“It’s a way for them to cut corners,” Jack explained. “It’s cheap. The public wants cheap beef, so they use the parts they can’t sell to feed their herd. It’s easier to keep the cattle in pens than to let them roam and feed naturally. It’s why we’ll have to stay small and local.”
“So you don’t pen up your cattle?” Abby pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Sam popped a French fry in his mouth. “We’re old-school cowboys, darlin’. We let the herd wander our spread. When we bring them in, we do it on horseback.”
Jack shook his head slightly. Sam did like being a cowboy. “One day I’d like to try to add a dairy farm. I think we could sell to the local stores and even feed into Dallas–Fort Worth.”
Abby smiled shyly. “That’s sounds like a good plan, Jack. I like the fact that you take care of your cattle.”
“Jack and I personally give each heifer a kiss good night,” Sam interjected, causing Abby to laugh. “You should come out to the ranch sometime, Abigail. You would find it very interesting. I’ll take you riding. We’ve got some very gentle mares.”
“It has been a long time since I was in the saddle.”
Jack groaned at the thought of riding Abby. He quickly recovered. “You’ll like our horses. They’re gentle but strong. We take care of them, too. We take damn fine care of everything that belongs to us.”
Sam looked up at Abby. “How about you come out to the ranch tonight? We could show you around and take you riding, and then we can have dinner, maybe watch a movie.”
Abby laughed. “Well, Sam, you make that almost sound like a date.”
“Then I wasn’t trying hard enough, darlin’,” Sam said with a serious expression on his face.
Abby’s mouth came open slightly. Her face flushed as she looked between Jack and Sam. Her confusion was plain to Jack.
“You’re asking me on a date?”
Sam looked a little perturbed. “I apparently wasn’t doing a good job. Yes, Abigail Moore, we would like to ask you on a date. Will you go out with us?” Sam looked at Jack. He seemed just as confused as Abby. “What does she think we’ve been doing for the last week, Jack?”
“I don’t know.” Abby was confused about a few things. Maybe he’d been too subtle. “Abigail, what do you call it when a man takes a woman out, picks her up, pays for everything, and then politely takes her home?”
She gnawed on her bottom lip. Her gaze shifted between the two men. “I thought we were just being friends. I thought maybe I was your hag.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Is this some new thing in the gay community?”
“What?” Jack’s shout rang out, and suddenly everybody in the café was watching their table. In all the scenarios that ran through his brain, Abby thinking she was auditioning to be their hag hadn’t come up.
Sam seemed unperturbed. His blue eyes were lit with laughter. “Jack, I believe she thinks we’re gay.”
Jack stood up suddenly. It was obvious Abby was under a misconception that he intended to remedy. “Darlin’, I have never been accused of not enjoying a woman. I haven’t been spending time with you hoping you’ll give me the name of your hairdresser. I’ve been spending time with you to try to get you into bed.”
Sam could barely talk for his laughter. “Well, if we’re gay, Jack, at least I’m the pretty one.”
Abby’s hands were twisting around her notepad. “It’s a perfectly reasonable assumption. You two are unmarried, successful men who spend almost every moment together with no visible female in either of your lives. I’m sorry if I offended you. If it helps, I thought you made a very attractive couple.”
“Damn it, that does not help, Abby,” Jack said.
“Abby, we’re not gay.” Sam slid out of the bench to face her.
“I’m getting that now.” Abby’s eyes were wide.
“But we do like to share.” Sam patted Abby on the back almost sympathetically.
Abby’s mouth formed a perfect O before she turned and fled. She was running by the time she entered the ladies room.
Sam stared after her. “Guess that whole dating thing is over.”
Jack felt his eyes narrow. Everyone was watching, but he had no intention of backing down. He’d tried to take things slow. He’d tried to be a gentleman. That was over. If Abby thought he was backing down, she better think again. “Time for a new plan, Sam.” He strode toward the women’s bathroom.
“Hallelujah!” Sam’s shout rang throughout the small room like a battle cry.
Chapter Three
Abby stared at herself in the mirror. What the hell had just happened? She’d been dating two men and hadn’t even known it? And Jack Barnes was wrong about dating. A date ended in kissing. She hadn’t even been kissed.
The door to the women’s room slammed open. Abby practically jumped, ready to beg whoever was walking through to give her a little privacy. Jack Barnes filled the doorway with his presence.
“You can’t come in here, Jack.” Abby smoothed down her uniform and swept back her hair, trying to retain as much dignity as she could.
“Why not, darlin’? According to you, we should be in here giggling and exchanging hair tips.” Jack walked right up to her. The man really wasn’t big on personal space.
Sam walked in and closed the door. He leaned with his back against it. One boot rested negligently against the door.
“Sam, tell him he can’t come into the little girl’s room.”
“You’re the one who chose the venue for this particular conversation, Abigail.” There was nothing vaguely resembling a joke in Jack’s voice now. Abby looked to Sam for help.
Sam shook his head. He was grinning like an idiot. “Hell no, honey. You’re gonna have to learn that when Jack gets that hard edge to his voice he means business. Besides, I’m happy with the way things went. Thank you, baby. You made this so much easier. Jack was talking about dating you and treating you like a lady. That was gonna take forever. It’s much simpler this way.”
“What’s simpler?” Abby was unable to keep the trepidation out of her voice.
“Taking you home, taking you to bed, and showing you where you belong,” Sam replied with a wink.
“Where do I belong?” Abby couldn’t take her eyes off Jack. There was a simple smile on his face that held a wealth of arrogance. He’d been serious. He really had been playing the gentleman. Abby got the feeling she was about to get a full dose of Jack Barnes and damned if she wasn’t looking forward to it.
“Always between me and Sam,” Jack swore. He reached out and put his hands on her shoulders. His face was intense. “Tell me you don’t want us, Abby, and I’ll walk away right now. I won’t bother you again.”
“Don’t give her ultimatums.” Sam sounded a little desperate. “I thought we’d give her a little taste before we forced her to make a decision. Baby, why don’t you let us play around a little? I promise you’ll want us.”
Abby looked up into Jack’s forest-green eyes. They were very serious as he stared at her. His hand came up to cup her face. He forced her to look at him, and Abby felt his will. She knew it should scare the crap out of her, but she just found it amazingly sexy. This was a man who would always keep his promises, no matter what it cost him.
“She already wants us.” Jack brushed his thumb across her mouth. It was all Abby could do to not open her mouth and suck his thumb in. “She just needs to admit it. Can you tell me you haven’t spent the last month thinking about this?”
“No,” Abby said. Jack’s eyes flared, and she felt compelled to continue. “I have thought about it, but I’m scared.” The time for honesty was here. The way Abby saw it, she could run, and they would probably accept her decision. She could just give in and enjoy the sex and walk away. Or she could ask for what she wanted. She could be brave and tell them what she needed and what she was scared of. If she did that and it all fell apart, then she would have to forgive herself. Abby had learned that one of the great joys of maturing was learning how to forgive herself.