Cowboy Heaven (17 page)

“So this is where everyone is tonight,” Troy said, coming up from behind Dusty to peer into the stall. “What have we here? A new addition?”

“Oh, Troy,” I exclaimed. “Just look at him! Isn't he gorgeous? He was definitely worth the wait.”

“Yep, that's just about the prettiest foal I've ever seen.” Troy gave Dusty a sidelong glance that must've gone all the way to his toes. Then he arched a brow at me. “That being said, would either of you care to explain what happened to Dusty's pants?”

I couldn't see a thing from where I sat, but if Dusty's pants were missing, there was probably still some sticky stuff in his hair—and I don't mean the hair on his head. I could only assume Troy had seen that, too.

Groaning, I squeezed my eyes shut. “Dammit, Dusty! Why the hell didn't you get dressed?”

“Have you ever tried to get your pants on in a hurry with a cast on your leg? It's a real bitch. Besides, Troy's seen me without my pants before.”

I thought Dusty was being rather cavalier about the matter, and I shot him a meaningful glare, hoping to shut him up.

“That's true,” Troy admitted. “But the last time I saw you naked, you didn't look quite so…whipped, if you know what I mean.”

He was obviously referring to the Biggest Dick contest. All three of them had been hard as rocks at the time.

“Your dick would be soft too, if it'd done what mine just did,” Dusty snapped. He sounded a tad defensive. The best I could tell, he was missing the point entirely.

“Dammit, Dusty,” I growled, startling the foal. “Will you please shut up?”

I could see the fight now. Dusty swinging away at Troy with nothing on but a shirt and a cast. Troy kicking Dusty in his cute little nuts. Me watching them beat the shit out of each other while wearing a pair of jeans that were soaked with semen and amniotic fluid.

That's what I get for being so damned fickle.

I shuddered to think what Cody would have done in such a situation. Somehow, I don't think he would've been content to kick Dusty in the balls. He probably would've ripped them off—or at least tried to.

“No, let him talk,” Troy insisted. “He's just digging himself in deeper.” He looked down at Dusty's groin again. “From the look of things, though, I'd say he's already been in some seriously deep”—pausing for effect, he rolled his eyes toward me with an accusatory stare—“pussy.”

“Okay,” I said, throwing up a hand. “I give up. You caught me. The truth is, you were right. I didn't need a boy toy. I already had a man I was hopelessly in love with—I just didn't realize it at the time.”

Troy eyed me with suspicion. “You're sure you're in love this time? Really sure?”

I nodded. “Absolutely.”

He exhaled sharply. “I guess it wouldn't do any good to beat the shit out of him then, would it?”

I shook my head. “Nope. If you beat him up, I'd only hate you for it.”

Dusty ducked his head, but not before I caught a glimpse of the smile he was trying to hide.

“What?” I demanded as Dusty's smile turned into all-out laughter. “What's so damn funny?”

“Sorry,” he said between chuckles. “I can't keep a straight face anymore. He knows, Angel. I told him already.”

“Shoulda beat the shit out of him then,” Troy muttered. “But he'd just told us all some cockamamie story about going for a ride with a rattlesnake. I think he fell asleep at the wheel and ran into those trees and then made up that story to cover his ass. But since he'd already had such a lousy day, I felt sorry for him and decided not to throw any punches.”

I could think of at least part of Dusty's day that hadn't been quite so lousy, but I chose not to mention it. “Well, thank you for that much. You could've been really nasty about it.” I'd never dreamed it would be that easy.

“Yeah, well… I'm not your husband, Angie. I wasn't even openly your boyfriend. Besides, I only showed up here a short while ago. The stuff that's going on between the two of you started long before that. Let's just say I know when to throw in the towel.” His expression was wistful at first, then changed to something quite fiendish. “So who's better? Me or Dusty?”

“You should probably include Cody too,” Dusty suggested diplomatically.

“Yeah,” Troy agreed. “Dusty, Cody, or me, Angie? Who was the best?”

I could be every bit as fiendish as Troy when the spirit moved me. And at the time, I felt a little retaliation was in order for the way they'd teased me. “That's a tough one.” I nuzzled my new baby boy. “What do you think, Delight? Should I tell them the truth or make something up just to make them feel better?”

“Oh, come on,” Dusty urged. “Don't be coy about it. I'm the best, right?”

“Nope,” I replied with a sad shake of my head. “It's not either of you—or even Cody.” I shrugged helplessly, letting out a heavy, reluctant sigh. “You see, Joe has this thing he does with that big dick of his…”

Troy slammed his hands on the top of the stall door. “Dammit! I knew it! I knew she fucked him. She took one look at that huge cock and couldn't keep her hands off it.”

Sharing a conspiratorial smile with the foal, I said meekly, “Couldn't keep my lips off it, you mean.”

Dusty let out a growl. “I'll kill him.”

“Wouldn't do any good,” I said sadly. “The deed is done. You've both been out-fucked by Big Ugly Joe—who isn't a bit ugly when he's fucking, by the way. He's awesome—not that you two don't have your good points.”

“Such as?” For some peculiar reason Troy seemed a bit perturbed with me.

Imagine
that…

“Now, now. No need for sarcasm,” I said. “You each won a category in the contest. You'll have to be satisfied with that, because right now, I have another man to deal with.” Goldie had chosen that moment to get to her feet, and I still had work to do, although in my haste to attend the birth I'd forgotten to bring a few things with me. “Dusty, would you get my foaling kit, please? It's that wicker basket on the shelf in the tack room.”

“Sure,” he replied. “Be right back.”

Troy went with him. They must not have realized I could hear their conversation, but as quiet as it was in the barn that night, I was able to catch most of it, starting with Troy asking Dusty if I'd sucked his balls yet. I didn't hear Dusty's reply, but I knew I hadn't done it to him any more than I'd fucked Joe, so I could pretty much guess what he'd said, especially when Troy followed it up with, “I'm here to tell you, you haven't
lived
until Angie's sucked your balls while she jacks you off. It's totally fuckin'
wicked
.”

“Yeah,” I told Goldie with a giggle. “Cody liked that too—but Joe's balls were too big—”

“I heard that!” Troy shouted.

“—so I could only suck one at a time.”

I had to cover Delight's tiny virgin ears after that.

“Whoa, momma,” I whispered to him. “And I thought Bull had a foul mouth.”

The next few days were pretty busy for me. I now had two boys named Dusty to play with, and I'm not sure which of them was the most fun. Unfortunately, the underlying anxiety that something might happen to the two-legged Dusty had me on edge when I should have been happier than I'd been in ages. I still hadn't worked up the nerve to say anything to Rufus about my relationship with Dusty—and probably never would—but I think Dad knew it without being told. He was bound to have gotten the picture pretty clearly the last time we'd talked—at least I hoped he had. I really didn't feel like spelling it out for him.

Rufus was another matter altogether. I'd never been able to talk with him about anything personal. Aside from the awkwardness factor, my private life didn't concern him—although he'd apparently made it his business to keep the cowboys out of it.

I told the guys to be ready for a Saturday night on the town but didn't say a word to Rufus. If they wanted him to know, they could tell him. I couldn't help feeling ridiculous tiptoeing around a man who was as much my employee as he was my father's, but I'd been in awe of Rufus for most of my life. Coming right out and telling him I was in love with one of the men he'd tried so hard to keep away from me wouldn't be easy.

I still didn't completely understand the reason for my reticence. When I was younger, yes, but now? It seemed unnecessary, although perhaps it had simply become a habit. Suspecting he was behind Dusty's mishaps was the most likely reason, but Rufus might not have been to blame at all. Bull could easily have been the culprit and was getting back at Dusty for all the ribbing he'd given him over the years.

Still, it seemed odd for him to choose this particular time to take his revenge—just when I'd finally begun to realize Dusty was the man for me. I couldn't accuse Bull or Rufus of trying to harm Dusty. I had no proof, I had only suspicion, and I couldn't go around dropping hints without some good, solid evidence—especially since those accidents might have truly been accidents.

For one thing, I'd never known any of the men to mess with snakes enough to be able to safely stow one in a pickup truck. And while Joe's suggestion of how the saddle might have been tampered with was feasible, there was no proof of that, either—and there never would be unless someone confessed to having done it. There might have been motive—albeit rather flimsy—and opportunity, but there was still no proof.

* * *

Jenny drove over on Thursday afternoon to see Delight. She owned the stud—a stunning creature I would have given my eyeteeth to own—which made her something of a grandmother to the foal. Jenny swore she would never part with that horse for any price, but I may have gotten the best end of the deal. Delight had a lot of potential, aside from being a palomino. Unless he turned out to be a holy terror as a stallion, I would never give some veterinarian the opportunity to cut his balls off and throw them in a tree, which is what my vet normally did when he castrated a horse.

I was rather shocked the first time I saw him do it, and though I did retrieve one of them to give it a proper burial, I couldn't reach the other one, so I suppose the birds ate it. Still, it struck me as being a rather nasty thing to do to someone. I would have thought a man would have more respect for the testicles of another male, since, generally speaking, they go to such lengths to protect their own. I mean, you never hear one man saying to another, “I'm gonna cut your balls off and throw them in a tree,” even as a threat.

Jenny was quite envious of the new addition to the family and made no secret of the fact that she wouldn't mind having one like him.

“He's a keeper,” she declared.

“You bet he is,” I said. “He's not going
anywhere
.”

After a quick glance over her shoulder, she aimed a conspiratorial smile at me. “Speaking of men you'd like to keep, where's the cowboy I'm supposed to have sent you?”

“Out working somewhere,” I replied. “Which reminds me…there's something else I wanted to talk to you about. I'm taking the guys out on Saturday. Most of them don't have cars of their own, so they usually end up at strip joints with Bull. God knows Rufus would never take them anywhere. Anyway, I wanted to take them someplace nice where they could meet women they might be able to have more lasting relationships with, if you catch my drift. What's the name of the place you and your friends go to?”

“Cactus Bill's,” she replied. “It's not too wild, unlike some other honky-tonks I could name. We go there most Saturday nights.”

I smiled at her pronunciation of the word “nights,” which served as a continuing reminder of her Texan heritage.

“Sounds perfect. Think you could be there this Saturday? My cowboys need someone to dance with besides me.”

“Wouldn't miss it,” she said.

“Apparently Rufus has been trying to discourage the men from so much as glancing in my direction ever since I was a teenager. I can't help but think he's gone about it the wrong way. He should've been encouraging them to go out partying instead of sitting around the bunkhouse with me being the only woman in sight. He would have had no worries at all, because I know there are lots of prettier women out there—yourself included.”

She denied being more attractive than me but seemed pleased to hear it, nonetheless. She was also younger, which was another point in her favor. Although Jenny and I were about the same size, my hair was straight and dark while hers was a soft, light brown that fell in spiral curls down her back. She had an open, expressive countenance with one of the more kissable-looking pairs of lips I'd ever seen and a charming smile. To meet her, you might at first think she was rather quiet and shy, but upon further acquaintance, she would often surprise you with the frankness of her speech, particularly about her sexual desires. Unfortunately, while she liked men as a group, she hadn't managed to find the right individual as yet. The stories about her ex-husband were legendary, containing every reason why a woman should never marry.

“I'll be sure to dance with all of them,” she said. “Any guys with handlebar mustaches?”

I rolled my eyes. “I've never understood why that is so important to you, Jenny! You married two men with mustaches and divorced them both. You need to use better criteria than that for choosing a husband.”

“Oh, I know,” she protested, laughing. “But mustaches are so sexy. I lose my head.”

“Try keeping your head for a change and look at the men themselves, rather than their facial hair. You might have better luck if you go by, oh, I don't know…” I paused, tapping my chin. “Personality maybe? Or character?”

Not surprisingly, Jenny responded with a grimace. We'd had that same discussion a time or two before. I hoped I could come up with a good reason to leave Bull and his mustache at home, but I wasn't sure I could count on it. With any luck, Bull would think Cactus Bill's was too tame.

* * *

“I believe I'll come along too,” Bull said when I drove around to pick up Dusty, Troy, and Joe.

Calvin had declined, and I didn't mention it to Rufus for obvious reasons. I hadn't wanted to ask Bull, but I had to be fair.

“I think I'd like meeting some nice, sweet pussy for a change,” he added.

Trust Bull to have a different slant on the idea. Joe gulped, nearly swallowing his tongue. Troy snickered, and Dusty rolled his eyes in the clearest I-told-you-so look I'd been on the receiving end of in quite some time. I counted to three, holding back a retort with an undoubtedly visible effort.

“Well, I would!” he insisted. “I mean, I like hookers, but you have to pay them.”

“You have to pay other women too,” Troy said wisely. “Only they don't ask for it up front.” With a sidelong glance at me, he added, “You have to, um, work for it.”

I suppose I deserved that, but as I recalled, he'd gotten my money's worth too. I made a mental note to take him to task for that remark, even if I had to wait until later on to do it.

As usual, Dusty couldn't keep quiet when a “Bull-bashing” opportunity arose. “What's the matter, Bull? Haven't you got enough money to pay a hooker?”

“I got plenty of cash,” Bull retorted, rising quickly to the bait. “I just don't want to waste it paying top dollar for pussy when I can get the same thing for the price of a drink. I need new tires for my car.”

Giggling helplessly, I motioned for him to get in. “Dammit, Bull. Will you please shut up and get in the truck?”

“I don't see what's so goddamned funny,” he grumbled as he squeezed into the backseat with Troy and Joe. Dusty needed to sit up front to have room for his cast, which made things in the back a bit cramped. Joe was sitting behind him with his knees practically up under his chin. “It's the truth. I like getting laid as much as the next man, but hookers are expensive.”

“Well then, I'm glad we asked you,” Dusty said. “Now you can go to the bar and dance with some cheap women and then ask them if they'll fuck you for free.”

“Goddammit, Dusty,” Bull shouted angrily. “I've told you before not to say that word in front of Miss Angela. You watch your mouth.”

“Aw, do us all a favor and shut up, Bull,” Dusty said. “Angel's heard the word ‘fuck' before. In fact she's been known to say it herself.” He shot me an evil grin. “Ain't that right, Joe?”

I could see Joe's befuddled face quite clearly in the rearview mirror. “What're you asking
me
for?”

“I just thought you might remember something.” A saintly smile replaced Dusty's wicked grin. “Something Angel might have said in—oh, I dunno—the heat of the moment, perhaps?”

“Shut up, Dusty,” I growled, gunning the engine before starting down the driveway. “Don't say another word.”

“I'd like to know too,” Troy said. I glanced in the mirror just as he gave Joe a nudge. “Didn't she ever say something like, ‘Oh, Joe! You're so fucking awesome'?”

Joe's eyes widened in horror. “She's never said anything like that to me in her life. What makes you think she would?”

Dusty shrugged. “Oh, just something she told us once.” His dastardly grin returned. “Something about the way you look when you're—”

Dusty didn't finish that sentence because I punched him in the ribs as hard as I could. “I thought I told you to shut up, Dusty. I mean it now. Be quiet.”

“Beating up on the help, now, are you?” Troy teased. “You can get in all kinds of trouble for that. He could file a lawsuit against you.”

“Oh yeah?” I stomped on the brake. “Listen, if this is what I get for taking you guys out for the evening, maybe I ought to turn around right now.” Troy didn't have on his seat belt and, as a result, ended up facedown over the console between the front seats. “I thought I told you to wear a seat belt, birdbrain.” I could tell he wasn't hurt. He was laughing much too hard for that.

“Aw, come on, Angie,” he said. “We're just teasing you.”

I grabbed a handful of his curly black hair and pulled his head up. “I've got a good mind to throw you out on the highway. You can be an annoying little devil sometimes.”

“Yeah, but I'm cute,” he reminded me, the evidence of that statement mere inches from my face.

“Yes, you are,” I agreed. “Too cute for your own good. If you were homely, you might learn to be nicer.”

“I'm nice,” he insisted. “Though I must not be as cute as Joe or you'd say I looked awesome when I was—”

I still had a grip on the back of his head, so I shut him up by the most expedient method. I kissed him—hard—driving my tongue as far into his mouth as it would go. I waited until he began to respond with some degree of enthusiasm before pulling away, muttering, “Now, will you please shut the fuck up about Joe?”

“Yes, ma'am,” he replied. “Whatever you say.”

“Okay then, boys,” I announced. “Sit down, be quiet, and everyone put their seat belts on, or we're not going anywhere.”

“Tough little angel, aren't you?” Dusty commented, grinning as he rubbed his sore ribs.

“I've lived on a ranch surrounded by men for most of my life,” I replied. “I've learned to adapt—although you guys are making me wish I'd brought Rufus along to keep you in line.”

“Thank you so much for
not
bringing him,” Troy said. “He's already pissed enough as it is. You should have seen the look on his face when he got a load of that truck stuck in the thicket. Believe me, this would only make it worse.”

“Yes, but it'd sure be nice to get in trouble for something we were actually guilty of for a change,” Joe said. He must've forgotten about me kissing him in front of Rufus, although he hadn't been the instigator. Then again, that kiss wasn't what had Troy and Dusty on my case, and I knew it. I drove on, holding my breath, waiting for one of them to pounce.

Dusty drew in a breath as though about to take the bait, but Bull cut him off. “I'm never in any trouble,” he declared. “Rufus has never hollered at me for anything.”

I found that hard to believe. Granted, I'd never actually seen Bull get a lecture of any kind, so he might have been telling the truth, but I'd also never known him to give me the kind of looks Dusty gave me from time to time. The best I could tell, it was usually my fault when one of the men set Rufus off—that is, if what Joe had told me was true.

I'd seen several cowboys come and go over the years. Joe seemed to think many had lost their jobs because of me, and I had no reason to suspect him of lying. Perhaps that was why Rufus seemed so bent on eliminating Dusty. Bull had never shown any interest in me, and I wouldn't have encouraged him if he had. Left up to me, I'd have found some excuse to fire him a long time ago, simply because I didn't like him. It would have been grossly unfair of me to do that, but no more unfair than Rufus firing cowboys for giving me the eye. If Rufus didn't want the men flirting with me, he had a lot more to complain about with Dusty than he ever would with Bull. Therefore, if he wanted to stop their bickering, Bull, rather than Dusty, would have been his first choice as the one to keep.