Free Their Border Lands Refuge [Men of the Border Lands 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Marla Monroe Page B

harm’s way. Owen trusts me to take care of you, and I’m going to do that.” He finished by holding her hand in his.
    When he suddenly lifted it to his lips for a soft kiss, Skyler felt her heart slide just a little closer to falling for him. It startled her so that she jerked her hand from his hold but covered it with a wan smile. Hopefully he would accept that and drop the subject. Unfortunately, Simon had no intention of letting her get off that easily.
    They finished their meal in silence. She managed to gulp down a little over half of the bowl before laying down her spoon and declaring she was full. Simon nodded and finished the last bite of his sandwich before standing up and gathering the bowls and utensils. She hopped up and tried to take them from him, but he glowered at her. She let him take the stupid dishes to the sink and concentrated on cleaning off the table instead.
    “I’ve got to go back out and cut more wood and check on the herd again. We’ll end up with more snow before long. You need to try and get a nap in. You’re worn out, Sky.”
    “I’m fine. I need to finish…”
    “Stop it. There’s nothing you need to do right now. Take a nap. You’re dead on your feet from taking care of Owen and trying to finish up the canning.” Simon dried off his hands and walked over to where his coat, hat, and gloves where and pulled them on. “I’ll be back in as soon as I can.”
    Skyler just nodded as she watched him get dressed then walk out the door. She couldn’t say anything. He was right, she was tired, but between taking care of the house, keeping the fire going, and seeing about Owen, there wasn’t time for a nap. She quickly dried the dishes he had washed and walked into the den to check the fire. He had obviously added a log or two already.
    She walked up the stairs to check on Owen. He had moved some while they had been downstairs, but not much. She checked to be sure he wasn’t sweating under all the covers then turned him on his other side and propped a pillow behind him.
    Her thoughts turned to Simon and how she felt about him. Her initial reaction was that she didn’t love him, but deep down, Skyler knew it wasn’t true. She did love him. He’d taken them into his home and never once pushed her for anything beyond friendship until she had been ready. His eyes betrayed his feelings for her, and she could tell that he cared much deeper than she would have expected. Perhaps it was even love.
    She sat in the chair by the bed and folded her arms on the bed next to Owen’s back. She was so tired and worried. Before she knew it, she had laid her head down on her crossed arms. Maybe she could rest for just a few minutes. She still had dinner to prepare.
    Jumbled thoughts played around in her head as she relaxed her body. Falling in love with Simon hadn’t been in her plans, but she couldn’t change that it had happened. Now all she had to do was keep that knowledge from both men. She didn’t want to hurt Owen, and she didn’t want Simon to have that sort of power over her. Owen could be bad enough when she wanted her way. Having two men with that sort of knowledge would be impossible to deal with.

Chapter Eight
     
    Simon quietly climbed the stairs. When he didn’t find Skyler in the kitchen cooking dinner or asleep on the couch in the den, he figured she had fallen asleep upstairs with Owen. At least he prayed that was where she was. He moved softly so he wouldn’t wake her if she was indeed asleep. She needed all the rest she could manage.
    When he walked into the bedroom it was to find her sitting in the chair by the bed slumped over with her head on the edge of the bed. The exciting part of that was that Owen’s hand was lying over her neck. It meant his friend was waking up for sure. That knowledge filled him with relief. He had almost lost hope that his partner would ever wake up and was struggling to prepare to handle Skyler when he eventually slipped away.
    He was loath to