Tangled (Steele Ranch 3)

“Sutton didn’t stay with you last night?” Penny asked, a little frown forming in her brow.

I shook my head. Was that why he left, because the bedroom was a reminder of what he’d done?

“Sutton’s a good man,” Kady clarified. “He saved me. He killed for me a

nd I’m not even his woman. What he’ll do for you…”

She let that sentence drop.

“I’m not…I mean, I don’t know if I’m his woman or not.”

Kady and Penny both laughed. “Oh, you’re his woman, all right. Lee’s, too, based on the way he looks at you. If Archer’s the same, then you’ve got yourself the trifecta of perfect men.”

Penny nodded enthusiastically.

“I want to work,” I said. “I’ve put too much into getting my nursing degree, I can’t just stop now. Be a homemaker. No offense, Penny, but that’s not me.”

Penny held up her hand in a stop gesture. “We might be sisters, but we don’t have to be alike. Your background made you want to kick ass and take names. My background made me want to find a family of my own. To make one, to have children I can shower with unconditional love I never knew.” Her hand went to her own belly.

“I’m a teacher,” Kady told me. “There was an opening at the school in town and I took it. I took it before I found out I was pregnant, before I went off the pill, actually. I’m going to work until the baby’s born, which will be close to the end of the school year. I’ll have maternity leave, then summer break. We decided I’ll worry about returning for the next school year then.”

That made sense. It was hard to decide about something that was so different, so hard to comprehend. A baby? Insane.

“I don’t want kids now,” I said. “God, I want to be a nurse, be self-reliant. Be independent.” The idea of finding out I was pregnant made my armpits sweat. Made me want to make sure the guys had a huge box of condoms.

Lee came in the room, went over to the slow cookers, lifted the lid on each and peeked inside. Seemingly satisfied, he came over and pulled me into his arms. His fingers slid under my chin, tipped it up so I had to look at him. “Don’t think for one second that we’ll stifle your dreams. We want you just the way you are.” He cocked his head toward Kady and Penny. “These two might want to pop out a bunch of babies right away, but I’m a little selfish.”

“You men either have bionic hearing or you’re all eavesdropping,” Penny told Lee.

He didn’t deny it. They might’ve wanted to give us some room, but they sure liked to pop in. Check on us, grab us for sex. Kisses. Snooping.

Lee’s hand slid down my neck, lower still to cup my breast, ignoring Penny. I gasped at the blatant touch. “I’m not sharing these with a baby. Sharing them with Sutton and Archer’s enough. When it’s time, when you’re ready, you don’t have to give up your career for taking care of a baby.”

“Oh?” I swallowed, at a loss as to how to respond. This was the most serious I’d seen Lee, although he did have his hand on my boob. He’d taken on an air of Sutton-level intensity.

“Nope. I want to do that. Stay home with the kids. Be Mr. Mom.”

Kady made a little gasp of surprise, but I didn’t look her way. Neither did Lee. He was focused squarely on me. He was giving Sutton’s intensity a run for the money.

“You do?” I breathed. His thumb stroked over my nipple and I felt it all the way to my toes.

He nodded once, a rogue curl falling over his forehead. “I’ve only got a year or two left being pro. Retirement comes early in my profession.”

He wasn’t much more than thirty, but I could only imagine how hard it was on his body, being bucked and tossed around by a pissed-off bull.

“If I can herd some calves, I can ride herd on a bunch of kids,” he added with a sly grin. “I want to stay home and take care of all those babies you’re going to give us.”

“All those babies?” I sputtered, then half laughed, half smiled. “I can see you doing that.”

I could. He was so easy going, so playful that he’d make a great dad. A great stay-at-home one. But what he was saying meant long term. He didn’t want to stay home with any old batch of babies. He wanted to stay home with babies we made.

Leaning in, he kissed me. “Until then, we’ll just practice making those babies. Starting a little later.”

His thumb and forefinger plucked my nipple just before he released it entirely.

“Okay.” What else could I say, especially since Sutton wanted later as well? “Um, Lee?”

“Yeah, baby?” he asked.