Three Shifters for Sarah (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (2 page)

Ryan readjusted his Stetson and nibbled on a bit of prairie grass he had plucked from the soil as he pondered their conundrum. By this time Sarah had disappeared back into the north pasture where the guest cabins housed the tourists. He could think more clearly without the alluring scent of the woman to distract his thoughts now. But his gut still clenched from the sensation he’d gotten when he touched her hand a moment before. It was like Sarah Winter had just fallen out of the big Montana sky overhead and right into their laps. She was so very dangerous for them all.

“I always told you two we’d meet our mate someday if we were patient. All good things come to the man who waits.”

“I’m not going to be patient anymore.” TJ pounded a leather-gloved fist into his palm. “I’m tired of waiting. I say we claim her as ours tonight.”

Ryan ignored his friend’s enthusiasm as his mind worked. Suddenly there were a million problems facing them and a million more reasons why the three of them should not pursue the gorgeous and sexy woman who had just checked into their ranch.

“She’s going to be a guest out here for the next week,” Ryan reminded TJ. “That gives us plenty of time with her. We’re going to have to be patient a little longer.”

“I don’t like it,” Lance spoke up. His face was long and lined with worry. “We don’t even know this woman. She’s probably from the city, and city women are the worst kind. They’re opinionated and judgmental and wouldn’t have an inkling of understanding about a shifter-pack Alpha and his two Betas.”

“So you’re telling me you didn’t feel anything when you scented her?” TJ raised his voice with obvious passion and lust.

“I know we’re letting our animal sides control us this time just because we’ve sniffed a pussy we’d all like to fuck. Let’s act like men and not wolves for a change.”

“You haven’t been laid in a long time, my friend.” TJ waved off Lance’s sour disposition with a smile and a laugh. “Maybe you should go into town tonight and visit the whore house so you can remember what it’s like.”

“I’m a Beta of this pack and so are you. We don’t visit brothels. Get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Relax, man, it was just a joke.”

Ryan watched silently as the two went at it. As Alpha his role was often to just stay quiet and listen and then keep his own counsel. His critics in the pack accused him of being the strong, silent type, but he knew that’s what made him an effective Alpha and would one day make him a good mate to a woman.

Lance claimed his attention with a menacing leer. “Look, Ryan, I’m thinking about the woman. I admit I felt my heart go into my throat when I saw her, too. But that’s why I’m thinking about what would be best for her. She doesn’t want to get mixed up with all three of us. We can’t do that to her. She’s not one of us, and she couldn’t accept us.”

“I appreciate your concern. You’re a wise man.” Ryan had been swayed more than once by the sensitive side of his dour Beta. “But are you a strong enough man to resist the future we could have if we were lucky enough to win her as ours?”

Lance looked down at the prairie grass growing around his boots. Ryan could see his countenance shift beneath the brim of his Stetson. “I’ll admit she is very tempting. It would be so easy to let down my guard and fall in love with her.”

Ryan patted Lance on the shoulder. “As your Alpha I’m giving you permission to care for this woman.”

“But we’re going to have to keep secrets from her. We can’t tell her everything. If she knew what we were and exactly what we want from her, she would run for the hills.”

TJ, ever the optimist, approached and threw an arm around both men, a wicked grin exposing his white, shiny teeth. “We have a week to win her. Let’s not waste any time.”

Sarah was surprised when she got a dinner invitation from Ryan that night. Surprised and a little flattered. After all he was not only the owner of the ranch, he was also the cutest cowboy she had ever seen.

Even so she almost declined his offer. She was from New York City and was just trying to get away from all the hustle and bustle and enjoy nature for a week. What business did she have getting involved with a cowboy no matter how good-looking he was?

Then she reminded herself it was just a harmless dinner and Ryan seemed like he might be good company. It wasn’t like it was a date or anything. Although it had been so long since she’d been on a real date she didn’t even know if she could remember what form one would take.

When she got to the big backyard behind the main house all the other guests were present. It was a barbeque and the aroma of the sauce floated on the fresh evening air of the prairie and made Sarah’s mouth water. The sun was just about to fall beneath the plane of the mountains to the west, and the sky above had turned purple. It was all very beautiful, and Sarah was glad she had come.

“I hope you don’t mind that these two cowpokes tagged along with me tonight.” Ryan greeted her and indicated Lance and TJ who were trailing him. Ryan gave her a friendly smile and regarded her for a second. “You certainly look beautiful tonight, Sarah.”

Sarah almost blushed. His compliment was given away so honestly she didn’t know what to say. “Thank you,” she settled on. She had actually worn the best blouse she had brought with her for the occasion, and it was nice someone had noticed.

Everything was available buffet style. There were ribs, chicken, fish, potatoes, green beans, and coleslaw, and it was all you could eat. Sarah topped off her plate and then sat down at the end of a long table. She sat between Lance and TJ, and Ryan sat directly across from her. Other ranch guests were also seated at that table, but Sarah didn’t notice them. For the duration of dinner her world revolved around the three cowboys, and they heaped every ounce of their attention on her.

“I’m from New York City,” she explained to them as they began to introduce themselves properly.

“It must be a great place to live,” TJ told her. She was learning he was the charming one of the three, always joking, never serious, and so generous with his handsome smile that Sarah was sure must have made all the local girls melt. It damn near made her melt.

“I think this is a great place.” Sarah gazed off at the endless prairie and wondered what it must have been like to wake up to that every day of her life.

“Now that you’re here I reckon it’s pretty decent.” TJ gave her a wink. She realized he was coming onto her, but didn’t take offense. He was too cute and honest with his interest in her and the city she came from. There was almost an unspoiled innocence about him that she found very attractive.

The men walked her back to her cabin that night. It was all harmless enough, she supposed, and she did find herself enjoying their company. Still, it seemed like all three of them were making a play for her, and Sarah found that a bit intimidating. But then again, they were all so fabulously gorgeous their mere presence caused her insides to light up with a warm glow.

Bright and early the next morning after breakfast by herself in the main dining room, Sarah took a walk along one of the foot trails of the ranch. The air was fresh and cool, and the bounty of the scenery brought her sleep-weary body to life and made her happy to be alive. This vacation out to the guest ranch was proving to be everything her travel agent had promised her it would be.

She hadn’t gone far when Ryan seemed to bound out of nowhere and fell in at her side. As always, Lance and TJ were not far behind him. The three big cowboys certainly seemed to be inseparable. To her surprise she was actually happy to see them and eager to start in on the light banter their conversation had risen to the night before.

“Do you like our ranch, Sarah?” TJ asked her.

“I love it here,” was her unabashed reply. “You guys should consider yourselves lucky to be able to live in a beautiful place like this. It is so peaceful and calm, the polar opposite of New York.”

“Someday I want to go to New York so I can taste the excitement of the big city for myself.” TJ was wide-eyed and eager when he talked about Sarah’s home. She got the feeling he had an ulterior motive but decided to play along with him.

“If you ever make it to The Big Apple, look me up,” she told him. “I’ll show you around. You guys are my tour guides here, and I’ll return the favor if you ever come to New York.”

“That’s all right, Sarah.” Ryan tipped his hat to her and gave her a shy grin. “Thanks for the offer, but we’ll probably never make it up that way. We’re too busy with all our obligations out here on the land.”

For a moment Sarah felt real disappointment. The thought of these three cowboys walking down a crowded Manhattan street with her was somehow thrilling in a way she couldn’t put her finger on.

That night Sarah turned in early after a lovely day spent on the ranch, and she fell asleep listening to the mournful howl of wolves calling to each other out on the prairie.

* * * *

Lance clasped Sarah’s hand in his palm and helped her across. With them standing in it, the long fiberglass canoe was momentarily tipsy in the water. TJ helped her take a seat next to him, and Lance made sure to place himself close at her other side. Ryan pushed them away from the shore, and they began to float down the gentle stream, its peaceful waters reflecting the blue of the sky back to them as the men started to paddle.

Over his shoulder Lance watched Sarah as he worked the oar. The temperate breeze sending the fragrance of wildflowers wafting to them made a riddle of her hair. She sighed, closed her eyes, and leaned back in her seat, obviously enjoying her time with them.

“Do you three take all your guests on canoe trips?” she asked in what seemed a dreamy and contented voice.

“Just the pretty ones,” TJ kidded her and smiled.

“We’ve never taken anyone out on this canoe before,” Lance told her the truth. “Hell, the three of us have never been together on it before until now.” They were trying to do special things for Sarah. The more they got to know her the more she enchanted them. But this was her fourth day on the ranch, and time was running out.

“We know a spot where the weeping willows are beautiful this time of year,” Ryan explained. “It’s only a couple miles downstream, and we thought we’d unpack our picnic lunch there.”

Sarah gave him a smile. When she turned that beautiful face and sunny disposition to Lance, his heart went out to her. In the all too brief time he’d known her, she had captivated him. He felt like a teenaged boy with his first crush when she was around, and though at thirty-two he was far from being a teenager, it still felt good to have a woman in his life to lavish attention on once again.

In spite of his early reservation about her, Lance knew it was indeed true that Sarah Winter would make him the perfect mate. The problem was she would make all three of them the perfect mate. Now because of the strength of his developing feelings for her, he determined to set a few things straight with her that day.

He hated the feeling that he and the others were withholding information from her and telling her less than the full truth.

“Would you like to take a walk with me?” Lance asked Sarah after lunch. “I’d like to show you the waterfall and thought maybe we could walk off that big meal.”

TJ started to say something, jealous of any time Sarah spent away from him, but Ryan kept him silent with a fierce look. Lance knew the Alpha trusted him to say whatever was right and whatever had to be said to their prospective mate.

He offered Sarah his hand and helped her up off the blanket they had spread across the willow field. She dusted off the seat of the knee-length shorts she wore and accompanied him down the path headed to the waterfall. Only with reluctance did he let go of her, her warm skin feeling so good as it grazed his own. But he didn’t want her to think him forward, and they weren’t at the hand-holding point in their courtship just yet.

“You must think the three of us cowboys are mighty strange,” he told her when they were out of earshot of the other two.

“No. I most certainly do not. Why do you say that?”

“Because the three of us haven’t let you out of our sight since the first day you got here.” He looked down. His feelings were so strong for this woman it scared him, and their very depth forced his continued honesty. “And because there are three of us chasing you,” he added on bated breath and tensed for her response.

“I didn’t know you were chasing me.”

“Really?” He cocked a suspicious brow at her.

“Okay, you got me there,” she relented. “I have been waiting for one of you to make a move and pull away from the pack.”

“Pull away from the
pack
?” Lance gave a grunt. “Funny you should put it quite that way. It’s more of an accurate summation than you can imagine.”

“You know I’m just on vacation here.” She gave him a look with her big blue eyes and Lance felt his gut churn. “But I wouldn’t be opposed to a little holiday romance.”

Lance took in a breath and held it. “There are some things we haven’t told you.”

“I hope it’s not that you have girlfriends. Because if that’s the case I am so out of here.”

“No. We don’t have girlfriends. That’s one thing I can promise you.”

They were walking along the banks of the waterfall. The shower of water made noise, and a rainbow of sunlight played in its spray, but at the moment they were too focused on one another to notice or care.