Two weeks later, Shane held Paige’s hand as he escorted her to the admission booth set up at one of the two entrances to the rodeo grounds. As far as he could tell, the reporters had given up on trying to interrogate him, Paige, and Tuck, after being snubbed for over a week. They’d interviewed everyone in town, or at least, tried to. Shane had read a few of the resulting articles online but had finally stopped because Paige was afraid of his blood pressure spiking. Apparently, his face turned red, his jaw clenched, and his temple throbbed while he read them. He was still livid at Bridget for inviting the tabloid trash into Hazard Falls, knowing the turmoil that would result, but he and Tuck were biding their time, waiting for the right moment to get their revenge. They wouldn’t harm her, at least not physically, but they would make sure a heavy dose of karma came her way. Shane was tossing a few ideas around in his head and hopefully one of them would get the desired results.

In the meantime, even though the reporters and cameramen had checked out of the motel they’d been staying in, Shane wasn’t taking any chances that one or more of them would circle back into town. Anytime Paige left the ranch, she’d be accompanied by either Shane, Tuck, or Seth. The latter, though, was only to be used in emergencies. Shane trusted his employee to keep Paige safe, but was still pissed the dog had been trying to seduce her. Not that he blamed the man for trying, but Shane was keeping that to himself.

The Rodeo Bonanza didn’t start for a few more hours, but the grounds were bustling with activity. Bulls, horses, and sheep were being herded into their respective pens—the smaller animals would be ridden by children during events called mutton busting. Food was being prepared. Cowboys—Tuck and Seth among them—and cowgirls were checking their equipment and shining their saddles. Equine manes and tails were being combed, braided, and decorated. Last minute fencing and gates were being put into place, and plenty of other chores were being done. Thank God this only happened once a year because it was a huge undertaking for the residents of Hazard Falls. However, everyone enjoyed it, especially owners of the restaurants, bars, and shops, who, on average, more than quadrupled their sales for the month, thanks to the two-day event.

As they approached the southeast entrance, Nicole and Lila spotted them and waved them over. Tucker’s sister grinned when she noticed Paige’s hand enveloped by Shane’s larger one but she didn’t mention it. “Well, hi, you two. I assume my brother is over by the stables. Where’s Arianna?”

Shane dropped Paige’s hand and kissed Lila, then Nicole on the cheek. “Seth took her to the petting zoo pen. You’d think she has enough animals to dote on at the ranch.”

“That girl is going to be a veterinarian someday. I guarantee it.”

“That’s fine with me, as long as she doesn’t want to open her practice in my barn.”

Nicole smiled. “You say that now, but when she’s ready to go off into the great big world on her own, you’ll be doing everything you can to keep her here.”

He shrugged. “Damn straight. But if she needs to spread her wings and fly, we’ll let her. Of course, we’ll probably attach a tracking device to her somehow.”

The three women laughed out loud.

“Shane! I need your help over here, please!” The grocery store owner was setting up one of the many food tents a short distance away from the entrance.

“Coming, Marla!” Shane looked at Paige, then tilted his head toward Lila and Nicole. “You’re in good hands. Call my cell if you need anything or if you see any of the reporters or cameramen. I’ll be helping out all over the place, but I won’t be far away.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Surprising himself, Paige, and the two other women, Shane leaned down and gave Paige a brief but intense kiss on the lips. When he stood straight again, he grinned at her shocked expression. After giving her a wink, he hurried off to help Marla with whatever she needed done. Shane was certain Tucker would get word of that kiss faster than wildfire. It was a good thing they were now all in agreement that the trio wouldn’t hide their new relationship. They’d talked about it last night after Paige had given Arianna a bath and put her to bed. While none of them had uttered the L-word yet—Shane knew his husband had fallen as hard for Paige as he had over the few past few weeks. And, if his suspicions were correct, she was falling for them too.

Up until last night, the two men made sweet love to their woman or just cuddled with her in her bed for a few hours, before returning to their own, long before Arianna awoke. They hadn’t wanted to get the little girl’s hopes up before they knew the ménage relationship would work. The men also had wanted time to clear the last of Sarah’s ghost from their bedroom. While her clothing had been donated to a women’s shelter in Garden City, per her wishes, other things remained. It’d been little things they couldn’t bring themselves to move into other parts of the house until recently. Her jewelry box was now tucked away in a closet in the office to be given to Ari when she was old enough to appreciate the contents and not lose them. Things like Sarah’s toiletries and hairbrush, which had been scattered throughout the master bath’s drawers and cabinets or in her dresser, had finally been removed. Any pictures with Sarah in them had been taken from the bedroom and distributed about the house after Paige had told them it didn’t bother her that their late wife’s image was in almost every room. She’d said she respected the woman who’d brought Tuck and Shane together and gave them their daughter and liked to think they would have been friends if they’d known each other.

Last night, once the master suite no longer resembled a shrine, Tuck and Shane had brought Paige into their own bed, where they’d made sweet love to her for hours. When the sun had risen this morning, and the toilet in Arianna’s bathroom had flushed, Shane had gotten up, leaving his two lovers cuddling in their sleep, and plodded out to the kitchen to have breakfast with his daughter. Ari didn’t seem surprised when Tuck and Paige emerged from the same hallway a half hour later—in fact, she’d been too busy talking about everything she planned on doing and seeing at the rodeo to even really notice.

A threesome was still very new to Paige, but both men made sure they had some one-on-one time with her, as well as with each other. They wanted her to know them as individuals as well as a couple. Sometimes Shane would stay after breakfast and talk with Paige as he helped her with the dishes or join her for lunch on his paperwork days. Tucker liked to take walks around the ranch in the evenings, and he’d invited Paige to accompany him on a few occasions. More than once, their duet interludes had involved sex or a make-out session—well, more often than not, at least in Shane’s case—but many times they didn’t. It was dating small-town-ranch-and-ménage style.

As for the employees of Red River Ranch, Shane was sure they had their suspicions about the ménage, but no one, other than Seth, had questioned it or mentioned it to him. Tuck and Shane had wanted to give Paige time to be certain this was what she wanted before the rumor-mill went into production, so they’d avoided PDAs. They’d told her all about how Sarah had handled things, what her snappy comebacks had been whenever someone tried to insult her or snub her because she had two husbands. If their wife ever felt depressed about being bullied by the snobs of the town, she’d never let anyone know it, not even Shane and Tucker. Whenever they’d asked her about it, she’d always said the love she felt for them squashed any negativity that came her way. On her deathbed, she’d told them that never once had she regretted her decision to love two men—and Shane believed her with all his heart.

While Sarah and Paige were both strong women, their personalities were different. Where Sarah had tended to be more reserved, laughing at jokes but never really telling one, Paige was very outgoing once she felt comfortable around someone new. The ranch hands had been delighted when she’d joined in the friendly barbs being thrown around the ranch, especially at breakfast. The men and women who worked at Triple-R were so much more than employees—they were family. It wasn’t often a new position opened at the ranch since those that occupied them usually stayed for a very long time.

Shane hoped Paige was willing to stay with them for a very long time too—in fact, for the rest of their lives. She belonged there, and he didn’t think he and Tuck would ever be able to let her go.

As Shane walked away, Paige’s gaze stayed glued to his back—actually, to his perfect, denim-clad ass—as she tried to ignore Lila and Nicole’s openmouthed stares. Tucker, Shane, and she had discussed not hiding their relationship anymore, but she hadn’t expected Shane to kiss her right in the middle of the rodeo grounds, announcing to everyone that there was plenty of hanky-panky going on at the Red River Ranch.

Her cheeks flamed as she turned to face her two new friends. She’d gotten to know them both well over the past few weeks, and she really liked them. But she wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of questions that were surely coming her way. Paige cleared her throat. “So . . . tell me what I’ll be doing in the booth.”

“Oh, no, no, no, girl,” Nicole chastised, wagging a finger at Paige, as her eyes brimmed with amusement and curiosity. “Work can wait—the ticket booths don’t open for another hour. You’ve been holding out on us.

Lila crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the side, but the broad smile on her face belied her attempt to appear pissed. “Apparently, my brother and brother-in-law have also been holding out. Damn, Paige, you cost me fifty dollars!”

Her eyes grew wide. “What? What are you talking about?”

“Betty Lou and I had a bet. We both agreed you were perfect for Tuck and Shane, but I said it would be three months before y’all realized it. Lou said two months.” She glanced around. “Shit. Too many people saw that kiss for me to ask you to hide for another month.” Her mouth turned into a frown. “And the tittle-tattling. has already started. Bridget is madder than a wet hen, and she’ll be the first one slinging the mud, bless her heart. You should smack Shane for not looking around first before planting a big one on you. Well, that was actually a small one, as kisses go, but it was enough to light off some fireworks.”

Paige followed Lila’s gaze across the gravel parking lot. Sure enough, the blonde bitch’s eyes were cold as she sneered in their direction. There was no doubt Bridget and her brunette friend, who Paige had never seen before, were talking about the kiss they, and others, had seen. Refusing to give them the satisfaction of thinking they’d upset her—which they hadn’t—Paige put on the biggest smile she could . . . then waved at her rival. “Hi, Bridget. Nice to see you again. So sorry Shane and Tucker couldn’t make it to your dinner party—they were otherwise occupied.”

When the other woman’s face turned an angry red and her cold eyes went absolutely frigid, Paige expected to see steam rising from her bleached-blonde hair. Lila and Nicole burst out laughing. The latter looped her arm around Paige’s elbow and pulled her toward the booth they’d be working in. “Sometimes I forget you know how to play the small-town game. You’ll fit in just fine, my friend. But don’t think you got out of telling us the details behind that hot kiss!”

Two hours later, the three women were busy taking money, handing out admission tickets, answering questions, and giving directions. Each had their own window built into the side of the structure, which also contained a small table, a safe that was brought in and bolted into the floor for the occasion. Every half hour, Nicole would close her window for a moment, then take a portion of the larger bills from each till and put them in the safe. Later, the money would be transferred to the bank under the watchful eyes of the manager, a clerk, and two of the local deputies.

Today was for the amateur events, then tomorrow the professionals would take over the competition. It wasn’t a televised event, but there was still many pros in attendance since the event was held on a weekend that didn’t have many other options for them in the national circuit. Over the years, the organizers had tried to keep it that way, and high-ranking participants from the PRCA, Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association, liked having a small-town event to ride in for a change.

The kid’s mutton busting had finished and one of the junior events for teens had started a few minutes ago. There was already a large crowd to cheer them on. Tucker’s bronc-riding contest was scheduled to start in a little over an hour, while Seth was calf-roping later in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Lou had entered the barrel racing, and two of Red River’s ranch hands would be riding bulls for the coveted buckle in the highlighted event that evening. Paige realized how much she’d missed the rodeo days held in some of the larger towns surrounding Johnsonville, Nebraska. It’d always been a big, weekend party when the rodeo rolled in.

After taking Ari to the petting zoo and watching the mutton busting, Seth had brought her to the little hut that housed the admission booth, so Paige could watch her for a while. Nicole’s husband, Hank, had also dropped off Joey so the two girls were sitting on the floor, playing jacks—another fond memory from Paige’s childhood. Growing up in a small town meant not having access to a lot of things most kids in the cities and suburbs took for granted. The children of places like Hazard Falls and her hometown of Johnsonville still played outside and made their own fun and games, instead of living in their rooms on computers.

Paige handed another customer his tickets, then waited for him to move away before realizing there was no one waiting behind him.

“Hi, Mrs. Mathers. Is Joey around?”

Peeking out her window, Paige saw a little blonde-haired girl about Arianna’s age, standing on her tiptoes, looking earnestly at Nicole. With her, was a teenage couple who looked about eighteen or so. The young woman was wearing designer short-shorts that barely covered her ass cheeks and a tight, pink tank top. Her blonde hair and facial features were similar to the little girl, so they had to be related. The guy standing next to her with his hand on her ass was bad news. Paige could see that from a mile away, thanks to his long, dirty-blonde hair, beady eyes, and the cigarette tucked behind his ear. His white, sleeveless T-shirt over torn jeans, crude arm tattoo, and smirk that seemed permanent sealed the deal. In fact, his date looked way out of his league.

“Yes, she is, Brooke,” Nicole replied to the little girl as she handed three tickets to the older one. “She’s in here with Ari playing jacks. Would you like to join them?”

“Yay!”

“No!” The teenage blonde glared at the young girl in distaste. “You’re staying with us. Mom said you can’t play with that little brat.”

Paige froze at the venom in the teenager’s voice in addition to her words. Beside her, Nicole bristled, her eyes narrowing. If there wasn’t a wall between them, she’d probably be in the teen’s face. “And which ‘little brat’ are you referring to, Brenna?”

The teen sneered, her face turning ugly, and, at that moment, Paige knew who their mother was. Bridget. Figured.

“I’ll tell Daddy,” Brooke whined.

Her sister ignored Nicole’s question. “You think I give a fuck?”

“But I wanna play with them.”

“Shut the fuck up, you little brat!” Without acknowledging Nicole’s question, Brenna pointed at Paige, surprising her. “Ty, that’s the slut I told you about, screwing the two guys who also screw each other.”

Ty eyed what he could see of Paige through the window. He licked his chapped lips, which disgusted her. “Guess neither is man enough to satisfy you, huh? Whatta you expect from fucking queers? I’d be more than happy to show you what a real man can do, babe.”

Anger scorched Paige. The strong plexiglass was the only thing preventing her from flying through the window and smashing the repulsive leer off the punk’s face. Instead she crossed her arms and scowled at him. “Considering you’ll never be a real man and don’t even know what one is, I’ll pass.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Your loss.”

The two teens laughed as they walked away, dragging the now-crying little girl with them. Paige glanced at Ari and Joey, who’d missed the exchange outside as they played, before turning back to Nicole and Lila. There was a lull in the ticket line.

Lila shook her head. “Those were Bridget’s girls.”

“I figured that out,” Paige replied. “The apples didn’t fall far from the tree, huh?”

“Actually,” Nicole chimed in. “They’re like night and day—two different fathers. Brenna’s was Bridget’s first husband—a bull rider from out of town—but her father made sure the marriage was annulled after learning the guy couldn’t keep it in his pants. Brooke’s dad is a really nice guy, which makes you wonder what he saw in Bridget. That marriage lasted about three years, if I remember correctly. Thankfully, he lives in the next town over and is very involved in Brooke’s life. She takes after him, so I have no problem with Joey playing with her as long as it’s not around Bridget or Brenna.”

“I hope she stays a good kid and her mother and sister aren’t a big influence on her as she grows up.”

“So do I. Anyway, I wonder what Brenna would say if she knew her mother wanted to get horizontal between Shane and Tuck.”

Several people stepped up to the windows, and the women’s unscheduled, two-minute break was over. Pushing the unpleasant encounter from her mind, Paige got back to work.