The Perfect Plan [The Men of Treasure Cove 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Rebecca Joyce

“So, Jacks, answer me this. Where’s the wife?” Braxton smiled.

  “Huh?”

  “Your wife! Where’s Lilly?” Braxton laughed at him.

  Jacks jumped up from his seat and yelled, “Shit!” as he ran out of the sheriff’s station. He never did hear Braxton’s hearty laugh as he ran from the building.

  * * * *

  Davis walked into Macie’s kitchen and was bombarded with the delicious smells. Oh, God he loved her cooking. That woman could cook roadkill and make it smell like heaven.

  Since her diner was still under construction, she opened her home to the town members and cooked right out of her kitchen. Though the place was smaller, the food was still excellent.

  “Hey, Davis! Just find a seat anywhere, and I’ll fix ya up a plate.” Macie smiled as he walked in.

  “No hurry, Macie. What’s on the menu today, Bill?” Davis asked, sitting on the couch next to Bill Homer, the town’s only hobo. Davis liked Bill. A veteran of the Vietnam era, Bill was a plethora of information and an all-around nice guy. Though he refused to accept charity from the town, he did do odd jobs for his meals, and thanks to the Pastor Williams, Bill always had a warm place to sleep during the harsh winter months.

  “Macie has made her chili again.” Bill smiled as Macie handed him a large bowl filled with the amazing brew.

  “Just for you, Bill. Just the way you like it.” Macie grinned.

  “Thank you, sugar. You always take good care of me,” Bill said, grabbing his spoon and digging in.

  “So, Davis, what brings you in today?” Macie asked.

  “Your good food, darlin’, so why don’t you dish me up a big bowl of that chili, please?” Davis asked, giving Macie his best smile.

  “Uh-huh. You’re hiding from Orin again, aren’t you?”

  Damn! How in the hell does she know this shit?

  “No. I’ll have you know he knows exactly where I’m at,” he stated correctly.

  “Fight?” she asked.

  “Yeah, fight,” he conceded.

  “All right. Come on into the kitchen, and we’ll talk.” She motioned him toward the kitchen.

  Since Davis could remember, every time he and Orin would get into it, Macie was always there to listen and lend advice. And right now, he needed food and her advice. He still couldn’t understand why Orin was trying to hide, instead of confronting the bull by the horns, so to speak. For as long as he could remember, Orin had never backed away from anything, but yet, he was willing to hide in the darkness. This was not making sense. He needed advice.

  Sitting at her kitchen table, he said nothing as he watched her dish up a bowl of her chili and place it before him. He took the spoon she offered and took a bite.

  “It’s still good, Macie. Thanks.”

  “So, what was the fight about this time?” she asked.

  “Lilly,” he whispered.

  “Why are ya’ll fighting about Lilly?”

  “’Cause of who she is. He father is James Campbell.”

  “Oh, and let me guess. Jacks wants to confront the man, you agree, and Orin is trying to protect his balls.”

  “Pretty much it.”

  “Well, I agree with you and Jacks. You need to tell her father. I’ve met the man. He can be a little rough around the edges, but he is a stand-up guy. Just be honest with him, and let him decide.”

  “That’s what Jacks said.”

  “Well, he is the one with the brains out of you three. Look, honey, you’re married now. You three are going to have to learn to work together. You have a wife that’s gonna need ya. She ain’t gonna deal with you three constantly battling each other.”

  “Shit!” Davis shouted, jumping from his seat.

  “What?”

  “I forgot Lilly!” he shouted, running from the house.

  The laughter all around had everyone smiling.

  “He forgot his wife!” Macie laughed hard.

  * * * *

  Orin needed to vent. And the only person in town close enough for him to do that with was Doc. Since it would take him too long to get out the Gabriel’s, he needed time with his old buddy and family friend.

  Orin walked into the clinic and wasn’t surprised to find it empty. The clinic was hardly ever packed, and on a day like today, he would bet Doc was getting ready to close early.

  On the way into town, they had all heard the forecast, and it wasn’t gonna be pretty. The weather service was predicting over two feet of snow, followed by a frigid rain. If the pressure dropped, that wet snow would turn to ice, making every road impassable. Looking at his watch, he needed to hurry and get his brothers and Lilly back home before the storm hit.

  “Hey, Orin, what brings you in today?” Doc Jenkins said, walking out of his office.

  “Got a minute?” he asked and noticed that Gabriel Sexton, his mentor in the Dom scene, walked out after the doc.

  “Why, Master Orin, what a pleasant surprise. May I offer my belated congratulations on your recent nuptials?” Gabriel smiled.

  “Thanks, Master Gabriel. As a matter of fact, do both of you have a minute?”

  “Sure, come on back.”

  Orin followed them back into the Doc’s office. Once they were all seated, they waited patiently for him to begin. He knew neither one would say a word, giving him the time to gather his thoughts. So, mustering up his courage, he let everything go. “I have fucked up, and I don’t know how to get back on track. I feel like my life is spiraling out of control. My brothers hate me, I scare my wife, and now I have to watch my back, ’cause her father is going to come after us. My brothers want to confront the man, and I’m not sure that’s a good idea. But considering the decisions I’ve been making lately, I just don’t know. Then there’s Lilly. She is, well, she is fucking amazing. She is beautiful, smart, well bred, and damn does she submit beautifully. But I think I have fucked that up, too, ’cause now, every time I talk to her, she jumps or cowers behind Jacks or Davis. Somehow within the last twenty-four hours, I have lost my ability to think rationally and adjust to situations, and someone has taken my balls and run off with them.”

  Orin expected the two men he looked up to and admired to listen and give him constructive criticism and well-rounded advice. He did not expect the two men to burst out laughing like hyenas!

  “Sorry, ole chap, but that was some funny shit!” Gabriel said, wiping his eyes.

  “Seriously, Orin, you made my night.” Doc smiled, trying to calm his breathing.

  “What the hell? That’s all you got!” Orin shouted, getting angry. Who in the hell did they think they were? He came to them for advice, not to be laughed at. And here he thought these two supposed gentlemen were going to be supportive and understanding. What a bunch of bullshit. “You know what, never mind!” he yelled, getting to his feet.

  “I don’t need this shit. I can figure this out myself. I got us all into this. I’ll just take charge and fix it. That’s what I am good at doing anyway. As for my brothers, they can fall in line or deal with the consequences. As for my little wife, well, she better get used to my dominant side, ’cause it ain’t going away, ’cause that’s what I am. And I definitely don’t need to let her father know shit. If he couldn’t keep tabs on his daughter, then why should I tell him where she’s at? She is mine. I married her, and she is staying where she belongs,” he stated and headed for the door.

  “Uh, Orin, just one question. Where is your wife?” Doc asked calmly with a smile.

  “Shit!” Orin yelled, storming from the clinic.

  Gabriel and Doc watched as Orin stormed from the office and smiled. “Well, he may not be able to keep tabs on his wayward wife, but I was glad to see him figure this problem out on his own. Don’t know why he just doesn’t follow his instincts more often. He has a great heart and a wickedly decadent mind,” Gabriel offered.

  “He takes everything on his shoulders. He always has. I’ve tried to talk to him several times over the years, but Orin believes that without him, everything will fa
ll apart. He needs to realize that sometimes, you just have to let the chips fall where they may, ’cause no amount of planning is going to stop the train from entering the depot. The sooner he realizes that, the happier he will be,” Doc said.

  “How about another drink, Andrew?” Gabriel asked, walking over to the small mini bar. After pouring two scotches, he handed a tumbler to his friend and raised his glass. “To the newlyweds. May their lives be filled with compassion, understanding, and a firm hand on the ass!”

  Chapter 5

  Lilly was walking out of Matthew’s office when the door was flung open and her three husbands rushed in yelling her name. Startled and a little embarrassed, she softly shook her head, and wished there was a rock she could crawl under.

  What in the hell was wrong with them?

  “As soon as I hear anything, I’ll call you right away. It shouldn’t be more than two days, but you best give it till Friday to be sure,” Matthew said, shaking her hand.

  Smiling up at the handsome attorney, Lilly grinned. “Thank you, Mr. Jenkins, for everything.”

  “My pleasure, and please call me Matthew.”

  “Thank you, Matthew.”

  Turning to her husbands, she placed her hands on her hips and walked right up to them. “And just what in the hell is wrong with you three? You come barging in here like a pack of wild animals. Is this how you three act in public? I would swear you’ve lost something and you were desperate to find it!” she said, peeved that they would be so unruly in public. Walking past them, she tried to calm herself.

  “Not a word,” she heard Orin order his brothers. Turning quickly, she rounded on him, and pointed her little finger right into his chest. “What was that?”

  “Better remove that finger, wife.” Orin grinned.

  “Or what? You three act like hooligans and embarrass me in front of the town attorney, and then you have the gall to threaten me, because I heard you order your brothers to be quiet. I demand to know what is going on,” Lilly said firmly, standing her ground.

  “Oh, wow. Our wife is gonna be fun,” Davis whispered to Jacks.

  “Yep, knew it from the moment I laid eyes on her. She was someone special,” Jacks replied.

  “Oh yeah, she is special all right. And if she doesn’t remove that finger, we are all gonna see just how special she is,” Orin said seductively.

  “You wouldn’t dare. We’re in public!” she said, her voice getting louder.

  “Dare him again, Lilly, and we won’t make it home,” Jacks advised cautiously.

  Lilly didn’t get a chance to respond, because one minute she was standing toe to toe with Orin, and the next she was hauled up and flung over his shoulder.

  She was mortified!

  She married a Neanderthal. How was she ever going to show her face in this town again? And to make matters worse, those other two idiots were laughing and encouraging him.

  The moment they had her secured in the truck, the first snowflake fell. The skies began to darken, and before they could hit the edge of town, the snow came down with a vengeance. Their playful expressions quickly changed to concern.

  “Shit. Guess those stupid weather forecasters got it wrong again. Jacks, make sure we have everything we need just in case. Davis, grab my extra jacket from behind the seat and hand it to Lilly. The coat she’s wearing wouldn’t keep a newborn warm.”

  “Orin, what’s going on?” Lilly asked, worried as the men started gathering things from hidden compartments within the cab and talking quietly to each other.

  “It’s all right, baby, just being prepared,” Orin said, trying to reassure her, but looking at the men, she felt anything but. She accepted the large coat from Davis, and when he smiled at her, she noticed his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

  “Baby, I need you to put that coat on,” Orin suggested as he jumped in the front seat and concentrated on the road before them.

  For the next twenty minutes, Lilly watched as the snow quickly covered everything in a blanket of white. The only sound was the swish, swish, swish of the windshield wipers as they moved vigorously back and forth. The crunching of the snow could be felt from the cab as Orin plowed slowly through the ever deepening snow.

  Lilly had lived her whole life in Montana, but never had she seen a storm approach this fast and dump massive amounts of snow the way this storm was. She had heard of monster winter storms before, but never seen one. She wondered now if this could actually be one.

  “How much longer before we get home?” Lilly quietly asked.

  “Lilly, we live closer to Celestial than Treasure Cove. Our ranch borders the next county. It typically takes us about an hour to get home from town, but that’s in good weather conditions. With the snow coming down the way it is, it’s gonna be a while,” Orin said, never taking his eyes off the road.

  “Will we make it home?”

  “Well, we’re gonna try. Don’t you worry,” Orin said, trying to soothe her, but nothing was going to stop her from worrying until she saw the ranch house.

  For the next hour, the drive was made in total silence. Everyone in the cab watched in horror as the snow kept piling up and up. Looking out her side window, if she had to venture a guess, Lilly would swear that there was at least three feet, possibly four, of snow already on the ground. But with the howling wind blowing it all around them, she prayed it looked a lot worse than what it was.

  “Lilly, baby, why don’t you switch places with Davis?” Orin said calmly without any emotion. Looking at the man next to her, she wondered if he would tell her if something bad was happening. But when Orin didn’t elaborate, she just unhooked her seat belt and very carefully climbed into the backseat. Once she was there, Jacks placed her on his lap so Davis could climb up front.

  Once they were all settled, she heard Orin and Davis whispering but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Jacks just held her hand and tried to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.

  Her worry increased over the next twenty minutes, but when Orin stopped the truck and Davis jumped out, her tension hit an all-time high.

  “Where’s Davis going? He’ll freeze out there,” she asked, concerned.

  “It’s a whiteout, Lilly. Davis is wearing his safety vest. I can see him,” Orin offered as an explanation, as if that would make everything okay.

  “But what’s he doing out there?” she asked again with more force.

  “He’s gonna guide us home,” Jacks whispered.

  “Are you serious?” she shouted, angry and confused at the same time. She couldn’t understand why Orin would send his brother out in such a dangerous storm, and she couldn’t understand why Davis was so stupid for doing something so crazy.

  “He’s gonna catch pneumonia out there.”

  “Oh, Davis will be fine. He’s dressed for the weather,” Orin replied.

  “I can barely see him. What if you hit him?” she asked, looking out the front window.

  “He’s insured.” Orin grinned.

  Lilly couldn’t believe her ears. Outraged and furious that Orin would think so lowly for his own brother’s welfare, she didn’t think twice as she unbuckled her seat belt and jumped from the cab.

  Oh, she wasn’t wrong. The moment her feet hit the snow, she sank into the white fluff until it damn near reached midthigh.

  Shit!

  Kicking her way toward the front of the truck, she kept a hand on the vehicle as a guide and started shouting for Davis. Lilly kept moving forward when she heard Jacks yell, “Lilly, get back here!”

  “Not until Davis gets back in the truck!” she yelled back.

  “You can die out in this stuff,” Jacks shouted as he walked behind her.

  “So could Davis,” she screamed in frustration and bumped into the man himself. The wind had picked up and was howling loudly, so loudly that she realized that Davis never heard her come up behind him.

  She watched as he turned, and shock registered on his face. He quickly grabbed her and held onto her tig
htly. “What are you doing? Get back in the truck,” he ordered her.

  “Not without you!”

  “Okay,” Davis shouted, and together they walked back toward the truck to find Jacks and Orin waiting outside the vehicle.

  “What’s wrong?” Orin asked as Davis stood in front of him.

  “The bridge is out. We’re gonna have to walk the rest of the way.”

  “How far?” Jacks asked.

  “About five more miles, I figure. I saw Wilbur’s old Chevy about ten minutes ago,” Davis informed them.

  “Shit. That means were screwed. One of us is going to have to stay here with Lilly till the other two get back with the snowmobiles. With the snow coming down, you’re not gonna be able to keep the truck running,” Orin said curtly.

  “Who stays?” Jacks asked.

  “Davis has to go. He knows the terrain better than any of us. And Jacks, you know first aid. If he gets hurt, you can fix him. Just don’t take your time. Lilly and I will only have about thirty more minutes of heat before I have to shut off the engine. After that, we’re gonna get real cold and fast.”

  “Got it,” Jacks said and then looked right at her. Lilly didn’t know what was going on, but from what she heard she didn’t like what they had planned one bit. She didn’t understand why they couldn’t all ride out the storm in the truck.

  Jacks stood before her and grabbed her face. “You listen to Orin. He can be ornery and mean sometimes, but he’ll get you through this,” he said and then gently kissed her. When she opened her eyes, she was looking at Davis.

  “Be right back, sweet cheeks.” He smiled and kissed her firmly and then turned and went to catch up with his brother. In a matter of seconds they both disappeared into a sea of white, and her heart felt like it was breaking. She was scared and worried for them.

  She never felt Orin move her toward the cab, or when he picked her up and placed her on the seat. All she knew was that somewhere out in this blizzard, two men were braving the elements, and she prayed they were gonna be okay.

  * * * *