Diamonds and Spurs [The Callens 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read Free Page A

hoping to confuse whoever Craig might have hired to keep an eye on her.
    When she was convinced no one knew where she was going—including Candy, Beth, and Lisa—she arrived in Intrigue.
    Mandy met with the owner, a Samantha Callen Watson, and interviewed for the job.
    To her delight, Samantha, or Sam as she asked to be called, told her the job was hers. So here she was.
    Only, the job wasn’t quite as she’d expected. Sure, the first day was good. Sam introduced her to her bunkmates, Lilly and Trinity, both of whom were cool. The ladies showed her around the ranch and detailed how they handled the expeditions. Being out in the open, free of worry, helped soothed her soul.
    Then came day two followed by day three. When Sam met up with her Friday morning, she explained that all of the workers started at the bottom and worked their way up.
    “Bottom, my ass,” Mandy grumbled as she shoveled another pile of horse dung and placed it in the bin.
    She knew she should be content she even had a job. The other three she’d applied for never materialized. But knowing she would be a stable hand for a month or so didn’t sit well with her. Her nails had already cracked.
    “Need help?”
    She spun at the sound of the rich male tone. Sam had explained a man went on each of the expeditions to keep everyone safe, but the women were the ones in charge.
    Whoa . Mandy hadn’t seen anyone quite like this cowboy at the ranch since she’d arrived. His tight T-shirt had sweat stains between his pecs and had traveled in a V-pattern down to his low-slung jeans hugging his slim hips. As soon as her heart stopped fluttering, she lifted her gaze to his dazzling smile and then to eyes she bet every woman got lost in.
    Answer him . “You’re asking if you can help clean the stall?”
    “Yup.”
    Men at her Denver country club would never have offered. She wiped her hand on her pants and held it out. “I’m Mandy.” No need to state her last name. She feared she’d slip and say Clairbourne when her application used her maiden name.
    “Vince. Offer still stands.”
    She looked for another shovel. “There might be another one in the tack room.” There were only two stalls left to clean.
    He stepped near, clasped her wrist, and lifted the shovel from her hands, brushing her fingers in what seemed like an obvious attempt to touch her. “This one will do.”
    He tossed her an earth-shattering grin. From the way his eyes sparkled, she bet he was used to having women throw themselves at him. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to step back or follow the pack.
    Pulse racing, she chose to step back. This was not good. In part, the job appealed to her because she wouldn’t be around men. After her experience with Craig, she never expected to have her heart race like this ever again.
    Do something .
    “I’ll go brush the horses.”
    With his back to her, he waved a hand. “You do that.”
    What was wrong with her? Craig had left a bitter taste in her mouth. Despite having the divorce papers, she wasn’t ready to walk into another relationship. Not that he was asking, but no one would mistake that pickup line.
    She gathered two different brushes and moved to the next stall. “How long have you worked at the Circle Bar?” If she didn’t strike up a conversation, he’d probably consider it rude.
    The scraping stopped. He stepped over to her stall and leaned against the door. “I’ve known Sam my whole life.”
    He didn’t quite answer her question. Understanding her boss, though, could help her avoid a misstep. “What’s she like?”
    “Tough, but fair. She used to run a cattle ranch, but a lot of the men in town gave her shit. Intrigue can be a tough place for a woman. That’s why Sam decided to have a ranch where woman can be themselves.”
    “That’s what drew me here.”
    “Don’t get me wrong. Sam’s all female. Her two husbands have helped her express her more feminine side.”
    Mandy probably should have focused on the