Page 34 of Wrangled Up (Menage a Trouble #2)

He gripped his shoulder and pulled Tucker more tightly against him. Right now he could think of nothing better than sitting in a field with Tucker, watching for intruders. Except maybe bringing Claire along.

“I’m there,” Christian said.

Tucker skimmed his mouth over Christian’s. The rough mash of lips and tangle of tongues ended too damn quickly. He released him and started toward the truck—all ranch business again. Over his shoulder he tossed, “‘Kay then. Bring the condoms.”

* * * * *

Letty had been feeling overly tired this morning, and it worried the hell out of Claire. Her aunt was no spring chicken, so every cough and flu sent a panic through her .

She slid the old Buick crookedly into a parking spot in front of the drugstore, thoughts of stockpiling cold medicines bright in her mind. Sure, Letty hadn’t so much as wheezed or sniffled, but one couldn’t be too cautious.

At dawn, Claire had found her heavy-eyed aunt at the stove, flipping pancakes, and insisted she return to bed. Then she’d assumed the flipping. Setting thick stacks of cakes in front of her men had given her a warm feeling.

Tucker had dug in with enthusiasm and grunts of appreciation, while Christian wielded his fork more cautiously. He had eaten every bite though.

She climbed out of the car and approached the storefront. At this time of morning, the streets were filled with foot traffic. Tourists and hunters in for the upcoming season and some of the regular townspeople milled the sidewalks.

A young girl with all the curves and swagger of a Wyoming rodeo queen bounced up to the drugstore. There was an awkward moment where they reached the door at the same time.

Claire stepped back, aware of the girl’s polished appearance and expensive outfit. Her gleaming high-end cowgirl boots stretched over golden, tanned calves, making Claire look like she had toothpicks stuffed into boots stolen off a homeless cowboy.

The girl passed in front of her without so much as a smile or thank you that Claire held the door. Perfume-scented air trailed behind.

Claire hung back a second to allow a laughing woman with luxurious dark hair and two rugged cowboys to tumble out of the drugstore.

The way they clung so close to each other reminded Claire of what she had with Tucker and Christian.

When one cowboy leaned in and planted a smooch on the woman’s cheek, the other said, “Hey, she’s still mine during the day, remember? ”

“That deal’s been off for months.”

Shaking her head and smiling, Claire entered the building.

Inside, Claire made a beeline for the cold meds.

On the way to the back of the store, she passed an older couple that frequented the diner.

Just making eye contact forced her to stop and listen to them talk about their son who was overseas in the military and how he’d been injured.

That morphed into five minutes of political talk, which Claire couldn’t care less about.

Finally, she wished them a good day and headed to the medicine aisle. There, smack in the way, was Marcella Evans, the craft shop lady.

Bracing herself for an onslaught of gossip sometimes more disturbing than what people told Claire from their own lips, she plastered a smile on her face and eased past her.

“Morning, Claire, honey. Haven’t seen you or Letty in the shop for a bit. Not since you gathered all of those supplies for what was it…?” She pressed a finger to her lips in thought. “Oh yes, the alpaca.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Claire caught a jerk of movement. In the main aisle, the rodeo queen’s head had snapped up. She stopped in her tracks.

“What was it you were making for the alpaca again, dear?”

Claire darted a glance at the girl, who was listening intently, a crinkle between her perfectly sculpted brows. “Uh…just some ornaments for her to wear to the fair. ”

“Oh yes, that’s it. You plan to show it yourself?”

At that, the rodeo queen drifted into the medicine aisle. Three of them in the small space made Claire want to spin and flee.

She planted her heels. “Yes, I entered the paperwork yesterday.”

“Do you have a picture of the items you made for the alpaca?” Marcella asked, leaning in and fogging the air with a cloud of wintergreen mints. “I like to see what my customers make with the supplies they buy.”

“What?” Claire grew aware that the rodeo queen was staring. She wasn’t even pretending not to eavesdrop on their conversation by looking at anal suppositories or nicotine gum.

“A picture?”

“Oh yeah, I have a picture on my phone.” Claire dug in the back pocket of her worn jeans and produced her phone. After flipping through some photos, she held up the device for Marcella to see a shot of Boom Boom bedazzled in ankle cuffs and a rhinestone head wrap.

“That’s Boomerang,” the rodeo queen exclaimed in a breathy whisper .

Claire gaped at her. “What? How do you know?”

If this girl was one of Tucker’s conquests…

No, she didn’t even look eighteen. He wouldn’t dally with an underage girl.

Then again, maybe the rodeo queen wasn’t as young as Claire suspected. Shit, now she just felt old, worn and put away wet. I thought I couldn’t feel any less glamorous.

“Excuse me, Marcella. I have to just…”

The older woman looked between Claire and the other girl, obviously hungering for more gossip. But she gave a nod and moved off toward the shampoo.

“You must be the woman living on Tucker’s ranch.” The girl narrowed her eyes.

“I am. And you are?” She tried not to let the worry about Tucker’s previous lovers seep into her voice. She drew a deep breath.

“Darcy Langley.”

Claire felt her eyes flare with surprise. The top forty country radio station drawled in the background. “Tucker’s…?”

“Cousin. Leon’s my dad.”

Ahh. Spoiled daddy’s girl with the thousand dollar boots .

When Claire didn’t respond, Darcy snatched the phone from her hand.

Before she could get over her shock, Darcy had thumbed the screen, looking at several shots of Boom Boom and landing on one Claire had shot the previous day of Tucker, Christian and herself.

Their heads were close together and the sun was fading in the background.

Claire grabbed her phone out of Darcy’s hand. “What do you need from me exactly?”

Darcy’s lip curled. For a staggering moment, Claire could only see Darcy’s brother in that snide expression. “Boomerang is my animal. Tucker has been raising it up for me to show at the fair. Didn’t you know?”

A cold finger trailed down Claire’s spine and prodded her stomach. “What are you talking about?”

“Boomerang is mine. I’m showing her next week.”

Claire’s mind reeled. Why hadn’t Tucker told her? Hell, if she’d known she wouldn’t have gotten so attached to the beast.

And who the hell was Darcy to waltz in and take over Claire’s efforts? “No, you aren’t. ”

Darcy rocked back on her heels as if she’d been slapped. Then again, hearing the word no might be equivalent to a palm against her pretty, powdered cheek.

“Tucker and I have a deal.”

“Do you?” Claire countered. Anger rose inside her, for every time she’d remained silent and allowed people to spill their guts to her and had never given her opinion or thoughts. That was the same as being walked on for many long years.

But this rodeo queen wasn’t going to win the blue ribbon for Boom Boom.

“Listen, lady…” Darcy raked her gaze over Claire, from her shabby boots to her white shirt with the dirty hem where she’d wiped her hand before leaving the ranch, “…I don’t know who you are to Tucker exactly. But he and I are family. Family sticks together.”

She snorted. “Yeah, I know all about families that try to bully and intimidate into getting their own selfish ways.”

Darcy took a hasty step forward into Claire’s space. She resisted the urge to shove her back. Or not …

She smacked the heel of her hand off Darcy’s shoulder. Despite looking as if she still weighed as much as she had at birth, the girl was solid. Had some muscle. She didn’t move.

But she did retaliate. Fury washed over her face. “You little bitch!” Darcy sank a hand into Claire’s curls and twisted ruthlessly. The tug brought instant tears to her eyes—tears that only infuriated her.

Claire reached for Darcy’s coiffed ‘do and yanked the highlighted strands. Several clung to her fingers like cobwebs.

A roar of anger erupted from Darcy. She pulled so hard on Claire’s hair that she was sure to sport a bald spot for months. She bit her lip against the pain and slapped Darcy across the face.

Darcy jerked on her hair, and they both toppled off balance into the suppository display. A flurry of slaps and knee jabs ensued. Claire’s head spun from the craziness, but she managed to hold her own.

She got Darcy on the dirty carpet and pinned her with a knee on her toned gut. She glared down at the girl’s face. If she was underage, Claire was so going to jail for assaulting a minor .

But it would all be worth it. On behalf of Tucker and Christian, for the crap both of them had put up with between Leon and Dale, Claire would show this girl who had strength.

All at once, it struck her. She loosened her hold on Darcy’s hair but continued to kneel on her. The magnitude of what she could do here made her nerves spark with excitement.

“I’ll strike a deal with you.”

Darcy’s eyes widened but still shot bullets. “What’s that, you heavy cow?”

For that, Claire ground her kneecap into her belly. Darcy grunted.

“You want Boomerang.”

“I have the rights to her. She’s mine!”

“Well, Tucker has the rights to his land too.”

Understanding flashed across the girl’s features. So she’s a smart one after all.

Darcy fell still. “What do you want?”

“You call off daddy and big brother and stop hassling Tucker about signing those papers and you can have the alpaca.”

To anyone else in the world, using an alpaca as leverage would be laughable. But deep down, Claire was devastated. She swallowed hard.

“How am I supposed to make Daddy back off? I’m only sixteen!”

Fuck. I’m definitely going to need bail money.