A New Beginning [Liberty, Wyoming] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) Read online

  Liberty, Wyoming

  A New Beginning

  Sara Holloway was lonely. She had been alone for two years and had nothing in the future to look forward to. When she gets the chance of a lifetime, she prays for the courage to follow every dream she’s ever had and get everything she’d ever wanted—or the strength to not let it devastate her beyond her limits if it all falls apart. Sara finds she is much tougher than she ever thought when her and a loved one’s lives are put in danger and she fights to protect them.

  Grant and Jacob Collins had their own fears. Each man had their own demons to face and would struggle with their own choices. But something inside them snaps when Sara is put in danger. Will they allow her in their hearts…or let the tragic past keep them from what could possibly be the best thing in their lives?

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys

  Length: 63,957 words

  A NEW BEGINNING

  Liberty, Wyoming

  Lara Jones

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  A NEW BEGINNING

  Copyright © 2017 by Lara Jones

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-303-0

  First Publication: May 2017

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2017 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  To my sister, Chris, and Mom for believing in me and being my biggest cheerleaders. I never would have done this without you.

  To my husband for putting up with my late nights and having my back. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.

  To my boys, thank you for putting up with my absentminded ways over the years.

  I couldn’t ask for a better family and I love you all so much.

  Thank you.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Lara Jones lives with her husband, three rowdy boys, three dogs, and two cats in the Midwest. Books have always played a profound role in her life. She started reading romance novels when she was thirteen years old and found they got her through her crazy teenage years. Lara started writing for her own enjoyment and, after twenty years, with the help of her sister and mom, finally found the courage to publish her work.

  When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and animals, gardening, doing anything outdoors, and, of course, reading steamy romance novels.

  For all titles by Lara Jones, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/lara-jones

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Landmarks

  Cover

  A NEW BEGINNING

  Liberty, Wyoming

  LARA JONES

  Copyright © 2017

  Chapter 1

  It had been a long couple of flights, Sara thought as she tugged her bag up against her side to keep from hitting it against someone. She rolled her shoulders to relieve some of the tension traveling always caused her. Why she had to change planes twice was beyond her? Good heavens, she lived a few states away, but had to fly all over the country and take three different planes to get to Wyoming.

  Sara felt a push from behind and moved over to let an impatient man go around her, and frowned at his back.

  She was hoping she would be able to build a life here for herself. Her life had been on hold since her husband’s death. He died of a heart attack two years ago. The loss of a loved one, especially a spouse, hurled the other’s life chaos. Not only did you have the grieving process, you had to make sure your children were okay and keep your life going forward when all you wanted to do was stay in bed. So many documents to fill out, so many changes in a person’s life. You really didn’t realize how much your spouse did, or how important they were, until they were gone.

  Sara woke up one gray, cold morning, determined to change the lull she had found herself in. Every day she could actually feel herself get a little older and a little more disheartened. She was only forty-six years old. Way too young to give up.

  She would still be in Iowa now, getting older and lonelier, if it hadn’t been for the ad in a magazine, for a nanny, her friend had told her about and talked her into applying for.

  Sara was amazed how fast the whole process had taken after she e-mailed the rancher her resume and had an interview over the phone.

  Secretly she was glad it had gone quickly. She was afraid she might have talked herself out of taking this enormous step if she’d had time to think about it. Sara had always lived in Iowa. Had lived with her husband and three boys in the same house for twenty-five years. Change was not something she did very often or easily.

  Sara knew she was the type of person that tended to overthink things. She was also a timid person. That trait kept her from sometimes trying different things, afraid of changes in her life or new experiences. This was the perfect time to move and start a new life. Her boys were adults now with their own lives and she didn’t want to invade their lives like she’d seen a few of her friends do with their own children.

  The research she’d done on the rancher and his family helped her decision. The family had a good reputation, with a long-standing history in their community. She kept reminding herself that if it didn’t work out, she always had her home in Iowa to go back to.

  Sara followed the line of people slowly making their way out of the plane into the airport terminal. Tiredly, she craned her neck, looking for a sign with her name on it. She sighed in frustration, tightening her grip on her overnight bag, thankfully the only luggage she’d brought with her. The rest of her stuff she was having delivered. It had been expensive but now she was glad she’d done it. She was unable to see over the heads of the people in front of her.

  She moved off to the side to wait for the majority of the people to pass on. Finally, as the crowd thinned around her, she spotted her name held in the air by a very muscular arm.

  A million butterflies took flight in her stomach. She was really d
oing this. Sara put her hand on her nervous stomach, trying to calm it. Taking a deep breath, she made her way toward the man. The closer she got the larger her eyes got, and the more her heart rate sped up. “Oh, dear God,” she whispered under her breath. He’s huge and so freaking gorgeous. Her breath caught. Everything about him was masculine, from his large size that towered over her, to his hard, rugged good looks, to the way he wore his clothes, to the confident way he carried himself.

  She never thought she liked tattoos, but the ones she could see on his arms were very intricate and beautiful, and made his already dark persona more dangerous. One started below his elbow and moved upward. The tattoo on his other arm started higher up. His rolled-up shirt sleeves prevented her from following them further. She couldn’t tell exactly what they were, only that they were some sort of complex design with a lot of different colors. What she could see of them was beautiful.

  He had to be well over six feet tall, and dear lord, the large contours of his muscles made her heart skip. Silver-gray hair was abundant at his temples and scattered lightly throughout his dark hair. The hair and the deep creases around his eyes and mouth showed he was older, close to middle-age like her.

  She wondered if he was the owner or just a ranch hand. It was hard to tell by the way he was dressed in old jeans and boots and his faded shirt had seen better days.

  Sara drew a much-needed breath into her lungs and closed her eyes. Big mistake. Oh, lord, he smelled good. An intoxicating mixture of male aggression and hot sensual sexuality drifted around her.

  Sara visibly jerked when she realized she had stopped a few feet in front of the man and stood gawking at him. She felt a blush creep up her neck into her cheeks. Embarrassed, she finally focused on his face.

  The look of pure male intensity and dominance in his dark gray eyes made her take a quick step back and fine tremors slide through her body. Her reaction to him was swift and strong. Her skin felt tight and the blood in her veins turned into molten lava.

  She drew in a deep breath as his gaze roamed boldly over her figure, coming back to rest on her face.

  She took another hasty step back at the angry glare on his face, and the corner of one of his eye’s started to twitch erratically. She opened her mouth and then shut it, biting the inside of her cheek to keep it from trembling.

  Confused and alarmed at the feelings rolling through her, it made her mouth dry and her palms wet. She’d never had this rush of reaction to a man before in her life and she didn’t like the overwhelming intensity of it.

  * * * *

  The breath caught in his throat and his body tightened to the point of pain when her pink tongue poked out to wet her lip. He bit back a groan before it slid out of his mouth. Furious at his reaction to her, his brows drew together in a heated scowl.

  He balled his hands at his sides, crumbling the sign he forgot he still held, trying to get some semblance of control back and prevent himself from reaching for her like his body was demanding, scaring the shit out of her. Fuck! She was beautiful. Small, almost fragile but with curves where a woman should have them. His palms itched to touch her. He knew his hands would fit nicely around her slim waist, or hold on to her hips when he took her from behind. His mouth watered as a wave of potent need rose in his blood. He loved curves on women and this one had them in abundance.

  She had long dark hair. He couldn’t tell how long because it was in a messy bun at the back of her head. He liked long hair to grip and hold her head where he wanted it. She was wearing trim black pants and a tucked-in green shirt that brought out the beautiful colors in her eyes.

  Her eyes were incredible. He had never seen eyes like hers before. They were jade green but had yellow striations mixed in. She looked so fucking young, although the slight creases on the sides of her eyes showed she’d been around for some years. Her complexion was very light, her nose straight, her lips pink and full.

  * * * *

  The silence and his scrutiny were making Sara feel light-headed. She realized, she was holding her breath and exhaled, then inhaled a deep, calming breath, and swallowed. She’d never felt this nervous before around a man. “H-hi,” she stuttered. She took another breath and tried to steady her voice. Sara lifted her chin and held out her trembling hand. “Hi, I’m Sara Holloway.” When he didn’t raise his hand to shake hers and just continued to glower at her, she dropped her hand uneasily to her side.

  Anxious, she looked down, unable to keep eye contact anymore. Sara couldn’t understand why he looked irritated and why it was directed at her. She knew she was on time and expected, or he wouldn’t be here for her.

  His body tightened at her unconscious show of submission. Nothing turned him on more than a true submissive, except one with curves. Shit.

  Jake couldn’t keep his gaze from roaming over her body again. A low growl vibrated in his throat. “I’m Collins,” he said tersely, sucking in a deep breath.

  Startled at the sound that rumbled from him, she glanced quickly up at him and back down. She started to squirm under his scrutiny and silence. Everything about this situation was uncomfortable for her and was even starting to frighten her a little. The thought blaring at her, was to turn and head back home.

  Her body had never reacted like this to a man before in her life. Sara opened her mouth to say something, anything to break the tension surrounding them but jumped when Collins burst out.

  “Dammit!” Shaking his head, he took a step back. Jake ran his hand through his hair and blurted out. “I don’t need this now.” He rubbed his hand over his face in agitation. “Goddammit.” The words were spoken in harsh, furious anger, and then he turned and walked away in long strides, muttering something in a severe voice.

  Sara’s gaze jerked up and watched him move away. She stood frozen where he’d left her, shocked. What just happened? He was leaving her? She rubbed her temples where the headache that had been building most of the day was starting to pound harder, making her feel a little nauseated.

  Her thoughts were in chaos. Her body shook in reaction to him. There was sadness and disappointment, but she couldn’t pinpoint the reasons for that. Sara couldn’t seem to grab on to a single thought. What did I do to anger him? What should I do now? She slowly turned around trying to find answers to the questions clouding her mind.

  Sara mentally shook herself. She was an adult. She was tough, and been through much worse. Sara pressed a hand to her stomach, willing it to settle, swallowing the bile that advanced up her throat.

  Sara straightened her back, pulled her travel bag more securely on her shoulder, and headed for the nearest counter to find a flight back home. After she got a ticket home, she promised herself, she would find a quiet place in the ladies’ room and have a good cry, releasing some of the tension in her and hopefully help her headache from becoming worse.

  Sara stood in line, slowly moving up in the line of people when a large, warm hand wrapped around her upper arm, pulling her out of line, startling her. “What,” she gasped, her eyes widening when she saw the rancher that had just deserted her moments before. She tried to pull her arm from his grasp but he held firm, walking her across the airport. She jerked her arm away and looked at him with confusion. “What are you doing?”

  Jake looked down at her and crossed his arms over his massive chest making his shirt stretch over the bulk of muscles. “What are you doing?” he growled accusingly, like she was the one that had done something wrong.

  Sara’s eyebrows snapped together. He was pushing her toward hysterical madness, but she would much rather be angry than afraid any day. She put her own hands on her hips, mimicking him, and gritted her teeth. “I’m getting a plane ticket for home and don’t you do anything but growl?” she said, infusing a chill into her tone.

  Something in his eyes lit up at her spunk but quickly flattened out. “Why?”

  “Why?” she asked incredibly, throwing her arm out, letting her bag drop to the ground beside her. “You walked away from me, remember? For s
ome reason, you’re angry that I’m even here, so I’m going home.”

  “I did not walk away exactly, I just needed a minute to take a breath. Besides, I asked you to follow me.”

  “When? All I heard was a growl,” Sara said, planting her hands on her hips.

  Jake’s lips turned up at one corner at her hot-tempered glare, and the angry sound that passed through her teeth. He hid his smile behind a cough. She sounded like a hissing kitten. He was starting to enjoy this. He liked the fire blazing in her eyes and how she stood up to him when most people ran away from him when he showed any anger. He placed his own hands on his hips. “Don’t you want the job?” He said

  Shaking her head, her eyebrows rose in amazement. “I wanted it very badly, but when you walked away, I thought that was your insulting, weird way of telling me I didn’t get the job,” she replied.

  He stood staring down at her. When he didn’t say anything for a long few seconds, she threw up her hands, bent to lift her bag, and turned to get back into line. Before she could take a step, his hand stopped her. She gasped as little shocks ran up her arm, startling her. He must have felt something too because he froze. Neither moved for several seconds.

  He abruptly released her arm but stayed close to her, crowding her. “You’ll come back to the ranch with me. With your resume and phone interview, my brother, Grant, thinks you’ll be the perfect nanny for our daughter Callie.”

  She looked up curiously. “Our daughter?” It almost sounded like both he and his brother were the father. And what did his brother have to do with it? Collin’s just said it was his daughter. Wouldn’t it be up to the father to decide on a nanny? Oh, for God’s sake, if she had blurted any of that out, it would give him another reason to dislike her.