When they were all seated, he said, “Okay, Lilly. What are we missing?”
“I guess I should begin with my name. It’s Lillian Margaret Campbell. I was born in Silver Springs, Montana. I am the daughter of—”
“Oh, fuck me!” Orin shouted, getting to his feet. Jacks watched as his brother was now nervously running his hands through his hair. His pacing was hurried as he looked wildly around the room for inspiration.
“What? What did I miss?” Davis asked, confused.
“Yea, please enlighten me. Why are you antsy?” Jacks asked, watching Orin lock the front door and begin to lower the blinds and close the curtains. “Don’t you realize who she is?” He rounded on them, shocked.
“Lilly’s our wife. That’s all I care about,” Jacks said and grinned at the woman who was now cowering deep into the couch.
“Jacks! She is Lillian Campbell,” Orin stated as if that was enough.
“Son of a bitch!” Davis cursed getting to his feet and looking at her.
“So, and I am Kenneth Jackson McDaniel. What the fuck is wrong with you? You look scared or something.” Jacks said, getting annoyed.
“You should be, too! We have to hide her. She can’t leave the house until we figure out how to fix this,” Orin said, quickly spouting off orders.
“Orin, I can’t stay here. It will only lead them back here,” Lilly replied as if she was on the same page.
Jacks looked at Davis, and he knew his brother was on the same page as Orin. What did they know that he didn’t?
“Hold up one minute. Why can’t Lilly leave? And what the fuck is wrong with you?” Jacks demanded angrily, looking at Davis.
“Dude, you seriously don’t know?” Davis asked, shocked.
“Know what!” Jacks shouted.
Pointing at Lilly as if she was on display, Orin stated, “That woman—the one we married last night, fucked, and possibly got pregnant—is none other than Lillian Campbell, the only daughter of James and Iris Campbell, the richest cattle baron in Montana!”
Davis McDaniel just stared at the woman cowering before him on his sofa. For the first time in his life, he wished there was something more comfortable to offer a guest than the old worn leather sofa she now sat on. He never really considered his home or its belongings inferior, but having none other than Lillian Campbell in his home, well, he just wished it was better decorated.
Growing up the second oldest, Davis was used to hand-me-downs. He could really care less. They were already broken in and quite comfortable. He never complained when his mother placed a pile of Orin’s clothes on his bed, mended and ready for him to wear. He never complained when his fathers passed on Orin’s old worn-out bike so he could have one for himself. Nor did he complain when Orin outgrew his bed and it found its way into his room. He was used it and accepted it.
Of course, he would only admit to himself when he was alone, that just once he wouldn’t mind something that was solely his, but he knew wishing for anything like that was fruitless, because growing up in his family, he was destined to share everything, including the woman before him.
He was okay with that, but he was not okay with what he had to offer her. What could he give the woman? Secondhand furniture, hand-me-down dishes, or a generational ring that sat upon her finger? Nothing he could give her would ever be new, fresh, or unused. Hell, he couldn’t even give her his virginity, because he wasted that on Carrie Ann Monahan in the eleventh grade! Nope, Davis McDaniel was nothing more than a second-rate cowboy with hand-me-down clothes, a family home that had been in his family for generations, and two brothers he was destined to share everything with.
“Davis?” she whispered softly, getting his attention.
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yep, just peachy. Can I get you something to drink? Are you hungry? Here come over here and sit. This chair is better than that old couch,” he rambled.
Her small laughter lightened his mood. “I’m comfortable where I am. Thank you anyway.” She smiled warmly at him.
“Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Orin asked, peeved.
“Well, that couch is old. Maybe we should get something new,” Davis replied.
“We can’t afford new furniture. You know that. You take care of the books. Get your head off the damn décor and help me figure this shit out,” Orin yelled, annoyed.
“There is nothing to figure out. She is married to us, and she is staying married to us,” Jacks said stubbornly, holding onto her hands.
“Jacks, it’s real sweet that you want me, but I don’t think that’s what Orin was talking about,” Lilly explained.
“Too bad. I don’t care who your family is. I love you, Lilly. I fell in love with you on sight last night. Please say you’ll give this marriage and us a chance. We can work everything out. You’ll see,” Jacks pleaded.
“Bro, that’s not the point! When her father finds out, he is gonna kill us. You do realize that Campbell Industries is our main distributor. If we lose that contract, we’re fucked!” Orin said, exasperated. “Look, everyone, we need a plan and a damn good one. I agree that Lilly needs to stay here until she finds out if she is pregnant. But we also need to figure out just how legal this marriage is. Now, I don’t know about you, but I thought you couldn’t get married if you’re drunk,” Orin stated.
“We weren’t drunk,” Lilly whispered.
“Huh?” Jacks replied cautiously.
“We got drunk afterward,” Lilly said, looking at her hands.
“Fuck. So we were stone-cold sober when we said I do! How come I don’t remember that?” Orin asked as he still paced the living room.
“Because the moment you and I said I do in front of the justice of the peace, we headed over to Miz Raven’s, where she performed the commitment ceremony and toasted us with one of her special concoctions. It was quite potent. I don’t know what she put in that drink, and my head is still a little fuzzy, but I do remember that we were sober when we said I do.”
“Was the drink purple?” Davis asked, smiling.
“Well, it was more on the pink side,” Lilly replied.
“Yep, that’s why none of us remember shit. We drank from Miz Raven’s private stock. We’re lucky to remember anything at all. Last time I had that drink, I lost three days of my life, which I still haven’t gotten back.” Davis laughed.
“Okay, so we’re really, really married,” Orin began.
“And I might be pregnant,” Lilly added.
“Okay, for the sake of argument, can we please just curb the baby talk? Just for this moment. We need to come up with a plan of survival that all of us benefit from,” Orin stated as he sat down.
“I don’t see how we can keep this quiet. Do you know how many people already know we’re married? Once they find out her last name, it won’t take them long to figure out who she is, and then word will eventually get back to her family. What we need to do is just come clean, drive over to her parents’, and introduce ourselves to them. Just lay it all out on the line. That way we can get it out in the open and nobody gets hurt,” Jacks offered, but when all eyes turned on him, he shut his mouth quickly.
“Wait, that’s it!” Orin shouted, getting to his feet. “Grab your coats. We’re going into town. I have an idea.”
Chapter 4
“This is the stupidest idea ever!” Matthew Jenkins yelled at the three of them. He had heard of the harebrained atrocities these three numskulls could come up with, but this beat all. What they were suggesting was just plain stupid, let alone just a little bit wrong on so many levels.
“Look, boys, I feel for ya. I really do. And this is in no way your fault, my dear. You had no idea what you were getting into when you married these three numskulls,” Matthew said, looking at the scared woman before him. “But you three! You should man up. If your dads were here, I would help them beat some sense into you. You really need to figure this out, because there is no way I can petition the court fo
r a restraining order! Her father doesn’t even know ya’ll are married. Why not give the man a chance? He might be amiable to the match.”
“Matthew, did you even hear what I said? He is going to kick our asses when he finds out,” Orin said angrily.
“Good! You need your asses whipped. Have you given any thought about what Lilly wants? Have you asked her what she thinks? No! You just dragged this poor woman in here and demanded that I legally help you keep her family from getting their hands on you. You guys need to put your heads together and figure this out, and I am not talking about the ones between your legs! Now get out of my office. I have real cases to work on,” Matthew said, pointing to the door.
He watched as the three of them agreed among themselves. Matthew just shook his head and grinned. “Serves them right. Now maybe they will think before they act.”
“Mr. Jenkins?” a soft voice said.
Looking up, he saw that Lilly stood by the door. Her soft, angelic features were scared and a little apprehensive, but she stood her ground. Matthew gave the girl kudos for that. It took a lot of gumption to ignore those men.
“Yes, my dear.”
“Can I ask you for a favor?”
“Anything, my dear, but that restraining order.”
“I know. But I was thinking, you might be able to do this.”
Standing, Matthew walked around his desk and ushered her back into his office. Closing the door behind them, he sat on the edge of his desk, “What can I do for you, Mrs. McDaniel?”
“Well, that’s just it. I’m not legally Mrs. McDaniel, yet.” She smiled.
* * * *
Orin, Davis, and Jacks were stuck. Legally they couldn’t stop Lilly’s father from finding them and beating them within an inch of their lives. Which, looking at the situation, they probably deserved the ass whipping. But damn it, there had to be a way to by them some time. First they needed to see if Lilly was pregnant.
“Let’s head over to Doc’s. I want to ask him some questions?” Orin ordered.
“I’m hungry. Let’s go see Macie first,” Davis said, rubbing his stomach.
“You two do what you want. I’m gonna go talk with Braxton,” Jacks said, walking off in the direction of the sheriff’s office.
“Well, shit. What’s eating him?” Orin asked, but when Davis gaped, openmouthed, like he was some idiot, Orin knew. “He doesn’t want her to leave, does he?”
“Nope, and just so you know, neither do I.” Davis smiled with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Oh, he so wanted to knock that grin off of his brother’s face. What the hell was wrong with them? They were willing to jump right into married life, with no thought of the consequences. Someone needed to take charge of this situation, because this whole mess was quickly spiraling out of control.
“Look, I like Lilly, too. I can’t keep my dick from shooting straight up when I’m around her, but damn, man, we ain’t gonna be much husband material if her father cuts our dicks off! I’m just trying to figure out a way to keep lil’ Orin right where he’s at, ’cause if her dad gets a hold of us, you better pray we knocked her up last night, cause that might be our only child.”
“And you’re supposed to be the big bad Dom. What a pile of crap. Face it. For the first time in your life, you’re not in control, and it’s killing you,” Davis said, getting angry. Davis knew damn well that his big brother was nothing more than a showboat. Oh, he liked to spank and fuck the ladies, but when it came down to it, he was just a pussy.
“Fuck you, Davis. You know nothing about me,” Orin yelled back, getting in his face.
“Prove it. Man up, brother. Take responsibility for what we all did. Stop trying to fix the problem, ’cause there isn’t one. We married her. She belongs to us. Oh, and before you go all alpha on me, think about this little bit of information. Our ranch, our family homestead, well guess what, dipshit, it’s now legally hers!” Davis seethed.
“What?”
“That’s right, asshole. Bet you wish you paid attention at the Hicks barbeque over the summer instead of fucking that little piece out in the barn. Well, listen up. The moment you said ‘I do’—the moment we all said I do, and put that ring on her finger—the land, the house, everything is now hers. Or had you forgotten that little bit of information? So while you’re trying to figure out how to keep your dick in your pants, you might want to think about how were gonna keep Lilly from leaving us, cause right now, we haven’t been the most amiable husbands toward her. Now I’m hungry, I’ll be over at Macie’s.”
Orin watched as Davis strode off in a fit of fury.
Damn, he hated when his brother was right. He had totally forgotten about the town charter and what it meant to take a wife. He knew that several of his friends had gotten married over the year, and they were all in the same boat. About a week into the marriage, a certified currier would arrive with legal documents, issuing the rights of the property and all that it entailed to the bride.
Though he had only been married for only one day, he knew that in six days, Lilly would be handed his family’s ranch. He would own nothing.
Shit!
* * * *
The bell rang loudly as Jacks walked into the sheriff’s station. He knew his best friend Braxton would be there, and he really needed to talk to him right now. It wasn’t that he couldn’t talk to his brothers. It’s just that they would understand.
Jacks had never been one to interfere with the crazy plans his older brothers came up with, but it was his job to make sure that everyone came out of them alive. It wasn’t easy taking care of the two idiots. They could really get themselves into some major scrapes. That was probably why when Jacks graduated high school he took a couple of emergency tech classes, earning his EMT certification. Other than helping out the local volunteer fire department, Jacks really had no inclination of ever doing anything other than being a husband, a father, and a full-time rancher. That was what he knew and what he wanted.
He was content with living out of the Big D, and making it the best ranch he could. Oh, he knew his brothers had some great ideas of improving the day-to-day operations, but Jacks figured if it wasn’t broke, why fix it.
Well, he had the wife, prayed that there was a baby, and, well, the ranch, he didn’t care about so much anymore. According to him, everything he needed was wrapped up into one beautiful little woman named Lilly.
“Well, look what the preacher dragged in. How’s married life?” Braxton asked with a big grin on his face.
“That’s what I need to talk to ya about. Got a minute?” Jacks said, leaning against the counter.
“Sure. Come on through and pull up a chair. Jordan has Charlotte for the afternoon. I figure you have about twenty minutes before she comes barreling in here madder than a hornet in a frying pan at a Sunday barbeque. So what’s up?”
Laughing, Jacks said, “Jordan still trying to get even with that chicken soup bit?”
Braxton grinned. “Oh yeah. She refuses to eat anything he cooks, and she has now taken to only drinking and eating things that come in a sealed container. God help us if the seal is broke. Man, that woman can pitch a fit quick.”
“Well, what did she expect, Jordan to just forgive and forget? She pissed in his soup.” Jacks laughed heartily.
“That’s only speculation. She threw it out before I could have it tested. That girl is quick. Braxton laughed. “I can tell by that lost puppy dog look on your face that married life isn’t working out the way you planned? Oh, which reminds me. Charlotte finally set the date, so check off the first of January.”
“New Year’s day. She’s kidding right?”
“Nope. According to her, she picked that day so neither Jordan or I would forget. Trust me. Jordan and I won’t ever forget that we are about to marry that hell kitten. My only concern is surviving to say I do.”
“Everyone is going to be hung over. Why not just have the wedding at midnight, throw a New Year’s Eve party, and end it all with wedding bells?”
Jacks suggested, but when he saw Braxton’s grin, he knew that’s exactly what they had planned.
“Oh, wow. That’s gonna be some party,” he admitted.
“Yep. So what’s up?” Braxton asked.
Sighing, Jacks leaned back and rubbed his hands down his face. Taking a deep breath, he looked at his best friend and said, “Orin is ruining everything. He is trying to rectify the situation by trying to figure out how to fix it, instead of just letting everything be. You know why we’re all back here in town, instead of at home enjoying our wife, because big brother had another crazy plan. Another one of his brilliantly stupid plans, and don’t worry, Matthew already shot that plan down.”
“What’s he trying to do? Get a divorce?” Braxton asked.
“No. He is trying to keep Lilly’s family from finding out she is married.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. Why?”
“Her father is James Campbell, the cattle baron of Montana.”
“You’re shittin’ me!”
“Nope, and I suggested we just tell the man, but no! Big idiot thinks its best we keep that information to ourselves and hide the little wife at home.”
“Jacks, I hate to break it to ya, but you can’t hide a wife. They tend to get all pissy when they can’t do what they want.” Braxton smiled, and Jacks knew he was thinking about Charlotte.
“I know, and I disagreed with Orin, but you know him. Once he gets a plan in his head, it’s damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead.”
“Yeah, and gird your loins, cause the fallout is gonna be painful. So now that Matthew shot down his plan, what’s he gonna do now?”
“No clue. He said he was gonna head over to Doc’s and ask him some questions. Davis is feeding his face, and I came here.”
The Perfect Plan [The Men of Treasure Cove 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 5
