The Stillwell Cowboys Book 3

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“Can I speak to you alone in my office, Pru?” I requested sternly.

“No,” she snapped. “It’s six o’clock in the morning, and we’ve just driven three hours after catching the red eye from Vancouver, after attending my father’s funeral yesterday.

“Miriam is exhausted. I need to get her settled in her room.”

“We don’t have any spare rooms, Pru.”

“I’m moving back into the master suite,” she announced. “Miriam can have the guest suite. I texted Brenda two days ago, and asked her to freshen it up. I’ll move my stuff later, after Miriam gets up.”

“As soon as you get your stepmother settled, I want to see you in my office.”

“I can go to a hotel,” Miriam offered. “The last thing I want to do is cause problems in your home on Christmas.”

“You’re not spending the holiday alone in a hotel room,” I informed her. “My wife and I will sort this out. Please, go get some rest.”

***

I leaned back in my chair with a heavy sigh. Two hours at work, and I’d accomplished nothing. I hadn’t even turned on my computer.

My administrative assistant had the day off. It was Christmas Eve, and she had small children. I wasn’t a heartless bastard.

JR glared at me from his portrait on the wall. We grew up watching the television show Dallas. My mother was obsessed with it. She watched reruns long after it went off the air.

JR Ewing was my idol. My home office was a modern version of JR’s, complete with brown paneling and an enormous leather chair. Instead of Texas, there was an enormous Alberta on the wall.

My brothers liked to rib me about my office. It seemed like a foolish waste of money to rent office space in Rocky Mountain House, and there was nothing suitable in Stillwell.

We had an office in the main barn, but I couldn’t work in those kinds of conditions.

My brothers were pigs when it came to their workspace. Especially Jasper. He ran our tavern in town, and his office there was disgusting. Yet, he kept his home spotless.

Same with my other three brothers, Ethan, Ardley, and Huxley. They all shared the barn office, and it didn’t seem to bother them that it was a disorganized pigsty, but they were neat freaks at home.

I could’ve cleaned it up and organized it to my liking, but I still would’ve had to contend with the smell. It was a barn full of cows and hay.

I might have grown up on a ranch, but I didn’t get the ranching gene. It didn’t interest me.

Pru was going to give me a heart attack if I didn’t get her out of my life soon.

How dare she bring a stranger into my house, without discussing it with me first?

A simple phone call or text message.

That was all it would’ve taken.

Common courtesy.

I knew why she did it.

To get back at me for moving Jasper and Cami into the house without telling her.

But that was different. Jasper was my brother. He wasn’t a stranger to Pru. She may not have liked Cami, but at least she knew her. I didn’t know this woman at all.

Who does that?

Especially in a home with three small children.

She’s pregnant.

I doubt she’s a child molester or a deranged psycho.

Pru didn’t tell me her father died. I didn’t even know he was sick until I heard about his death on the news.

“What would you do if Sue Ellen pulled a stunt like that, JR?” I asked.

“I’d kick her ass to the curb.”

***

The Stillwell Tavern was quiet, the only patron old Willy Wilson. He was sitting at his usual table in the corner, reading his newspaper while he sipped on a glass of Scotch.

“Merry Christmas, Willy,” I said as I walked past his table.

“Same to you, Brooks.”

“Are you lost?” Jasper chuckled.

“No. I stopped by to have a drink before I head over to the park.”

My late mother loved Christmas. When she married my father, he expanded Stillwell Ranch into a Christmas-themed tourist destination.

We offered all of the services of a guest ranch, including horseback riding, cattle drives, hiking, ATVs, and a host of other seasonal activities. Guests stayed in our Christmas-themed bed & breakfast, located right on the ranch.

Stillwell, Alberta, was known as the North Pole of Canada. The main street ran through the center of town with two stop lights, one at the main intersection, and one at the entrance to the theme park.

Christmas in Stillwell was my mother’s creation. The theme park operated from the first of May until Christmas Eve.

It offered amusement park rides, a waterpark, holiday-themed food stands and gift shops, a movie theater, and Santa’s workshop. The park was the anchor of our tourist operation.

Christmas Eve at our amusement park was a family tradition. Every Stillwell was required to attend and greet guests as they enjoyed the final night of the season.

“Sit,” the bartender ordered.

“I didn’t come here for advice,” I said.

Johnny had worked for us for years. Everybody in town knew where to go when they needed to talk to someone.

He was a great listener, offered sound advice, and didn’t gossip. If you shared something with Johnny, he locked it in his vault of discretion.

“He’s full of shit, Johnny,” Jasper said, sliding a bottle of Canadian across the bar to me.

“What’s on your mind, Brooks?” Johnny asked.

I dropped my ass onto a stool with a heavy sigh, taking a sip of my beer. “My wife returned this morning, after another long absence.”

“I saw on the news that her father died.”

“Yes, he did. The great Preston Priggishwine passed away peacefully at home, with his loving wife and children by his side.”

“Wasn’t Pru estranged from her family?” Jasper asked.

“Yep,” I confirmed. “Until dear old Dad found out he was dying, apparently. I knew she’d reunited with him last year. She told me she was going home to visit, but she never told me why. Now it all makes sense.”

“She didn’t crawl back home to make amends,” Jasper guessed.

“Fuck, no,” I snorted, shaking my head. “She wanted to make sure she got her share of the inheritance.”

“I thought she had a trust fund or something? I remember when you guys got married, you said she had her own money.”

“And now, I’m guessing she has a whole lot more,” I said. “She’ll have to pay me alimony, not the other way around.

“My lawyer said we’ll offer her a deal. Her half of the house in exchange for no alimony. I don’t want her money anyway. I just want the house, without her in it.”

“Why don’t you ask her to leave?” Johnny asked.

“We should’ve been divorced by now,” I grumbled. “We started the paperwork last spring. Then Ma died, and Pru was away all summer.

“Jasper’s house burned down, and he had to move his family in with us, and then there was the whole thing with Mimi Mendelson’s daughter, and Pru’s miscarriage.”

“I didn’t know you guys lost a baby,” Johnny said. “I’m sorry, Brooks.”

“It wasn’t my baby.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Yeah. Turns out, my wife rekindled her romance with her high school boyfriend while she was back home in Vancouver, pretending to care for her dying father.

“Her married high school sweetheart. And she got pregnant. I had a vasectomy years ago, so I knew it wasn’t mine.”

“I would’ve shown her the door after that stunt,” Jasper said. “She cheated on you.”

“We’d been separated for quite a while, so, I don’t know that she technically cheated. We haven’t shared a bed in a long time.”

“Until today,” he snorted.

“I’m not sleeping in the same bed as her. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Why is she back in your bed?” Johnny asked.

“Because she didn’t come home alone,” I explained. “She brought her pregnant stepmother, and we’re all out of spare bedrooms. Stepmommy is staying in the guest suite that Pru had been sleeping in when she was home.”

“Why doesn’t the stepmother stay at the B&B?”

“It’s booked solid through the holidays,” I said. “But it’ll be quiet over there after New Years. She’s not staying for free though. I don’t even know how long she’s here for.”

“She’s pregnant,” Jasper reminded me. “I don’t imagine she’ll be allowed to fly much longer.”

“How old is this stepmother?” Johnny inquired.

“Twenty-five,” Jasper chuckled.

“How do you know her age?” I asked. “Wasn’t she still sleeping when you left this morning? And how do you know how far along she is?”

“I haven’t met her yet, but Cami has.”

“Of course,” I sighed.

“Their friendship will be short-lived, if she’s loyal to Pru.”

“I thought Pru and Cami were getting along better?” Johnny said.

“They were tolerating each other before Pru left,” Jasper clarified. “They’ll never be friends. I think their truce had more to do with lack of energy and hormones than anything else.

“Cami was at the end of her pregnancy, and Pru was recovering from her miscarriage. Pru left shortly after Sadie was born. This is the first time she’s been home in almost three months.”

“Pru’s stepmother is twenty-five,” Johnny pondered. “She’s young. Preston Priggishwine was forty years older than her.”

“Yes,” I cringed. “Rich old guys seem to have no trouble getting the young chicks.”

“Cami said Mrs. Priggishwine is quite the looker,” Jasper shared. “Is that true, Brooks?”

“I don’t know,” I mumbled. “I saw her for two minutes.”

I was lying.

I noticed her.

She was beautiful.

I may have had a bit of a pregnancy fetish, but I’d never admit that to Jasper. He’d blab to our other brothers, and they’d rib me nonstop.

There was something about a swollen belly that gave me a chubby. Especially when the owner was as gorgeous as Miriam. The knocked-up blonde bombshell that my wife brought home was fucking hot.

“What are you going to do, Brooks?” Johnny asked.

I drained my beer and stood up, straightening my tie. “Right now, I’m going to the park. Business comes first. We have a public image to maintain. Pru will be on her best behavior.”

***

I pulled into the garage, parking my silver Land Rover next to Pru’s Prius.

Her ugly little car had been taking up space in my garage for months while she was out in Vancouver, kissing her father’s ass and fucking old flames.

Cami needed that spot more than Pru. She had three babies to load and unload in the harsh winter months ahead.

Jasper and Cami’s new house was framed and closed in. They were lucky the weather cooperated.

After a freak blizzard in late September, we experienced a warm fall, and never saw another snowfall until early December. Mother Nature was as confused as all hell.

I wasn’t in any hurry for them to move out. My house used to be a sterile museum of antiques, where the only sounds were the ticking of Pru’s annoying grandfather clock and the coyotes crying at night.

Now, my house was alive with the joyful laughter of children and the delicious aroma of home-cooked meals.

Pru had never cooked a meal in her life. Cami put dinner on the table every night, and she was a great cook. I had no idea where she found the time.

I headed inside, going straight to the minibar in the family room.

Family room.

What a joke that is.

The only family that has ever resided in this house belongs to Jasper.

I poured a shot of whiskey, tossing it back before refilling the glass right to the top. I wasn’t normally much of a drinker, but I needed it that night. My current pity trip wouldn’t be complete without booze.

The room was filled with baby paraphernalia.

My brother was a lucky man.

I never realized what I was missing out on until Jasper moved in. I’d been around kids. The Stillwells were known for having big families.

My oldest brother, Huxley, had ten kids. Ethan, the youngest, had seven. Ardley had one, a little girl he adopted with his husband. But seeing them at family gatherings wasn’t the same as living with them.

“Fucking selfish bitch,” I muttered, emptying my glass as I relished the burn of the alcohol coating my esophagus.

I set my glass down, deciding to drink straight from the bottle instead.

I didn’t give a shit if I was hungover on Christmas.

What did it matter?

It wasn’t my kids who would be opening presents in the morning.

It wasn’t my fiancée who would be cooking a delicious breakfast.

I never thought I would be jealous of Jasper. He was the confirmed bachelor. The manwhore of Stillwell.

A real Casanova.

That’s what our Ma called him.

And now he was a father of three. A committed family man.

“Christmas Eve at the park wasn’t the same without you, Ma,” I whispered, blinking back tears.

The alcohol seeped into my brain, impairing my judgment. The rage that had been simmering in my gut all evening reached a boiling point.

I slammed the bottle on the bar and headed down the hallway toward the master suite.

Four fucking bedrooms.

Why did I build such a big house?

I knew my young bride didn’t want children.

But I was blinded by love.

Love?

Is that what we’re calling blow jobs these days?

Pru could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch.

Or she used to be able to.

I couldn’t remember the last time she touched any part of my body.

I opened my bedroom door, slamming it forcefully behind me.

Pru bolted upright in bed, ripping her sleep mask from her eyes. “What the hell, Brooks?” she snapped.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing, Mrs. Stillwell.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Nope.”

“What do you want?”

“I want an explanation for why you failed to make an appearance at the park tonight.”

“I’m not really in a festive mood.”

“And you think I am?”

“I have no idea,” she huffed.

“I’m not.”

“Well, you’re the CEO of the company. You were required to be there, whether you were in the mood or not.”

“And you’re the wife of the CEO, and you were required to be there.”

“We’re separated, Brooks.”

“The public doesn’t know that.”

“I really don’t give a shit.”

“What do you care about, Pru? Other than yourself, of course.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Why did you invite your stepmother to stay at my house?”

“Our house, Brooks,” she hissed, her nostrils flaring as she clutched the sheet tightly to her chest.

“Not for long. I can’t wait to send you and all of your ugly furniture out the door.”

“My antiques are not ugly.”

“That’s a matter of opinion, darling,” I said, my laughter brittle and humorless.

“And taste. Which, clearly, you don’t possess. But you’re an ugly woman, inside and out, so it doesn’t surprise me that you like ugly furnishings.”

“You’re a real bastard, Brooks Stillwell,” she spat. “What happened to the sweet guy I married?”

“Twenty years of living with a witch turned me into a miserable prick.”

“Why are you being so mean? I don’t care for this ugly side of you.”

“You’re free to leave at any time.”

“Half of this house is mine.”

“Then half of your precious inheritance, that you worked so hard for, is mine.”

“We’ll see about that,” she huffed.

“You never answered my question, Prudence.”

“What question?”

“Why did you invite your stepmother to my home for the holidays without discussing it with me first?”

“Why did you let Jasper and Cami and their herd of illegitimate offspring move in without asking me?”

“He’s family. A crazy psycho burned down his house, and he lost everything. I was the only one with room to take them in.”

“Miriam is my family. She’s pregnant and alone, after just losing her husband.”

“She’s not your family,” I scoffed. “She was your father’s, what, fifth or sixth wife?”

“Fourth,” she snapped.

“Doesn’t she have her own family?”

“Her father is way worse than mine ever was, Brooks.”

“How?”

“That’s none of your business. All you need to know is she has nowhere to go, and no money. She’s pregnant with twins. And she needs some help to get on her feet.”

“Did you say twins?”

“Yes.”

“How long are you planning to let her stay here?”

“Until she has the babies.”

“Are you insane?!” I bellowed.

“Lower your voice!” she hissed.

“There’s no way she’s broke, Pru. Your father was a billionaire.”

“She signed a prenup.”

“Why would she do that?”

“She had no choice. You do not understand how things work in the world we come from. Don’t even try.”

“She can’t stay here indefinitely.”

“She’s staying until the babies are born.”

“No, she’s not. You’re not even going to be here that much longer.”

She pulled back the covers with a sly grin.

“Why are you sleeping naked?!” I barked.

“I always sleep naked,” she whispered, swinging her skinny legs over the side of the bed.

“Put some clothes on,” I ordered, covering my eyes.

“Oh, Brooks,” she said, her husky laugh setting off warning bells in my brain.

Get out there!

But my feet wouldn’t move.

My gullible, traitorous dick was holding them hostage.

He knew what was coming. And he didn’t care who the owner of the mouth was.

“Don’t even think about it, Pru,” I growled.

“If you really didn’t want it, you’d already be gone,” she whispered.

“We’re not doing this, Pru.”

She laughed as she dropped to her knees in front of me, rubbing my rapidly growing erection through my pants. “Your mouth says no, but your cock says yes.”

I leaned on the wall, powerless against the woman who’d controlled me for our entire marriage. Pru was a manipulative shrew who wasn’t afraid to use her talented mouth to get what she wanted from me.

She released my belt buckle, sliding the zipper over my throbbing shaft. Common sense flew out the window the minute she wrapped her lips around my cock.

It had been so long.

Too long.

I was faithful to my wife. Even after I learned that she hadn’t been. As far as I was concerned, we were still married, and I would honor the vows I took until the divorce was final.

When she sucked on my balls, my last shred of control snapped. I hauled her to her feet, slamming her scrawny ass down on the dresser.

“What are you doing, Brooks?”

“Something really stupid that I’m going to regret,” I grunted, my fingers digging into her flesh when I pushed her thighs apart.

“You’re finally going to fuck me properly with that big cock of yours?” she taunted.

“Is that what you want, Mrs. Stillwell?”

“That’s what I’ve always wanted.”

I lined up my dick, driving inside her tight pussy until I was buried as deep in hell as I could get.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, thrusting her cunt as she tried to fuck me. I clamped my hands on her hips, holding her still.

“What are you doing, Brooks?” she panted.

“Taking control,” I growled.

“You’ll never control me.”

I pulled back, slamming inside her a second time. She hung onto my shoulders, moaning, and whimpering while I fucked her without mercy.

My balls throbbed, the tingling spreading through my pelvis. I yanked my cock from her body with a loud pop, covering her tits and belly in jizz.

She pulled my head down, attempting to kiss me on the lips. I turned away before she could make contact with my mouth.

“Don’t be like that, Brooks.”

“Like what?”

“A cold asshole.”

I reached for the box of tissues, shoving it into her hands before I untangled her legs from around my waist.

“Clean yourself up,” I ordered.

“We could take a shower together,” she suggested.

I yanked up my boxers and slacks. “No, thanks.”

“Why did you pull out?”

“I only cum inside women I love.”

“That’s harsh, Brooks.”

“If you can’t handle the truth, that’s not my problem.”

“You had a vasectomy years ago,” she said. “And I got my tubes tied while I was back home, after my miscarriage.”

“That was a smart decision, considering you like to fuck around with married men, who haven’t been snipped and robbed of the chance to become a father.”

“You agreed to have a vasectomy, Brooks. I didn’t force you to do it.”

“No?”

“No.”

“That’s not how I remember it, Pru.”

“What is the point in rehashing this issue now?” she sighed, shaking her head as she pulled on her short black robe. “We’re in our forties. Too old to start a family. And both of us have been sterilized.”

“I went to see a doctor about getting my vasectomy reversed.”

“Why?”

“Having Jasper’s kids here has made me realize I want a family.”

“Oh my God, Brooks,” she laughed.

“The specialist I saw said, after twenty years, the chances of a successful reversal aren’t great.”

She crossed the room, reaching between my legs to cup my balls.

“Get your hands off of me, Pru,” I warned through gritted teeth.

“I think we should give our marriage another chance, Brooks.”

“No.”

“What?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Did you listen to anything I just said?”

“The novelty of the little humans will wear off. Once they’re gone, and our house is clean and quiet again, you’ll realize you don’t really want children. Trust me.”

“As soon as my lawyer gets back from holidays, I’m going to have him file the divorce papers,” I informed her, stepping back.

“Why?”

“I don’t love you anymore,” I said stiffly. “I want you out of my house and out of my life.”

“Then why did you just fuck me?”

“I’ve been drinking, and I’m feeling depressed about the holidays.”

“I’m glad I was able to help you tonight, then,” she said. “I know it’s been hard for you, losing your mother the way you did. And I want to help you get through your first Christmas without her.”

“I don’t want or need anything from you, Pru.”

“Yes, you do, Brooks,” she said softly. “Otherwise, you would’ve never had sex with me just now. That’s not your style.”

“You were nothing more than a warm place to stick my dick. I would’ve fucked anything that came along. Unfortunately, your withered-up old cunt was the only one available to me tonight.”

She raised her hand, slapping me in the face so hard, it resonated to my eardrum.

“I want you and your stepmother gone by the first of the year,” I said quietly before storming out of the room.