Read Monroe, Marla - The Hired Hands' Dilemma [The Men of Space Station One #3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) for Free Online

but it’s on her back shoulder. We have no idea if there is any residual effect from it. Just that it seems to do something to the skin when it heals. Rachel’s is a much stronger yellow than mine is, but she had deeper cuts.”
    Andrew stood up and paced. It was obvious talking about their wife’s injury bothered him. Keeton changed the subject.
    “So how many cows are you running right now?”
    The conversation remained on cattle and their progress with breeding. After two hours, Boyd called a halt with the excuse that they needed to get back to Ashley.
    “Don’t want to leave her alone too much right now. She’ll have to deal with it when we start working regular.”
    “Well, don’t worry about it for the next few days. You need to get settled in and recover from that shuttle flight. It takes something out of you. Plus, as I understand it, you didn’t know your wife before you arrived. You need to develop a relationship with her.” Andrew patted Boyd on the back as they walked back through the kitchen.
    “Tell your wife we’ll bring Ashley over in another day or two,” Boyd said.
    “Will do. She’s taking a nap. We were up late last night putting away some meat. Butchered a cow. And filled up the freezer. You have plenty of meat in yours, too.” Danny opened the back door and watched them climb on their horses.
    They waved as they settled into a gallop crossing the pasture after closing the gate behind them. They reached the barn and climbed off their horses after walking them around the yard a few minutes. Once they had taken care of the horses, they headed to the house.
    Boyd made it inside first, but he stopped in the doorway so that Keeton ran into him from behind.
    “What’s going on? Why did you stop?” Keeton complained.
    “Something’s wrong.”
    Keeton immediately grabbed his knife out of his boot and pushed past Boyd. Once inside the kitchen, he could feel it, too. Something was inside that shouldn’t be there. Keeton carefully walked through the kitchen to the living room. There was no sign of Ashley, but the cushions were on the floor and her shoes were across the room as if she’d thrown them.
    Boyd cursed when he saw around Keeton. They headed for the stairs and took them two at a time. Keeton found the bedroom door shut. When he went to open it, it was locked.
    “Ashley? It’s Keeton and Boyd. Let us in, baby.”
    “Is it still out there?” her muffled voice came through the door.
    “Is what out here?” Boyd asked.
    “That thing. It tried to bite me.”
    Keeton cursed. “Open the door, Ashley. Now.”
    There was the sound of something moving in front of the door then the lock turning, and the door opened a fraction. Keeton pushed it open further and walked into the room with Boyd right behind him.
    It was obvious that she had moved the chair in front of the door since it was out of place. The expression on her face was one of pure terror. Keeton’s heart thumped hard in his chest.
    “What was it, Ashley? Tell us what happened.”
    Boyd picked her up and carried her over to the bed, where he sat her down. Keeton sat on one side of her and Boyd the other.
    “I was napping on the couch. I was so tired. I kept feeling something around my fingertips and figured I was brushing the rug, so I moved my hand under my chin. Then I felt something jump on me. I woke up all the way and screamed when I saw this weird animal sitting on my leg gnashing his teeth as if he couldn’t wait to take a bite out of me.” She shivered.
    “What happened then, baby?” Boyd asked, running his hand up and down her arm.
    “I started trying to get up and get it off of me all at the same time. It grabbed hold of my jeans with its claws and wouldn’t let go. I didn’t know what to do. I screamed and I shook my leg but it held on. Then it started trying to gnaw through my jeans. I managed to get one leg up, and I pulled off my shoes and started hitting it with them. When it squealed and let go, it