Love and the Two Wranglers Read online

  The Wranglers of Bear Mountain 3

  Love and the Two Wranglers

  Beverly’s been devastated by one man. How can she trust two she doesn’t even know? Her ex had really cut her deep with his insults. Luke and Jeremy know she’s the one for them, but boy do they have their work cut out.

  One man’s cutting words has Beverly gun shy and wrangler wary. Will Luke and Jeremy be able to convince her that her ex’s callous words were lies and give them a chance? How can they possibly get through to her that she’s more important to them than anything?

  Beverly can’t help the instant attraction she has for both men, but how can she keep two men happy when she’d failed to keep just one before? How much more of her would it take to keep them interested and prevent them from straying, as well?

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys

  Length: 30,979 words

  LOVE AND THE TWO

  WRANGLERS

  The Wranglers of Bear Mountain 3

  Marla Monroe

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  LOVE AND THE TWO WRANGLERS

  Copyright © 2017 by Marla Monroe

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-378-8

  First Publication: July 2017

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2017 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Marla Monroe has been writing professionally for over thirteen years. Her first book with Siren was published in January of 2011, and she now has over 75 books available with them. She loves to write and spends every spare minute either at the keyboard or reading. She writes everything from sizzling-hot cowboys, emotionally charged BDSM, and dangerously addictive shifters, to science fiction ménages with the occasional badass biker thrown in for good measure.

  Marla lives in the southern US and works full-time at a busy hospital. When not writing, she loves to travel, spend time with her feline muses, and read. Although she misses her cross-stitch and putting together puzzles, she is much happier writing fantasy worlds where she can make everyone’s dreams come true. She’s always eager to try something new and thoroughly enjoys the research she does for her books. She loves to hear from readers about what they are looking for in their reading adventures.

  You can reach Marla at [email protected], or

  Visit her website at www.marlamonroe.com

  Her blog: www.themarlamonroe.blogspot.com

  Twitter: @MarlaMonroe1

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Landmarks

  Cover

  LOVE AND THE TWO

  WRANGLERS

  The Wranglers of Bear Mountain 3

  MARLA MONROE

  Copyright © 2017

  Chapter One

  Beverly Martin rushed through the grocery store, choosing two marbled steaks, potatoes for baking, and the fixings for a garden salad. Excitement colored her cheeks pink even as she thought about the evening ahead.

  She’d managed to talk her boss into letting her off early from the auction company where they handled everything ranch or field related. From horses and cows to hay balers and tractors passed through their company. It was a beautiful summer day at the beginning of the season where it wasn’t too hot, and the skies still held that light blue, robin’s egg color.

  Bob had a meeting that might last late, so she’d planned to cook a celebratory dinner for him. They’d been together for a year now, and she expected he’d pop the question soon. He’d been hinting at it for weeks now. Beverly wanted everything to be perfect. He was so good to her and had been the perfect lover.

  He’d talked her into letting him move in with her nearly a month before, and she saw it as the first step toward marriage. She couldn’t be happier. She decided to stop by the liquor store and buy a bottle of wine to go with the meal. She browsed but couldn’t make up her mind, so she asked the clerk behind the counter what his recommendation would be.

  “What’s the occasion, and what are you having to eat?”

  “Steaks with potatoes and a garden salad. It’s our one year anniversary of being together.”

  “Congratulations. I recommend Cello Lambrusco. It goes well with steak and even with spaghetti. It’s a good all-round wine with a rich taste.”

  Beverly thanked the clerk and after paying for her purchase, jumped in the car, eager to make it home as soon as possible. She wanted to marinate the steaks long enough to get the taste right. Bob said he expected to make it home around six or six-thirty.

  I’ll fix the steak, then take a nice long bath and primp for him.

  She’d shave her legs and rub herself down with her favorite lotion. She even planned to wear a pretty dress she’d bought a week before with that night in mind. Silky lace underwear and stockings would complete the outfit she hoped she wouldn’t be wearing much past dinner.

  As soon as she arrived at her building, Beverly gathered the groceries and the bottle of wine to carry inside. She made it up the stairs without dropping anything but wasn’t sure she’d make it all the way inside the apartment. She sat everything down on the landing and picked it back up using a different grip. She fumbled with the keys but finally got the door open. She rushed to the kitchen and set her bags on the kitchen counter.

  A sound startled her. It sounded almost like a moan. Her brows furrowed as she wondered what it was and where it was coming from.

  “Ohh.”

  That came from the bedroom. She walked down the hall and stopped just outside, shocked at what she was seeing.

  “Oh hell yes, baby. Fuck, you feel good.”

  Bob with his bony ass and some strange woman with obviously fake breasts were going at it on her bed. He’d never fucked her with that much enthusiasm. She dropped the bottle on the floor. It shattered, wine pouring over her gleaming wood floors.

  Bob nearly jumped out of the bed le
aving the strange woman completely exposed and grabbing for the covers.

  “Damn it, you were supposed to be at work, Bev. Why are you here early?”

  “What? You’re fucking another woman, and you’re asking me why I’m home early? This was supposed to be our one year anniversary. How can you be having sex in our bedroom when you’re supposed to be my boyfriend?” She kicked at the shattered glass on the floor.

  “Because you’re boring, Bev. Fucking you is like fucking a doll half the time. The other half of the time it’s like doing a corpse or something.” He didn’t bother trying to cover up but set on the bed next to the woman obviously not a bit sorry over what he’d been doing.

  No, he wasn’t sorry; he was aggravated that she’d come home and caught him. How could he say such horrible things to her? Was she really that bad?

  “How long have you been cheating on me, Bob?” she demanded.

  “What does it matter? The fact is that I can’t get what I need from you. You’re too controlled and cold. You can’t satisfy a man with your by-the-book sex.”

  “Why don’t you stick around and watch, Beverly. You might learn something.” The strange woman on the bed didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed at being caught screwing another woman’s boyfriend.

  “I want you both out of my apartment. Right now. Get your things and get the hell out!”

  She walked further into the room and grabbed the first thing she could find, which happened to be one of Bob’s golf clubs. She advanced toward the bed. Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to allow them to fall as long as the traitor and his bimbo were still in her home.

  “Get out before I use this on both of you. I don’t want to ever see you again, Bob. I’ll box up your shit and set it outside the door tonight. Come and get it, or it goes in the garbage tomorrow. Now get the hell out!” Beverly circled the bed and lifted the club over her head, ready to whack them over the head.

  The woman believed her and shoved Bob off. “She’s fucking crazy!”

  “She won’t really hurt us, darling. She’s not brave enough to do anything like that.” Bob smirked at her and just sat there on his knees with his cock deflated and lying next to his thigh.

  “Don’t tempt me, you dickless bastard.” Beverly walked closer to the bed.

  “Oh, come on, Bev. Face it, you’re not woman enough to do anything that bold. You sure aren’t adventurous in bed.”

  It was the last straw. She swung the club and hit him across the arm with a resounding crack.

  “Fuck! You are crazy. You might have broken my arm, bitch.” He scrambled out of the bed and started pulling on his clothes one-handed, his other arm hung close to his side.

  “Don’t tempt me to bust you over the head, Bob. Hurry the hell up and get out. That goes for you, too, you whore.” She turned and walked toward the woman who was frantically trying to get her pantyhose on. “I’d forget those if I were you. I’m not waiting around for you to put them back on. Get dressed or get out naked. I don’t care which.”

  The woman jerked the hose off and tossed them to the side, pulled on the rest of her clothes haphazardly, and ran out of the bedroom. A few seconds later Beverly heard the door of her apartment slam.

  Bob finished dressing and grabbed a handful of his dress clothes and walked out of the apartment and her life. It sounded so forlorn when the door closed behind him. She couldn’t help it. Beverly dropped to the floor next to the couch and cried her eyes out. How could she have not known what Bob had been doing? How could she not sense that he was betraying her for no telling how long?

  She sobbed uncontrollably for several long minutes then got up and cleaned up the mess in the bedroom doorway before she started throwing his things into boxes, his suitcase, and then when she ran out of boxes, she just piled the crap outside her door on the floor. Either he came and got them or she’d move them to the trash the next day.

  With his things gone, her apartment looked empty and lonely. She’d never be able to fill it with things to cover up the betrayal she felt. She needed another place. She needed to move and get away from Boulder, Colorado. She would move and start over. She needed a fresh start away from everything that made her think of Bob and what he’d done to her.

  Is it really true? Am I really that boring in bed?

  If she was, how would she ever find a good man to settle down and have a family? She’d wanted children for as long as she could remember. If she couldn’t satisfy one, then how would she ever achieve her goal?

  She was tired and hungry after the ten hours she’d been on the road. Beverly still couldn’t believe she was doing it. Talk about spontaneous, giving up her apartment and driving cross country to find a new place to live about summed it up. She’d lost her mind. Bob’s betrayal and his words about how rigid she was in bed made her realize that she was like that in life, as well. So, here she was driving to Montana on a whim. She’d been there several times over the years on vacation, and had loved it, but hadn’t thought of living there until now.

  She didn’t have a clue what she’d do or where she’d settle, but wherever it was, it would be better than where she’d come from. She had the rest of her life ahead of her, and she wasn’t going to let Bob’s betrayal stop her from enjoying it.

  Beverly pulled off the highway and drove through a scenic town of Ennis, Montana, to find a place to stop and eat. She needed to get gas, as well. She liked the looks of the little town and thought it might be a nice place to settle if there was work available. She was sure there’d be a place to live somewhere in the vicinity.

  The diner she found looked like a mom-and-pop stop. She pulled her SUV into the gravel parking lot and climbed out. She stretched, glad to be out of the car for a while. Though she’d stopped all along the way for bathroom breaks and gas, this would be the first time she really looked around a place.

  The bell over the door announced her entrance, and a pudgy woman wearing a wide grin and rosy cheeks greeted her.

  “Hi there, hon. Sit wherever you like. I’ll be over in a sec.” She topped off the coffee at one table where three men in their sixties sat eating pie and talking.

  Beverly grabbed a booth where she could see people out the window and if they came in the diner. She liked people watching. She’d done the same thing when she’d worked at the auction house back in Boulder. She liked thinking about what they might be doing and where they were going.

  “Hey, hon. What can I get you to drink?”

  “Diet Coke if you have it.”

  “No problem.” She sat a glass of water on the table in front of Beverly.

  “Lunch is done but we still take burger and sandwich orders. The menu is on the table over next to the ketchup and salt and pepper shakers. Be back in a sec with your drink.”

  Beverly pulled out the menu and looked through it. She decided on a ham and cheese sandwich with chips. She liked the waitress. The tag on her shirt said her name was Madge. That sounded like a waitress or a hairdresser to her.

  The lady returned still smiling and set the glass on the table in front of her. Her hair looked to be out of a bottle, but the red suited her. She had hazel eyes and high cheekbones.

  “Decide what you want or do you need some more time?”

  “I’ll take the ham and cheese sandwich with potato chips.”

  “Got ya. If you save room for dessert, we have homemade apple and pecan pie today.”

  “That sounds great. Thanks.”

  The waitress walked across the room and yelled out her order through the window where the kitchen obviously was. She clipped the ticket to a round wheel that the cook turned in his direction.

  Beverly liked the little diner. It felt cheerful and clean. The waitress was friendly, and even the three men at the other table appeared nice as they talked and chuckled periodically. Maybe she’d look around while she was here and see if there were any job openings. She’d done everything from working with animals to working in the office of the auction company. Th
ere wasn’t a lot she couldn’t do if she put her mind to it.

  The waitress returned fifteen minutes later with her sandwich and a refill of her Diet Coke. She thanked her and marveled at the massive sandwich that was hot with toasted bread. This would fill her up for sure.

  “Look okay to you?” she asked.

  “Looks yummy. Thank you.”

  Beverly bit into the best sandwich she’d ever had. The ham had been warmed with gooey cheese and the bread toasted to perfection. She actually moaned at how good it all tasted. By the time she’d finished her meal, she was much too full for pie.

  “Save room for dessert?” the waitress asked.

  “Sorry, no. Not this time. I’ll have to come back and get a piece.”

  “Settling here?” The waitress cocked her head to one side.

  “Not sure. I was going to look the place over and see if I saw any help wanted signs.”

  “You’d do better checking the bulletin board at the grocery store. Most places advertise there. Paper comes out on Sunday, but that’s a few days away,” the waitress told her.

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.” She stood up and carried her ticket over to the cash register.

  After paying her bill, Beverly parked her car in the grocery parking lot and walked into the building, looking for a bulletin board. She found it next to the office.

  There were ads for everything from smithy services to dirt by the truckload. She found one add that intrigued her. Someone was looking for a wrangler to give guided tours and general store duties at a guest ranch outside of town. If it was still open, it would be the perfect job for her.

  Unless they don’t want to hire a woman. Wranglers tend to be men. I might not have a chance even if the job is still open.

  That didn’t deter her. She took the notice down and walked back out to her SUV to make the call to find out.

  The phone rang four times before someone picked up in a breathless voice. “Bear Mountain Ranch. How can I help you?”

  “My name is Beverly, and I was calling about the job posted on the bulletin board in town. Is the position still open?”