Quick N' Dirty (The Quick Ranch Book 1) Read online

  Quick N’ Dirty

  Aden Lowe

  ©2018 by Aden Lowe. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication or series may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Aden Lowe or his legal representative.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, brands, and incidents are either the product of the authors' imaginations or used fictitiously. The authors acknowledge the trademarked status and owners of various products and locations referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication or use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Thank you for purchasing an authorized copy of this book. By doing so, you say NO to Piracy and support authors so they can continue to bring you the books you enjoy. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

  Author's Note: This book contains adult situations and language, violence, and sexual activity. Mature readers only.

  Acknowledgements

  This story, and the Quick Ranch series, has been sitting not-so-patiently in my head for a long time, waiting to be told. I'm just thankful my readers are supportive no matter where my imagination takes us all. I also owe them a huge Thank You for being patient with me between releases. It's been a minute, and y'all are still hanging in.

  Ande, the heroine, got her name when I posted on Facebook about naming heroines. Author AF Crowell mentioned that Ande is a great name, and not just because it's hers, lol. Thanks for the suggestion, Ande, and for not hating me when I used it ;)

  When it came time to name Ande's kids, I asked for suggestions in the Lowe Down, because we all know how bad I am with names. Denise Peeman suggested Janna for the baby, and Crystal Dillion suggest Ian for the little boy. Thank you, ladies!

  As always, huge thanks to the ladies of The Lowe Down. You all fucking rock, and I'm so glad to call you my friends.

  Ash, thanks for being patient even when I'm a jerk, and for calling me on my bullshit on a regular basis. I know it's not easy, and I don't say it often enough, but thank you for all you do. I couldn't list it all if I tried, but you did a great job on this cover, and your suggestions to clear up vague points in the story made the book better. Oh yeah, and thank you for being an incredible #BabySister lol.

  Elyse, I can't say it enough, and words never do it justice. Love you.

  Chapter One

  Jake

  I dumped the burnt eggs in the dog's dish, hoping no one noticed. My turn to cook breakfast always ended in some kind of disaster. Why the hell four grown men couldn't eat reasonably well escaped me. We usually settled for whatever frozen dinner shit Dad brought from the store, since none of us were capable of boiling water without ruining it.

  I put two boxes of cereal and a gallon of milk on the table, then poured the coffee as Dad and my brothers stomped in from morning chores.

  Dad took his seat at the head of the table and the rest of us followed suit. "What the hell Jake? Thought you were making eggs."

  I fumbled with the cereal box. "Well, I don't know what happened, but they got burned." I gestured over my shoulder. "Shep didn't seem to mind, but I didn't figure you would let me get by with it."

  Sam and Nate poured their cereal and kept their mouths shut. They knew better than say anything, since their efforts at cooking came out the same as mine. Dad drained his coffee, stood and took his unused bowl to the sink where he dropped it with a clatter amid the other dirty dishes.

  "God damn. You'd think four adults could keep the kitchen clean, especially when there's no cooking going on." He turned to pin us all with his glare. "Whose turn was it to do the wash this week? I didn't have any clean shirts at all. The upstairs bathroom looks like the cows use it. I've had enough of this shit." We stayed silent, hoping the rant would take a turn and not single any of us out for a tearing. "Fuck this. Jake, you find us a housekeeper. One that can cook and clean and keep the damn clothes clean."

  I felt like he punched me in the gut. I didn't have time to do interviews and lay down rules and shit. "Why me?"

  He glared. "Because you're the eldest, and you tried to give me cold cereal for breakfast again. How's a man supposed to do a full day's work on sugary stuff meant to keep kids hyped up and begging their mommas for the latest toys? It can't happen, that's how." He stomped out, muttering to himself.

  My brothers gave me a gloating look. "How the hell do you find a housekeeper?" They could rub it in my face later. Right now, I was desperate. Dad wouldn't let up until I found somebody, so that meant the faster, the better.

  Nate thought about it for a moment. "Call the preacher. He might know somebody that needs the work." He shrugged. "Might get lucky."

  Sam nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea. But make sure you get somebody easy on the eyes."

  I shook my head. "She can be uglier than Shep for all I care, as long as she can cook. I ain't dating her." I took my own stuff to the sink and started the hot water. Maybe if I got the dirty dishes out of the way, Dad would ease up just a little. The others went out snickering, and left me to contemplate how things got this bad.

  It all fell apart last year after our Gramma died. When our Momma disappeared when Sam was about three, Gramma moved in and helped Dad raise us. She was a strong woman and never took any bullshit from us, but she made sure we knew we were loved, too. She went for a ride one morning, just like every other day, and her horse stepped in a hole. The poor beast came hobbling into the barn yard with one foreleg dangling. I took care of putting it out of its misery while Dad and the other boys back tracked it and found Gramma. She survived two days, but never woke up. The doctor said she struck her head when she fell and there was simply too much swelling in her brain. In that one moment, the whole family fell to pieces.

  We went through life, merely treading water, unable to do the simplest things for ourselves. Gramma didn't raise any of us that way, to be helpless, but the heart of our family was suddenly gone. None of us had the will to fight on without her. It might have been different if we'd had some warning, a chance to get used to the idea. Or that might have made it all worse.

  Either way, all that led to me searching for a damn housekeeper. For the billionth time, I wished Gramma hadn't gone for a ride that morning, even though I knew she would have preferred to go out that way instead of through some lingering ailment. She valued her independence and would have hated needing someone to take care of her, or depending on machines to live. Couldn't say I blamed her, either.

  I finished putting away the dishes, going the extra mile since Dad was so mad already. The preacher's phone number was easy to find. It was still stuck on the fridge with a magnet from when we had him preach Gramma's funeral. He answered on the second ring, and after a few pleasantries, he asked how he could help.

  "Well, I thought you might know of somebody that could use some work. We need a housekeeper. Badly." I gave up a silent prayer he could help.

  He laughed. "God works His ways. As a matter of fact, I do know someone."

  "Really?" Relief bubbled through me. "Would she be able to come out to the ranch today?"

  "I'll make sure of it and bring her myself. Be ready to tell her what all her duties would be and what the pay and benefits will be. See you in a couple hours." He hung up before I could ask anything more about this woman.

  I looked around, at a loss. Duties? Pay? Benefits? The only people I ever assigned duties or worried about pay for were the seasonal guys who came on during the
summer for short periods. Shit.

  Chapter Two

  Ande

  I juggled the baby, her bottle, Ian's Spaghetti-Os and tried not to fall over the toys scattered on the floor. My phone rang, adding one more urgent task to the list. I plopped the bowl down in front of Ian and grabbed the phone in hopes of answering before the caller hung up.

  "Hello?" I should have taken a second to glance at the screen to see who was calling. Chris had a bad habit of calling at the worst moment, even after I'd changed my number countless times and blocked his. It was never enough. He always managed to find me.

  "Ande, I might have work for you." Kyle's voice carried his smile. "Can you be ready in an hour? I'll take you to your interview and keep the kids occupied."

  My heart jumped with hope. "I'll be ready! What kind of work?"

  "Housekeeping. I know the family, and I think we can convince them to give you a place to stay too. It would settle all your problems at once." He sounded positively convinced it would work out.

  I couldn't put too much faith in this chance. "What about the kids? Will they be too underfoot?" I tried to think of every roadblock to keep me from landing this opportunity.

  "I think they'll fit right in. Leave that part to me."

  "Okay, if you say so. You haven't led me wrong so far. I'm so grateful to have ended up here and that I met you and everyone at the church. I couldn't have made it this long without all of you." Gratitude made tears well into my eyes. I wasn't the religious type. Far from it. But Kyle made me feel welcome anyway, and his kindness extended far beyond the pulpit.

  As soon as I hung up, I put Janna in her swing and rushed to get ready. Hopefully the prospective employers wouldn't want anything fancy. If so, they would be sorely disappointed, because I didn't have anything fancy. I put on my best jeans and top, scrubbed the scuffs off my worn out sneakers, and added a touch of lip gloss. The kids were already dressed, so all I had to do for them was clean up the Spaghetti Os, then burp and change the baby.

  Just as I finished wiping Ian's face, Kyle knocked at the door of the little cabin the church owned and allowed us to stay in. Normally, only visiting missionaries stayed there during the summer, so it only had the barest of essentials, but it was a roof over our heads. I gathered the kids up and met him at the door.

  He gave me a quick once over. "Perfect. I hoped you wouldn't go overboard."

  I blinked back a stubborn tear that kept threatening. "I can't thank you enough."

  "Just do your best. That's all I ask."

  The drive took forever and we ended up in the middle of nowhere before turning onto a dirt road. The car bounced and hopped over ruts and potholes. I silently hoped the people maintained their house better than they did their road, but it didn't really matter. As long as the plaster wasn't falling off the walls and the floors weren't caving in, I could manage.

  White painted rail fences came into view, surrounding lush fields dotted with fat black cows. A little further, and I spotted white painted outbuildings. Everything looked new and clean. Then I saw the house. It seemed like the people put all their energy into the barns and outbuildings and totally neglected the dwelling. The sprawling log home stretched between huge oak trees. The roof of the wrap-around porch sagged just a bit at one corner, and the logs were gray with age. Even I could see a couple of spots on the roof were nearing critical condition.

  Kyle grinned at me. "You'll like the Quicks. They're focused, no non-sense folks. They work hard, so you'll rarely even see them, I'm guessing. Jake, who we're meeting now, is the eldest of the boys."

  "How many boys? Do you know how old they are? Are there any near Ian's age? He could use a play mate." Too late I realized how the rapid-fire questions sounded. I didn't even have the job yet. I sighed. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to get ahead of myself."

  Kyle chuckled. "Don't worry, I don't think you have anything to worry about. There are three boys, all adults, and their father. The mother left a long time ago, and their grandmother took care of everything around the house, but she passed away last year. I gather they're pretty much at a loss for how to feed themselves."

  Oh, God. Dread settled in my stomach. What was I getting myself into? Four bachelors? The car stopped by the back porch before I had a chance to second guess the decision to come here. A man stood on the porch, waiting.

  Kyle got out, and I followed and helped Ian out, then took the baby out of her seat. "Jake, this is Ande." He took Janna from me. "I'll keep up with the kids while the two of you talk."

  I swallowed my nerves and extended my hand. "Hi."

  He looked terrified, but then his huge hand engulfed mine. "Hi. Uh, I have no idea where to start. I usually hire guys to castrate the calves, not somebody to cook."

  I couldn't contain the little laugh. "Well, I can handle cooking, but I'm not castrating anything. How about you show me the kinds of things you'll need me to do?" I'd never had a job interview where I needed to direct things, but it seemed necessary. This poor man was at a total loss.

  He nodded and shoved back his ball cap while relief settled on his weathered face. "That sounds like a good idea." He cast a suspicious glance at Kyle and the kids. "Will they be okay?"

  I nodded and smiled. "They'll be fine. Kyle will yell if the kids get to be too much."

  "That's good. I think. Okay, this way." He led the way through a squeaky screen door.

  I paused to take it all in. The huge living room's vaulted ceilings and full length windows made it seem even larger. Dust covered every visible surface, but despite the overall masculine look to the place, I saw a few touches of a woman, presumably the grandmother.

  "I'll, uh, make Sam clean up in here before you start. I don't think any of us realized how dirty it had gotten. Now that I'm looking at it, I know Gramma would kick all our asses for letting it get in such shape." He led through to a nice open, if old-fashioned, kitchen. "I think this is where we need you the worst. I have to admit, I burned the eggs for breakfast this morning and we're all about to starve."

  I couldn't imagine that. His broad shoulders filled the doorway as it was. "I'm a decent cook, but I don't do anything fancy. More meat and potatoes kinds of things."

  He nodded. "That's good. We wouldn't know what to do with city food. Even ol' Shep would turn his nose up at that." He removed his cap to run a hand through thick dark hair cut short on the sides. "Kyle said I should know what we would pay and benefits, but I'm at a loss there, too. We pay stock hands by the hour usually and let them roll out their beds in the hay loft. I'm guessing that won't work for you."

  Another laugh escaped me and I hurried to cover my mouth before it turned into a full blown giggle. Where in the world had that come from? Despite my nerves about the interview, Jake put me oddly at ease. "No, I'm afraid the kids would fall out of a hay loft. To be honest, I need a place to live more than I need money. I mean, I have to buy groceries and keep the lights on, but my needs are pretty simple at this point."

  He gave a serious nod and narrowed his eyes a little, studying me. "Mind if I ask what brings you here? Most women around here would run the other way before they'd consider keeping house for us."

  I wondered why, considering he seemed like a decent enough man. I debated with myself for a second about what to tell him. Thus far, the only one I'd told was Kyle. He kept my confidence and helped every way he could. Finally, I decided to go with the truth. If I were going to take care of this man's home, he deserved the truth.

  "A little over six months ago, I left my husband after the latest beating landed me in the ER. I was pregnant with the baby and he nearly killed us both. I knew then it would never change. He wasn't content to let go, though. I'm here hiding from him. It's my fourth landing place since I left and he always finds me." I held my breath, waiting for his reaction.

  After a long moment, he nodded. "Okay. Well, he don't want to find you here. We got plenty of old wells that need filling in." He seemed to consider something. "There's a little house out back
where my Gramma lived. I might be able to talk Dad and my brothers into letting you use it."

  Hope filled my chest again. "That sounds perfect. It's okay to have the kids here?"

  He considered again for a long moment. "I reckon so. We won't be any help with them, since none of us have ever been around little ones. They'll be better off here than with some jackass beatin' on their momma, though. Meals for you and the kids will be included. As far as I can figure, you'd have pretty much control of the house. It's a big place, but most of it isn't used anymore."

  I hesitated over the next part. "I, um, don't have a car. I came to Wilks by bus. So I wouldn't be able to take care of shopping and errands like that."

  He shrugged, drawing my attention back to his shoulders and broad chest. "You can use my truck for anything like that. We'll get seats for the kids if they still need them."

  Tears stung my eyelids and I pushed them back, refusing to let this man see me cry. "I can't thank you enough for agreeing to see me. Do you need to discuss it with the rest of your family first? Or interview other people?"

  His mouth drew into a line. "No. You got the job, unless you decide you don't want it. I can help you get moved this evening and tomorrow."

  Chapter Three

  Jake

  "You did what?" The thunderous scowl on Dad's face almost made me second guess my decision to hire Ande without talking to him first. "What were you thinking, boy?"

  "I was thinking we need somebody this minute, not in two weeks. Besides, she needs a place to stay and a job. Her and her kids are in a tight spot." Mentally, I shook my head at myself. Here I was, going to bat for this woman when I knew next to nothing about her. He was right. I should have talked to a few more people and consulted him and my brothers before telling her she had the job. "I ain't going back on my word now."

  He shook his head. "No, you're not. You're going to deal with her. Make sure her kids don't get underfoot, and make sure you don't slack on your share of the work while you're breaking her in." He shoved back from the table. "And tell her I'm fucking sick of paper plates!" He stomped back outside.