“Where are a couple of farm boys when I need them?” Channon Kennedy brushed her horse, Peaches, and rested her head on the side of the large animal’s neck. She liked being around the horses. She could talk to them and not have to worry about someone arguing with her. She’d done enough arguing in the last year for a lifetime.
“I don’t know how I’m going to manage,” she said. She stopped brushing the horse and looked Peaches in the eye. “I’m one person with three horses and a hundred acres. That’s a lot for one person to keep things going.”
The horse snorted, then shook her head.
“I get it. We’ll figure it out.” She sighed and surveyed the stall. According to her father’s notes, there were two farm hands living on the property. She hadn’t seen anyone, but the state of the stall said otherwise. Someone had cleaned it out recently. She’d need to shovel out the muck and add fresh straw, but it could’ve been worse.
Not knowing who lived on the farm was her own fault. She’d been at the house for three days, but had only ventured out during the last hour. Between the guilt over not being home when her father died and mourning the loss of him, she hadn’t wanted to be out in public. She grieved for the end of her relationship with her former boyfriend, Jack, too. The bastard had cheated on her and dumped her for a younger woman. She shouldn’t have been so upset. Getting rid of him should’ve been a relief, but it wasn’t. Seven years was a long time to be with someone, only to be shafted.
Channon climbed the side of the stall and sat on the wooden planks. She leaned against the divider bars between the stables. “I miss the boys the most.” She gripped the shelf along the wall. “I could use their help, yeah, but I miss their friendship. Brian and Shaun were here when no one else cared.”
Peaches shifted around and bumped her head against Channon’s side. Channon hugged the horse. “I miss them. I shouldn’t because we’re horrible when we’re together. I still remember all the times we got into trouble, but it was fun.”
She glanced over at Herb, Peaches’ brother. “You’re eating well. Looks like you’re exercising, too. How about you?” She turned her attention to Brutus, her father’s horse. “I’m not sure how I’ll be able to keep you all exercised, but I’ll try.”
She paused, listening for anyone else in the barn. She hoped Brian or Shaun would stroll around the corner, but no. Nothing. She blew out a long breath and hopped down from her perch.
“Oh well.” She patted Peaches again. “I’ll be right back to clean out your stall.” She wasn’t sure why she’d explained herself to the horse, but whatever. She headed out of the barn. The sunshine blinded her for a moment and heated her skin. She liked the peace of the farm. Loved the privacy and not having to worry about who would show up. In the distance, she heard the hum of a tractor.
Who had a tractor on the property? One of the farm hands? She noticed the red machine moving across the hay field. She shielded her eyes to better see the man on the tractor. Her breath lodged in her throat. Shaun? Couldn’t be. He would’ve told her he was there—wouldn’t he?
The man on the tractor steered the machine to the edge of the field and stopped when the mail truck zipped up the driveway.
Channon ran across the lawn. She needed to get a dog to help intercept intruders and so she wouldn’t be alone. A dog would alert her to visitors, too.
She stopped in her tracks when the man in the mail truck left the vehicle. “Brian?” she murmured. No way. Someone who either was Brian or looked one hell of a lot like him strode across the short strip of grass. The man on the tractor met the mail man at the fence. She could’ve sworn Shaun stood on the other side of the barrier. If it wasn’t them, then who was intercepting her mail?
“Hey,” Channon called. “That’s mine.” She stopped again when both men turned to her and smiled. “Brian? Shaun?”
Shaun whipped his ball cap off his head and wiped the sweat from his brow. “She remembered us. Only took her three days, but she did.”
“Well, we are hard to forget.” Brian opened his arms. “Give us sugar.”
“Sugar? You’re holding my mail.” She yanked the letters and magazines from Brian’s hands. “Since when did you become a mail man?”
“Chill,” Shaun said. “We get our mail here, too.”
“What?” She leafed through the letters and, sure enough, some had Brian’s and Shaun’s names on them. “Why? Are you dodging an ex-girlfriend who wouldn’t or couldn’t handle the both of you?” Brian and Shaun’s girl-sharing hadn’t been lost on her. She’d dreamed of being the woman in the middle of their man sandwich plenty of times, but they hadn’t been interested in her. They probably still weren’t and had a girl waiting for them, wherever they were living on the farm. Still, Channon could dream.
Shaun and Brian exchanged glances. “You’re done for the day, aren’t you?” Shaun asked.
“I’m through with my route, yeah, but I’ll have to do my end of the day stuff.” Brian folded his arms, then turned his attention to Channon. “I work at the post office during the day and help Shaun the rest of the time. It’s worked nicely for five years.”
“Oh.” In the last seven years, she hadn’t really considered what her former friends had done with their lives.
Shaun wiped his hands on his pant legs. “I need to finish the second cutting in the front field, but I’m almost done. Shouldn’t take me more than another hour.”
“Sounds good,” she said. “Do you have plans tonight?” She probably shouldn’t have been asking, but she wanted to know. She wasn’t sure she wanted them to be with someone. Truth be told, she wanted to keep them for herself, now that she knew they were still on the property.
“How about we make dinner for you tonight?” Brian grinned and leaned against the fence. “Our cooking skills have improved since high school. I can even boil water.”
When he flexed the muscles in his arms, he could’ve been the poster child for hot mail men. She wondered how many women on his mail route fantasized about him. She did. She wanted those arms wrapped around her.
“Channon?” Shaun tipped his head. He had dirt on his cheeks and smeared across his T-shirt, but he had the rugged style going for him.
Where Brian worked the clean-cut and professional angle, Shaun still had his rough edges. She wanted his arms around her, too. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t decide between them. God, she was screwed up.
She met his gaze and shivered, despite the early summer heat. “I’m sorry. I bet once you get cooking, you’re probably unstoppable.” She rolled her eyes to hide her embarrassment. They wanted to make her food, not come on to her. Jesus. They probably just wanted to be nice to her, too…and maybe keep her happy so they could keep their home on the farm.
“Well?” Shaun tipped her chin to meet his gaze again. Despite the strength in his body, he had such a light touch. His sweaty shirt was glued to his chest and showcased his taut, muscled frame.
Channon’s knees weakened. She widened her stance to keep herself upright and bit back a groan. Either she needed sex or needed him—correction, them—more than she realized. Maybe she’d gone too long without sex and was horny. If they were feeling the electricity too, they weren’t showing it.
“Channon?” Brian stood beside Shaun and touched her arm. “Are you in there? Or is Shaun’s hot body mesmerizing you?”
“Huh?” She should’ve been paying attention, not getting caught ogling them. “Sorry. Sure. Dinner sounds good. What time and what would you like me to bring? Where do you want to meet?” How about my place, my bed tonight and all night long? Oh man. She couldn’t say all that. Not now.
“How about at the guest house?” Shaun asked. “Your dad allowed us to live there if we worked for him.”
She stared at them. They lived in the guest house? That explained why she hadn’t seen them. She hadn’t ventured to that part of the property in years. “I didn’t see either of you when I drove in three days ago. Haven’t seen you working ground or anything.”
“You haven’t set foot outside the house in that time,” Brian said. “I take the truck out before the ass crack of dawn. Shaun’s been working in the barn and on the back forty. It’s pretty easy not to see us. We keep out of sight.”
“With someone, I’m sure.” She wasn’t sure why she’d said that. She didn’t want them with another woman. She had no claim on them, but still.
“We’re alone,” Shaun said.
“Really?” she blurted.
Brian sighed. “How about we have a nice dinner tonight and get things sorted out? Yes?”
She shrugged, unsure of what else to do. “I’d like that.”
“Good.” Brian climbed behind the wheel of the mail truck. “I’ll be back in an hour.” He drove off, leaving her alone with Shaun.
Channon turned her attention to Shaun. “Okay. Spill. What’s going on here?”
“Nothing that I know of.” Shaun leaned on the fence. “We want to treat you right tonight.”
“Because?” God. Being with Jack had made her quick to question every nice thing in her life. She needed to shake that bad habit and fast.
“Just because.” Shaun shrugged and tipped his head. “We want to.”
“You two never do anything because. Your wanting to always has a proviso.” Her lack of trust in almost everyone was showing more than she wanted.
“We’re doing it because we want to.” Shaun smiled. “You deserve a nice night.”
For a split second she could’ve sworn he said because we want you, but she knew better. Still, she didn’t trust them. “Oh, well. Thank you.”
“We want you.” Shaun grinned and tugged her into his arms. “Have for a while.” He kissed her hard on the lips, then let go of her and strolled to the tractor.
Channon stared at him in stunned silence. She trusted her hearing this time. He’d said they wanted her. Really? She hoped it was real, but her second-guessing came back to haunt her. She hadn’t heard him incorrectly, but she doubted they’d want her for long.
Shaun glanced back at her and grinned, then climbed into the tractor.
Channon grabbed the fence post for support. She wasn’t about to try to figure Shaun or Brian out. She knew better. She’d tried before and only ended up with a broken heart. She needed to move forward with her life and focus on the future. She had a farm and three horses to take care of, and no time to worry about how her farm hands made her body sizzle.
She forced herself away from the fence and headed back to the barn. She tossed the mail onto the storage box just inside the building. When she’d left Jack in Cleveland, she’d cleaned the shit out of her life. She picked up the shovel and strode to the first stall. Not the glamorous life, but she loved being back on the farm and close to Brian and Shaun.
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