Tyler hugged her from behind, met Tom’s eyes, and winked.
Tom winked back and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of their arms around him.
* * * *
Friday morning they rode downtown in Tyler’s Lexus. Tyler sensed Nevvie’s nervousness and tried to calm her.
“Relax, dear, it’s only paperwork.”
“Lawyers make me nervous, I’m sorry. After everything I went through, I can’t help it.”
Tyler patted her knee. “It’s okay, love. We’ve known Bob Campbell for years. He handles all our paperwork, and he goes through my contracts.”
“He’s a nice guy,” Thomas echoed from the back seat. “Don’t worry.”
She nervously twisted the ring on her left hand all the way up in the elevator. This wasn’t exactly a normal situation. The office door opened and a tall, lanky man with short, curly red hair waved them in.
“Ty, Tom, nice to see you.” He shook hands with them and Thomas introduced her.
“Bob, this is Nevaeh.”
Bob smiled and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.” The attorney closed the door and motioned them to chairs in front of his desk. “What brings you here today?”
Nevvie studied her hands while Thomas and Tyler exchanged looks. Tyler cleared his throat. “Uh, well, we have an interesting situation for you, Bob.”
“Hey, it’s just billable hours.”
Tyler laughed. “Right. Well, in a nutshell, we need you to add Nevvie to everything.”
She noticed a picture on a shelf behind the desk, the attorney and another man, both in matching tuxes, holding hands and looking at each other in an intimate way. Wedding picture? Maybe he would understand.
“What do you mean, ‘add her to everything?’”
Thomas finally spoke. “Add her. To everything. Make her our partner. We’ll need whatever paperwork you did on us for her, too. You know, bank accounts, medical power of attorney, update the trusts, wills, insurance beneficiaries, etc. Everything.”
Bob looked from Thomas, to Tyler, then to Nevvie. “What?”
Tyler, sitting on Nevvie’s left, took her hand and held it up, showing him the ring. “We’re complicating your life, Bob. As you said, it’s just billable hours.”
Bob tried to wrap his head around it. “What?”
“We’re turning our gruesome twosome into a gleesome threesome,” Thomas joked.
The attorney finally grasped the complexity of the situation. “You’re marrying her?”
“Well,” Tyler snarked, “not according to the state of Florida. Are there any laws on how many domestic partners you can have at one time?”
Bob closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “You guys are going to be the death of me yet.” He looked at the men. “Can I speak to her alone for a moment?”
The men looked at Nevvie, waiting for her consent. “I guess,” she said. Thomas and Tyler left the room and she nervously stared at the attorney.
“I’ve been handling their paperwork for years. I consider them friends.”
“I love them.”
“I didn’t know they would love someone like you.”
She scowled. “What do you mean by that?”
“Relax. I meant a woman. I knew Ty had a thing for the ladies, I handled his divorces. I didn’t think Tom did.” He studied her. “Why do you want to do this?”
She forced herself to stare down the attorney. “I love them.”
“You do realize I’ll insist they draw up a prenup, so to speak. So if your little arrangement ends they are protected financially.”
“Okay.”
The attorney eyed her. “Just like that? No negotiations?”
She shrugged. “If it’s what I have to sign to be with them, whatever. Give it to me.”
He contemplated her. “You do realize they’re worth a lot of money, don’t you? You’re willing to walk away from it?”
“I don’t know how much they’re worth. I don’t care. I had nothing except the clothes on my back when I moved in with them. Before that I’d lost everything in Katrina. I’m not a stranger to starting over, Mr. Campbell.”
“You don’t know how much they’re worth?”
“I don’t ask stuff like that. It’s not my business.”
“Yet.”
“I told Tyler I don’t want to be involved in that. If I need to buy groceries or stuff, I ask him how much I can spend and how to pay for it, he gives me a credit card or cash, and I give him receipts for his records.”
“You have to get permission to buy groceries?”
“No, it’s not like that.” She gathered her thoughts. “Look, they still pay me for working, and I help out at Tom’s office. They won’t let me pay for stuff at the house, won’t let me spend my money, they insist on paying for everything. I tried to get them to keep my pay for food and expenses and they won’t. They made me open a savings account so I put it in there.”
He slid a legal pad and pen across the desk. “Write your full, legal name, social, and date of birth.”
She did while he watched.
He took it and turned to his computer, typed for a few minutes. The printer hummed to life and he retrieved the sheet of paper, looking at her. “They’re worth over twenty million dollars between them. Some of that’s real estate, of course, and Thomas’ business, and the retirement investment portfolio. You sign this, it means you get absolutely nothing if you leave, only the clothes on your back and your car and whatever money is in your savings account. You’re willing to sign away the right to be a part of what they’re worth without negotiating?”
She grabbed the pen and reached for the paper. “Is this what I sign?”
He handed it to her. She started to sign when he snatched it back. “Aren’t you going to read it?”
“No. Why?”
He stared at her for a long moment in disbelief. “Why? You have no idea what you’re signing! Don’t you know you never sign something without reading it? This could be obligating you to be their slave or something!”
A wry smile curled her lips. “That’s a bad thing?”
“Why do you want to be with them?”
“Because I love them, and they love me. Yeah, I know it’s not ‘normal.’ I know it makes life complicated. We’re happy. We’re all adults and no one is being forced to do anything. Isn’t that enough?”
He stood and dropped the pre-nup into a shredder on the floor by his desk. “I guess it should be.” He started for the door. “Why don’t you marry one of them? Legally it would protect you.”
“If I can’t marry both of them, then I can’t marry one of them. They are both my husbands. I refuse to choose.”
Chapter Twenty
“I’d really rather not go. I’ll be fine,” Nevvie said.
Thomas shook his head. “If you think I’m leaving you alone, especially on our first Thanksgiving together, you’re outta your pea-picking mind, sugar.”
“I cannot believe your family is going to welcome me. I mean, okay, they were fine with you coming out with Tyler, but this isn’t the same.”
“Hey, my mom watches Big Love.”
“I’m glad you think this is funny.”
He took her hand. “Look, they’re my relatives. They welcomed Tyler, they’ll welcome you, too.”
“This isn’t the same.”
“No, you’re right, it’s not. I’m not saying it’ll be easy. I’m not leaving you alone.”
She looked at Tyler. “Can I get some help here?”
“What do you want me to say? He’s right, it’s his call. I’m not willing to leave you alone either. I go where he goes. If he says we’re all going to Savannah, then we go.”
Nevvie fought a losing battle against her tears. “Thomas, your family loves you guys. I don’t need to go.”
“Look at me.” Thomas’ sweet brown eyes captured her heart and soul. “If you don’t want to go, then none of us goes. It’s that simple.”
“No, Thomas, I
want you to go.”
“We go with you, or we don’t go.” He looked at Tyler. “Right?”
Tyler nodded. “Right.”
“If you’re worried about me being alone, I’m sure Pete and Eddie wouldn’t mind—”
“Nevvie,” Thomas’ voice was unusually firm and quiet. “We’re a family. Either we all go, or none of us goes. End of story.”
“They’re going to hate me. Then they’re going to be upset with you. Please, don’t make me go!” She’d had more than enough rejection in her life. She didn’t need to voluntarily walk into one more.
“They’re not going to hate you, love,” Tyler assured her. “They’ll be startled when we break the news, but they’ll get used to it, never fear.”
“Yeah,” Thomas agreed. “The evil genius will sweet-talk them and blink those baby blues and have them eating out of his hand.”
“I think this is a mistake, boys. I think it’s way too soon to dump this on them.”
Thomas carefully brushed her tears away. “It’s my mistake to make.”
* * * *
They would leave early Wednesday morning, and Nevvie’s stomach had twisted in painful knots by Tuesday. She couldn’t eat and drank Mylanta straight from the bottle. Tyler waited until Thomas left for the office to confront her in the kitchen.
“Trust him. I know this isn’t easy on you.”
She whirled on him. “You have no idea! They’re going to hate me, and then I have to live with the guilt that I’m responsible for him being estranged from his family!”
He took her hands and kept his voice quiet. “Love, I do know what you are feeling. Thomas has chosen to make us a part of his life. Those others are his relatives, yes. He is blessed that his family welcomed me, but I have no doubt he wouldn’t hesitate to cut them out of his life if they chose not to accept you or I.”
“I don’t want that guilt.”
“It’s not your guilt to bear. It’s his choice. As someone who loves him you should support him.”
“They’re not going to want me. Nobody wants me. They never have.”
He stroked her hair, holding her tight against his chest. “We wanted you, sweetheart. We loved you from the moment we met you. Are you saying we don’t count?”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”
Tyler knew she needed to get it out of her system.
“Look,” he whispered, “we’re staying in a hotel. It’s not like we’re staying at the house. We’ll be able to unwind and decompress every night. They’ll come to love you, I promise.”
“You can’t promise that. You have no control over what they do.”
“I won them over, so can you. Simply be your sweet self.”
“Has he told his mother about me?”
“Not exactly. She knows you’re coming with us and that you work for us. He wants to tell her in person.”
* * * *
They left early Wednesday morning before sunrise and arrived in Savannah late that afternoon. With her nerves wrenched into a contorted mess, Nevvie struggled not to throw up as Thomas pointed the Ridgeline up a clay road, then down a rutted driveway. A few minutes later the driveway opened into a huge yard. Peggy Kinsey walked onto the wrap-around porch, smiling and waving.
Tyler opened the back door and coaxed Nevvie into taking his hand, leading her to the porch where Thomas engulfed his mom in a bear hug.
Peggy’s rich Savannah accent made Thomas sound like a Yankee. “Oh, Tommy sweetie, I’m so glad to see y’all!” She let him go and gave Tyler a similar welcome. “Y’all have got to be tired.”
Nevvie stayed at the bottom of the steps, struggling to control her nervous tears. Thomas grabbed her hand and forced her up to the porch.
“Mom, this is Nevvie. Nevvie, this is my mom, Peggy Kinsey.”
Nevvie mustered a smile. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Peggy hugged her. “Oh, sweetie, Tommy told me you’ve had a rough time of it. Come inside with me. Let me get y’all some tea.” Peggy left her arm around Nevvie’s waist, making her walk with her.
Nevvie cast a nervous glance at Tyler, her steadying force in situations like this. He smiled and silently waved her on.
The house was large and airy, what she’d imagined a true Georgia home would look like. Tyler had told her it was built by Tom’s father, Adam Kinsey, with plenty of room to accommodate all the girls. After her husband died Peggy didn’t have the heart to sell it. She’d just retired from nursing that past summer, and enjoyed spending time at home.
High ceilings, exposed beams, and a homey, country, lived-in feel welcomed her. The huge eat-in kitchen held an enormous table, and Peggy patted Nevvie on the shoulder.
“Sit right there, I’ll get you some tea.” She pointed Nevvie to the seat at the end of the table and turned to Thomas. “Oh, shoot, I nearly forgot. I told Mr. Jones next door I’d send you boys over when you got here. He got his tractor stuck down by the pond this morning, and he can’t get his truck started to pull it out. Can you go yank it out for him with your truck?”
The men exchanged nervous looks. “Ty doesn’t need to go, Mom.”
“You might need his help. Go on.” She waved them toward the door. “We’ll sit and have a nice chat until you’re done. Shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes.”
The boys shifted uneasily. Nevvie felt close to a panic attack. “I could go help.”
“Sugar, those two big strappin’ boys won’t need y’all’s help. Now, go on. Shoo.”
Tyler cast a look back at Nevvie as he followed Thomas out the door.
Stay calm, that look said. We’ll be back soon.
Peggy opened a cabinet and fetched glasses, retrieved a pitcher of tea and ice from the fridge, and sat next to her. “You like sugar in your tea?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You can call me Mom. Unless you don’t want to.”
Nevvie mustered a smile. “All right. Thank you, Mom.”
Peggy beamed. “That’s better.” She poured tea and handed it to Nevvie, along with the sugar bowl and a teaspoon. “Now, tell me a little about yourself, honey.”
Thomas had his mom’s friendly eyes. Nearing seventy, Peggy’s bobbed brown hair was shot with grey, but it looked good on her.
Nevvie wrapped her fingers around her glass to keep them from trembling. How long until the boys returned? “Um, what did you want to know?”
“Well, where are you from, all that.”
“Uh, I was born and raised in Tampa. I left eight years ago and spent a few years in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina destroyed my apartment. We’d evacuated to Pensacola, so we ended up in Tampa.”
“Tommy told me you were their housekeeper before you moved in.”
“Yes, ma’am, uh, Mom. I cleaned for them on Thursdays. I had a few other clients, too.”
“I bet Tyler charmed the pants off you, didn’t he?”
Nevvie blushed, then realized it was an innocent comment. “He’s a sweetheart. They both are.”
Peggy took a sip of tea. “When did they give you the ring?”
Nevvie glanced at the small ruby on her right hand. “Oh, a while ago. Tyler bought it for me one day. It’s my birthstone. It wasn’t expensive.”
Peggy put her glass down and touched Nevvie’s left hand. Her voice was quiet. “No, sugar. I meant this ring.”
Nevvie blanched.
Peggy eyed her over her glasses. “Darlin, I know their birthstones. I’m not an idiot, and I know an expensive piece of jewelry when I see it.”
Nevvie cried, hiding her face in her hands. Peggy stood and walked behind her, hugging her. “Why are you crying?”
“Please don’t hate them.”
“What? Why on earth would I hate those boys? Obviously they care a great deal about you.”
Maybe she doesn’t know! Maybe she hadn’t blown it. Maybe—
Peggy straightened and patted Nevvie on the shoulder. “It’s not my business what goes on
between the three of you. If those boys love you, you’re welcome in my home.”
That finished Nevvie. She sobbed, and Peggy kindly laughed as she hugged her. “Good lord, darlin, you’re not going to spend the entire weekend crying, are you?” She handed Nevvie a napkin.
“No, Mom. I won’t.”
Peggy sat down and took Nevvie’s hands. “Just tell me something. Do you love them?”
Nevvie nodded.
“Then promise me you’ll take good care of them and not hurt them, okay?”
Nevvie nodded frantically. “I will. I love them so much.”
Peggy patted her hands. “Then that’s all that matters. Although I won’t go bragging to my church ladies group that I gained a daughter-in-law. They’re still trying to come to grips with Tyler, and here it is, over a dozen years later.”
Nevvie laughed again, blowing her nose. “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“That this is complicated.”
“I wish Tommy had fessed up before y’all got here. Bless your heart, you’re a wreck, aren’t you?”
“Uh huh.” Nevvie blew her nose again. “How did you figure it out?”
Peggy smiled kindly. “Sugar, you looked like you were being marched to the electric chair. Tyler had to drag you outta the truck. I can’t imagine anyone who didn’t have some sort of big secret would look like that. When I saw your ring, and the way they didn’t want to leave you alone, well, it wasn’t hard.”
Nevvie looked down. “I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath. “I didn’t want to come. I’ll be honest, I was afraid you’d be upset. I tried to make them come without me and they wouldn’t.”
“How long y’all been an item?”
“Halloween. Before then it was…platonic.” She certainly couldn’t call it innocent. Nevvie met Peggy’s kind gaze. “They saved my life. Alex would have killed me, I really believe it.”
“I don’t know how y’all want to handle the girls. Frankly, it’s not my business. Emily and Katie might be a problem. That’s between Tommy and them. It’s none of your worry.” She chuckled. “I’d be willing to bet their men won’t have a problem with it. Hell, they’ll probably be jealous.”
Love Slave for Two Collection [Box Set 7] Page 40
