Page 105 of The Finding Series: Vol. 2

Whateverthiswas.

Brody’s hand came up to capture the one I was stroking over his chest. He pulled it up to his mouth and kissed each fingertip before placing it on his muscled abdomen. “What are we doing, Quinn?” he asked softly.

I shook my head because I didn’t have an answer. I’d been trying to keep my distance from both men for the better part of a week now, but here I was in bed with one while wishing I’d woken up just a little bit sooner so I’d been able to catch the other one before he’d gotten up.

“I have no fucking clue,” I admitted just before I leaned down to kiss Brody.

Unlike my kiss with Beck, this one went from early morning greeting to full-on inferno in a matter of seconds. I was shaking with need by the time Brody released me. But I was glad he had, because as turned on as I was, it wasn’t the same without Beck between us. I couldn’t explain why, but the fact that Brody didn’t try to kiss me again or pull me closer had me thinking he felt the same way.

“If I can talk Beck into dinner tonight, will you join us?” Brody asked. “I’ll cook.”

I needed to say no. Clearly the three of us couldn’t be in a room together and not nearly set it on fire with whatever this thing between us was. But I found myself nodding just before I brushed my mouth gently over his. And then I did something I hadn’t thought I’d ever do again. I sought out the safety of Brody’s arms. He didn’t hesitate to envelop me in his warm grasp and I felt his lips press against the top of my head as I settled on his chest. How many times had I wrapped myself around Griff’s pillow in the days and months after his death dreaming it was his strong body cradling mine? That it was his raspy voice soothing me?

I didn’t expect to fall asleep like that, but the next time I came to awareness, I was alone and daylight was seeping into the room. A glance at the clock showed I’d slept through my alarm or I’d forgotten to set it all together because it was well past my normal time to get up. I went to my own room to shower and dress and then went out to the barn to find Beck. The barn was spotless and all the horses had been turned out. I found Beck helping Brody in the tack room. They were installing a piece of wood that I suspected would act as a support for the saddle racks. I held back as I listened to them laughing about something.

It took several minutes before Beck noticed me and while his smile didn’t exactly fade, there was a moment of uncertainty in his gaze as he greeted me.

“I’ve got a couple of interviews over at the lodge in a few minutes,” I said as I entered the tack room and looked around. It would likely be done within a week at the most. Which made me wonder if Brody would be moving on at that point.

“I was thinking we’d go for a ride after lunch. You good with that?” I asked Beck.

He nodded, but didn’t say anything. My eyes shifted to Brody. “How about you?”

“Me?” Brody asked.

“Can you spare an hour with all this and help me and Beck out? We need to take the horses out in larger groups. You up for it?”

“I’ve never ridden before,” Brody said.

“Even better,” I responded with a smirk. To Beck I said, “Tack up Ladybug for him.”

Beck smiled. “Will do.”

“Be ready to go by 1,” I said as I left the tack room.

“You got it, boss,” I heard Beck say and then I heard the two of them chuckling. That put a smile on my face that didn’t disappear even after I entered the lodge and made my way to the director’s office.

Gabriella Phelps was considerably younger than I would have thought someone in such an important position should be, but I’d known pretty quickly after meeting her that Roman had picked wisely when it came to the person who would run the day-to-day operations of the resort. In her late twenties at the most, Gabriella was a no-nonsense type, but she was also very easy going and kind-hearted. I’d been a little nervous about her stepping in to participate in the interviews after Roman had taken time off to be with his husband and their new daughter, but Gabriella had proven me wrong. She’d looked to me to assess each candidate’s skill when it came to working with the horses, but she’d also spied some potential problem candidates based on their past work history or things they’d said that I hadn’t picked up on. All in all, we made a good team, but I would be glad when the interviews were done.

What I wouldn’t be glad about was finishing up at the resort and transitioning the work to other people. I had no doubt the horses would be well cared for, but going back to our regular work at the CB Bar meant I wouldn’t be seeing Brody and my interactions with Beck would be limited to the day-to-day work stuff and nothing more.

Was that what I wanted?

Something more?

“Morning, Quinn,” Gabriella said as she greeted me just outside her office door with a cup of coffee in hand.

“Morning,” I said as I took in her crisp business suit and perfectly styled hair. I half-listened as she began talking about the first candidate we were interviewing, but my mind was already on this afternoon’s trail ride.

Because I had a little surprise in store for my men.

My men?

I shook my head at the slip of the mind and then forced all my attention on Gabriella.

Beck and Brody weren’t my anything.

No matter how badly I might have wanted them to be.

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