Hooking Up (Menage a Trouble #3)

Chapter Eight

Quint dropped into the booth of the diner and snatched the grease-coated menu from the holder at the end of the table. While he stared at the choices, his mind was far from his stomach.

“I can’t believe she won her race and hightailed it out of town without saying a damn word to us,” he said for the fifth time.

“I do. It’s Bella.” Carter, seated across from him, peeled the sticky pages of his own menu apart. Inside was a smear of maple syrup, and he gave up reading it and tossed it aside.

His partner’s words revolved through his head. It’s Bella. It’s Bella. Yeah, it was her personality through and through. Her independent and sassy ways were exactly what had drawn both of them to her. But it was getting difficult too.

“She isn’t as invested in us.” The words came out unbidden.

Carter looked up in surprise. “You know that ain’t true, man.”

“Do I? We can’t walk away so easily.”

“Who says it’s easy on her? But she’s trying to work it out in her mind. And you gotta admit that this game of hide and seek makes for some fun when we finally locate her.” Carter waved at the waitress, who sauntered over with a sway of her hips and a big Southern smile.

They ordered breakfasts and a pot of coffee, but a few minutes later when the platter of ham and eggs was placed before him, Quint couldn’t remember having ordered it.

He picked up his fork tines down and stabbed the ham with enough force to kill it a second time.

Carter’s rough fingers on his wrist stopped him. Their gazes met, and Quint’s chest walls flexed around his thudding heart.

“I know. You’re right. I can’t take it personally that she runs from us.”

“If we give her enough rope, she won’t feel tethered. The last thing we want to do is tie down a woman like Bella.” Carter was annoyingly calm about all of this. And right.

Quint sliced off a chunk of ham and stuffed it into his mouth. All of the hours spent with her were the best of his life, and he didn’t want to live through the hours when they weren’t together.

“I’ve fallen for her.”

Carter gave him a crooked grin. “Me too. Feels good, doesn’t it?”

He found himself smiling back, his heart more buoyant than it had been minutes before. “Yeah, it does.”

The door opened with a tinkle, and he glanced up automatically. The ham stuck in his throat and he choked as he saw the expression on their cowgirl’s beautiful face.

He got to his feet, coughing. Carter whipped around and jumped up too when he spotted Bella. Carter reached her first. “What happened?”

Her features were twisted in pain and her cheeks tracked with tears. Quint placed a hand on her waist and felt a slight tremor within her. “What’s going on?” he asked.

With a wild look around, she said, “Outside.”

They started out the door, but the waitress hollered, “Hey, you haven’t paid!”

Quint swung back and tossed a bill on the counter and then followed his lovers out of the diner. The sunny morning didn’t reflect the devastation on Bella’s face. He caught her by the shoulders and forced her to meet his gaze. “Tell us what’s wrong.”

“It’s Josey. When we came out of that last turn at the race, I felt her shift. I knew something was wrong and sure enough, she’s favoring that leg. The tendons were hot and swollen almost immediately.”

“Oh shit.” Carter wrapped an arm around her middle.

“What can we do? Where is she?”

“I took her out right away and tracked down the first vet I could find. He looked at her and said it’s beyond him. So he sent me to another guy. But they need to do surgery, and I don’t know.” Her voice broke and fresh tears splashed down her face. “I didn’t know what to do and I had to find you guys.”

“Take us to her,” he said.

She nodded and led them to her truck. When Quint got behind the wheel, she started to protest, but he said, “You’re in no condition to drive safely. You came after us for a reason. Let us help you.”

With supreme effort, she sucked back her tears and Carter put her into the passenger seat before he jumped into the back seat. She gave them directions to the next town over. As Quint drove, he realized what it really meant that she’d tracked them down at the diner. It showed just how deep she was entwined in their unorthodox relationship too.

Reaching across the console, he rested his hand over hers. She blinked back more tears, but the love shining in her eyes was enough for him even if she was never able to voice it without a hell of a lot of attitude and a smart comeback or two.

He squeezed her fingers. “You trust this vet?”

“I-I don’t know what to think. I have to admit I’m not good at this sort of thing and I’m sort of…emotional.” She gulped a sob. “If they fuck up her leg, she’s done racing. I don’t want to put her out to pasture and find another horse.”

“We get it,” Carter said. In the rearview mirror, he met Quint’s gaze. Understanding snapped between them. They were in this for the long haul—all of them. Quint wasn’t letting either of them go.

“We won’t let that happen. I have some experience with vets. Let me talk to him?” he asked her.

She nodded and gave a sniffle. Carter gave her his clean hanky, and she mopped her face. Half an hour later they were pulling into a clean-looking animal hospital. Quint parked her truck and trailer and each of them took one of Bella’s hands and together they went to see what could be done for her horse.

“Whatever happens, you have us, all right?” he whispered against her ear.

She nodded. “I know.”

* * * * *

With as much strength as she could muster, Bella tried to focus on what the veterinarian was saying to her. He’d seen such injuries in the past. He wasn’t the top man for the job, but he felt the tear was simple and his skills were adequate.

Her brain was too fogged with worry for her prized animal, and thank goodness Quint and Carter started plying the man with questions she couldn’t even begin to think of asking.

Leaning against Carter, she listened to their deep, soothing voices. Things would work out. They had to.

Something was decided between the guys, but she’d missed it. She watched Carter walk away with the vet while Quint led her to the seating area. She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes, but they wouldn’t stop streaming.

“I’m sorry. I’m acting like a drama queen. The world only needs one Wynonna Calhoun.”

Quint’s eyes were dark with concern. “You’re fine. It’s understandable that you’re upset. Our livestock are our best friends as well as our livelihood.”

“Yeah. I’ll be out of commission for a while without her. Or I’ll have to go home and get another horse that I’ve worked with in the past. I wouldn’t expect to win, though.”

“Maybe not. What’s the real story behind you and Wynonna’s rivalry?” He entwined their fingers.

She had a feeling he was trying to take her mind off the fact that her animal was about to go into surgery. Drawing a deep breath, she said, “Wynonna’s okay, I guess. We just got off on the wrong foot, and I suppose neither of us are willing to make peace.”

“What happened?”

The waiting area was cozy and nobody else was around, since it was a Sunday. She couldn’t even imagine what the bill for an off-hours surgery would be, but she’d worry about that later. If she had to, she’d turn to her family for help. They’d always supported her.

But after discovering that Josey Wheels was injured, Bella had stared at her phone and struggled with calling her father. In the end, she’d pocketed her phone, gotten in her truck and gone to find the two men who she’d become so close to recently.

Quint stroked her hair behind her ear and drew her head down on his shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me about Wynonna if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m just gathering my thoughts. It started my first year racing when her brother started hanging around me.”

She felt Quint’s shoulder tense and she shifted to find a comfier spot to rest her head. “We were just friends, or so I thought. I was with Frazer at the time, so I didn’t have my eyes open to things like flirting from other men.”

He turned his lips against her temple, and she issued a soft sigh, snuggling closer. “Wynonna didn’t like you hanging out with her brother?”

“No, and when he found out who I was dating, he got grumpy. He told me that my boyfriend had come onto Wynonna, but she was only seventeen at the time and he was going to have him arrested for corruption of a minor and all that.”

“Did Frazer touch her?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Probably. He was an ass. Either way, things got tense between all of us because I didn’t know better and I defended Frazer. Nothing ever came of the allegations, but we never discussed it further. I guess we agreed to disagree, and we’ve kept a wide berth of each other ever since. She is a diva, though. You have to wear sunglasses when she’s in the arena because she’s so shiny.”

He laughed out loud. “Shiny?”

“Yeah, all those sparkles and rhinestones.”

“She’s pretty young still.”

“Yeah, she’ll learn you don’t need all that crap to make a statement out there. All you need is skill, a prayer and a good horse.” At the mention of her horse, she welled up all over again.

Carter returned, tucking a slip of paper into his pocket. When he took up the chair next to her, she tipped her head from Quint’s shoulder to his.

“Everything’s going to be all right, sweetheart.” He kissed her other temple. “I feel confident in this doctor’s abilities.”

“And I Googled him.” Quint’s statement made her straighten.

“You did?”

“Yeah, we couldn’t let some chest-thumping vet with a god complex touch your horse.”

Melllllt. Every hard edge inside her melted when she was with these guys. As strange as it might be to give herself to two men, she couldn’t imagine being happier.

“Thank you.”

“Now it’s a waiting game. But in the meantime, I’d like to bring up the subject that you’ve been running from for too long.” Carter looked over her head at Quint.

Oh no. She couldn’t run anymore, though. She pushed back her shoulders and nodded. “I’m ready for it.”

Surprise crossed his rugged features.

Quint brushed his fingers beneath her chin, drawing her face his direction. “We need to know who hurt you and why you won’t commit to us.”

She shook her head. “That’s not the case really. I…I mean, Frazer was a dick, yeah. And I don’t really understand what he said to me when he left, even now.”

“What did he say?” Quint’s hard tone meant if he didn’t like it, he’d probably hunt down Frazer and kick his ass.

“He said, ‘You’re never gonna be better than me, Bella. Don’t think you can do better.” She looked between her men. The crinkles that appeared between each of their brows echoed her thoughts all these years. “Okay, so I’m not out of my mind. You don’t get it either.”

“Sounds as if he was jealous of your wins. You’ve always been a strong competitor and he’s hit and miss.” Carter’s jaw worked—a sure sign that he wasn’t as calm as he appeared on the surface.

Quint clenched his fist on his thigh. “And he might have been warning you that he was the best thing to ever happen to you. But we know that isn’t the case.” He wagged his brows.

She gave a soft laugh. “Not remotely.” She cupped each of their jaws and divided her attention between each set of dark eyes.

“Don’t get hung up on his words, sweetheart.”

“I’m not,” she said and realized it was true. Somehow sharing Frazer’s words made her understand how little power they held over her now. That man was nothing, and she had two very strong and viral lovers supporting her. And sometimes you just couldn’t understand someone who was nuts and had to let it go.

“We don’t want you running from us ever again,” Quint said. “What we have between us…it’s not going away, Bella.”

“I know,” she said softly, a deep stirring of passion inside her.

“We love you for your spirit,” Carter added.

Love? She latched onto the word and when she searched his gaze, noting the golden flecks around the rim of each iris, she saw the sentiment reflected there. Staring at him in awe, she searched her own heart.

He loved her. Quint had fallen too. No men could touch her the way they did and not. And she didn’t want to ignore the feelings that were beginning to grow in her own heart. She wasn’t ready to say the L word yet, but maybe in time.

Maybe if she stopped running.

“We’ll give you plenty of room to run,” Carter said.

“What am I—a wild horse?” Her tone sounded with attitude.

They grinned. “There’s our Bella.” Quint tugged on her ponytail.

“We like you a little wild, as long as you don’t bite us too hard.” Carter winked.

She embraced each man. “I’m so glad you’re with me.”

“We won’t leave your side.”

“I need to put in a call to my father and see about him paying for the vet bill. I don’t have a lot of cash—”

Carter and Quint shared a look that set her on high alert. “Wait. What’s that look mean?”

Rubbing his forefinger beneath his nose, Carter said, “Don’t worry about the bill.”

“What do you mean, don’t worry about it?”

“We had a little extra after our wins, and we don’t need much traveling money. Besides, if we get tight, we can skip the motel and pound on your trailer door.” Quint arched a brow, his smirk too much for her.

She threw herself into his arms. When he tugged her onto his lap and gave her a sound kiss, the first hints of arousal hit her system. But before she could act on it, he set her back in her seat.

Carter leaned down and gently depressed her earlobe with his teeth. “We take care of our own, sweetheart. Don’t ever for a minute believe we’re going to walk away from this. You mean too much to us.”

“We don’t want to change a thing about you,” Quint said.

“Except tie you to our bed with your legs spread wide.” Carter’s whisper sent her stomach tipping.

She skimmed her fingers over both stubbled jaws, her heart fuller than she ever believed possible. “Just don’t get too comfy, boys. I might be subdued for now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t take you for a hard run.”

* * * * *

Quint hooked his rope tightly around his hand. The end didn’t feel right, so he adjusted it a split second before the chute opened. The calf made a break for it. Carter shot out, lasso in the air.

When Quint made his own toss, he heard a whoop that brought a grin to his face. Bella cheering them on from the sidelines.

Carter landed his toss around the cow’s ears and they pulled the animal to a stop.

“Damn, that felt good,” he hollered to Carter, who gave him a crooked smile and a nod.

As they trotted out of the arena to wait for their scores, Quint grinned at the sexiest cowgirl climbing the gate. She balanced on the toes of her boots, waving with both hands.

Passing her, Quint hooked his arm around her neck and yanked her over the gate. She plopped into his lap, and the crowd cheered.

Her soft, sweet weight against his cock sent a thrill through him as much as the fact that Jeb Anderson had looked away from the spectacle.

“He doesn’t look too happy,” Quint said to her.

“He can’t lie about sleeping with me anymore,” she said against his ear. Her warm words teased him into a further state of arousal.

“Hey, share.” Carter grabbed her out of Quint’s arms and she squealed as he settled her on his lap. A louder cheer went up.

“Nice show, guys.” Buck Calhoun gave them a chin-nod of congratulations, and Quint figured he referred to more than their great score on the board. Every single man in the arena was probably wondering how they’d managed to get Bella Roberts in their arms.

Bella pushed away from Carter, shot off his horse, landed and on her feet and was immediately swarmed by reporters and fans. Quint and Carter gave a short interview, but they didn’t hold the attention of the people the way Bella did. Everybody wanted to hear about the health of her horse and how she was feeling about missing so many competitions.

She’d been amazing the past month while Josey Wheels recovered from her surgery. The specialist who’d assessed the horse assured Bella that the animal would make a full recovery. It was only a matter of rest and rehabilitation. In the meantime, Bella had been more than supportive of him and Carter. Their own personal cheering section.

Quint gripped Carter’s shoulder. “It’s time.”

Carter shot a glance toward Bella. Seeing she was still surrounded, he nodded. They led their horses out and passed them off to a trainer who would rub them down and treat them for their good rides.

“Here’s the little beauty. Looking great.” A cute little cowgirl with a spring in her step led another horse toward Quint. Bella’s mare stood with her head proudly tossed back, as strong as the woman who owned her.

“You’re a sight for sure.” Quint rubbed Josey Wheels’ long neck as Carter took the lead. The animal’s leg was bound but with a colorful wrapping and ribbons curled from her tail. Despite her injury, her gait was elegant and sure.

“Think Bella suspects our surprise?” Carter asked him.

“Not a chance.” Quint clicked his tongue, and the mare followed. As soon as they broke back into the public eye with the animal, the crowd went nuts. Bella looked up from signing an autograph. Her cheeks were pink and her hat tipped back enough for them to see the lights dancing in her eyes.

Shock stole over her features.

Then her face crumpled and she ran at them. Josey Wheels pawed the earth and whinnied as Bella reached her and threw her arms around the horse’s neck. Next to him, Carter sniffed loudly, and Quint couldn’t deny the moisture around the edges of his eyes.

She dragged a sobbing breath in and turned to both of them. “You guys…you couldn’t have given me any better gift. Thank you!” She hurled herself at them, and they caught her between them.

As Quint flexed his arms around both of his lovers, he’d never felt so happy with the state of his life. Even if he and Carter’s winning streak went south, they had other reasons for their joy. The risks they’d taken had panned out plus added a bonus or two.

Carter captured Bella in a sound kiss while Quint looped his hand around Carter’s nape and drew him in.