Page 43 of Cowboy Triplets Next Door

I drove into town, searching for signs of Billie. I didn’t know what to do when I didn’t see her truck anywhere so I turned into the parking lot of the diner and went in to see if anyone there had seen her. I sat at the counter and looked around for Charlie. Instead, his older brother came over to take my order and I instantly recognized the dark circles under his eyes. Those and the haunted way he looked up at the door with a hopeful expression every time the bell rang.

“What can I get you?”

I anxiously tapped my fingers on the countertop and leaned closer. “Have you seen Billie around in the last few days?”

He frowned. “No. Is everything okay?”

I rubbed the back of my neck and shrugged. “I don’t know. We had a sort of fight…”

Chase grunted. “You, too, huh? Have you seen Joanie around lately?”

I tipped my head. “She was staying with Billie until we pissed Billie off. Now I don’t know where they are.”

He sighed and leaned heavily against the counter. “It should make me feel better to know they’re together, but it just makes me nervous for some reason.”

I thought about Joanie blocking me from going in to see Billie at the carriage house and frowned. “I understand that feeling.”

“Why can’t any of you men seem to figure this stuff out on your own?” A woman appeared next to me with bright pink hair and an entourage of two other old ladies behind her. I recognized them from around Lilyfield but that was as far as my knowledge went.

“Sorry?”

The woman behind the pink-haired lady was dressed in all black from head to toe and had what looked like a tactical belt around her waist. “If only men knew how to say that sooner.”

“Never leave a man to do a woman’s job.” Pink hair rolled her eyes and slapped a twenty on the counter. “Keep the change.”

I turned to watch the three women leave and then looked back at Chase. “What the fuck was that?”

He shuddered. “Do you kind of feel like you just faced off with death?”

“I feel like she just cast a spell or something.” I looked back over my shoulder to make sure they weren’t sneaking up on me again.

“She tipped me thirty-seven cents.” Chase sighed. “I miss Joanie.”

I pushed away from the counter and nodded at the pie case. “Can I have a couple of chocolate muffins? Maybe if I leave one out, Billie will appear.”

That earned a laugh from him. “If you’re ever on her good side again, I’ll be sure to tell her that.”

I took the muffins and shook my head. “Good luck.”

“Same to you.”

CHAPTER 34

Billie

I’d never been so exhausted. Sneaking into the carriage house after the main house lights were all off and then sneaking out before anyone woke up was brutal. Sneaking around the ranch and ducking behind things so I didn’t have to face the guys was also brutal. I was so tired that all I wanted to do was sleep. The only positive thing was I was so tired, I couldn’t think and overthink leaving, again and again.

The morning of the battle, I snuck out and went to Eve’s house to get an extra hour or two of sleep before dragging myself to the park in Lilyfield. It was decorated with signs for the battle and I found myself wanting to knock them down. I was in a mood and I probably shouldn’t have been around other people, but there I was, doing my duty as a woman in Harmony Valley to beat the men.

I spotted Violet, her three men, and their baby right away. I waved but I couldn’t go over. Just the sight of the baby from a decent distance was making me want to cry and throw a tantrum. I was in the stage of feeling sorry for myself. I kept asking myself questions about why I didn’t have certain things, like caring men, children, a happy home. It was gross in my head.

Sitting in the stands with most of the other women in town, I looked over and saw Joanie standing off to the side, alone. Following her gaze, I saw she was glancing over at Chase, Bear, and Smith. She looked so sad that I wanted to pick her up and hug her.

Glancing back at her guys, I just happened to look past them and my entire body went hot when I spotted Keaton. He was watching me with a look on his face I didn’t recognize. Quickly looking away, I bounced my knee and chewed on my lip. I just wanted to get the battle over with and go home.

Eve sat next to me and nudged my arm. “They called your name.”

I jerked my gaze to where Margaret was standing on a platform next to Mayor Stevens and saw her look at Stevens. Then, to my horror, I saw him look into the opposite stands and call out the three names I would’ve paid not to hear him call out.

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