Chapter 4

Bridget had been surprised when Matt and Mark informed her they were taking turns with her riding lessons on her first day at the ranch. She'd been disappointed by the prospect of not getting to spend time with both of them, but she could hardly argue with their logic. Regardless of the wager, someone still had to run the ranch.

During her first day of riding lessons, she and Mark had begun a battle of cultures that carried over to her second day spent with Matt. While Bridget insisted there was nothing like a big city existence, Matt and Mark claimed the best way of life was found in the country. They continued to press their case with lots of little examples and, though it hurt her to admit, she could definitely see the appeal of their lifestyle. The first two days had flown by in a flurry of fun and laughter.

However, this morning, she'd woken up with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was her last day of lessons. Her excuse to see the twins would end this afternoon. She hadn't expected that knowledge to depress her so much. The past few days had felt like a welcome respite from the endless, horrifying months since Lyle's murder. She'd been able to close her eyes to the ugly terror that surrounded her at every turn and wallow in the warmth, humor and beauty of James Ranch. She wasn't sure she'd ever been anywhere nicer in her life. It was going to be much harder to leave than she'd realized.

Unfortunately, time was not her friend and she had to go. She and Rodney hadn't had much luck in tracking down the godmother Ellen, though if she was being truthful, Bridget could admit neither of them was trying very hard.

Rodney accompanied her to the ranch each day for her lessons, but once she was in the care of either Matt or Mark, he'd disappear into the house to visit with Jacob. She knew he was still watching over her, still anxious about her safety, but she suspected this break from reality was a welcome retreat for him as well. It was as if they'd stepped out of hell and straight into Eden. Neither of them was in a hurry to return to the cold, hard truths of their real lives.

She walked into the barn with Mark and Matt, wondering who would take over her lessons today and greedily hoping they'd both stay with her. She'd lost a tiny piece of her heart to each of them over the past few days…and for completely different reasons.

Mark had a slow, easy country charm she was hard-pressed to resist. He'd taken charge of her lessons the first day, introducing her to the horses and leading her step by step through the process of riding. He was a patient teacher. He'd never rushed her or become frustrated with her reticence around the animals.

Several times throughout that first day, she'd gotten off Jewel, swearing she was never getting back on. She hadn't realized when she'd agreed to the lessons how high off the ground she'd be or how out of control she'd feel. Neither sensation set well with her. Mark had gotten her through her initial qualms by telling her funny stories about his childhood spent on the ranch with his brothers and the horses. Somehow he always managed to calm her misgivings simply by sharing some embarrassing mishap he'd endured. By making light of his own fears and failures, he'd alleviated hers, giving her the courage to try again. His genuine love of the four-legged creatures had rubbed off on her, and she couldn't remember why she'd ever been afraid of horses to begin with. The horses on the ranch were as tranquil and gentle as their owner, Mark.

She'd also spent most of that day in a constant state of arousal. She wasn't sure if Mark's touches—boosts into the saddle, hugs when she did well, shoulder rubs to relax her—were intentionally meant to seduce her or just small kindnesses on his part, but she'd had to take a very cold shower upon returning to the inn. In the end, she'd spent most of that night dreaming of the handsome cowboy making love to her under the stars. She'd woken up more sexually frustrated than she'd been when she lay down.

Jewel snorted as she approached and batted her large nose at Bridget.

"You're spoiling my damn horse," Mark teased. "She used to be an amiable animal. Three days with you and she's making demands."

Bridget grinned and pulled the sugar cube she'd lifted from the inn's kitchen out of her pocket. "I won't apologize for that. We girls have to stick together."

"So it's a battle of the sexes, is it?" Matt asked.

She grinned at the fun-loving cowboy. She'd laughed more yesterday than she had in the entire previous year. Matt was a natural-born comedian as well as a talented musician. She'd learned he was part of a band and after much cajoling on her part, he'd cut their lesson short yesterday afternoon to play a few songs for her on the guitar. He was an incredible singer.

Watching him strum his acoustic guitar had sent her body into overdrive. When his deep, rich voice started singing a country love song, she feared she'd orgasm on the spot. Last night, she'd tossed and turned again, but instead of her gentleman cowboy, Mark, it had been Matt spicing up her dreams with visions of rough, hungry sex against the barn wall.

She'd woken up today weighted down by the realization she was falling…for both of them. She wasn't sure whether to rail at the world or thank her lucky stars that her time in Wyoming was destined to be short. There was no way she could choose between the two men, but the thought of leaving and never seeing them again was too painful to contemplate.

"I don't know if it's a battle of the sexes or self-preservation. If we waited for men to give us our pleasures, we'd wait forever. Better we girls learn how to take care of ourselves."

Matt stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist. "I'd be more than happy to take care of some of those pleasures for you, Bridge. All you have to do is say the word."

His close proximity didn't feel strange or surprising. Probably because he'd touched her almost constantly the day before. Unlike his brother, she'd had no question about Matt's seductive games. More than once, he'd wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to his side to press a friendly kiss to her head. He'd held her hand most of the day. Once he'd bent over and picked her up, tossing her playfully into a pile of hay before kneeling down and tickling her until she begged for mercy.

She glanced over her shoulder, enjoying Matt's closeness. He smelled nice—cologne and horse and hot-blooded man scents mingled to drive her mad. Her hormones flared to life, kicking to the curb the common sense she'd battled to maintain. To hell with bad timing and bad judgment. She was hot and horny, tired and hungry. She offered Matt a sexy smile. "Oh yeah? And what exactly would that all-powerful word be?"

Matt's grip tightened and he slowly pressed his chest to her back. The sudden nearness drew her attention to the hard cock he was sporting in his jeans. She joined the intimate tango, pushing her ass more firmly against his erection and wiggling slightly.

Matt groaned softly. "Damn, sweetheart. Any word would work right about now. Please, fuck, yes, banana. I'd accept any of those."

"Banana, huh?" She reached back and let her fingers lightly graze the thick banana currently residing in his denim.

"Jesus," Matt moaned.

Mark cleared his throat. "Y'all realize I'm still here, right?"

Bridget licked her lips, her gaze landing on Mark's firm, full mouth as she imagined the slow, deep, thorough kisses he would offer. "I know you're here."

Mark studied her now-moist lips and she knew they were on the same wavelength. It would have been impossible for either man to miss the longing, the need lacing her tone.

What the hell was she inviting? She'd decided days ago she wouldn't come between the brothers. God knew she couldn't choose between them. She shook herself for her thoughtless behavior. She wasn't being fair to them.

Turning, she pulled away from Matt's embrace, putting some distance between her and the cowboys.

"So," she coughed, attempting to dislodge the lump in her throat, "who's my teacher for today?"

Neither man answered. She wondered if she'd pushed them away with her thoughtless, teasing games.

Great, Bridge. Way to go too far.There was a name for women who acted like she had and it wasn't a nice one. The words cock tease taunted her.

Panicking, she changed the offer. "Actually, I feel a bit guilty pulling you away from your chores. What if we skipped the riding lessons today and I helped you do whatever it is you usually do?"

Matt laughed. "You want to play rancher for a day?"

"It's my last day. I'd sort of like to spend it with both of you. I know there are a lot of daily chores you need to get done around here, so put me to work."

Mark looked at his brother. She noticed the silent communication in the glance. She'd never met two men who were so different and yet so close.

In the past two days, she'd learned a great deal about them. Typically the information had come from the other twin. Mark had spent ages telling her about Matt's crazy exploits in high school—always with pride in his voice. He confessed to being envious that he'd never felt so free to go wild.

Yesterday, Matt admitted he didn't take things seriously enough and he sometimes wished he were more responsible like his twin. There were times when she actually got a sense they were each trying to hook her up with the other brother, while flirting with her at the same time. It was confusing, heady, and wonderful to be the center of such flattering attention.

"Well?" she prompted.

Matt took his hat off and plopped it on her head. "You're on. But be warned, we're not going to take it easy on you."

A dare. Oh my. He sure did know the way to her heart. "Bring it on, cowboy."

The day passedin a blur of activity and hard work. It was an eye-opening experience for a city girl whose idea of working with her hands prior to meeting the James twins had basically meant sitting at a computer and typing eighty words a minute. They'd begun the day by feeding all the horses. Matt and Mark had nearly twenty-five different types of horses at the ranch—Appaloosas, paints, thoroughbreds, even one that was part Arabian. Some they owned, others they simply boarded and trained. She toted two tons of water and feed. When she groaned, Mark told to count her blessings that the temperature wasn't below freezing, or they'd be chopping ice instead as their water heater was on the fritz. After the horses were supplied with food and water, they cleaned out stalls.

Matt and Mark teased her when she sat down on a bale of hay, thinking they were finished.

"Wow. I think I have hay in every crevice in my body. It's even in my ass. How the hell could I get it there?"

Matt laughed as he plopped down beside her. "Well, you are sitting on a hay bale."

"Smart-ass. It was there before I sat down."

Matt reached over and picked a strand of the prickly stuff out of her hair. "You wield a mean pitchfork. You had that shit flying everywhere. Literally."

She narrowed her gaze. "Very funny. I have blisters and I itch."

"Ready to cry uncle, city girl?" Matt asked.

She looked at him with disbelief. "We aren't finished?"

Mark chuckled and offered her a hand, helping her stand. "We haven't even started. That was just the preliminary stuff."

Matt rose as well and dusted off the back of his jeans. "Don't worry, Bridget. We won't think less of you if you go inside and warm up with Jacob and Rodney. Ranching life isn't for everyone."

Why didn't he just double-dog dare her to keep working?

"What's next?" she asked, ignoring her sore fingers, the twinge in her back and the three dozen itches begging to be scratched. Fucking hay.

Mark grasped her hand and led her to a stall. "Now we do the fun work."

For the next few hours, they worked the horses, taking the animals through their paces. Matt explained the learned routine to her, educating her on training techniques and reining patterns. Bridget was put in charge of walking the horses during their cooldowns, then brushing them before they were put back in their stalls. She spent most of the afternoon in quiet contemplation, simply enjoying the company of the horses and the view of Matt and Mark as they worked. She was surprised to discover how late it had gotten when Mark declared they were finished for the day. Her days of work at the newspaper never flew by so quickly.

Mark wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulder. "Damn. Sure was nice having some help. We finished up almost an hour earlier than usual thanks to you."

She glanced at her watch. It was nearly five p.m. and they'd told her that they typically started at five a.m. "Really? Wow. That's a damn long day for you guys. You do that every day?"

Mark nodded as they walked toward the house. "We do an abbreviated routine on Sundays. Day of rest and all that."

They walked into the house together.

"Hey, Bridge," Rodney said as they entered the living room. He and Jacob were watching TV. Bridget noticed Rodney was sitting in his usual chair by the front window—the one that gave him a bird's-eye view of her and the stable. "I was starting to worry these guys were going to keep you out there all night."

She grinned. Her whole body ached, but it was a good pain. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she'd actually accomplished something with her day. "Ranching work is tough."

"Why don't you two stay for dinner?" Matt asked.

Jacob pulled his feet off the coffee table in front of him and sat up. "Actually, I've been trying to convince Rodney to go bowling with me tonight."

"I told you," Rodney said, "I suck at bowling."

Bridget knew the words for a lie, not because she'd ever been bowling with Rodney before, but because she could tell when he wasn't telling the truth. There was a definite gleam of longing in his eyes. She wished they were here for a different reason. Wished both of them could take a chance on what they desired.

Matt tossed his hat on a table by the wall and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's not the bowling you need to go for. It's the root beer floats. Ellie Parker makes the best floats…" He paused and glanced at Bridget.

"In the universe?" she supplied.

He nodded. "Yep. Universe."

She laughed, then noticed a strange look on Rodney's face.

"Ellie Parker?" he asked, cueing her in to the vital comment she'd missed. Ellie? Ellen?

"You should go," she said quickly. "You've been sitting around here for three days while I was having all the fun. Why not take some time for yourself?" She tried to act light and casual, but this was their first break on the Ellen clue. She knew Rodney would never take her into town, never expose her to so many people. It wouldn't be a big deal, however, for him. He'd gone to town several times already.

"Well," Rodney hedged. She could see he was torn between his duty to protect her and his desire to find the flash drive.

"If the guys don't mind, I'll just hang out here with them until you and Jacob return." She knew Rodney would feel safer if she was in the care of the twins. Over the past few days, Rodney admitted he'd loosened his guard a bit because of how closely Matt and Mark watched her—even without knowing the danger she was in.

"We can all eat dinner together. Then you guys can hit the bowling alley and we'll hang around here and watch a movie until you get back," Matt offered. "There are a couple new ones on Netflix that look pretty good. Luckily, Jake won't be here. He picks crap movies."

Jake threw a punch at his older brother's arm. "I guarantee you Bridget would rather watch a movie I picked than one of your stupid horror flicks."

"Horror?" Bridget asked. Back in New York, horror had been her favorite genre. However, since Lyle's death, she's lost her enthusiasm for it. She had enough fodder for her nightmares without adding someone else's fictional fears to the pile.

Mark grinned. "Don't worry. They remade True Grit a while back and it was pretty good. Nothing like a good old-fashioned western."

She laughed. "Great. More examples of why the country beats the city. Can't wait." She looked at Rodney, hoping she'd convinced him to go. "Sounds like a fun night. What do you say, Rodney?"

He was quiet for a moment, then he sighed. "I say what's for dinner? I'm going to need some nourishment before I make an ass of myself at the lanes."

Jacob laughed. "I took out some chicken. Thought I'd make curry."

"Damn," Rodney said, rubbing his stomach. "That sounds good."

Jacob looked at his brothers. "Why don't the three of you clean up while Rodney and I get supper going? Bridget, you can use the bathroom in the guest bedroom if you want. I bet you're itchy after spending all that time in the barn."

He wrinkled his nose as he said the word barn. Bridget laughed. "The ranching gene sure missed you, didn't it?"

Jacob didn't take offense. "I figure it hit two of the four of us. Caleb's no fonder of the ranch than I am. Fifty-fifty's not so bad, although my dad might have disagreed."

Jacob's comment about his father sent a string of questions running through her mind. There was so much she didn't know about Matt and Mark that she was curious about. Hell, she sighed. She wanted to know everything about them—their histories, their dreams, their desires, their bodies.

She pushed the image of her two cowboys away. It was an illogical, impractical dream. She couldn't have both of them and she couldn't choose. Better to keep things light and easy. "I'd love a shower."

Jacob started down the hallway, leading her to the guest room. "I'll grab a pair of sweats and T-shirt from Jessie's dresser. She won't mind you wearing them. It'll save you having to put your dirty clothes back on."

After popping the question the night of their Valentine's Day feast at the inn, Caleb had whisked Jessie off to Colorado for an impromptu vacation to celebrate. According to Jacob, they weren't due back to the ranch for three more days.

"Thanks, Jacob."

"Sure thing. Hey, is your brother seeing anyone in New York?"

She grinned. "Wow. That was pretty direct."

"I learned a long time ago that the best way to get an answer is to ask the question."

"Spoken like a true journalism major." She'd had to stop herself several times from talking shop with Jacob whenever he mentioned some article he was writing or something one of his online professors had said. She missed her writing terribly. Watching Jacob tap away at the keys on his laptop had left her more homesick than anything else these past few weeks.

"I'm not going to lie, Bridget. I like Rodney. A lot. But I get the sense there's something holding him back. Keeping him from taking a chance with me. I figure there must be someone else."

There was someone else, she wanted to say. Her. He was holding true to his promise to protect her, to keep her safe. "There's no one else, Jacob."

Jacob looked relieved and confused by her response. Then she watched both reactions replaced by sadness. "Oh, well, I guess maybe it's just me he's not interested in."

"No," she said hastily. "That's not it at all. Rodney really likes you. I can tell. It's just we're on vacation. I'm sure he's hesitant to start something because of the distance. I mean, what if you guys hooked up and it was truly wonderful? It would make leaving that much harder." Her words were spoken on her behalf as much as Rodney's. She could easily let herself fall into Mark or Matt's arms, but where would that leave her when the time came to return to New York?

Jacob shrugged. "Seems like a poor excuse."

"What?"

"We only get one shot at this life, Bridget. I'm definitely not letting geography dictate where I'm allowed to find my happiness. Might have to explain that concept to your brother tonight over root beer floats."

"Love at the bowling alley?" she teased.

"Nothing classier. I'll go grab you those clothes."

Jacob left her alone. Rodney wasn't the only one depriving himself a shot at true happiness. If there was one lesson she should have learned in the past year, it was that life is precious. Fate was handing her a chance for something better, something richer, and she was throwing it away by blaming timing and distance and a crooked judge for her loneliness. There was only one person holding her back and that was herself.

Walking to the guest bath, she started tugging off her shirt. What if her destiny, her happiness was here, on this ranch in the middle of Nowhere, Wyoming? Her problems were still going to be here in the morning, but what happened in a month—after she'd testified?

Where would she be then?

She turned on the water, letting it heat up. Stepping beneath the steaming jets, she let the water soothe her sore muscles.

She was too tired to think anymore. Tonight, she just wanted to be. To feel.

Tonight, she wanted to take a chance.

The only question was…with who?