by Mia Ashlinn
The super shy woman blushed to the roots of her hair but nodded before moving down the long line of people at the table.
Jared’s steel-toed boot rammed into Drew’s shin and triggered a cringe-worthy chain of events. With fast as lightning reflexes, Drew slammed his knee into the underside of the table with a thud, initiating a minor, man-made earthquake. The table shook, silverware rattled, and drinks toppled.
In slow motion, Drew watched his entire glass of red wine spill onto the white linens and dump directly into Shannon’s lap. The look of horror on her face caused him to wince.
“Oh,” Shannon yelped, pushing her chair back clumsily and surging to her feet. Her chair flipped backwards before landing on the floor with a resounding bang. She bumped into the table, setting it to teetering and tottering all over again.
The clatter of silverware falling to the floor sounded like a gun going off in the otherwise soundless room. All eyes in the room fixated on her as the other patrons waited for her reaction.
Drew grabbed napkins and stood to dab her soaked dress. “My God, Shan, I’m so sorry.”
“I–i–it’s okay,” she stammered. Her chin wobbled as she valiantly fought to suppress her upset.
“No, it’s not princess,” Jared disagreed and moved around the table to help her. He glared at Drew as if he believed this whole debacle had been his fault, like he would purposefully embarrass and upset her. “Why don’t you go and clean up in the ladies’ room.”
Jared sounded like the epitome of a gentleman, but the seething undertone to his words told everyone a different story. This was not a suggestion. It was an order.
Jaycee, Sarah, and Katie-Anne jumped to do Jared’s bidding, ushering a still shell-shocked Shannon away. As the four women weaved through the throng of tables, everyone made room for them to get by. All of the men stood while all of the women scooted their chairs aside. Several people spoke softly to Shannon but, because of the distance, it was impossible for Drew to hear what they said. With their caring smiles, he had no doubt they were comforting and reassuring her in some kind way. Once the women disappeared down the hallway leading to the ladies’ room, the diners all returned their attention to the food on their plates and the personal conversations they’d been having before all of the commotion. Thankfully.
“What the hell was that,” Randy demanded to know, not giving Jared a chance to blast Drew. “Why in the world were you flirting with the waitress in front of Shannon—on tonight of all nights?”
Drew growled. “I wasn’t. She’s a nice girl, and her daughter, Holly, is precious. But, damn, I’m not interested in her romantically. Hell, she’s twenty-two. That makes her fourteen years my junior.”
Jared sat back down in the chair stiffly. With sparks of red-hot rage shooting from his eyes, he launched his attack on Drew. “You bastard. I can’t believe that you did that. Flirting with Melissa was bad enough, but you embarrassed Shannon!”
Tensely, Drew took a seat, perching on the edge of the chair in preparation for the inevitable fight. “What is wrong with you? It was a fucking accident,” he defended.
Shane jumped in, voice tinged with warning, “Boys.”
All three brothers cast Shane an identical go-to-hell-you-bastard look and shouted, “Shut up!” The sound of their voices carried throughout the dining room and had everyone turning in their direction—yet again.
“Are you sure about that,” Jared wanted to know, arching his eyebrow questioningly.
Drew snarled, standing to his full height and towering over his oldest brother. “What are you asking?”
An enraged Jared made no move to rise, remaining still like the calm before the storm. “I am asking if you meant to embarrass her on purpose.”
“Good God, Jared. Why would I do that?”
Randy answered as he got to his feet, “Because you have become”—he paused and waved his hand at Drew as if what he said was self-evident—”this!”
“What the bloody hell are you talking about?” Aggressively, Drew turned on Randy, utilizing his slightly larger body as an intimidation tactic against him.
Not that it worked. Randy didn’t acknowledge his confrontational stance. He didn’t move a muscle. “I am talking about the asshole you are turning into. We are sick and tired of dealing with him.”
That statement deflated Drew’s antagonism—but only a little. “Do you think I enjoy being pissed off all the time? I’m becoming someone I don’t know and certainly don’t like.”
Drew grimaced and fell into his chair as his legs gave away. Showing his feelings was the last thing he wanted to do, but tonight was going to hell, and he was growing tired of continually acting uncaring. Life would be easier if his friends and family believed him, but they didn’t. That much was crystal clear. “Let me tell you something. I would never hurt Shannon.”
Instead of addressing him, Randy conveyed his disbelief to Jared, “I think he actually believes that garbage. All he does lately is hurt her.”
Being treated with total disregard infuriated him. Randy could look at him but couldn’t speak. Bullshit.
Drew’s hostility returned, ten times stronger than before. “Of course, I believe it, asshole. It’s the truth.”
A round of titters and coughs came from the men at the table. No one stepped in to defend him. Just tense silence congested with wariness and skepticism of the men he respected most. Even the people in the restaurant who’d been watching their impromptu show avidly turned away without a word.
“If that is true, what exactly are you doing?” Jared’s quiet composure had returned, and he was way too even-tempered for Drew’s taste, but the question had his full attention. He couldn’t worry about ruffling his brother’s feathers.
Caught off guard, Drew had no explanation, no justification. “I have no fucking clue.”
His know-it-all older brother spurned his candor as he sipped on his scotch. “Yes, you do.”
“Not really.”
At the other end of the table, Shane teased him uncharacteristically. “Well, that’s a first.” The strain in his voice removed any hints of humor. If Shane’s edgy tone didn’t convince everyone that he was full of shit, then the fact that he didn’t have a funny bone in his body would.
“No joke,” Cade joined in. More talented at disguising his uneasiness, Cade’s wit almost sounded believable. The only betrayal arose from his troubled eyes being at odds with his relaxed stance and easy words.
Both men’s attempt at humor backfired when they were reprimanded. Gray didn’t need to do anything but give his partner a look. Predictably, Cade’s irreverence got the better of him, and he shot a sex-laced look at Gray, who pretended to ignore him. A smug twitch of his lips illustrated that Gray knew exactly what had gone through his lover’s mind.
The second reprimand came from the most unlikely source—Landon. The generally quiet man staggered and amazed everyone at the table when he barked, “Leave them alone, Shane,” at his best friend. “This is between Jared, Drew, and Randy. It doesn’t have anything to do with you or me so shut the hell up.”
Every man went quiet and tensed, paying close attention to the two longtime friends as the start of a battle brewed between them.
Shane wasn’t one to allow anyone to talk to him like that. But, instead of reacting like expected, Shane remained relaxed and unperturbed. “No, it isn’t just between the three of them. It affects Katie-Anne, Jaycee, and Sarah. That makes it all of our business.”
“Since when did you give a fuck about Katie-Anne?” Landon jeered spitefully at the man everyone knew he was in love with, showing a side of him that no one knew existed.
Shane’s cheeks colored, indicating his anger. No one ever questioned him or called him out. If Landon was any other man, he would have been laid out on the floor before he finished his first rebuke. But, lucky for him, Shane wouldn’t hurt a hair on his head. He’d been protective of Landon for as long as Drew could remember. “Since always,” he snapped.
Evidently, Landon had a temper that rivaled his best friend’s or he just didn’t know when to back down. He tilted his entire body forward, moving closer to Shane’s personal space in challenge, the bold belligerence begging for a fist to the face. “You have a shitty way of showing it, asshole.”
At those words, the statue that had been Deke came to life. Landon had obviously provoked the Dom’s protective instincts for his brother. Throwing down his napkin and standing up abruptly, Deke growled, “Back off, Landon.”
Surprisingly, Landon didn’t listen to Deke. Instead, he remained exactly where he was and barked, “It’s the truth, and everyone knows it.”
Shane’s eyes went wide, and his face paled. “Just because I am not fucking her or declaring words of devotion doesn’t mean I don’t care.”
Landon scoffed and opened his mouth to more than likely blast his best friend again, but Deke cut him off with a deafening roar. “Enough, goddamn it!”
Chapter 8
“What the hell is causing all that noise?”
Deliberately ignoring Shannon’s question, the three women rounded the corner into the main dining room. Tagging along behind them, Shannon caught sight of the men next to their corner table just a mere second later. The men all stood in a huddle, arguing with each other.
Deke, Shane, and Landon argued loudly while Cade and Randy barked and cursed at each other. Gray looked to be tearing into Jared and Drew, who gave as good as they got.
Around them, every person in the crowded restaurant openly gawked at the men with rounded eyes. Several of the patrons had whipped out their phones while others pointed and whispered. Shannon even heard Ella Dawson ask a waitress if Stellina kept popcorn in the back for occasions like this one.
Yeah, well. It isn’t like this is the first time this has happened with us. It was probably a damn good thing they lived in a small town. Otherwise, they would have been banned from practically every public place within a ten mile radius of Serenity before they’d turned twenty-one.
I’m sure the last names Blakemore and Dalton help keep us from drowning in the hot water we like to swim in. Shannon had learned as a child that being best friends with two of the town’s most prominent families had its perks, and this was one of them. They got away with all sorts of shit—even being rowdy in an upscale restaurant.
People didn’t relish pissing off the Blakemores or the Daltons for two massive reasons. First of all, both families weren’t hurting in the financial department. Shit, who was she kidding? Between the six of them, they had more money than they could spend in several lifetimes. But, even more important than that, they owned and operated two of the largest horse ranches in the area. No one wanted to make enemies of them, not even her, and she was practically a member of both families.
Then again, they probably weren’t getting away with jack shit right now. Knowing Stellina, she was in the kitchen, listening to a play-by-play. The older woman was a serious busybody.
A gasp crossed Jaycee’s cherry-colored lips when she spotted her men and brothers verbally warring with each other. “Oh, my God!”
“Looks like J needs to go take care of her men,” Katie-Anne stated as her feet ground to a halt.
“Ha,” Shannon exclaimed, her merriment contrived and unconvincing. “She’s not the only one, Katie-Anne. Looks like your men could use a little stress relief. Wonder how you could handle that?”
Curling her lip, Katie-Anne retorted, “Fat chance. You’re one to talk, Shan.”
“She’s right, Katie-Anne. I saw how chummy you and Landon were being,” Jaycee chimed in. “When did the two of you become so close?”
“They’ve been close for a while now,” Sarah murmured without drawing her eyes away from Deke.
“Oooh, this I want to hear.” Shannon slid around the side, fitting herself between the wall and Katie-Anne. She barely managed to squeeze in the tight space. Standing in front of Katie-Anne, she perched her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. “We’re waiting.”
Katie-Anne blushed. Not a small, pretty blush like one would expect from her. No, this started in her cheeks and spread outward until her entire face was darker than the beets she refused to eat.
“Whoa, did you see that?”
The awe in Jaycee’s voice amused Shannon, but she didn’t laugh. She couldn’t. Her dumbstruck state hindered her ability to perform any such actions.
Unlike her, Katie-Anne had no difficulty. She shoved Jaycee playfully toward the table, not expecting Jaycee to stumble over her own feet and fall to the marble floor. An irate Gray glanced up about the time Jaycee hit the ground.
If possible, he became more enraged, flying across the room. Seeing Jaycee, Gray cooled down—for a moment. He spoke softly to her, touching her cheek, rubbing her hair, and kissing her forehead. Watching her best friend’s happiness, Shannon felt slightly nauseous.
Her distress didn’t have anything to do with jealousy, not even a morsel of envy existed for Shannon when it came to Jaycee’s happiness. She was the best friend Shannon had ever found, along with Katie-Anne, and she couldn’t begrudge her friend for finding love and happiness.
Sorrow churned in Shannon’s stomach as she watched something that hurt far worse than envy. She saw what she had thrown away.
And, right then and right there, she knew that she couldn’t change the past, but she could change the future. It was time for her to fight for them. She wanted her fairy-tale foursome, and by God, she would find a way to get it.
Gray helped Jaycee up, kissed her and handed her off to Cade, who’d somehow managed to get across the room with as much speed, but not nearly as much ferocity. No one had even noticed his approach.
“What the fuck were you thinking, pushing Jaycee?” Gray’s booming voice overpowered every voice in the room, causing a ripple effect, and a hush fell over the room.
Katie-Anne’s embarrassment disappeared, and the Ice Queen returned. She tucked a silky lock of her black hair behind her elfin ears, the bangle bracelets she wore jingling and jangling. “Get over yourself, Gray. She is fine. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Katie-Anne crossed her thin arms across her chest, her naturally tanned skin standing out against the orange of her glittery dress. An air of cold aloofness emanated from her that had the temperature around the room dropping several degrees.
Gray didn’t seem affected by the sudden temperature change. “Damn it, if you don’t care about hurting Jaycee, what about the baby—” He stopped midsentence and closed his eyes tightly, regret etched on his face. “Shit.”
“Fuck.” Cade’s curse overrode the sound of Jaycee’s sharply drawn breath.
Baby?
Instead of continuing his tirade, Gray whirled around to face Jaycee and Cade who stood behind the three of them. “Love—”
“How long have you known, Gray?” Jaycee’s softly spoken question was far more disturbing than if she had been screaming murderously at the top of her lungs. “Cade?”
“Darlin’—”
Jaycee cut Cade off with a scowl. “Save it, McCoy. I don’t want to be treated like a baby. I want a damn answer.”
Shannon laughed softly at Jaycee’s unintentional pun in spite of the seriousness of the situation. When she received a dirty look from three different parties, she covered her mouth as if that action would hide her inopportune amusement.
“A week.” Gray told Jaycee, his mouth set in a grim line.
Dropping his arm from its place around Jaycee’s waist, Cade stepped between his two lovers. He was obviously preparing for World War III. “Goddamn it, Gray!”
Jaycee paled visibly, her blood draining away slower than Shannon believed possible. “How? I’ve only known for five days.” Her incredulous words matched her wide, rapidly blinking eyes and colorless face.
Walking around Cade, Gray cut his partner an irritated look before returning his attention to Jaycee. “Sweetheart, how many times do we have to tell you that we know you better than you
know yourself?” He tenderly brushed her pallid cheek with the back of his hand, his touch engendering a surge of color back into her face. “It was obvious to us.”
Jaycee bit down onto her trembling lower lip. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“We know.” Both men spoke simultaneously, showing just how in sync the two were with each other.
Gray stepped forward, lowering his head to Jaycee’s level. He whispered something that Shannon couldn’t make out with her own ears which, knowing Gray, was for the best. Then he took her lips with his own.
Shannon felt tears spring to her own eyes when Gray pulled away to look in Jaycee’s moist eyes. The love and devotion was enough to make a hopeless romantic sigh, but the hand he pressed against her still-flat abdomen was more than even a cynical person could escape without a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Like a sixth sense, Shannon felt the caress of her men’s eyes on her skin. She sought them out without conscious thought, purely driven by instinct. While her friend celebrated the joy of new life, she was entranced by the three men she wanted to share life’s most pivotal moments with—love, marriage, babies, grandbabies, and everything else from the beginning until the end.
Cade cleared his throat and had her dragging her eyes away from the sexiest men she had ever seen. “Excuse me. I want to kiss our future wife.”
Gray glanced up, grinning at Cade over Jaycee’s head. “Someone needs to work on his impatience.”
Cade flipped Gray off.
“Five,” Gray said sharply.
Instead of responding, Cade grabbed Jaycee from Gray and swung her up into his long arms. He spun her around and around like a merry-go-round. A whoop and joyous laughter filtered through the air. Before long, Cade was winded and Jaycee was yelping, “Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!”
Lowering Jaycee to the ground, he kissed her on the lips with an audible smack. His middle finger made its second appearance for the night.
“Fifteen,” Gray growled. “Don’t try it again or you will get none. For you, that will be a far worse punishment.”
