Taking Her Cowboy Doms [Pleasure, Texas 6] (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting) Page 10

  A rumble pulled her attention to the outside. In a matter of minutes, dark clouds had rolled in. One of the things she’d learned about living in Texas was that a storm could brew up fast. And that a lot of them turned dangerous. She hated like hell to say it, but knew she had to.

  “Maybe Alex, Mike, and I should take a rain check.” She pointed toward the thunderous, angry-looking clouds. “That way you could take all the time you want to discuss what you’re going to do. Besides, those clouds are looking pretty nasty out there. And the wind’s picking up, too.”

  The storm was moving fast and bringing along with it wind and the splattering of rain drops. Even darker, blacker clouds came on the heels of the first ones. She jumped, startled as Caleb, Mike, and Alex dashed inside the house, letting the backdoor slam behind them.

  “Where’s Derrick?” Molly’s voice was pitched high, worry making her sound shrill.

  Caleb nodded toward the backyard. “He’s putting the grill out. It’s not safe to be cooking out. Not with the storm moving in. Damn thing came in out of nowhere.”

  Another clap of thunder boomed as the air thickened. The sprinkle of rain that had come before morphed into big, fat drops.

  “Sorry, Jilly, but we’re going to have to head home. We’ve got to make sure the livestock is secure enough to ride out this storm.” Mike took Jilly’s hand and squeezed, reassuring her. “Sorry, guys, but we’ll have to do this another day.”

  “No problem,” answered Caleb. The four of them headed for the front door. “The ranch comes first. You three be safe on the ride home.”

  “We will.” The day wasn’t turning out as Jilly had hoped. But there would be more good times ahead of them. She pulled Molly into her own bear hug. “Be sure to get all your talking done.”

  Jilly grinned at her sister’s eye roll. How many times had Molly told her not to roll her eyes? And yet, here she was doing the same thing.

  “Don’t you worry. I know what I have to do.”

  Just as Alex opened the door, a gust caught it and tore it out of his hand. He lurched for it, then held it tightly until Caleb could take over for him. Mike sprinted out to the truck, fighting the wind and the rain, then waited until Jilly could jump into the pickup.

  “See y’all soon,” called Molly.

  Jilly brushed her wet hair out of her face, and lifted her hand to say good-bye, but the door was already closed. A sinking feeling turned her stomach, clenching it into a tight ball.

  Will Molly and her men be all right? Will they?

  She shook off the worrisome thought. “Let’s get home, okay?”

  “I’m working on it.” Alex face was set in grim determination. He gripped the steering wheel with both hands and slammed his foot on the pedal. The wipers could barely keep up with the hard rain. The wind battered the truck making it sway with each hard gust.

  Jilly dug her fingers into the seat beside her. A powerful burst of wind jolted the truck, pushing it toward the deep gulley on the side. She let out a yelp and reached out. Mike hooked her arm in his and yanked her closer to him. Having his strong body next to hers helped, but it couldn’t take all the fear away.

  “Are storms always like this?”

  “You know what they say about Texas, right?”

  Was Alex trying to joke? “No. What?”

  “Everything’s bigger in Texas. Even the storms.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “That’s a ‘hell, yes,’ darlin’.”

  Even Mike’s smile didn’t help much. Not when the wind started blowing tumbleweeds, leaves, and branches across the road in front of them. The clouds had taken on an ominous greenish-black hue, darkening the world around them. Although the truck’s headlights were on, only the brief moments of lightning could fully illuminate the world around them, turning the blackness back into day.

  “Will the animals be okay?” She had to think of something else. Anything other than what might happen if they skidded off the road.

  “The cattle have probably already taken shelter. Horses, too.”

  “What about the ones in the barn?” She hated to think of anything bad happening to the horses locked in their stalls. They couldn’t run or seek other shelter the way the ones in the pastures could.

  “I said we needed to check on the herd, but the way this storm is rolling in, we’re not going to have time. Can’t do anything about it now. If a tornado hits, then it hits. It’s not like we can huff and puff and blow it out.”

  Her mouth fell open as she gaped at Mike. “A tornado? You’re kidding.”

  “Darlin’, I don’t kid about stuff like that.”

  “Shit. I’m thinking we should’ve hunkered down in the Houston’s basement.”

  Now it was Alex’s turn to catch her stare. “Now you suggest it? Why the hell didn’t we?”

  He shrugged, then whipped the steering wheel to the left to counteract a huge gust of wind. “It wasn’t a tornado yet.”

  “But we should’ve left Jilly there.”

  She glanced between the men. “I’m going wherever you go. We’re a team now, remember?”

  Mike’s proud look was the best thing to have happened since they’d rushed out of the house and into the truck. “Damn straight we are.”

  At once, the wind stopped and the rain grew to a sprinkle. Relief took hold of her making her arms shake as she latched on to each of the men. “Hey, we’re in luck. It’s over.” Yet when she followed the men’s stares as they leaned forward in the truck, she realized it was anything but over.

  If she could’ve had a coherent thought at that moment, she would’ve sworn her heart had stopped. Like a monster erupting from a black mountainside, a huge whirling mass of debris-filled wind barreled toward them.

  “Oh, my God.”

  “Move!”

  She was still gawking at the tornado when Mike yanked her out of the truck. He pushed against her back, forcing her to turn away from the monster and run toward the deep gulley.

  “Get as low as you can,” shouted Mike. The wind had regained it earlier ferocity as the sound of a roaring train made hearing difficult.

  Alex jumped into the gulley, then opened his arms wide, ready to catch her. She glanced down, ready to try to make it on her own. “I think I can get down on—”

  “No time. Jump!” Mike gave her a hard shove, sending her falling through the air.

  Chapter Eight

  She didn’t have time to be any more frightened than she was. One moment she was in the air and, in the next, she was in Alex’s arms.

  “Got you.” He hugged her to his chest. “Sorry about this.” Picking her up, he twisted her around, then dropped her facedown into the dirt. Mud splattered onto her face and into her mouth. Although she tried to push up, she couldn’t. Alex had gone to one side with Mike taking the other.

  Mike shoved her back down. “Stay low.”

  At least that was what she thought he said by watching his lips move. She couldn’t be sure. The deafening bellow of the storm charging over their head drowned out every other sound.

  She screamed as bits of branches, leaves, and who knew what else pelted them. The men were taking most of the barrage. Their bodies covered all but a small space of her back. Alex’s hand protected the back of her head while Mike’s covered her face.

  Peeking through his fingers, she saw the sky above her go black. The wind tore at them, an angry swirling mass of Mother Nature. A sound, low and horrible, assaulted her ears until she had to cover them with her hands. Yet almost as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

  They stayed where they were. She wasn’t sure how much time passed as they lay there. As long as she could hear their breathing mixing with her pants for air, she was good. Daylight had returned, showing a gray sky above them with nothing flying over their heads.

  “I think we’re good to get up.” Alex stroked her head. “Are you okay, baby?”

  Was she? Her body trembled, the terror of what she’d just lived through slowly
easing its way out of her. She paused, and waited to feel pain. “Yeah. I think so.”

  Mike stood up, then both men took an arm and lifted her to her feet. She laughed, seeing the mud covering their bodies and faces. Mike’s hat was littered with brown muddy spots while Alex’s hat was gone.

  “You think we look funny, huh?” Alex scraped the mud off his face. “Just wait until you see yourself.”

  “He’s right. We were on top of you. You were the one buried in most of the mud.” Mike spit out a wad of brown juice. “Wait until you get a load of yourself.”

  He was right. She couldn’t see what her face looked like, but the front part of her was one big, brown mess. Tracking her fingers through her hair didn’t help, either. The wind and the mud had transformed it into a sticky bird’s nest.

  “But you’re okay, right?” Alex turned her around, getting a good look at her from head to toe.

  “I’m fine. How about you two?”

  “I’m good,” answered Mike. “Could’ve been a lot worse.”

  “Other than losing my good hat, I’m solid. As for Mike, he’s too ornery to die. Instead, he’ll just nasty away.”

  Alex’s jokes always helped, but at that moment, it was a beyond great. If either one of them had gotten injured protecting her, she would’ve never gotten over it.

  Mike dug out handfuls of the wall of the gully, then half climbed, half pulled himself back to the road. Once at the top, he turned and stretched out both arms. “Help her up, Alex.”

  She’d known they were both strong men, but the way Alex hefted her upward to Mike’s waiting arms seemed almost effortless. Getting back on the road felt amazing.

  That was, until she noticed the pickup.

  Mike helped haul Alex out of the gully and as they came to stand beside her, silence overtook all three of them.

  “Aw, shit.” Mike hurried over to the truck, then stopped and just stared.

  The truck was upside down in the shallow ditch on the other side of the road. Yet other than being upside down, it looked remarkably free of any damage.

  “Okay, this blows.”

  She hated seeing their sad expressions and tried, like Alex had often done for her, to make it seem less awful. “Hey, it could’ve been worse.”

  “Yeah? How?”

  She wiped a gunk of mud off Alex’s face. “It could’ve landed in the other ditch on top of us.”

  “Good point.” Alex stomped, freeing his boots of more mud.

  Her new baby blue sandals were ruined. “I think it’s time for me to get a pair of boots.”

  Mike had gone over to the truck and dug around inside. He pulled her purse out then brought it to her. Items from the truck’s bed were scattered around, but he didn’t bother retrieving them. “I’ll give the Casing boys a call and see if they can round up some hands to help us out.” His meaningful glance at his cousin scared her.

  After surviving the tornado, she hadn’t had time to think about Molly. She grabbed her purse and pulled out her phone. “I’ll give Molly a call and make sure they’re okay.”

  Please, let my sister be safe. And Caleb and Derrick, too.

  But the call didn’t go through. Nothing but silence greeted her. She rubbed her damp phone against the back of Alex’s shirt.

  “Hey. Wipe it on yourself.”

  “I can’t. And your butt’s cleaner than my front.”

  “True. Okay, rub away. But if you want to switch over and start rubbing my front, I won’t complain.”

  “Cousin, you have a one-track mind.”

  At least they were in a good humor even after finding their truck upside down. But until she knew about her sister’s well-being, she couldn’t relax. She tried dialing Molly’s number again. And again, nothing happened.

  “Maybe the storm’s knocked things out.” Mike pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Let me call the guys.”

  She waited, breathless, then let loose with a curse when Mike shook his head.

  “Hey, don’t go jumping to any conclusion. Caleb and Derrick don’t carry their phones around them when they’re at home. Either that or they’re still hunkered down in the basement.”

  “Or maybe the tornado hit them and they’re stuck underground with their house turned into a pile of rumble on top of them.”

  “Don’t go there, baby.”

  “Sorry, I’m already there.” She started back the way they’d come.

  Alex turned her around, then slipped his arm around her waist. “Look, baby. I’m sure they’re fine.”

  She whipped a finger in front of his face. “Don’t. I hate it when guys say that. You can’t be sure so don’t say you are.”

  “Okay, okay. I’ll never say it again. Try to calm down, will you?”

  “I have to get to Molly.” She wrestled away from him and started walking fast back the other way.

  They double teamed her, catching her in between them. Somehow she always ended up caught in the middle. And yet, caught between them was the best place to be. “We’re going to our ranch. It’s closer. Plus, we’ll try to call them again and, by then, I’ll bet you anything they’re busy cleaning up debris in the yard. Either that or headed our way to check up on you. Give them some time.”

  “Wouldn’t they be trying to call me? Us?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe they don’t have their phones. Maybe their phones got wet or broken. Or more than likely, they don’t get any reception down in their basement. All kinds of things go haywire after a tornado.”

  “I guess.” Not that any of those possibilities made her feel any better. She wouldn’t feel right until she heard Molly’s voice again.

  “But I do know two things.”

  “What?” There wasn’t much Mike could say that would make her feel better. And yet he did.

  “If there are two men in this world that could keep your sister safe, it’s Caleb and Derrick Houston.”

  She touched his cheek, thanking him for trying to put her at ease. “Okay, that’s one thing. What’s the other?”

  “The Houston boys know that if there are two men in this world that can keep you safe, it’s us. I’ll bet they’re telling Molly the same thing right this minute.”

  They had two different ways about them. Alex could put her at ease with a joke, while Mike’s calm resolve did the same thing. Her sister was momentarily forgotten as she let the wonder of finding two terrific men wash over her.

  But the moment was gone all too soon.

  “And if we still can’t get a hold of them?” She no longer fought them. What they were saying made sense.

  “Then we’ll hop in the other truck and head over there. Deal?”

  As much as she wanted to run back to the Houston place, she understood their way was the better way. “Deal.”

  They started walking, going quickly at first until the stitch in her side slowed her down. “I’m so worried about them. Do you think the tornado went near them?”

  The answer was on their faces. “Forget I asked.”

  “How about we talk about something else?” Alex punched in Caleb’s number again.

  “Like the weather?”

  “Hey, she’s joking.” He bumped against her. “The weather’s taking a turn for the better.”

  He could get a laugh out of her almost all the time. “It can’t get much worse than before. I’ve never been anywhere near a tornado. Do they all do the same thing? With the rain and the wind stopping right before it hits?”

  “Nope. No two tornadoes are the same. Although I think that’s where the old saying ‘the calm before the storm’ comes from. Still, I’ve seen twisters drop a funnel right in the middle of all the rain and wind.”

  “We get them all the time. I’m not saying it makes it any easier, but you do kind of get used to them. Once you’ve been through a few of them, you’ll know exactly what to do.” Mike wiped off more mud from his hat. “I don’t think I can save my hat. Guess it’ll have to be a work hat.”

  “Wait.
You get them all the time? How many times?”

  “Each year’s different. Although it seems to me we’ve seen more of them than in the past. And storm season isn’t half over yet.”

  “Oh, hell.”

  “Are you sure you want to live in Texas, baby? We have tornadoes and even a couple of earthquakes nowadays. That and some nasty wind storms sometimes. Oh, and a flash flood every once in a while.”

  Mike shoved his hat back on his head. “Alex is right. Do you really want to stick around? I mean, did we ever officially ask you if you’ll stay?”

  “Don’t you even try to tease me, Mike Triston. You know damn well we talked this. I’m yours and both of you are mine. Got it?”

  “Hey, just asking to be sure.” He dodged her playful slap.

  She smiled, not doubting that she belonged with them. Or that they wanted her. “Do you really think a little tornado would change my mind?”

  “Listen to her, Alex. Now it’s ‘a little tornado.’ She’s turning into a Texan already.”

  “What I mean is…I’m not going anywhere. I’m kind of like a bed bug. Easy to get, but hard as hell to get rid of.” She took off running, having gotten a second wind.

  They caught up with her, and then Mike pulled her against him. His mouth, still caked with bits of mud, crushed hers.

  The kiss was great and she wanted more. But the crusty gunk was more than she could handle. She pushed away. “After I find out about Molly, we’re all getting in the shower.”

  “Promise?” joked Alex.

  “You can count on it, cowboy.”

  * * * *

  Alex was proud of Jilly. She’d done her best not to mention how worried she was about her sister once they’d started for home. But as soon as she’d seen their ranch house still standing, she’d rushed inside to use the landline. Just as she’d picked up the receiver, her cell phone started playing the song that was Molly’s ring tone.

  “Molly? Are you all right? Are the guys?”

  Although they wanted to see if the barn or anything was damaged, he and Mike hung around. If their neighbors and friends needed them, they’d forget everything else. Family and friends came before the cattle or the horses.