“Rachel would have gotten along great with Mom, you know,” Rye said in one of those frequent moments when they were thinking the same thing. Max didn’t question it. It was just one of those twin things. It had been like that all their lives. Max felt a little sorry for all the people who didn’t have it.
“I’m just glad she seems to get along with Brooke.” Max stared at Rachel, wondering just how she’d gotten past Brooke’s defenses. Brooke had started talking to Rachel on the phone every couple of days. He knew his baby sister was a hellion. Brooke had scared off more than one female before. She’d been pleased with Rachel, though. She was already talking about making Rachel’s wedding dress. Rachel had protested that it was a little early for that. She had no idea that he and Rye were already looking for rings. After Monday, they would make it plain what they needed from her. Max just had to hope she could accept it.
Stefan was stepping up to the stage to announce the next set of auction items. A whole load of local art had already been auctioned off. Some of the local businesses had put items up as well. Stella had offered up a package that included a Pie of the Month membership. The Bliss Repertory Theater had offered season tickets. Henry and Nell had offered performance art lessons. All proceeds would go to the Talbot Foundation, a scholarship program for artists.
Max was getting impatient. He’d come because Rachel had ordered him to. He was anxious to get back to the ranch and work. He wanted to bundle Rachel up and take her back there, too. Last night had just about given him a heart attack. First there had been the moment he and Rye had walked into the diner and realized she wasn’t there. After Rye made him calm down, they had started up the route she would have taken to get home. They’d made it to her abandoned Jeep when Callie called over the Bronco’s radio telling them Mel had Rachel at his cabin. He owed that crazy and promised to listen to at least one long conspiracy theory a month in payment. He would nod and not interrupt. It was a sacrifice, but well worth it.
Rachel was calm by the time they had gotten to Mel’s, but Max knew she’d had a bad night. He’d cradled her while she slept, promising himself that, after Monday, she would still be in his arms.
“Damn, brother,” a cocky voice said, “that really is one gorgeous girl.”
Max looked up and noted that Rye’s attention was now focused on the two young cowboys standing not far from the blanket Rachel had smoothed out for them at the beginning of the picnic. Max grinned. He remembered what it was like to be twenty-something. He’d been an ignorant ass, too. And he and Rye had had one thing on their minds.
Max looked around, trying to figure out which young lady had caught the brothers’ eyes.
“You’re right about that,” the taller one said. He had his hands on his waist. There was an enormous buckle on his belt proclaiming him the rodeo champion of something or other.
Rye and Max exchanged a look. Max immediately knew these were brothers who shared their toys. He knew his brother was thinking the same thing he was. Those boys were on the prowl, and some lucky woman was in for the ride of her life.
Stefan tapped on the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen…”
But Max was still watching that younger version of himself. He’d have to point the cowboys out to Rachel. She would find them amusing.
“It’s those tits that get me,” the shorter one said. “I can’t wait to get my hands on them.”
His brother smiled as though he was thinking about something very pleasant. “I can’t wait to see all that hair spread out. I love that color. Do you think her pussy’s strawberry blonde, too?”
“What!” Max yelled, nearly spilling the beer he was holding. It was left on the ground and completely forgotten as he sprang up, realizing those idiots were talking about his woman.
Rye was right beside him.
“Hey, don’t spill your beer, old man,” the shorter one advised, tipping his Stetson. “You only get so many beers in your life. You gotta enjoy each one.”
“Come on, Shane,” the other one said. “I think the auction’s about to start. I don’t want to miss buying up that honey’s time.”
“Excuse me, sir,” the first one said, politely stepping around Rye. “We need to go buy a girl.”
They swaggered toward the stage, but Max heard the parting remark. “Nice one, Shane. You’re always polite to our elders.”
“Elders!” Max shouted. Heads turned, but the younger brothers didn’t look back. Max felt his fists clench. They were looking at his woman and talking about her tits. He had kicked ass for far less before.
Rye put a hand out to stop his brother. “Calm down.” Rye’s eyes were on Rachel as she took off her apron and folded it neatly. “She’s a beautiful woman. You can’t kick the ass of every man who finds her attractive.”
“Watch me,” Max growled.
His brother sighed. “Don’t embarrass Rachel. You’re supposed to be behaving.”
Teeny and Marie walked up. Teeny and Marie had been their mother’s closest friends. They had been like aunts to the brothers when they were growing up. After their mother had died, it had been Teeny who sat with them at the hospital and Marie who took charge of the arrangements. Their families were interwoven like all the families in Bliss. Brooke had worked at the Trading Post during her teen years, and Teeny’s son was Rye’s deputy.
“Listen to your brother, Maxwell,” Marie admonished. Max looked at the sixty-year-old woman. She was solidly built with a no nonsense air about her. “You calm down. You have bigger things to worry about than those two boys. The whole town knows about Rachel. We’re all watching out for her.”
Max and Rye had talked to Callie and Logan about getting the word out to the town to watch Rachel. It looked like it worked. Now he had to hope Rachel didn’t find out. “Well, while you’re all watching out for Rach, I can kill two asshole brothers.”
“Those young boys are all arrogance and charm,” Teeny said, shaking her head. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Rachel turned them down flat last night.”
“What?” It was Rye’s turn to yelp.
Marie stared at him for a moment. “I thought you would have heard. It was all over town. Those Kent boys came into the diner and asked Rachel out. They said something about two being better than one.”
“But Rachel told them she had a boyfriend.” Teeny pushed her glasses back up her nose. They were always falling off. She leaned forward conspiratorially. “Stella said they talked about her after she was gone, though. They seemed very interested. They weren’t at all concerned that she had a boyfriend.”
Max just bet they had talked about her. He should have answered the phone last night. He’d wanted quiet time with Rachel, but from now on, he’d always answer the phone just in case someone was calling to tell him about young men in desperate need of a good ass-kicking.
Rye was looking at the women like he wished they’d be quiet. “Like I told Max, he can’t kick the ass of every man who hits on her. Rachel took care of it.”
“We have one final item on the block for today’s auction,” Stefan was saying smoothly.
“See.” Rye pointed to the stage. “We’re almost done, and then we can take Rachel home. She’ll be far away from the lustful gaze of rodeo cowboys.”
She might never leave the ranch again. Damn upstart cowboys.
“One of our most beautiful citizens has agreed to auction herself off for an evening,” Stefan said with a little laugh. “This will consist of a fantasy date at the Talbot estate. It’s an evening of dinner, dancing, and whatever else can happen between consenting adults.”