Page 35 of Mad About Her Cowboys

“Okay, I’ll be back in a little bit.”

But it was Leena who came back with the waters. “So how’re you settling in, hon?” she asked. “Everyone being good to you?”

“More than I can believe.”

“I’m sure those guys of yours helped it along. Not that the men here aren’t always gentlemen…” She rolled her eyes, indicating that it wasn’t always the case. “But no one wants to mess with another tribe’s woman.”

“You’re all so…nonchalant about it. It seems weird to me.” Weird but growing on her. She couldn’t separate Connor and Franklin in her mind. The idea of being with just one of them didn’t mesh. And there she went again, excluding Neal and Eds. Maybe, she wasn’t cut out for this life.

“Not weird,” Leena replied with a soft smile. “It’s a gift. It’s just not for everyone. It was strange to me when I first got together with my husbands, too, but I’ve never regretted a minute of it. It’s different, but that doesn’t mean it’s not right.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean that I think it’s wrong.”

The other woman shrugged with a bright smile. “It’s not for everyone; I get that. But I get the feeling it is for you.”

Heat flooded Madison’s face. She was getting that feeling, too. Every day, having the attention and affection from the four of them, the idea of this Daly Way grew on her. “I think you may be right.”

“They’re good guys. Never had a whit of a problem with them. They don’t get in here much. Though lately, I’ve been seeing them quite a bit for a daily decaf almond milk, vanilla latte extra whip.”

She laughed. “You could probably lay off a little on the whip. Doc’s gonna nag me if I start gaining weight too fast.”

Leena’s gaze dropped to where Mads’ hand rested on her belly, and she smiled softly. “I will do that. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“Hey, how’s my baby mama?” Franklin said, announcing the Quists’ arrival a moment before he slid into the booth beside her.

“Franklin,” she moaned. Connor sat next to him, while Eds and Neal flanked her other side.

“I’ll be right back with bread,” Leena told them.

“You should have waited for us. We would have brought you over,” Connor chided her.

“Well, hello to you, too.”

“Babe, you know we worry about you,” he continued, ever the leader of the group. Apparently chief worrier, as well.

“It’s right across the street. And it’s not even icy anymore. I can walk down the street and cross over here without protection.”

Franklin kissed her temple. “We just want you to be safe.”

“I am.” And she was warm and fuzzy due to their solicitous nature, too.

“We don’t know for sure that all the assholes in town know you’re ours,” Connor grumbled.

“I don’t belong to anyone,” she scoffed.

Neal snorted and Eds made a show of picking up a menu. “So what’s for dinner?”

“Chicken fried,” everyone replied. Everyone but Connor, whose gaze bore into her.

“You sure as hell do,” he said. “You’re ours. I thought we had that cleared up.”

His intensity warmed her center, and she squirmed. What was she fighting this for. She knew the truth. She kind of like being chased, though. She’d gone into their arms too easily. She needed to know this was real interest. It was manipulative and definitely temporary. She wasn’t in for the long game when it came to the chase. Still, maybe she had some of her grandma’s sight because she could tell the guys genuinely enjoyed this chase. And despite anything she said, they knew that she knew she was theirs.

“Whatever you say,” she conceded, acting grudging.

“I would say so,” Connor growled. His hand tightened on her thigh while Franklin played with her fingers.

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