Page 8 of Mad About Her Cowboys

“Just think about it,” he continued. “We’re nice guys.”

“Said every serial killer ever,” she quipped, very sure that nice guys wasn’t accurate at all. These four oozed sexual energy, more than any so-called nice guy that she’d ever met. And that frightened her just a bit—they didn’t scare her, but her reaction sure did.

Edison burst out laughing, and his mirth drew a smile from her. “Oh, I like her,” he chortled. “Let’s keep her.”

“Um…”

Neal jostled him. “Not how it works, dork.”

“Please,” Edison begged, leaning forward on the counter, resting on his forearms. His hands clasped together, and his frame tipped way too close to her. She smelled the scent of his soap—something like Irish Springs, she thought. Woodsy. Male. Alluring.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Fair enough,” Connor said, grasping Edison’s shirt near the shoulder and tugging him back. “Let us know before we leave. You have a favorite food?”

Chocolate but it gave her heartburn right now. “I’m pretty easy. With food,” she quickly added. “I like burgers.”

He nodded, his eyes still full of that heat, though everything that passed between them was rather innocuous. He looked like he wanted to say something, but she was afraid to push, unsure if she wanted to know.

She should just nip this in the bud now. She wasn’t getting involved with them or any other of the cowboys in Daly. A romantic or sexual relationship of any kind just didn’t fit with her plans.

Plans. Right. That made it sound as if she had some grand path she wanted to follow. Right now, her plan was: settle in, have baby, raise baby, survive, forget past. Simple.

But maybe she could…be friends with the Quists. They seemed nice enough. Maybe a friendship with them would throw other cowboys off the scent. No, that wouldn’t be fair to anyone. Gah. Why did life have to be so confusing?

“You got an awful lot goin’ on in that head,” Franklin observed quietly. “It’s just dinner. No pressure. No commitments.”

“I’ll—”

“Doc’s ready now,” River interrupted Madison. “We’ve got the big room, so all four of you can come along.”

“I can go—”

River interrupted Franklin this time. “All four of you,” she said in a no-nonsense tone.

Connor looked as if he might refuse. The other three followed River, but Connor stayed behind considering Madison. She didn’t shy away as he brazenly reached out and gently cupped the side of her face, drawing his thumb along her cheek. “Think about it, okay?” With that, he disappeared through the doorway to the exam rooms, following after River.

Think about it… Think about it? Like she could do anything but? She was still quivering from that brief caress. When she thought of being with them, she got a warm feeling all over. The idea of having four protective cowboys to cuddle with, to enjoy the upcoming holidays with… It would be nice. A pipedream but nice.

And…no. Just no. She couldn’t indulge.

A few moments later, Riv came back to the desk.

“Overwhelming, isn’t it?”

Um, yes!

“What part?” Madison laughed, embarrassed by the attention and her reaction. Overwhelming seemed like an understatement. And that was just the Quists and the full-court press a few minutes ago. Then there were all the other men who’d cycled through here today. She couldn’t help the feeling they’d all have their eye on her when she stepped out.

“Doesn’t it ever frighten you? All the men? Watching you? Wanting a part of you?”

River’s lips pressed together, and her brows drew in before she slowly shook her head. “No, not really. They’ve all been hands off. They know I’m Seth and Tai’s. Besides, Daly has their own version of frontier justice. Women are prized, and guys wouldn’t dare step out of line. The repercussions would be dire, and they all know it. The men around here don’t tolerate any sort of abuse. Seems unlikely that there wouldn’t be at least one bad egg in the bunch, but believe me when I say, there’s a lot of land around here. No one’s ever made bones about the fact, they could—and would—hide a body where no one will ever find it. They’re just that serious about protecting the females, local or visiting.”

“Um…wow?” Madison’s surprise came out as a question. “That’s intense.”

River shrugged. “But true. I mean they’ll all try to court you and win you over until you’ve chosen someone—or someone makes it clear you’re off-limits—but you’re safe.”

“Good to know.” She hadn’t felt truly safe for a while. Her parents wanted her to comply with whatever they wanted so they’d look good to their high-class circle. They weren’t above some manipulation. It had been difficult, but Madison had written them off when they’d tried to coerce her into an abortion.

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