Page 10 of Second Chance with the Rancher

“Horse afterbirth, then,” Triss said with a chuckle.

Nate wanted to see where Mieka was, but he thought better of it and just headed upstairs. Things were already awkward enough between them, he didn’t need to add fuel to the uncomfortable fire by finding her and having nothing to say.

He and Asher took turns showering since the pipes in the farmhouse were old and there wasn’t enough water pressure for them to shower at the same time in separate bathrooms. They were also a little too old to be having a bath together anymore.

Exactly nine and a half minutes after they entered the house, Nate and Asher were dressed and heading downstairs, drawn by the intoxicating aroma of fire kissed meat.

Triss was a great cook, and although Nate and Asher were no slouches in the kitchen, it was nice having his sister-in-law around to add her finesse to their meals. She knew when to give a dish a squeeze of lime or a splash of fish sauce to take it from good to great. Often, before Triss arrived on the scene, Nate and Asher ate dinner at nine or ten o’clock at night after a chaotic day of work, and that dinner quite often consisted of pan-fried sausages, packet mashed potatoes and some steamed broccoli. Food was food. They needed full bellies to function and that was all that mattered. And pan-fried sausages, packet mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli were food fit for royalty in comparison to some of the ration packets and meals they’d eaten when on missions.

But Triss knew flavor, so having her around had not only made Nate’s brother less of a miserable bugger, but it also helped make their meals taste better.

Nate entered the kitchen behind Asher, who immediately sought out his wife, squeezed her butt and kissed the side of her head. “Smells amazing, babe,” he murmured against her hair.

“Figured you boys would be hungry after a day of bringing new life into the world,” Triss said, kissing Asher on his stubbled jaw. “Got steaks on the barbecue, Mieka’s bringing them in, baked potatoes, Caesar salad, roasted veggies, and a blackberry pie for dessert.”

Nate’s belly rumbled again. That all sounded incredible.

The door to the backyard where the barbecue and hot tub were located opened and Mieka walked in carrying a tray with steaming steaks and barbecue tongs. “It’s been ages since I barbecued anything, so I hope I did it all right. All my meals are just there for me on the ship either in the crew dining area or the guest buffet. I can’t remember the last time I cooked for myself, let alone barbecued.”

“I’d eat shoe leather slathered in barbecue sauce at this point I’m so hungry,” Nate said, coming over to check out the steaks. “They look good to me. Nice grill lines.”

“They need to rest a bit,” she said, not meeting his eyes.

He reached into the fridge and pulled out two beers, twisting off the caps before handing one to his brother. “Drink?” he said to Mieka.

“I have something on the go already,” she replied, pointing to a stemless wine glass with a clear liquid in it and ice cubes.

“I won’t be getting high or drunk anytime soon,” Triss started, “So I’m giving my stash to Mieka.”

Nate’s eyes went wide and he turned to Mieka who was taking a sip of her drink. “Have you ever done pot before?”

She nodded. “Not for a while, but I have. Never had it in liquid form, though. These lemonades are amazing. They go down so smooth. Gotta be careful since it’s like drinking juice.”

“I love them,” Triss said, drying her hands on a towel. “They don’t make my throat scratchy like the joints. Half a bottle of the peach lemonade on ice mixed with some sparkling water and I am a fantastic version of myself in an hour.” Her husband snorted. She smiled even wider. “A full bottle over ice with sparkling water and I am the absolute best version of myself. Plus, sex and orgasms when I’m high is out of this fucking world. I can edge forever.”

Asher snorted again. “Is it the weed, or the person you’re fucking?” He came up behind her and pinched her butt again.

“The weed,” she teased, which earned her a nip to her bare shoulder from her husband.

“We’ll see about that,” Asher replied. “You’ll be sober for nine months plus however long you decide to nurse. I’ll change your mind.”

“Challenge accepted, Cowboy.”

“Rancher.”

Normally, Nate didn’t give two shits about his brother and his wife flirting and being all lovey dovey together, but with Mieka in the room, too, and their history acting as the giant third wheel between them, made every second of this situation damn near unbearable.

He avoided eye contact with Mieka and took a sip of his beer, studying the ceiling like it was the damn Sistine Chapel.

Eventually, they all sat down at the table and despite his generally respectable table manners, Nate was too hungry to practice them and dove into his steak before he put anything else on his plate. His mouth filled with saliva as he brought the first bite up and snagged it with his teeth.

“Jesus fuck,” he groaned, chewing, closing his eyes, and nearly coming in his sweatpants in front of everyone at the table. “That’s so damn good.” He chewed and chewed, keeping his eyes closed and just enjoying the peppery flavor of the rub and the perfect sear.

When he opened his eyes, he found Mieka watching him. Asher and Triss chuckled, but paid him little mind as they filled up their own plates, but Mieka seemed frozen in her seat.

“Did you put that rub on?” he asked her.

She nodded. “I befriended one of the chefs on the ship and he was big into barbecuing. He made his own secret rub and when I left, he sent me away with a big bag of it as a parting gift.”

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