Page 29 of Cowboy Triplets Next Door

I shot a look at him. “Fuck off.”

Owen was in as bad a mood as I was. “Unless you want your face rearranged.”

Carter, a ranch hand who was a local, rested his elbows on the table and smiled around his glass of juice. “They wouldn’t be the first men scared off by Billie Myers. The year she came to school, just about every guy in class was in love. She could rope a cow better than any of us and look damn good doing it. Everywhere she went, there was her daddy, though. None of us were brave enough to talk to her and then she was gone again. Mr. Myers took her back out of school to work the ranch. When we were old enough, a lot of us tried to get jobs out here so we could get closer to her. Her old man could always see through us, though.”

Jamison grunted. “I bet there’s a whole lot of sweet under that scowl. Would anyone know? Anyone? Maybe you, Keaton? Gray? Owen? No?”

“I heard a whisper in town.” Carter smirked, not understanding the dangerous territory he was stepping into. “Jimmy Brooks spent a night out here with her and he still talks about her mouth. I’m talking Dyson vacuum suction.”

“Stop talking.” Owen’s voice was a growl and I watched Carter swallow nervously.

Leaning over my plate, I got closer to him. “Unless you want to find yourself buried under the barn, I suggest you never mention anything like that again. Billie’s off limits.”

Owen stood up and grown men flinched. “Where does Jimmy Brooks work?”

“Jesus, you three are so uptight these days.” Jamison stood up and grabbed each of us, pushing us out onto the front porch. Once we were away from the men, he ran his hand through his hair and frowned. “You’re all three acting more like our big brothers than yourselves. Whatever you need to do to stop being assholes, do it.”

I scoffed. We weren’t acting like Mills, Tate, or West. Our oldest brothers were controlling assholes. There was a reason we left the family farm and they were it. To hear Jamison say we were acting like them was ridiculous. “We’re not being assholes. It’s fucked up that y’all are talking about her like that.”

“It didn’t bother you a couple of months ago.” Jamison raised his eyebrows. “Or maybe it did, but all you would do is tell us to move on. Now you’re being abusive towards the ranch hands. I don’t know what’s going on between the three of you and Billie, but you need to get your heads out of your asses.”

Keaton waited until Jamison was inside to turn to me and Owen. “He’s right.”

Owen groaned. “Stop.”

“We’re all wound up so tight that we’re about to snap. Something’s got to give.” With a deep sigh, Keaton walked over to the edge of the porch and looked back towards Billie’s house. “Have either of you talked to her since the diner?”

A wash of shame coated my skin and left me feeling gross. Leaning against the railing next to Keaton, I stared at her house and silently willed her to come outside. I wanted to see her to make sure she was okay. I wanted to apologize for being an asshole. At the same time, I wanted her to scowl at me and push me away so I could have another excuse to get my mouth on hers. Kissing her had been my downfall. I rarely ever kissed anyone. It just never excited me all that much, until Billie.

“No.” I looked down at the porch. “I imagine she’s avoiding us.”

“What’s the answer here?” Owen leaned over the railing and we all froze when we saw Billie’s front door open.

We watched as she ushered Turtle out and had what looked like a full conversation with him while he found a spot to do his business. She was dressed in jeans and a tank top and her hair was a mess around her face, like she’d been running her fingers through it. Her smile was vibrant as she focused on the puppy and it was like the world was only that big for her in that moment. Then, she glanced up and spotted us watching her. Her smile fell and she turned her back on us, waiting quietly for Turtle to finish so she could get back inside and close her door.

“I still think we’re too old for her. We didn’t even have sex and there’s already this much bullshit. If we gave into what we want, imagine how messy it would get.” I hated myself for saying it. I wanted Billie more than I’d ever wanted anyone. “We just have to keep it in our pants and stay away from her. It’ll get less and less shitty with time.”

Owen blew out a deep breath and shrugged. “Whatever you say. I’ve got work to do.”

I watched him leave and looked over at Keaton. “Am I wrong?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. My answer a month ago is very different from my answer now.”

I knew what he meant. It’d been easy to write Billie off as too young for us before we got to know her better. It wasn’t so simple anymore.

Billie’s door opened again and I watched her kick up dust as she stormed towards the barn. I checked to see if Keaton had noticed and when I saw he hadn’t, I cleared my throat and pushed away from the railing. “I’m going to go get some work done.”

He studied me and shook his head. “We’re triplets, asshole. I know you as well as I know myself. Leave her alone.”

I held up my hands. “I’m going to apologize. That’s all.”

“It’d better be all. If you and Owen both ignore the rules, you can bet your ass I’m going to.” He stomped back into the house, leaving me to guiltily stalk across the property towards the old barn.

CHAPTER 25

Billie

“Look at you two. You’re like little lovebirds.” I shook my head at Brutus and Betsy. “If I wasn’t so absolutely fine with being alone, I might be jealous.”

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