Melody stopped on the porch and forced herself to turn around. The sound and sight of all those big powerful horses in the trailer and having them stampede into the corral had made her want to run screaming and crying from the barnyard. She’d been able to maintain her composure to the point that her exit had seemed, she hoped, unhurried and not at all fearful.

How was she ever going to pull this off? She hadn’t been anywhere near those horses but had been deathly afraid. She’d forced herself to stand on the porch and watch. She wanted to rush back down or at least call out to Luc as she watched him initiate some kind of relationship with the big gray horse.

Even to her untrained eye she could tell the horse wanted nothing to do with him. That didn’t seem to deter Luc in the least. Quietly and methodically he had continued to talk to and approach the horse until finally she seemed to accept him.

Watching Luc work with the mare had touched something deep inside her. Something she feared had long since died and would never be resurrected again. The very smallest tendrils of desire had sparked into life.

Melody slept fitfully that night. Her dreams rotated back and forth between intensely sexual dreams of Luc’s strong body possessing hers and riding with him through sun-drenched meadows. At about three, she realized she was awake and wasn’t going back to sleep. She looked down onto the corral and saw Luc once again talking to the gray horse.

She quickly made two big mugs of coffee, grabbed a couple of apples, some bread and cheese, and put them in a basket. She added flavored creamer and some sugar and walked down to join Luc.

When the horse saw her approaching, it made a derisive snort and pinned its ears. Even Melody recognized that the horse didn’t like her and didn’t want her near. Luc responded by speaking softly in French to her and stroking her neck, which seemed to soothe her.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I thought you might like some coffee and a snack.”

Luc turned and looked at her with a smile on his face. Was he really glad to see her?

“I’m glad you came down. You wouldn’t have some apples in that basket, would you?”

“I would,” she said. “Do you want to come get them?”

“No, just put the basket down and come up quietly with the apples. She needs to get used to other people.”

“She doesn’t seem very friendly.”

“She isn’t,” said Luc softly. “But if you’d lived the way she has, you wouldn’t be all that friendly either. Once she realizes we aren’t going to hurt her or take her babies away prematurely, I think she’ll decide she rather likes us humans. And as she’s the lead mare, the other mares will follow suit. I’ve already got a couple of them inching closer.”

“Did you sleep at all last night?”

“No. Eddie is going to come out about four and I’ll go get some sleep, but she seemed to like my being here so I just stayed.”

Melody crept closer and extended the apple to him. The big horse tossed her head again and Melody backed away.

“Queenie, ole girl, when someone is bringing you treats, it isn’t nice to threaten them.”

He took out a pocket knife and sliced the apple into quarters. The mare put her chest against the fence and put her head over to try to reach the apple. Luc laughed at her but handed her the apple all the same.

Melody wasn’t sure why, but watching him work with the mare was thrilling and comforting all at the same time.

Over the next few weeks, they fell into an easy routine. Melody and Luc had convinced Ruth that she didn’t need to worry about them for breakfast or lunch. Ruth continued to bring the ranch hands their meals, ensuring that their breakfast was waiting for them when they got up and putting their lunch into the fridge in the barn.

Dinner was always at the Flying M and consisted of Sierra, Ryder, Charlie, Ruth, Luc, and herself. She had come to enjoy the sense of family the six of them had created. Watching Sierra and Ryder alternately spar and snuggle was often a highlight of her day. Melody had to admit she envied Sierra her relationship with Ryder. She also had to admit that she greatly enjoyed the comradery and time she spent with Luc in the mornings at Crooked Creek.

Melody and Luc found they enjoyed cooking together. They would take turns. In the morning, whoever was up first started the coffee and then if so inclined, breakfast. The other would join them in the kitchen going over their plans for the day and getting to know each other. After breakfast, whoever hadn’t cooked cleaned up the kitchen while the other enjoyed his or her coffee and played companion.

Melody often felt that while Luc was her companion in the kitchen, she was his audience. He was a natural storyteller and had lived a fairly exciting life. It was often difficult to tell the difference between the stories he invented for her amusement and those that had actually happened.

One morning, Melody was watching him make one of his kitchen sink omelets—an omelet containing everything but the kitchen sink. He had just flipped the omelet with great flourish and she laughed at his showmanship.

“You laugh? I’ll have you know flipping an omelet without breaking it is no easy thing.”

“Not laughing at you but rather delighting in your expertise and flair.”

Luc laughed. “Now I know you’re teasing me. Sometimes, Melody Jackson, you are a very naughty girl. And someday someone is going to take you to task for that.”

“Have anyone in mind?” The flirtatious question was out before she could stop it.

Luc regarded her seriously for a moment before saying, “Perhaps. But that is a discussion best left for another day, n’est pas?”

Instead of allowing her to feel awkward, Melody recognized that Luc had gone out of his way to restore equilibrium between them.

Sierra was coming by to pick up Melody to meet with the architects in Boise. Sierra had also suggested they do a little pampering while they were in the big city.

“So will you girls be back for dinner?”

“Trying to play keeper again with me?” she asked. She couldn’t believe she had yet again tossed him a teasing question.

“Someone has to,” he responded although she couldn’t read his tone. “Ryder has his hands full just taking care of Sierra and ensuring she doesn’t get into too much trouble.”

“She takes care of him too,” said Melody, defending her friend—but defending her from what she was uncertain.

Luc turned to look at her with all seriousness.

“She does indeed. I’ve never seen Ryder this happy. Don’t you think the very best relationships are the ones when both parties care more for the other than they do themselves? Make sure that the other one is safe and happy?”

Melody wasn’t sure how they’d ventured into these dark waters.

“No. I think the best relationships are where each person takes care of him or herself and then finds a way to be happy with the other. You work out your differences and always come to a consensus.”

Luc laughed. “That is not happiness. That is coexistence. By your definition, you and I have a relationship.”

“Well, we do. We are friends, aren’t we?”

“Most definitely. But at least one of us would choose to make it more than friends.”

“You arrogant jerk,” Melody said heatedly. “Just because you think you caught me staring at you the other day while you unloaded hay. You don’t know that I was watching your muscles ripple and wondering about the tattoo you have on your left bicep or the one on your right shoulder. I could have been looking at Eddie. Maybe I like my men leaner and more sinewy.”

Luc said nothing, but let her finish before leaning over and brushing her lips with his.

“I was speaking for myself, Melody.”

He said nothing more but left the house trotting down the stairs, whistling a lively tune.

Melody didn’t have long to ponder Luc’s response before she saw Sierra drive up. She grabbed her things and joined Sierra in her truck.

“Hey, partner,” Sierra chimed happily. “Ready to go finalize the plans with the architects and really get this thing rolling?”

“I am. Apparently, though I’m not nearly as ready or as happy about it as you. I swear to God I’m a morning person, but you make me look like a slacker.”

“Well, unless things have progressed between you and Luc, there is no way you could have had as good a morning as I.”

Melody laughed as she often did with Sierra. “What makes you think that Luc and I will ever be anything more than just colleagues?”

“Girl, please. You could barely keep from drooling the other day when he was helping to unload hay with his shirt off. And the way he watches you... men have been arrested for less.”

“How do you know I wasn’t watching Eddie or even Ryder?”

“Nope, it was Luc. You can’t fool me.”

“And what do you mean the way he watches me?”

Sierra laughed. “Are you kidding me? His eyes rarely leave you. And when you’re walking away from him? I think the thing he’s most interested in riding these days doesn’t have four legs or a tail.”

“You are incorrigible. Just because you and Ryder have sex daily...”

Sierra took one hand off the wheel and held up two fingers, waggling them at her.

“Twice daily? No wonder Ryder is always in a great mood.”

“Yep, me too. Nothing like starting the morning off right.”

“Let me guess, the breakfast of champions?”

“Rarely,” said Sierra. “Truth to tell he’d much rather have his cock in my pussy than my mouth. Not to say we don’t partake of that too, but it isn’t as high on the list as other things.”

“You don’t say.” Melody wasn’t quite sure how to respond.

It had been so long since she’d had any sexual enjoyment outside of her dreams. And those dreams these days were always of Luc. More than one morning she woke aching to feel him inside her.

“I do. And I’d give anything to know what you’re thinking. Sometimes I can read you like a book and others like right now, I haven’t a clue. You do know I consider you a lot more than an employee.”

“I do,” nodded Melody.

“I know there’s something that you fret about. Luc’s seen it too. Whatever it is, you have the strength and support of everyone at both Crooked Creek and the Flying M. You’ve become an integral part of our family.”

“It’s nothing really. Just lately, I’ve found my libido is starting to raise its ugly head.”

“There is nothing ugly about a reawakening libido. Trust me. I had mine mostly banked for about five years and then Ryder came home and slapped that bitch awake.”

Again Melody laughed. Sierra was truly irrepressible.

“Maybe not, if you’re also waking up with a man. I’ve never found self-satisfaction anywhere close to... you know, fucking a guy, especially if the guy is hung and knows what he’s doing.”

“Honestly, Melody, sometimes you’re so quiet and then you just open up and let loose. And me either. Did I ever tell you that after Ryder came home and the first time we were together at the house he found my vibrator?”

Melody spit the water she’d just sipped. “Oh, God, did you just want to die?”

“You have no idea. He ever so politely told me I wouldn’t have need of it again... and he’s kept his word.”

“I’m so pathetic I don’t even own a vibrator.”

“Oooh, we should pick one up for you when we’re in Boise.”

“Oh, hell, no!”

“I see,” said Sierra with an air of superiority, “you would just prefer if it was Luc’s hand or mouth or preferably cock that was providing your pleasure. Should I mention that to Ryder?”

“You do and I swear I’ll plant a vibrating dildo in your bedroom and tell Ryder where it is!”

“Jesus, do you know the kind of trouble that would get me in? He considers my girly parts his personal, private toys and he doesn’t share with others... even me.”

“Yeah, so did Jason.” Sierra knew some of what had happened in Chicago, but not all of it. “Only problem is he only liked to use them for himself and mainly my mouth and tits. For more than a year I gave him all the blowjobs he wanted and got nothing in return.”

“What a rat bastard. I’d have bit his dick off.”

Melody looked at Sierra and realized she was speaking the truth. “I probably should have but it wouldn’t have been more than a tiny mouthful.”

It was Sierra’s turn to spit her water. “All right then. It’s time we got Luc on board with the program. I’ll just tell him that seeing to your sexual needs is now part of his responsibility.”

“I’m telling you... I can mail order a vibrating dildo anytime I want.”

Sierra rolled her eyes. “If Ryder believed you, and I don’t think he would, I wouldn’t sit down for a week. But he might tell Luc you’d been very naughty and let you answer to him.”

“What do you mean you wouldn’t sit down?”

“Oh, shit... hadn’t meant for that to come out. Let’s just say that Ryder and I have in some ways a very old-fashioned marriage.”

“You mean he...”

“You can talk about a vibrating dildo, but you can’t ask me if my husband is head of our household and when he thinks it’s needed or warranted, he spanks me?”

“Seriously? You let him do that?”

“I’m not sure there’s a whole lot of let involved. No, that’s not true. That’s what I tell myself so I don’t have to admit that he’s the dominant one in our marriage and that I like it that way. Yeah, I let him. For one thing it makes me crazy horny for him and two it settles things between us. You haven’t seen it yet, but I can really go off and get nasty when I’m pissed. Ryder just lets me blow off and then puts me over his very hard thighs where I can feel his even harder cock and bares my butt before he spanks it until he’s convinced he’s expressed his displeasure to a level I’ll think twice before doing it again.”

“Jason hit me once—backhanded me across the salon—I didn’t find anything arousing in it.”

“That’s a whole different kettle of fish. Jason better not ever show his ugly face. I have a shotgun and know how to use it. And Luc better never find out. That SOB is strong and I don’t like to think what he’d do to him.”

“Do you just forgive him?”

“There’s nothing to forgive. I misbehave; he corrects the behavior; we make love and all’s right with the world. I know it sounds weird, but it works for us. We don’t stay mad at each other. We deal with it and then it’s done.”

“You don’t think Luc would like that, do you?”

“Hmm, I’m pretty sure. He’s an alpha male and they need to be in charge. I’m pretty sure he and Ryder talk and that not only does he know about me and Ryder but is geared the same way. The funny thing is most everyone thinks Ryder spoils me to death... which he does.”

“Whoa. Not what I expected to hear this morning.”

“It’s not something I want known by the general populace or even the guys that work for us...”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Melody vowed.

“But if it got out it wouldn’t be the end of the world. I say the proof is in the pudding. Ryder and I have a strong, happy marriage. I tend to want to carry some residual guilt from breaking us up the first time... and don’t you dare tell him that. I’ve got him convinced he’s got that spanked out of me. But I mean to make up for all the hurt I caused him and all the time I wasted.”

“You say you’ve seen the way Luc looks at me? I’ve seen the way Ryder looks at you. The only thing he sees is the woman he loves and wants to spend the rest of his life with.”

They were quiet for a few moments.

“Where did you and Ryder get married?”

“Up at our house. I started wearing my engagement ring again and we announced we were hosting a New Year’s Eve party where we planned to make an announcement. Everyone thought we were going to announce that we were engaged again and set a wedding date. Instead, we announced we were getting married that night. We honeymooned in France at a little stone cottage we own there.”

Melody smiled. “That’s why you’ve been so insistent that the guest cottages have stone exteriors. And let me guess... it had shiplap walls?”

Sierra grinned. “You got it. Now let’s go get this business done and go play.”

“I’m very worried about what kind of trouble you’re going to get me into.”

“Nothing a good discipline session, which always includes amazing makeup sex, with Luc won’t fix.”

“Oh, my God! You’re awful!” Melody couldn’t stop laughing and yet a part of her wondered if Sierra wasn’t on to something. Although before this morning she would have very much doubted if Luc had those kind of feelings for her.