Sweet Talking Cowboy by M.B. Buckner

had
shared, she felt her face burn with embarrassment at the abandon with which
she’d welcomed, then sought his lovemaking.  She’d never dreamed that she was
capable of such total passion.
    Uncle Mike didn’t scold her when he came out to help her put
away the horses and her gear when she arrived home.  She tried to act normal
and he seemed to want the same thing.  At the house, Aunt Poog eyed her for a
minute and then wrapped her arms around the younger woman.  “We love you
Briann, and you’re a grown woman.  We can’t tell you how to live your life and
we will not judge you.”
    It was more than she’d hoped for.  She moved through the
day, waiting to hear from Slade.  When he didn’t call she knew he was probably
busy.  After all, he’d been gone from home the whole week-end.  Still, he’d
asked her to come to his place and she couldn’t deny that she wanted to.
    She hesitated to tell Aunt Poog where she was going when she
got ready to leave, but decided to be honest.  Poog nodded, hugging her.  “I
love both of you, but I just didn’t see this coming.”
    Briann shrugged.  “To be honest, I didn’t either.  We just
ran into each other and…..things between us were different.”
    “You know Mike and I only want what’s best for you.  Slade
is a good man, but he’s still just a man.  A woman has to keep her head on
straight, because men….just don’t.”  Poog spoke knowing Briann had already let
her head slip off kilter.
    Briann nodded.  “I’ll remember what you’ve said.”  Then she
left.  When she got to the Butler barn, where Slade lived in the loft
apartment, she was surprised to see Tanya’s little red sports car there.  She
didn’t ever recall seeing Jeffery’s mother at the barn and now she and Hank
lived in a condo in Jacksonville?  What was she doing not just at the ranch,
but at the barn?
    This could be an awkward situation.  She had put off calling
Jeffery all day because she knew Mondays were a heavy class load for him and
wanted to give him a chance to get back to his apartment before she called. 
She hadn’t planned to talk to Tanya about the break-up at all, but now that had
changed, it seemed.  Briann knew Jeffery’s mother had a foul temper and was
very protective of her son.  She wouldn’t take kindly to learning about Slade
and the woman she’d thought would be her daughter-in-law.  This would be very
uncomfortable.
    Hesitantly she opened her truck door and stepped out onto
the ground just as Tanya exited the barn and strode determinedly across the
grass toward her.  Briann drew in a deep breath, dreading the confrontation.
    However, as Slade’s step-mother approached, Briann couldn’t
hide her surprise.  Tonya’s short blonde hair was a mess and her designer
blouse was buttoned up in the wrong buttonholes, her lips were without lipstick
and the pocket on one side of her high priced jeans was sticking inside out.
    “You little tramp!”  Tanya sneered at her.  “Stringing my
poor Jeffery along while you sink your claws into his half-breed brother!  You
should be ashamed!”
    Briann was speechless.  She simply stood there looking at
the older woman in shock.
    “Well, you might as well know right now, just what you’ll be
getting, and it won’t be my son.  Oh, I’ll admit Slade’s great in bed. 
I’ve certainly had my share of him over the years, but the only one he’s ever
faithful to is himself.  Whatever Slade wants, he takes and plays with it until
he gets tired of it.  But he always comes back to me.  Even when he was out in
Texas, I flew out occasionally for a little visit.  But understand, between
Slade and me, it’s purely physical.  Really physical, if you know what I mean.”
    Briann felt hurt and anger building inside her, but Tanya
continued.  “Oh, I suppose you can’t wait to tell Hank about this, and he
wouldn’t have a problem believing it of me.  But you might as well save your
breath, because