Page 17 of Cowboy Triplets Next Door

Good, Clean Fun was a front for the real business through the back door. The shop sold soaps and candles and smelled like clean linen. Through the back door, chaos existed. Doll’s Club had been started by Margaret James after feeling unheard by the significantly higher number of men in Harmony Valley. Not unlike a political special interests’ group, Doll’s Club was where women came together to talk, plot, plan, and buy sex toys. And lube. There was always a new flavor of lube being tried out.

My mother had been a part of Doll’s Club and when I turned eighteen, I’d become part of it. I got my first sex toy at Doll’s and I’d bought my latest sex toy there, too. I’d always loved how magical it felt to have a secret group none of the men knew about. It was a relief from male frustration for almost everyone. Just…not me.

Even my best friends didn’t know my secrets so how I could tell them my issues? The way it was, I just listened to them and pretended to be going through a spell of no sex or bad sex. I watched them live their lives and tried not to think about my own. It worked most of the time.

I wasn’t feeling it the day of my work meeting with the Hellstone brothers. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I had to go and sit at the diner with them and pretend like I didn’t want to rip their faces off. My body was a traitor, too, because when I thought of their faces, I thought of riding their faces. That wasn’t helpful, at all.

Joanie sat on my left side and Eve sat across from me. Eve Michaels, who’d given me every romance novel I’d ever owned and who lived closest to me in her grandpa’s cabin in Last Chance. She’d come back to town not too long ago and was trying to help her grandpa, who was also the sheriff. She looked tired as she slumped over with her elbow on the arm of the bright pink couch.

Seeing someone look how I felt made me want to hug her. I knew Joanie was having lots of wild sex with her love interests and I just couldn’t relate. Matter of fact, I was a little jealous and a little bitter. Not that I didn’t think she deserved to have great sex or find happiness. She did. I just wanted it, too.

Thankfully, Margaret was heading up the meeting with her best friends, Brenda and Coco, so I didn’t have to do much talking or pretending like I wasn’t in a bad mood. “Mayor Stevens keeps putting this battle off. I know what he’s doing. He’s taking his time to come up with some plan with that military training facility. Jackass.”

I didn’t have it in me to care about the battle. Normally, I would’ve been excited for the idea to crush the local men with female power. A battle of the sexes just felt like too much when I was having my own mini battle with my bosses. Bosses. Even the word made me want to vomit.

I tuned out Margaret’s battle plans and thought about what Turtle was doing instead. While I was in town, I’d put him in his crate and even though he’d gotten in and gone right to sleep, I felt bad. I was ready to get back home and let him out.

“Hello? Earth to Billie?” Coco was in my face, waving a watermelon scented bottle of lube in front of me while Margaret clapped her hands and gave instructions. “Try it out and let me know what you think. Be careful, though.”

I glanced around and saw that Eve was staring at the lube with wide eyes before slipping it into her purse. Shrugging, I tossed mine into my bag and leaned over to Joanie. “You have muffins ready, right?”

She grunted. “You know I do.”

Letting out a relieved sigh, I sank into the couch. “Thank god.”

“Bad night?”

I snorted and answered honestly without meaning to. “Bad life.”

She shot me a concerned look that I waved away. I forced my normal smile to my lips and stood up to stretch since the meeting was over and I had a different, worse meeting to get to.

“I just didn’t sleep much. After the meeting with my bosses, maybe I’ll take a nap.”

“After eating at least three chocolate muffins and drinking a buttload of caffeine?”

“Three? If I don’t take out half a dozen, I might be sick. Matter of fact, I think I’ll get there early so I can go ahead and start eating.” I frowned. “Maybe if I have a base level of chocolate in my system before they show up, I’ll be okay.”

Joanie walked out with me but when we were on the sidewalk in front of Good, Clean, Fun, she looked next door at her diner and sighed. “I’m off today. Good luck in there.”

I waved her off and then headed inside the diner to lean against the counter. I waved at Charlie, Chase Daniel’s younger brother, and pointed to the muffins in the case.

He grinned at me and grabbed three out before stopping in front of me. “Is this enough to start with?”

I eyed the case and shifted from foot to foot. “Actually, give me one more. Please.”

He laughed and pushed over the plate with three muffins. “I’ll bring you more as soon as you finish. Promise.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I need them today, Charlie. Don’t let me down.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a little scary when it comes to muffins?”

I smirked. “Yeah, your boss.”

I grabbed my plate and turned to pick a booth, but to my utter disappointment, the guys were already sitting at one toward the back of the diner. I thought about sitting somewhere else but Gray looked up and his eyes snapped right to me. I sighed and walked over, knowing if I didn’t, they’d just come to wherever I sat.

Of course, because Gray was Gray, he stood up when I got closer and gave me the inside seat of the booth so I wouldn’t be able to flee without making a scene. I huddled against the wall to get away from him and took a big bite out of my first muffin. As soon as the chocolate touched my tongue, I melted. My shoulders sank below my ears and I thought I might’ve heard angels singing. By the time I finished the first muffin, I felt at peace with the world. I could handle anything.

Charlie showed up next to our booth with another muffin to replace the one I’d eaten and a giant mug of frozen hot chocolate. He winked at me before strolling away and when I took a sip of the drink, I called out to him,

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