Iron Will (Grizzly Encounters Book 1) Page 7

  Cullen shrugged. “You needed it more than I did. You’re welcome to hold on to it if you’re still cold.”

  She shivered as if on cue, though she wasn’t sure it had anything to do with the temperature. “I’ll be fine. There’s a small stove in the back room. There wasn’t any fuel to start it up last night, but I’ll gather some coal so I’ll be prepared tonight. The days are still warm enough.”

  “I’ll have one of the crewmen bring you some before we head out.”

  “Cullen, I don’t need to be waited on.”

  “No, but you don’t need to get yourself dirty, again, when you’ll likely have more patients. We already saw how well your first bath faired.”

  She swatted his arm. “I did get clean, so in that respect, it was a shining success.” She sighed in defeat. “Fine. I appreciate it.” She paused with one foot inside the door, looking at them over her shoulder. “Are you gentlemen going to be this…accommodatin’ all the time?”

  Cullen quirked his lips. “Is that a problem?”

  “I suppose not. It’s just… I’m not used to people being supportive of me. Honestly, I half expected you to dump my ass on the first train back to Boston today, seeing as I’ve already dealt with Jack.”

  Lucas stepped forward. “We misjudged you once already. We don’t plan on making that same mistake, again.”

  “Fair enough. Then, I suppose I’ll see you both later.”

  She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She leaned against it, curbing the urge to move to the window—watch them walk away. She didn’t like the restless flutter of her pulse or the nervous roll of her stomach when she realized she wouldn’t see either of the men, again, before sunset. It wasn’t like her to let her guard down this quickly, especially when she really didn’t know them. Maybe they were being nice so she wouldn’t suspect their real motivations. Wouldn’t see it coming when they changed their minds and sent her packing.

  She groaned inwardly. This had nothing to do with being fired and everything to do with the riot of emotions churning inside her since Cullen had tackled her down by the river. Having his body over hers shouldn’t have felt that…exciting. That right. It was the same feeling she’d gotten when Lucas had tugged her against his chest, then gathered her in his lap.

  Get ahold of yourself.

  They were most likely just doing their job. And the fact there was two of them—what was she thinking? She couldn’t be attracted to both men at the same time. And not shoving her on a train didn’t mean either of them felt anything other than idle responsibility of her. After all, Lucas was the sheriff, and Cullen had his job riding on the success or failure of the spur. It was only natural they’d look out for anyone in town, especially if she could help keep the men working—keep the line moving forward.

  She straightened. Now wasn’t the time to let her heart rule her behavior. She’d come here to play her role as camp doctor, and nothing was going to interfere with that. The sooner she made peace with the fact she’d most likely spend her life alone—that the chance of having any man embrace her profession was a long shot at best—the easier it would be to work in the camps without getting distracted by any romantic notions. After all, this was only a stop. A temporary place to stay until it shut down for the harsh winter months. Then, she’d be off to another camp—another test of her skills. Getting attached…

  Hollis moved over to the cot, checking Jack’s temperature. This was what she knew. What she was good at. Cullen and Lucas—they were just wishful thinking for a life she knew she couldn’t have.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Lucas paced the length of the newly laid line, watching the workers prepare the next section for the narrow-gauge rail. The sounds of metal against metal echoed around them, making it extremely hard to listen for possible threats. He removed his hat, wiping the sweat from his brow before flopping the Stetson back in place. The weather couldn’t seem to make up its mind. Freezing temperatures at night, hotter than normal days. Just their luck the winter snow would come early this year and shorten their timeframe even more.

  He glanced at Cullen, drawn to the way his muscles flexed as he swung a pickaxe, obviously trying to get through the last bit of rock and clay. His mate had taken off his shirt hours ago, and the smooth expanse of sun-kissed skin mixed with the hint of hair along his chest was slowly driving Lucas crazy. But it wasn’t just Cullen.

  It had been five weeks since Hollis had stumbled into their lives, and Lucas hadn’t had a moment’s peace since. Between fighting his attraction for both his mates and trying to keep the crews safe—he hadn’t found a spare minute to fully act on the blistering arousal consuming him. While that was probably a good thing where Hollis was concerned, Cullen—he was a different story.

  They’d both worked hard to try and maintain their distance—wait until Hollis was part of their coupling—but they were failing miserably. Lucas had lost track of the number of times they’d slammed each other into a handy surface, each vying for possession of the other’s mouth. The word “mine” had been playing over and over inside his head, to the point he’d finally fallen to his knees last night, determined to claim just a piece of Cullen by sucking the other man dry, only to get interrupted when shouts had risen from the saloon.

  Lucas cursed. Men like Frank were going to drive Lucas past the breaking point. It was bad enough Hollis had already had to deal with what felt like an endless series of work-related injuries. Having to consistently patch up the crew because they lost their temper over a card game was pushing her to the edge, too. He wasn’t sure if she’d gotten more than a few hours of sleep each night since arriving there, and the noticeable smudges beneath her eyes were like knives to his and Cullen’s souls. They should be courting her—finding ways to win her heart, not spending what little time they could manage together just ensuring she ate. That she was strong enough to hold her own when one of the men thought they could best her.

  A growl rumbled through his chest. He’d already tossed half a dozen men in jail for a night for trying to take advantage of her, and he suspected it was just the beginning. It was getting to the point he was considering shooting a few, himself, as a deterrent. Though that would only make more work for Hollis. And Lord knew she already had her hands full. Thankfully, between him and Cullen, she hadn’t had to do more than punch the odd cowboy in the jaw before they’d had the problem corralled.

  His cock jerked painfully against the confines of his trousers. The damn thing had been in a constant state of arousal since meeting Hollis, and all the limited contact and interruptions with Cullen had only made the situation worse. Another few days and his bear might simply break free and ruin everything.

  His grizzly huffed, pacing back and forth inside his head. The animal was restless and not just because of Cullen and Hollis. The endless attacks on the line were testing both his and his bear’s patience. While the injuries hadn’t taken another life, yet—largely due to Hollis’ skill and determination—Lucas’ inability to prevent adding to her workload was irritating the Hell out of him. But it was nearly impossible to cover every angle when the men were currently out in the open, with endless trees and boulders to hide behind on either side of the line. Even with Cullen devoting half his time to security, there just weren’t enough eyes. And with the amount of blasting they were doing to help get through the unrelenting rock, the explosives made a worthwhile prize for any of Buford’s gang, and reason, enough, to keep targeting the rail.

  His bear snarled this time. It didn’t like feeling helpless. He’d given the poor animal as much freedom as he could without sprouting fur, but with all the other noises, Cullen’s scent hanging in the air and hints of Hollis’ lingering on his shirt or jacket—wherever she’d innocently touched him—it made it next to impossible to unearth other dangers. Lucas was quickly becoming more of a liability than an asset. And if he didn’t find a way to stake his claim with his mates soon, going rogue might be the least of his concerns. He could end up missing
something and getting someone killed. Someone like Hollis.

  He barely contained the growl that rumbled through his chest. Cold day in Hell before he allowed anyone to harm his mates. He’d camp outside Hollis’ clinic if he had to. His animal snorted. Christ, who was he kidding? He and Cullen already spent every night watching the building. Slowly losing their sanity.

  Footsteps sounded nearby, and Lucas looked back toward the line. Cullen strode toward him, scanning the woods behind Lucas as he went. Rippling muscles glistened in the late afternoon sun, the thick bands across his chest and abdomen creating shadows along his torso.

  Cullen missed a step as their gazes clashed, catching himself before moving in close. Red flashed in his eyes, a hint of claws showing on his fingers before he stuffed them in his pocket. “You keep starin’ at me that way, and I’m liable to fuck you right here, right now.”

  Lucas let the growl he’d crushed surface. “You’ll have to wait your turn, mate, because I’m not really in the mood to be submissive. And seeing as you’re already half naked…”

  Cullen’s eyes darkened at the term, mate. Lucas had gone to great lengths not to use it in that way while they’d been waiting to find their missing piece. Now that they’d found her… The word rolled off his tongue as if it had a mind of its own. He only wished he could say it to Hollis. Hear her use it when referring to them.

  Cullen’s jaw clenched, pulsing the muscle in his temple. He inhaled, though based on the repeated clench of his jaw, the simple act hadn’t helped calm him down. “We can’t keep dancin’ around Hollis like this. If my damn bear rides me any harder, I won’t be able to stop from waltzin’ into the clinic, scooping her up and carryin’ her away. With you beside me.”

  “You think I don’t know that? I can’t focus on the damn railway when all I can think about is touching you. Tastin’ her. Hell, I hadn’t even realized one of the men had cut themselves until you’d sent him back to town on your horse. I should have smelled the blood, but…” He lifted his hands, watching the way they shook as he tried to hold them steady. “I’m consumed with this need that’s got me so tied in knots, I’m compromisin’ everyone’s safety. Including yours.”

  Cullen laid a hand on Lucas’ shoulder. “It’s not just you. I’m drownin’ right along with you. We need to talk to Hollis. Do something to soothe our other halves before we ruin any chance at a future with her by doing something rash.”

  “Well, if you’ve got an idea on how to sweep the girl off her feet, I’m listenin’.”

  Cullen kicked at the dirt. “You mean besides taking her in our arms and kissing her until she surrenders? Not really.”

  “The problem is that, every time we finally get her alone, an emergency pops up and either she has to leave or we do. We need to go someplace private. Where we can’t be interrupted. Maybe she’d agree to ride out to survey that bridge site with us. Stay the night in a tent. Even if it’s just her inside and us outside, it might be enough to get our bears to back off. Give us the time we need to properly court her. Show her for certain that we want to be more than a couple of men she has coffee with.”

  “And when we come back to discover Buford’s gang has raided the camp while we were gone?”

  “Can’t have it both ways, Cullen. Either we make peace with the fact Hollis is unattainable while we’re focusin’ on finishing this spur, or we take a leap of faith. Pray the town can survive a night without us. There’re some decent marksmen amidst the crew. I can make up a rotation. I’m sure they can manage to hold the fort for twenty-four hours.”

  “You think she’ll agree to go?”

  Lucas shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”

  “She doesn’t seem to stray far from the clinic.”

  “Maybe because no one’s ever asked her.”

  Cullen frowned. “Even if she does, I doubt we can gain her affections in the space of a single night.”

  “We’ve already had five weeks’ worth of single nights, and we’re on the verge of going rogue at every turn. We need more than coffee or a warmed up dinner to truly court her. Especially when we’re interrupted more often than not. Hell, we haven’t even come out and told her we’re interested. Not in plain terms. This could be a start toward something more. Give us a chance to voice our intentions without the entire camp listenin’ in. Might make carryin’ on in camp for the next month feasible.”

  “I really hate when you’re right. Fine, we’ll go see her once we’re done for the day. See if we can convince her to accompany us on an adventure. Now, we just have to make it through the rest of the day without giving her another patient to treat, or she’ll never leave the clinic.”

  Lucas nodded, scanning the tree line. “Even with my enhanced senses, it’s impossible to cover every angle out here. And it’s only going to get worse. There’s a narrow passage between us and that bridge. Bandits will be able to hide on both sides and have the advantage. I’ll have to post sentry guards until we’re through.”

  Cullen raked his hand through his hair. “We knew this line wouldn’t be easy, not when it wasn’t part of the main branch. The gangs know we’re vulnerable, that our supplies are easy pickings, and our progress is sufferin’ because of it.”

  “I’ve been thinkin’… We might need to take matters into our own hands. Go after Buford and his men. God knows there’re bounties out for all of those boys.”

  “I’d hoped we could hold out until the snow stopped us—let the few months of hiatus cool things down—but you could be right. But if we do go after that gang, we’d best ‘round them all up because the retaliation against the camp will be ten-fold if we don’t.”

  “Agreed. We’ll keep it in mind. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll decide to move onto a more profitable line.”

  Cullen chuckled. “Right. ‘Cause we’ve had nothing but luck on this project.”

  “We found Hollis.”

  “Which won’t mean much if we can’t earn her love.” He groaned when the back end of a wagon collapsed, dropping the next load of ties and spikes on the ground and narrowly missing crushing two men in the process. “Bloody Hell. We don’t need Buford’s men to kill anyone. The crew’s going to do it all by themselves.”

  Cullen struck off, yelling at the men as he went. Lucas sighed, wiping away the sweat, again, when shots rang out from farther up the line. He dropped his hat then drew his weapons. Several horsemen raced toward the gathering of men, puffs of smoke rising from their pistols as they fired at the crew.

  Lucas lined up the closest men, downing three then clipping another bandit’s arm as he bore down on the crew. The force knocked him sideways, but he managed to remain on his mount as he raised his other hand. Flames flickered above his fingers before he tossed a shadowed object at a collection of boxes.

  “Shit.” Lucas raced across the open grass, his next shot hitting home this time. “Dynamite! Everyone get down!”

  The outlaw fell off his horse, landing in a heap on the ground. Cullen ran over to the man, retrieving his weapons then shooting at the other bandits galloping away on the far side of the rail. Lucas headed for his mate, knocking into him from the side and tackling him to the ground just as the dynamite exploded, setting off their supplies in the process. Fire erupted around them, launching debris into the air as smoke billowed outwards, clogging the air with thick plumes.

  The men landed hard, pain radiating down through Lucas’ shoulder and into his chest, stealing what breath he had. Black dots danced at the edges of his vision, the telltale tingling of an impending shift working its way along his nerves.

  “Lucas. Goddamn it.” Cullen’s face appeared above him, flecks of blood splattered across his chest.

  Lucas frowned. “You’re bleeding.”

  “Not my blood. It’s yours.” Cullen’s jaw tensed, his expression a mix of pain and fear. “You caught one of those spikes in your shoulder. Looks bad.” He held Lucas down. “Don’t move. I need to put pressure on it. Let me grab my shirt. It doesn’t
look like it was ruined in the explosion.”

  “Damn it, Cullen, you know I don’t need you to tend my wounds.” Another tremor shook his limbs. “Just pull the fucking thing out, haul my ass over to the trees, and let me shift.”

  More shots rang out, the last few drowned out by the thunder of hooves. Cullen returned fire, covering Lucas’ body when a box of gun powder ignited. His mate stared down at him, huffing out his next breath before grabbing the spike and yanking it free. Lucas growled, arching his back as his grizzly surged forward, tearing at his control.

  Cullen leaned in close, his breath washing over Lucas’ face. “Hold it together, mate. Just for a bit longer. Buford’s men are still shootin’ up the area, and there’re too many people to shift here without being seen.”

  “The…trees…”

  “You mean the ones behind us where I see three more of Buford’s gang pokin’ their heads out from between the branches? You’re strong but not enough to take on armed men, even outfitted with claws and fangs.”

  Lucas locked his fingers around Cullen’s forearm, holding him close. “Can’t hold off…the pain…”

  Cullen growled then bent low, biting Lucas’ good shoulder hard enough to scratch the skin but not puncture it. The firm pressure pulled his animal back slightly.

  “Stay with me. We need to get somewhere safe, first, so I can take care of the rest of the gang. Once they’re gone, I’ll help you to the woods.” He shuffled him onto his shoulder then ran toward the piles of railway ties and boxes the dynamite hadn’t reached.

  The crew huddled within the odd stacks, armed with only shovels and axes. Two more horsemen rode past, raining bullets into the crates and logs. Cullen placed Lucas near the edge, using his body to shield Lucas from most of the workers. Even if he managed to stave off his impending shift until it was safe, he’d never be able to explain how he healed so quickly if the men saw the extent of his wound. Groans and whimpers sounded around them, the metallic stench of blood saturating the air.