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“I will, but we can’t just let her die,” Reed said. “You know what she just did, don’t you? Erica could’ve died today.”
Sawyer nodded, knowing that Connie had saved their sister’s life. Whoever the motorcyclist was must’ve thought Erica was Nicole. “I’ll go get the truck so we can get her to the cabin.”
* * * *
Nicole looked at the magnificent animal in the bed of the guys’ truck. She hated seeing Connie this way, eyes closed, jaw agape, breathing shallow. “We’ve got to get her to a vet.”
“We can’t leave. You know that. Whoever shot our girl got away, likely back to Destiny, crosshairs ready for any sign of you.”
“You just can’t let her die,” Nicole said, feeling the sting of unshed tears in her eyes.
“Reed and I know a thing or two about taking care of big animals,” Sawyer said gently. “We work on a ranch, you know?”
Erica nodded. “Nicole, they know what they’re doing. Believe me. I’ve seen my brothers work miracles.”
“Erica, take Nicole to the barn. Get all the towels you can find. Fill up a bucket with water. Get the black case marked ‘animal med supplies,’” Reed ordered. “It’s next to the drench and the fly spray. Got it?”
/> “Yes,” their sister answered.
“Good. Bring everything back here,” he added. “Hurry. Sawyer and I will remove the bullet and will need those things pronto.”
Nicole ran beside Erica to the barn, praying for Connie, the big cat she felt a deep connection to.
* * * *
Reed took a swig of the whiskey his brother had just brought him. It had been a very long night, but Connie had pulled through. She was heavily sedated and resting. He and Sawyer had modified her stall to ensure if she did wake she couldn’t get out.
It would take a few days, maybe even a week, for her to get back on all four paws, but she was going to be okay. Thank God, the shot hadn’t damaged any of Connie’s internal organs, having entered her side. A fraction of an inch in any other direction would’ve taken the big cat’s life for sure.
Luckily, all the livestock were still in the pasture and would remain there until Connie fully recovered.
“Look at those two,” Sawyer said, pointing to Nicole and Erica, both asleep in the stall across from Connie’s.
He shook his head and smiled. “How many times did we tell them to go into the cabin and rest?”
“At least two dozen, bro.” Sawyer yawned. “They’re both so stubborn.”
“We owe Dylan for taking care of our sister.” Reed took another swallow of the amber liquid.
Sawyer smiled. “Maybe he’s finally ready to pull his head out of his ass and make a move on her. Cam’s been ready for a while. It’s just Dylan holding things up.”
Reed looked at Nicole. Time to pull my head out of my ass, too. He was ready now. How did such a tender treasure like her find her way to Destiny, to Coleman Territory, to him and Sawyer? “I want her, Sawyer,” he confessed. “Not just for a few nights or a long fling. I want her forever.”
“So do I, Reed. So do I.” Sawyer put his arm around his shoulder. “You’ve got to let Nicole know what you want. Right?”
He nodded, hoping for the perfect time to tell her.
* * * *
Nicole felt more connected than she had in her entire life. She was in a barn outside Destiny, Colorado, with Sawyer and Reed, the two cowboys Sheriff Jason Wolfe had forced on her, looking at a sleeping mountain lion.
Watching how skilled and gentle they’d been with Connie last night had reached deep into Nicole’s heart, making it swell up with pride for them.
Erica was asleep inside the cabin. Sawyer and Reed had refused to let her return to Destiny alone until the shooter was found.
These cowboys had been strangers to her just a short time ago but now they were…what to her now? She really didn’t know how to describe what she felt for them, but it was intense. Love? Maybe. If so, she’d have to move her debacle in the station two years ago down a notch. Foolishly, she’d actually opened up her heart to Sawyer and Reed. The new topper of her unwritten but often quoted too-stupid-to-live list would have to be that now.
Even though Sawyer seemed interested in something more lasting, Reed had made it quite clear on the porch the day before that he wasn’t. Giving in to Sawyer’s sweet advances might be wonderful and what she wanted deep down, but she couldn’t. It would most definitely create a wedge between the two brothers, which she wasn’t about to do. With all their brotherly sparring, it was so clear to her how much they loved one another. Sure, they’d grown up in an unusual home with two dads and one mom. Did that matter, really? Until the tragic plane crash, they’d been surrounded by love. Three parents had to be better than two. She’d not even had one parent to love her. Thank God for her grandfather. A poly family was what Sawyer and Reed were meant to have. One woman they could both cherish. She wasn’t about to break up that dream for them even if that meant losing them both and ripping her heart in two.
