Page 15 of Mad About Her Cowboys

“Yes. Right,” Edison said.

“And it’s not just Riv. I’m really close with her sisters, too. They’re like my family—no, they’re better than my family. They’d never treat me like a pariah for choosing nursing over something more prestigious like an important job in finance or a being lawyer or something. They’ll certainly be happy about the baby, though not the circumstance. They’d castrate the man, given the chance.” Around her, the men shifted uncomfortably. Good. Let them know they better not screw her over—screw her? Maybe. Screw her over? Her girls would avenge her.

She shrugged. “So…nutshell. That’s why I’m in Daly.”

“You’re pregnant?” Franklin asked, latching on to that part. Of course. Her condition changed everything. She wasn’t some girl they could hookup with and have this ménage thing with. She had baggage. That’s why she’d told them. So they’d know.

So why did she feel the horrible, empty loss of something she’d never even had? She’d allowed her attraction to build excitement she had no business feeling.

“Yes.” She met his gaze. “I’m pregnant.”

To her surprise, she didn’t see condemnation in his gaze. Concern clouded his eyes. But no disgust. No disapproval.

While she watched, a slow smile formed, and his concern faded into interest. Glancing around the table she saw the same mixture of concern and determination. Well, actually, Connor looked as if he might rip someone apart. It frightened her a little. Was he angry at her? His look soften when she shrank back.

“Not mad at you, darlin’,” he said. “For you. Not at you,” he repeated. “I’m pretty sure you’re leaving out some stuff.”

“That was already too much information for dinner with friends,” she said, downplaying the moment.

“No,” Franklin replied. “It’s not.”

“Okay…so…well, now, you see why I can’t get involved with you. I mean that whole claiming thing…” She shook her head as if to shake away the idea. “My situation is a lot more complicated than you thought, right? I mean—”

Crap, she was babbling. She pressed her lips together then suddenly pushed back her chair and took her plate to the sink. She heard another seat scrape across the floor. A hard, warm body pressed to her back, and she tensed remembering the last time she’d been in this position.

“Shh…” Connor crooned in her ear. “You’re safe. I promise you.” He gently embraced her with one arm, taking the plate from her with the other hand. He set down the dish before wrapping that arm around her, too. The whole time, she knew she could move away from him if she wanted. He wasn’t restraining her. “You’re exactly what we want. What you’ve said doesn’t change things. Not for us. You’re just right for us. Meant to be.”

“How could I be?”

“Don’t you know? If you accept us, you’ll be the most precious thing in our lives. That baby will be, too. Spoiled and loved and protected like the treasures you are.”

Her breath caught, part of her melting at his tender words. How could it be? They might not be ranchers in the traditional sense, but they were still rough cowboys. Yet, everything in the way they treated her showed their care. They were never “rough” with her.

Franklin came up beside her and Connor, sliding his arms around her, too. He tipped his forehead to her shoulder. His warm breath blew across her neck, drawing a pleasant shiver from her. Prickles of awareness grew, drowning out any lingering poison of fear.

“It would be a gift,” he said simply.

“It all scares me,” she admitted. “Being vulnerable in any way.” Why was she telling them this? She couldn’t stop it. “The last time I was with someone—”

Connor growled, and his arms tightened, frightening her.

“That bastard,” he swore, and no one told him to watch his language this time. He was pissed at Martin, not at what she’d said. She relaxed again, letting them give her their comfort and strength.

Connor kissed her temple, seeming to realize her fear. “I promise, no matter what, we will never force you to do anything you don’t want to. We will never take anything you don’t freely give.”

“Promise,” Franklin echoed.

“Us, too,” Neal and Edison said from the table, sounding just as fierce and resolute as the two holding her.

“That claim…” she started.

“That’s different,” Connor said. “We want you, and everyone should know. It’s protection, too. No one will touch you if they believe you belong to us.”

“O-okay.”

“You accept it?”

“I…I guess, but…I don’t want…” Geez, how did she say it? She wasn’t a coward, but her recent past weighed heavily on her. It tainted everything and restrained her into behaving more tentatively than she ever would have. Martin had stolen her confidence, her fearlessness. She hated him for it, and in that very moment, she vowed to take back what he’d taken.

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