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not as achy.

She dressed in a short beige skirt that flared slightly at the bottom

and brushed against her thighs a few inches above the knees. The

white tank top accentuated her full breasts, along with her toned,

defined arms. She felt cool and comfortable as the aroma of food

traveled across the yard in her direction. Stacy’s famous chicken wing

appetizers were surely on the menu. Anna loved that smell of BBQ

sauce, honey, lemon, and fresh thyme.

When she approached the yard, she smiled at the sight before her.

Charlie, Wyatt, and Eric were standing by the custom-made outdoor

kitchen preparing the grill for the food.

Ben was sitting in a chair with his legs wide, drinking a beer and

talking with Max.

Stacy came onto the porch with a glass of iced tea and a bowl of

chips.

“Hey, Anna!” she called, and all the men turned toward her as she

climbed the steps.

“Hi!” She waved as Stacy put the items in her hands down and

pulled Anna into a hug.

“How was the weekend?” Anna asked. Stacy giggled.

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“It was fantastic. Since you didn’t come back over last night, I’m

assuming things went real well with the Cantrells?” Stacy teased, and

Anna nodded.

“Yes!” Stacy exclaimed as she made a fist and pulled it to her hip

at the same time.

Anna giggled.

“How are you feeling, baby?” Charlie asked as he wrapped his

arms around her from behind, pulling her against his chest. Anna

turned her head to the side and touched his cheek.

“I feel good.”

“Well, you look real good,” he whispered as he lightly pressed his

erection against her backside.

Anna giggled.

“Come over here, sweetheart. Let me have a look at you.” She

looked toward Ben, who was curling his finger toward her, then back

toward himself. Damn, he was a piece of work, and double damn, she

went immediately to him after his command, but not before Charlie

gave her a possessive tap to her behind. She swatted at his hand and

tried to hide her embarrassment at the public display.

Stacy laughed as if reading Anna’s mind and took a seat next to

Max.

Ben looked her over, keeping his hands on her skirt as he had her

turn around in front of him. He gave an approving nod of his head

then winked at her.

Anna placed her hands on her hips, raised her eyebrows, and gave

him a look right back.

“Oh, no, honey, I wouldn’t be playing those types of games with

Ben. You should know you’re asking for trouble,” Charlie added with

a smirk then took a slug of beer from the bottle he held.

“Are you sassing me, girl?” Ben asked as he caressed her backside

and pulled her to him so she would lose her balance.

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“Ben!” she exclaimed as she fell forward, her cleavage practically

wedged against his chin if she hadn’t been fast enough to stop her fall

by placing her hands on his shoulders.

He moved his feet between her feet and separated them, causing

her to either lose her balance or shove her ass in the air and into Eric’s

face. The others had joined them on the porch.

Giving in, she fell against him in the large cushioned rocker.

Ben pulled her to him so she couldn’t get up. His hand was around

her waist and pressed against her back. His other hand was flat against

her ass cheek for all to see.

Anna felt her cheeks redden and her temper rise.

“You better watch out, Ben, I think you’ve met your match,” Eric

egged Ben on as he laughed.

“Ben, let me up,” she stated through clenched teeth. They were

nose to nose.

Ben tightened his hold, making her breasts push up further and

closer to his face.

She watched as his eyes looked down and the smile filled his face,

dimples and all.

She struggled to get up and, in doing so, pushed her cleavage

against his mouth.

Ben licked her skin, and the heat hit her cheeks, plus her panties.

“Damn you, Ben, this is completely inappropriate!” she

reprimanded him, and Anna heard the chuckles, then the

conversations continued around her. Now, no one was even paying

attention.

Flustered, she locked gazes with Ben and gave him the evil eye. It

didn’t last but a few seconds. He was handsome and so darn sexy, she

couldn’t resist him. Fighting him didn’t get him to stop, it just made

him more determined to show he was the one in control. She tried a

different tactic.

“Ben, honey, can you please let me up? My ribs are hurting.”

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He began to slowly release her, but stupid her smiled too soon. He

realized she was lying and turned her in his arms so fast and so easily

she didn’t have a moment to escape.

Now, he held her like a baby across his lap, placed her head

against his chest, and held his hand over her thighs.

There was no use in fighting him, so she gave up and joined the

conversation with the others.

* * * *

Wyatt watched Anna as Ben, Max, and Charlie talked about the

ranch, the animals, and their ideas for expanding the stables. Then

they walked back out toward the grill to make sure everything was

ready. It was just Wyatt, Ben, and Anna on the porch.

“Can you let me up now? I’d like to go help Stacy set the table.”

“Give me some sugar first.” Ben tilted his chin toward Anna and

held her thighs so she couldn’t move.

Anna released an exasperated sigh, and Wyatt laughed. Ben was a

demanding man who didn’t give two shits what anyone thought. He

did what he wanted, when he wanted to, and that was it. It would be

fun to see how he handled Anna. It was obvious that she appeased

him to not cause a scene earlier, but something told him that she

wasn’t finished with Ben.

Anna gave Ben a quick, soft kiss then attempted to get up.

He held her still.

“I asked for sugar, honey.”

Before Anna could respond, Ben pulled her toward him and kissed

her long and wildly. Wyatt shook his head and laughed. When Ben

finally released her, Anna’s lips were swollen and red, and her eyes

were filled with desire. His own cock throbbed against his jeans just

from watching.

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She slowly rose off of Ben’s lap, and when she turned to leave, he

rubbed his hand up her skirt and touched her. Anna swung around,

apparently shocked at his brazenness.

“I’ll be getting some of that later,” he growled, then winked, and

Anna huffed as she walked away.

Before she could get inside, Wyatt snaked an arm out and grabbed

her around the waist to pull her to him.

“No hello for me, darling?” he whispered, then lightly caressed

her swollen lips with his thumb.

Anna smiled at him before she hugged him.

He loved how she felt in his arms and against his chest. His

nostrils filled with her scent and his groin ached to be inside of her.

When she pulled back, she smiled softly before standing on her

tiptoes to kiss him. Wyatt moaned against her mouth as he gave her

backside a squeeze and felt her up real quick before she pulled away.

Anna swatted at his hand and straightened her skirt before she pulled

completely away.

“Will you two stop it? Someone is going to see,” she stated.

“Too late, honey.”

Anna looked to the screen door of the house and saw Max

standing there with a big smile on his face.

Anna shook her head and growled before opening the door and

heading inside.

Wyatt laughed.

* * * *

“It appears some progress was made this weekend,” Max stated as

he joined Wyatt and Ben on the porch.

“Y’all could say that,” Wyatt replied, then took another slug of

beer.

Max chuckled.

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“How ’bout you? Have a nice, romantic weekend with Stacy?”

Wyatt asked.

He noticed that Max lit up immediately.

He stuck his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and started

balancing forward and backward on the heels of his boots.

Something was up. Wyatt looked at his cousin sideways in

challenge.

Max glanced toward Eric and Charlie.

“How them steaks coming along?” Max yelled.

“Just about done. The ladies ready with the table?”

“Yeah, we’re ready! Let’s move before it gets cold,” Stacy

ordered as she and Anna placed bowls on the table.

“That looks real good there, Stacy. I love potato salad,” Ben

added as he joined them near the table.

Wyatt observed the others pulling off the steaks then walking onto

the porch with a tray of meat.

“Smells real good,” Wyatt said, then watched Eric hug Stacy and

smile wide next to her cheek.

“Let’s eat,” Stacy said, and everyone grabbed a seat around the

table.

* * * *

Anna was enjoying the dinner when she noticed how attentive

Eric and Max were being to Stacy. They kept adding more food to her

plate, whispered to her so no one else could hear, but Stacy looked

annoyed.

Apparently, Anna wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“Okay. Spit it out. What in the hell is up with you three? You’ve

been shoving food on the poor girl’s plate and fussin’ over her. It’s

driving her crazy.”

Wyatt got everyone’s attention with his statement, including

Stacy, who began to laugh, nearly spitting the food in her mouth out.

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“We’re just making sure that she’s eating enough and doesn’t

need anything,” Max replied.

“Well, of course she needs fussin’ over. She’s pregnant!” Eric

exclaimed, and the excitement filled the air. The men started asking

questions about when Stacy found out, how far along was she, did

they need any help with anything.

It was so wonderful and so exciting that Anna began to cry. This

was a family where everyone cared about one another so much they

were willing to sacrifice themselves for the other’s needs. It was

becoming clearer and clearer that reliability and trust was important in

a family. Stacy was her family, and perhaps, just maybe, the men

could be her family, too.

“Hey, baby, are you all right?” Charlie asked as he placed his

arms around Anna’s shoulders.

“I’m just fine,” she blurted out.

“What is it, Anna?” Stacy asked.

“This is so perfect. I’m so happy for the three of you. Eric and

Max, I know you’re going to be fantastic fathers. I just know it.”

Wyatt raised his glass and made a toast.

“I’d like to make a toast. To Max, Eric, and Stacy, may you be

blessed with the first of many happy, healthy babies to add to the

Cantrell family!” The men cheered, and Stacy laughed as she and

Anna smiled at one another.

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Chapter 14

“She doesn’t trust us to tell us more.” Ben couldn’t help the upset

in his own voice as he leaned against the porch railing over at their

house. It was nearly midnight by the time they finished up dinner and

celebrating over at Max and Eric’s place.

Wyatt joined Ben and Charlie in mid-discussion.

“Anna’s sound asleep. She exhausted herself today,” he added

before he took a seat on the single rocker next to Charlie and across

from Ben.

“Poor thing. I’m worried that she’s rushing the healing process.

She should be here with us on the ranch where we can take care of

her,” Charlie added.

“She’s independent. Don’t you get that, Charlie?” Wyatt replied.

“That’s because she’s used to handling things on her own. We

have to make her see that she doesn’t have to anymore. I don’t know

about you guys, but I want it all with Anna. I want Anna’s belly round

with our baby and the house filled with kids we can enjoy and raise

together. I, for one, have never wanted any commitments like that

before.” Ben stuck his hands in his pockets and looked embarrassed

for making the statement.

“Shit, Ben. We’d be pissed at you if you didn’t feel that way. I

want the same thing, and so does Wyatt,” Charlie replied, with a toss

of his head toward Wyatt for confirmation.

Wyatt looked concerned.

“She’s still keeping secrets from us,” he stated, then rose from the

chair.

“You mean about New York?” Ben asked.

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“That, too. Something happened in the diner today.”

“What?” both Charlie and Ben asked.

“When I came in to pick Anna up, I saw Stew next to her. He was

real close, and I swear Anna looked nervous. I asked if everything

was okay, and Jack said yeah. So did Anna, but Stew had gotten out

of there real quick, if ya know what I mean?”

“Stew better stay away from her,” Charlie whispered with his fists

by his side.

“What makes you think something happened if Jack said nothing

did?” Ben asked.

“I had a feeling he lied to me. I think for Anna’s sake because he,

too, noticed the way she responded. So I stopped by after I dropped

Anna off here. Jack said Stew touched her and that before Stew could