydney told her that she’d sworn off men but her friend said that every time and usually a few weeks later they’d get together for lunch and Sydney would tell another sordid tale.

  Luke didn’t even watch her go. He just returned to his work.

  Daniel steered her back to the utility vehicle. He turned on the engine, and drove them out to the pasture. “Bet you money they end up in bed together.”

  “Really? I mean, I know Sydney, but Luke sounded serious. Besides, isn’t he gay?”

  Daniel laughed. “Oh honey, at one time Luke would fuck anything that moved. He’s a bit more cautious now. I know what he told you. And well, I also know Luke. Why don’t we head out to see Frogpond?”

  “Okay.” Katie processed Daniel’s words.

  By the time Daniel finished giving her the tour of the ranch, Katie knew. Might not be today and it might not be tomorrow, but she knew she’d take the guys up on her offer. She turned to Daniel, lifting her face to brush a kiss across his chin. “Why don’t you show me that extra barn?” she asked. They’d driven around the building and Daniel had seriously avoided even talking about it.

  “You sure?”

  Katie grinned. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”

  Daniel stared at her for a long moment. “So does this mean—?”

  “One day at a time, my love. But I’m thinking that after driving four horses in harness, keeping two men in line might not be so bad after all.”

  Daniel whooped for joy, then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her even closer to him. He kissed her, devouring her lips with a joy that told her she’d made the right decision. Now, to find James and tell him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Three months later…

  James caught his hat before it sailed off his head. “You sure you know how to stop this thing?” The breezy day combined with the quickly moving carriage threatened to take his hat again, and he finally took it off, holding it in one hand.

  Katie eased Buddy and Mouthy down to a walk. “There’s a box beneath the seat. You can put your hat in there if you want.” She reached down to flip the latch.

  Daniel shifted his legs, making room for James to stow his hat before the carriage picked up speed again. “I won’t say anything,” he told his lover once James had settled his hat next to Daniel’s.

  “You better not. If it weren’t for crazy women driver’s I wouldn’t be worried about my hat.” James leaned close to Daniel and whispered. “It’s a good thing we love her, huh?”

  “Yeah,” Daniel agreed.

  “Hey!” Katie clucked to the Halflinger ponies and they took off in a brisk trot once more across the field. For the last three months they’d been spending as much time together as possible. James and Daniel had qualified for a prestigious rodeo in Colorado and for the last two weeks they’d been busy preparing for that.

  Which was perfectly fine with Katie becau
se it gave her time to work on a surprise.

  “You guys were the one who wanted the tour of my place, such as it is.”

  To think, she’d spent as much time over at their place as hers. She’d worked on the second barn, cleaning it out while the guys trained, putting in stalls, with the help of a contractor, of course. In a few weeks it’d be ready for her horses to move in. Neither Daniel nor James said anything to her. They just smiled and offered a few suggestions.

  She turned Buddy and Mouthy for home. “Ready for lunch?” she asked, thinking of the deliberately forgotten picnic basket in her dining room. Preparing this surprise had been easy, too easy she feared, and telling the guys she’d take care of everything worked like a charm. They’d shown up, taken a few moments to hitch up the horses and then headed out into the pastures.

  She took the lane between the two fence rows that led to a rarely used entrance off the road. Her nervousness grew as they trotted alongside the road. Quelling it with a thought—just like when she went to competitions—came easy. Keeping quiet about her plans was much more difficult.

  She slowed the horses to a walk as they approached her drive. She turned in, wondering how long it would take—

  “Hey! Is that a for sale sign?” James leaned out of the cart and pointed to the small sign she’d had her realtor place while they were out driving.

  “Really?” Daniel shifted in the seat.

  The horses pranced a bit, easily soothed by Katie’s hands on the reins. She halted the horses.

  “I didn’t think that my realtor would be by so quickly,” Katie faked. “We’d talked about it…” She let her worlds trail off. Emotions, from surprise to joy, flickered across the men’s faces and Katie grinned.

  “I wanted to surprise you!” She blurted.

  “Well you did.” Daniel shifted in the seat. “Are you sure? You’re ready?” He leaned forward, his fingers curling and straightening, as if he wanted to reach for her, but didn’t.