Page 40 of My Cowboy Trouble (The Cowboy Romantic Comedies #1)

KENZIE

I stand in the barn the next morning, surrounded by three men who look like they're waiting for a jury verdict.

The morning light streams through the windows, catching dust motes in the air, and somewhere in the distance, I can hear Sir Clucks-a-Lot terrorizing somebody or something.

For ranch life, it's such a normal moment, except for the fact that I'm about to make the most important declaration of my life.

"So," Gavin says, breaking the silence that's stretched on too long. "What's it gonna be, princess?"

He's trying to sound casual, but I can see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands are shoved deep in his pockets like he's afraid of what they might do if left to their own devices.

Asher's leaning against a stall door, arms crossed, but his knuckles are white.

And Trent, Trent's just standing there, solid and still, but his jaw is clenched so tight, I'm surprised his teeth don't crack.

They're all trying to look like they're not dying inside, waiting for my answer. Like my decision isn't going to change everything for all of us.

"I've been thinking," I start, and immediately all three of them tense up like I'm about to deliver bad news.

"That's never good," Gavin mutters, which earns him sharp looks from the other two.

"I've been thinking about expectations. About what people assume is going to happen with us." I take a deep breath, because once I say this, there's no taking it back. "And I realized I need to make something crystal clear."

"What's that?" Asher asks carefully.

"Everyone's probably expecting that eventually I'll have to choose. That this arrangement is temporary, that eventually I'll settle down with one of you and the others will... what? Move on? Find someone else? Pretend this never happened?"

The silence that follows is loaded with tension.

"Kenzie—" Trent starts.

"I'm not done." I hold up a hand, because if I don't get this all out now, I might lose my nerve. "I've thought about it. Really thought about it. And I need you all to understand something—I'm never choosing."

"Never choosing?" Gavin repeats slowly.

"I'm never picking one of you over the others.

I'm never going to decide that this one gets to stay and these two have to go.

That's not what I want, and it's not what's going to happen.

" I look between them, these three impossibly stubborn men who've somehow managed to turn my entire world upside down. "What I want is all of you."

The barn goes so quiet, I can hear my heartbeat.

"All of us," Asher says, like he's testing the words.

"All of you. Not taking turns, not sharing me like some kind of time-share arrangement, not pretending that what we have together isn't exactly what it is.

" I cross my arms, probably looking more defiant than I feel.

"This isn't some phase I'm going through.

This isn't me being indecisive or greedy or confused about what I want. I know exactly what I want."

"What do you want?" Trent's voice is rough, like the words are being dragged out of him.

"I want the three of you, and this ranch, and this life we're building together.

I want to wake up every morning knowing that I don't have to choose between the man who makes me laugh, the man who makes me feel safe, and the man who makes me feel alive.

Because you all do all of those things, just in different ways. "

"Jesus, Kenzie," Gavin breathes.

"I know it's unconventional. I know people will talk— hell, they're already talking.

I know it's going to be complicated and messy and probably impossible to explain to my mother when she eventually calls.

" That gets a snort from Gavin, which breaks some of the tension.

"But I don't care what other people think is normal or right or acceptable. This is what I want."

"You sure about this? I mean, one woman, and the three of us?” Trent asks, something vulnerable in his voice making my breath tight.

Asher puffs his chest out because, of course. "It's worked fine the past few weeks," he crows.

"Don't be a jackass," Trent snaps like I'm not even there. "If this blows up in our faces, what the fuck happens then?"

I step in. "We don't fight it. I want all three of you. You all want me. Pretending otherwise will kill us." I turn to Trent. "Unless you're wanting to walk away?"

"She's right," Asher says. "Either we figure this out together or lose her. And I can tell you I'm not going anywhere."

Trent's stance loosens, and I'm relieved. "Together it is, then. And let me just say, once you commit to this, to us, we're not the kind of men who let go easily."

"I'm counting on it. And I need you to count on me not changing my mind, not deciding this is too hard, not waking up one day and deciding I want something simpler." I look at each of them in turn. "This is my choice. All of you. Forever. "

"All of us," Asher says again, like he's still trying to wrap his head around it.

"All of you. The whole complicated, impossible, ridiculous package.

" I gesture at them. "Gavin with his smart mouth and his competitive streak and his way of making everything feel like an adventure.

Asher with his steady hands and his quiet strength and his complete inability to express emotions without blushing.

Trent with his stubborn protectiveness and his midnight pacing and his way of making me feel like I'm worth fighting for. "

"Christ," Gavin mutters, running a hand through his hair.

"I love you. All of you. And I'm done pretending that's something I need to fix or choose between or apologize for." I take a deep breath. "So if anyone has a problem with that, speak now."

The silence stretches between us, but it's different now. Not tense with waiting but heavy with possibility.

"No problems here," Asher says finally, and there's something that might be relief in his voice.

"Hell no," Gavin adds with a grin that's starting to spread across his face.

"Never," Trent says quietly, and the certainty in his voice makes something settle in my chest.

"Good. Because I'm staying, I'm building my business here, I'm learning to tolerate that psychotic rooster, and I'm probably going to spend the rest of my life arguing with you three about everything from fence repair techniques to whose turn it is to cook dinner."

"Sounds perfect," Asher says.

"Sounds like pandemonium," Gavin adds, but he's still grinning.

"Sounds like exactly what we signed up for," Trent finishes.

And just like that, the decision is made. Not just by me but by all of us. The choice to stop pretending this is temporary, stop acting like what we have is wrong or shameful or too complicated to work. The choice to dive in headfirst and figure out the details as we go.

"So that's it." I say. "We're doing this."

"Princess," Gavin says, that familiar cocky grin spreading across his face, "we've been doing this. We're just finally admitting it."

"Speak for yourself," Asher says. "I've been a goner since the fence post."

"And I knew you were staying the night you helped with storm cleanup instead of hiding in your room," Trent adds. "Everything else has just been you catching up to what we already knew."

I shake my head, but I'm smiling. "You're all insane."

"Good thing you like insane," Gavin says.

"Good thing I love insane," I correct.

And then they're all moving toward me at once, and I realize that whatever comes next, whatever challenges we face, whatever complications arise from choosing to love three men who come as a package deal, we're going to face it together.

All of us.

"Come here," Gavin says, his voice dropping to that rough register that never fails to send heat straight through me.

I don't even get a chance to take a step before he's on me, his hands framing my face, his mouth claiming mine in a kiss that tastes like possession and promise and everything I've been craving since this whole mess started.

It's not gentle—Gavin's never been gentle—but it's honest. Raw.

Everything he can't say with words poured into the connection between us.

"Mine," he growls against my lips, and the word sends electricity straight to my core.

"Ours," Asher corrects, appearing at my other side. His hands find my waist, spanning wide, and when I turn to look at him, his eyes are dark with want. "All of ours."

"That's right," Trent says from behind me, his chest pressing against my back, his arms coming around to cage me between all three of them. "No more sharing, no more taking turns. You're ours now, completely."

The barn suddenly feels too small, the air too thick. I'm surrounded by hard muscle and calloused hands and the scent of three different men who've just been given permission to take everything they want.

"Here?" I ask, laughing. The horses must be getting used to this.

"Right here," Gavin says, already working at the buttons of my shirt. "Right now. Can't wait another goddamn second."

They strip me with efficient hands, each piece of clothing disappearing until I'm standing naked in the middle of the barn, surrounded by three fully clothed cowboys who are looking at me like I'm everything they ever wanted.

"Beautiful," Asher breathes, his hands skimming over my ribs, my waist, the curve of my hip. "So fucking beautiful."

"Our turn," Gavin says, and then they're undressing themselves, belts hitting the floor, shirts disappearing, jeans being kicked aside until we're all skin and heat and desperate need.

"How do you want this?" Trent asks, his voice strained with control that's hanging by a thread.

"I want all of you," I say, echoing my earlier words. "At the same time. I want to feel owned, claimed, completely surrounded by you."

"Christ," Gavin groans. "You're going to kill us."

"Not unless you kill me first."