Free Rough in the Saddle by Jenika Snow Page A

little
boys that were at their feet. They were in front of the main house, the mother
and father on the steps, the little boys smiling wide as someone took their
picture. It was a cute photo, one that showed a happy family.
    The
picture itself was a little faded, clearly aged from sitting on the mantel, and
sun worn. It was taken in the eighties judging by the clothing everyone wore,
and Pearl smiled. She had a similar picture of her mother and father, but it
was when she’d been in the late nineties, her brightly colored overalls, one of
the straps hanging across her chest, and her hair in about a hundred micro
braids. God, she’d loved that time back then, loved that she’d had her family,
the love they gave her continuously, and she hated that everything changed.
    Setting
the picture back down, she finished dusting, Pledging, Windexing ,
and finally vacuuming. When she was satisfied this room was tackled she took a
step back and looked at her accomplishment. It was going on lunchtime, but the
guys had eaten a big breakfast, and she’d start cooking a little later. When
she’d negotiated her schedule and her duties with Travis it had been
surprisingly easy to get what she wanted. He’d just sat there, let her do all
the talking, and agreed with whatever she’d said.
    So,
Pearl would be working for them four days a week, coming in at sunrise, cooking
breakfast and a late lunch for them, and cleaning. Her wage was actually very
generous, or at least she thought so until she’d spent the entire morning
cleaning only two rooms. These men didn’t like to clean up after themselves,
that was for sure, and she certainly was earning her keep.
    After
she put the cleaning supplies under the sink in the kitchen she looked out the
window and saw Jace and Colton again. They were
shirtless now, but the distance made it too hard to make out their physique.
Although Pearl didn’t need to see up-close how toned and defined they were. She
could gauge that with their clothing on, and knew they looked just as
phenomenal as their older brother.
    She
went through the task of cooking lunch, having decided on sandwiches and
homemade macaroni salad. She’d set out a pitcher of sun tea, and it was nice
and ready when she brought it in. With a bag of chips on the table, the
toppings for the sandwiches, and the salad also waiting to be devoured by the
three men, she took a moment to just listen to … nothing. It was so peaceful
here, so tranquil even with the sound of the guys shouting in the distance. She
hadn’t seen Travis since he left after breakfast and disappeared in the back
property, and the ache she had refused to leave. What was it about him?
    “What
are you thinking about?”
    The
sound of Travis’s deep voice shocked her out of her thoughts. There he was,
standing before her in nothing but a pair of denims, his hair slightly damp
from sweat, his chest glistening from his time out in the sun, and all she
thought about was clearing off the table and letting him have his filthy way with
her right here and now.
    “I—”
Clearing her throat and smoothing her hands down her thighs, she tried to think
of something more innocent. “Nothing, just that I should go to the store since
you guys don’t have much in the food department that’s
healthy.” She’d used up all of the “good” food for breakfast and making lunch,
and if she was going to be cooking the rest of the week they needed more than
what was in the pantry and fridge.
    He
moved into the kitchen and set on the table the rag he’d been using to clean
off the sweat from his face and chest. Her heart started pounding a little
harder, a little faster. He moved over to the sink, right where she was
standing, and cleaned off his hands. The scent of him was clean sweat, fresh
male despite the fact he’d been working in the sun all day. His jeans were
worn, dirty, and the big gold belt buckle he wore screamed country boy, or at
least she was assuming that given the