Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

A s the morning light rises in the sky, Weston and I slide on our boots in preparation for another hectic day on the ranch. We were supposed to do some maintenance on the horse barn but we came up with a better idea. Emma mentioned wanting to dive deeper into ‘country life,' so today we're making that happen. Grabbing the thermoses I filled with coffee, we climb into the UTV, and head off on the path that leads us to Emma's cabin.

I'm hoping she takes her coffee with some cream and sugar because I wanted to do something nice for her, but for all I know, she could be a fancy cappuccino drinker.

There's something about the woman that has me craving her in a way that I've never experienced before. She's different from anyone I've ever met. It's not just her fiery red hair or those green eyes that seem to see right through me. It's her spirit, her fiery temper, and that sassy ass mouth.

As we pull up in front of the cabin, I notice all the lights are off and it's quiet inside. I hop out and knock on the door, the sound of my knuckles hitting the wood echoing in the silence of the early morning air.

No answer.

I knock again this time louder. "Emma! It's Wyatt. You in there?"

The light flicks on inside and I hear movement, the door opens just a crack. Emma peeks her head out, hair messy and her eyes are still sleepy.

"I slept through the alarm," she says groggily before wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"That's alright." I chuckle. "We can wait. We brought coffee." I hold one of the thermoses out to her.

She smiles and I swear the sight goes straight to my cock as he twitches against my blue jeans.

"Just give me a few minutes and I'll be ready," she tells us and shuts the door. But before she can turn the lock, I push it open and walk in, my brother on my heels.

"You can't just come in here!" she yells, but there's no real anger in her tone.

"I think we can since we did, Hellcat," I tease and her eyes narrow briefly before she sighs.

She looks even sexier when she's annoyed.

"I need to change!" She glares at us.

I take a seat on her bed while Weston leans against the door.

"I wouldn't mind you wearing this little number to do chores, would you brother?" I give her a sly grin, and look her up and down, taking in her oversized t-shirt and panties.

She looks absolutely irresistible, comfortable, and sexy in a way that makes my pulse race. The way her oversized t-shirt clings to her curves and her panties reveal just enough to make me imagine more.

She looks like she belongs here—and like she could belong to me. The only problem is she should be wearing one of mine or Weston's shirts.

"Nope. In fact, I vote it's the uniform," Weston agrees with a smirk.

"You two are insane," she huffs, trying to hide a smile. "I'll be right back."

As she disappears into the bathroom, I can't help but think about how good she'd look between me and my twin, a little Hellcat sandwich.

Ten minutes later, she emerges in jeans, a green t-shirt, and her hair somewhat tamed into a messy bun.

"Alright, let's do this," she says with a bright smile. "What is it we're doing?"

"We're moving the goats to the pasture for the season. Thought you'd like to help," I explain.

"Oh, fuck yes," she squeals, clapping her hands together.

I shake my head, chuckling at her reaction.

"We made the right call, Weston. Goats with a pretty lady and barn repair tomorrow."

"Who knew the angry, swearing like a sailor, and ready to brawl with her husband had such a soft spot for goats." My brother smirks and opens the door, letting Emma out first.

I don't miss that we both have our eyes on her ass and perfect legs in those jeans as she walks toward the UTV.

"Are you two gonna look at my ass all day or are we getting some work done. Let's go, boys. My babies are waiting."

This woman really is obsessed with goats, and I just don't see the appeal. We have them for meat and milk, and the guests like the kids, but otherwise, they're a pain in the ass. But her excitement is contagious, and I find myself grinning despite my dislike for the little escape artists.

Weston and I get in the UTV and head to the goat barn, where Hadley is already waiting on the tractor with the little trailer hitched behind it. As we park and get out, the goats start bleating loudly, clearly excited about their impending move.

One by one, we pick up the goats and place them in the trailer. Emma dives right in, showing no hesitation as she lifts a particularly squirmy kid into her arms.

"Hey, careful there, Hellcat. Don't let them headbutt you," I warn, grabbing a goat of my own.

She grins at me, a sparkle in her eyes. "I can handle a few goats, Wyatt."

"Oh yeah? What else can you handle?" I lick my lips, trailing my eyes up and down her body.

Her's widen slightly. "I guess you'll have to try to figure that out, huh?" She bites her bottom lip.

She better be careful with her words, because I'm going to take that as a challenge.

As we continue loading the goats, Emma's laughter and light-hearted chatter make the work go by way faster than usual. Her voice is sweet as she baby-talks each goat she puts in the trailer, assuring them they're just going to a new home and not to be scared.

At one point, she stumbles over a particularly stubborn billy, and Weston catches her just in time, his hands on her waist.

"Easy there, Red," Weston says, his voice low and playful. "Don't need you getting trampled by a goat."

Emma's cheeks flush as she steadies herself, her hands lingering on Weston's arms for a moment longer than necessary.

"Thanks, Weston," she purrs, brushing herself off.

"Careful, Hellcat," I say, stepping closer, my gaze locked on hers. "Wouldn't want you getting hurt. We'd miss having you around."

She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Don't worry about me, Wyatt. But if you're offering to catch me next time, I might just take a tumble."

I grin, my pulse quickening. "Well, brother, we got ourselves a sassy little thing. She's got an answer for everything."

"What's wrong, cowboy? You don't like when women talk back to you?"

"I'm finding I like it…a lot." I lean in, blowing my hot breath on her ear, and feel her shiver.

Weston lets her go and she steps out from between us, grabbing the billy goat by the horns and dragging him to the trailer.

"She's T-R-O-U-B-L-E," I mumble.

"That she is," Weston agrees.

"We've always been good at getting into trouble," I smirk.

"Stop lollygagging and let's go!" Hadley shouts. "You're letting Emma do all the work, ya assholes."

When all fifty goats are loaded onto the trailer, we follow Hadley to the pasture. As soon as we open the trailer door, the goats jump out, scattering across the fresh grass.

"They're so cute," Emma says, watching them with a soft smile.

"You won't think so after the next part of the morning." Weston chuckles.

"What's next?" she asks, turning to us with curiosity.

"We have to clean their barn so it's ready for when they come back this fall ," I explain.

"Oh, okay. Cleaning isn't bad. I can do that," she says confidently.

"They mean scooping shit, babe," Hadley calls from the tractor.

"Wait, what?" Emma's eyes widen.

"We have to shovel the manure from the pen into the spreader and then spread it on the field," Weston says with a grin.

"Oh," she says, her excitement dimming a bit.

"Let's go, country girl," I say, nudging her playfully. I'm impressed that she's still game. This isn't glamorous work by any means.

We ride back to the barn and grab our tools. Weston and I demonstrate how to properly shovel the manure, and Emma watches closely, her eyes lingering on us. She grimaces as she scoops the first pile, but she doesn't complain.

"Not so bad, right?" I ask, stepping close behind her, my breath warm against her neck "It's all part of the experience."

"It's...an experience," she says, wrinkling her nose.

There's something about watching her stepping out of her comfort zone and taking on the part of our daily lives that makes me want her even more. The tension between us is obvious; each glance, each brush of our hands igniting my desire for her even more.

"You're doing great, Red," Weston says, his voice low and smooth, his eyes hooded with lust. "I have to admit, I didn't think you'd handle it so well."

She flashes him a cocky smile. "You two aren't the only ones who can get down and dirty."

My cock begins to harden at her words, and I can't resist leaning in closer, my lips almost brushing her ear. "I like a woman who's not afraid to get a little dirty."

Emma shivers, her breath hitching, and for a moment, I contemplate pushing her against the barn wall and tasting her sassy lips.

All I can think about is her—how much I want her, how much I need her.

By the time we finish, I'm aching to get my hands on her, to see where this undeniable chemistry can take us.

We head to the main house, where Sophia and Hadley are already there with little Josie. As we walk in, Sophia's eyes light up, and she greets us with a warm smile.

"Hey there." Pointing toward the table piled high with sandwiches and chips, she announces, "Lunch is ready."

Emma's eyes light up when she sees Josie. "Can I hold her?"

Sophia hands the baby over, and Emma bounces her gently on her hip.

"Aren't you just a doll," she coos.

I look at my twin and I know we're thinking the same thing. Hellcat looks good holding a baby.

"Thank you," Sophia says with a smile.

We sit down to eat, and the conversation flows easily. Emma fits right in, laughing at our jokes and joining in the teasing.

After lunch, Weston turns to Emma. "Hey, how about we take you out tonight? There's a local bar, the Copper Kitten. Thought you might like to see what the nightlife around here is like."

Emma grins. "I'd love that."

"Sophia, Hadley, can you help her get ready? Prepare her for what the local bar is like?" he asks.

"You assholes didn't do that for me." Sophia grins.

"You were a hardened dick already, sis." Hadley laughs.

"Fuck you," Sophia calls out, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, we'll ready your girl up," Hadley says with a wink.

"Thanks," Emma says, looking a bit nervous but excited.

Our girl.

I like the sound of that.

We finish eating and stand up, dropping our plates in the sink.

"What do ya say, Hellcat, wanna do some boring ranch stuff now?"

"Why the hell not." She shrugs.

I grab her hand and lead her back to the UTV. We start the afternoon rounds, checking in on the guests who are wandering around the ranch, the smell of freshly cut grass mingling with the scent of wildflowers.

"I think that family needs help." Emma points to the Millers who I checked in a few days ago.

We drive their way and stop. "How's your stay so far, guys? Can we help you with anything?"

"Yeah," the dad answers. "My son here would like to take a riding lesson. Do we set that up or is there a set time we need to be somewhere?"

"Carson gives the lessons and he'll be out in the arena tomorrow at four PM. It's first come first serve since we only have ten lesson horses."

I see the little boy's face fall at my answer.

"But I tell ya what. I'll text him and tell him to save the best horse for the Miller boy. How's that sound?"

"Yes!" The kid jumps up in the air doing a fist bump.

"Alright, we'll see you there tomorrow then."

The mom mouths thank you and I toss her a wink before driving away.

"That was extremely sweet, Wyatt." Emma looks at me.

"It's no biggie, the little guy loves horses almost as much as you love goats. I didn't want him missing out."

Next, we head down to the roadside stand to collect the money from today's sales and see what needs restocking for tomorrow.

"I didn't see this little stand when we came in the other day," Emma states, looking around with interest.

"It's a nice little setup, but you wouldn't have seen it. Dad and Sophia hauled it down here after everyone was checked in. That way it didn't get damaged with everyone coming and going from the driveway," I explain.

"What all do you sell?" she asks.

"Produce, homemade desserts, eggs, and some ranch merch. It's popular with the guests and the locals."

As Weston counts the money and I make a list of what we need to restock, I catch Emma stealing glances at me, a questioning look in her eyes.

I lean closer, my voice dropping to a husky whisper. "What's on your mind, Hellcat?"

She meets my gaze and licks her lips "Just wondering what else you boys have tucked away on this ranch," she teases.

A slow smile spreads across my face. "Oh, there's plenty more to see," I reply, holding her gaze. "Care to explore?"

Emma's lips curl into a knowing grin, and she steps even closer, the heat between us thick. "Show me everything, cowboy," she murmurs, her voice a sultry invitation.

In that moment, our eyes lock and she blushes slightly as I try to discreetly move my thighs to adjust my hardening dick.

"I plan on giving you the full twin experience."

"Bring it on, cowboy."

The rest of the afternoon flies by as we just sit, talking and laughing. The tension between us could be cut with a piece of paper.

Emma looks at her phone and stand up quickly. "Shit. I better go if I'm gonna get ready."

"Come on Hellcat. We'll take you." I follow behind her, staring at her ass as she climbs into the truck.

"Thanks for today," she murmurs as we make the short drive to her cabin.

"No problem, Red." Weston licks his lips.

"See you tonight." She breathes, getting out of the truck.

"We'll see you later," Weston calls after her.

"Don't let those two crazy women tell you any lies about us. We're angels." A corner of my mouth curls up in a half grin.

As we drive away, I can't help but feel a surge of excitement. Tonight's going to be interesting, and I can't wait to see how Emma handles her first night out in our little town.