Page 15 of Knot Your Problem, Cowboy
“All okay?” I ask.
She drops into the chair, looking deflated. “Well, that was fun. Apparently, I need to send them the mechanic’s details and pay a hefty deductible that Idefinitely don’t have right now. Not until…” She waves vaguely. “You know, three months, when I can actually access any of this inheritance money from selling the ranch.”
“How much?” Walker asks.
“Two thousand.” She waves her hand like it’s nothing, but I see the tension in her shoulders. “Plus whatever the mechanic charges for the repairs.”
“That’s fucked,” Ridge says bluntly.
“Yeah, well.” She shrugs. “Story of my life lately.”
There’s something raw in her voice that makes me want to dig deeper. What else has gone wrong for her?
“We could lend you the money,” Walker offers.
“No.” The word comes out sharp, almost angry. She takes a breath. “Sorry. I mean, thank you, but no. I don’t take charity.”
“It’s not charity,” I say carefully. “It’s?—”
“It’s three strangers offering to pay my bills on day one.” Her green eyes flash. “I know what that looks like. What it leads to. Thanks, but I’ll figure it out myself.”
The temperature in the room drops about ten degrees. She thinks we want something from her. Payment in another form. Lone Omega, three Alphas, middle of nowhere. She’d be stupid not to be suspicious.
“Fair enough,” Ridge says, breaking the tension. “Your ranch, your rules.”
“Right.Myranch, sort of.” She says it like she’strying to convince herself. “For three months, anyway.”
She suddenly straightens in her seat. “I want to help out around the ranch. Earn my keep, learn the operation. I may be selling, but I’m not going to be a freeloader.”
“You own the place,” Ridge reminds her. “You don’t need to earn anything.”
“Maybe not.” That stubborn chin lifts. “But I’m going to anyway.”
“That’s fair and I admire that,” I add.
“Well, the only thing is,” she adds, staring down at her hands, “I’m not sure I feel comfortable living in the house with you all. You’re still strangers. And it’s just… I’m an Omega and… But I’m not kicking you out. I see there are other places on the property. Maybe I can stay in one of those instead?”
She gestures vaguely at us, cheeks turning pink.
Fuck me, but that blush makes me want to find out how far down it goes. I notice Walker’s hands clench on his thighs, see Ridge’s jaw tick. The biological imperative is already working on all of us, that primal need to claim, to protect, to possess.
I’ve met plenty of women, both Betas and Omegas, over the years. None of them made me want to throw them over my shoulder and lock them in my bedroom until they smelled like me inside and out.
That’s exactly why unmated Omegas shouldn’t live with Alphas. Hunger can drive you mad, make you dothings you’d never consider with a clear head. It’s why they usually travel with protection, why they stay indoors, and why many end up in cities with the Omega institutes, dating match organizations, and heat clinics.
Walker is staring at her with an intensity that borders on predatory. Even Ridge is barely blinking.
“The guesthouse,” I blurt out before anyone says something stupid. “You can have the whole thing to yourself. It’s private, no Alpha scents. Far enough from the bunkhouses and anyone else, but close enough if you need anything.”
Relief washes over her face as her shoulders drop. “That would be perfect. And I promise to stay out of your way unless I’m helping on the ranch. I work from home anyway. Social media management. As long as there’s Wi-Fi, I can work from anywhere.”
“You’re covered, then,” Ridge adds.
“Amazing.” She almost smiles.
“Come on, then.” I push to my feet, needing to move before the tension in this room suffocates us all. “I’ll show you the guesthouse. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
I grab her bag from where Walker left it. She says goodbye to the guys and follows me out, and the late afternoon air is a relief after the charged atmosphere inside. I catch myself slowing down just to keep her in my peripheral vision.
