Finally Found [Doms of Destiny, Colorado 10] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Chloe Lang

  Matt and Sean ran up to here and gave her a hug.

  “Did I hear right? Was I in fourth place?”

  “You heard right,” Matt said, smiling. He and Sean both wore bright yellow vests, indicating they were security and officials of the game. “We saw what you did.”

  “Or better said, what you didn’t do,” Sean said. “You had her, Carrie. Why didn’t you take the shot?”

  “Believe me, I will next time,” she said with a grin. “Call it my newbie mistake.”

  “I wish I could work the park this next round to see you in action,” Matt said. “But Sean and I have to go help run the children’s games at Lover’s Beach.”

  “How long before the next round?” she asked.

  “Ten minutes,” Sean said. “After that one, we’ll break for lunch. This afternoon the team challenges begin.”

  “Do either of you know where Josh or Jacob are?” She wanted to tell them how well she’d done in the last round, although they likely already knew since it had gone out over the loud speaker. But a good-luck kiss from each of them might help in the next round. She might even end up winning. Kisses from them definitely couldn’t hurt.

  “They worked the overnight shift, filling in for Jaris and Chance. Jaris’s dog Sugar delivered eight beautiful puppies, I’m told,” Matt said. “I bet Josh and Jacob are asleep.”

  Sean shook his head. “I just talked to the sheriff. He said they are pulling a double. They’re over at Lover’s Beach supervising the kid’s games right now. Since no cars are allowed on the streets in town, most are parked there and by Silver Spoon Bridge. The ones by the bridge are fine, but a few by the beach have been splattered in paint by some of the kids. Happens every year because some people park too close to the playing field for the kids.”

  “I’m not surprised Josh and Jacob are still up even though they worked all night. No one gets much sleep during paintball.” Matt turned to her. “Carrie, you won’t have time to get to Lover’s Beach and back before the next round, but I’ll let your guys know you want to see them.”

  “Ask them if they would meet me for lunch.” The local restaurants, including Phong’s Wok, were catering all the meals, which were served under the big tent behind the Dream Hotel.

  “We’ll do.”

  “Jena was asking about you,” Sean said. “You’ve got time to get to the information desk before the next round.”

  “Good idea,” she said. “I can’t wait to tell her about having Ethel in my crosshairs. Next time, I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.”

  “That’s a Dixon for you,” Sean said.

  “She’s my sister.” Matt smiled. “What else would you expect?”

  * * * *

  Carrie walked into the lobby of the Dream Hotel. It was filled with players and volunteers. The information desk was to the left of the front door. Jena and two other women were fielding questions by the participants. One of the women held a baby and the other looked like she was going to deliver one very soon.

  Jena waved her over when she finished with the two young women gamers. She got up and came around the desk. “I’d hug you, but I don’t want to get paint on my clothes.”

  “I don’t blame you.”

  “I heard your name on the loudspeaker. You’re doing great, Carrie.”

  “I’m having so much fun. I just wish I’d taken Ethel out when I had the chance.”

  “You had a chance?” an attractive woman behind her asked. Wearing paintball gear, her long dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

  “Carrie, this is Phoebe Wolfe,” Jena said. “She’s quite the player herself.”

  “But I’ve never had Ethel in my sights.” Phoebe shook her hand. “Are you sure you’ve never played paintball before, Carrie?”

  The two women who had been helping Jena at the information desk came up and joined them.

  “Yes. I’m sure this is my first time,” she said. “I’m a total newbie.”

  “And you took fourth place in that last round,” the woman with the baby said. “I’m Amber Stone.”

  “I’m Carrie. Pleased to meet you.” She gazed at the little boy in Amber’s arms. “What’s his name?”

  “Richard Trevor, but his dads and I call him Ricky.”

  “He’s beautiful.”

  Amber smiled. “Carrie, this is my sister, Belle. She’s going to have her own bundle of joy any day now.”

  “This excitement may bring it on,” Belle said, smiling. “I’m ready to meet my little girl.”

  “So are her brothers, I bet,” Phoebe said. “Where are Juan and Jake?”

  “With all the other boys and girls over at Lover’s Beach. Juan can’t wait for the big free-for-all where all players ten and older finally get to play the real thing.”

  “They have to be ten to play?” she asked.

  Jena nodded. “Children under ten are only allowed to play with water pistols in their own area.”

  “Amber, where do you want all the ribbons?” Another woman walked up to them, carrying a box.

  “On the table,” Amber said. “Everyone, this is Grace Summers. She’s our new psychologist at the Boys Ranch.”

  Grace had long, auburn hair and a warm smile. “Nice to meet you.”

  The five-minute warning sounded, alerting everyone that the next round was about to start.

  “It was nice meeting everyone,” she said. “Time to go find Ethel O’Leary.”

  They all laughed.

  She and Phoebe left the hotel together.

  “Carrie, have you chosen a team to be on for the team event?” Phoebe asked.

  “No. I was actually thinking about sitting out that round.”

  “A player with your skills? Not on your life. Be on my team. There are five of us—me, Gretchen, Erica, Kaylyn, and your archenemy, Ethel. I know for sure they would love to have you on our team. We call ourselves ‘The Pistol Packing Mamas.’”

  “I’d love to be on your team, but I don’t have any kids.” She’d never allowed herself to even think about starting a family in the past. But now, after Josh and Jacob had told her how much they loved her, she was imagining what it would like to have a child with them, a child she could be a mother to. In the back of her mind she saw her mother’s dark locks. I wish I had more memories of her.

  “Being a mother is not a requirement. In fact none of us have children, though my guys and I are trying and I believe so are Erica and Kaylyn.”

  “Not Gretchen?” she asked.

  Phoebe laughed. “You’ll meet her soon. She’s Ethel’s age. Besides, she’s like a mother to Scott and Eric Knight, and is acting grandmother to their new baby girl. I better say good-bye for now, Carrie, because I may have to shoot you.”

  “If I don’t shoot you first.”

  Phoebe grinned. “This round is one on one. We’re foes until the buzzer sounds. See you on the battlefield.”

  She watched Phoebe run past one of the dragon statues, and then she rushed to the same park bench where she’d seen Ethel earlier.

  Smiling, she stretched out on the ground and waited.

  * * * *

  Willie looked down at his cell’s screen. Trollinger.

  He let the call go to voicemail. Again.

  Trollinger had called eleven times in the last few hours. He had more important things to do than to explain to her why he hadn’t killed Simmons yet. The fact was, the two men he’d seen with Carrie the day before had been on night watch for the paintball event, not Simmons and his blind sidekick. His information had been wrong about who would be working the shift. No worries. One thing he’d learned a very long time ago, flexibility was crucial to his survival.

  He got out of his car and walked to the door of his target’s house. The Simmons business would have to come later.

  The old lady and little girl were alone inside. Perfect.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Standing by the shoreline with all the supplies, Josh helped five-year-old Jake reload his wat
er pistol. “Which color do you want now?” The kids were allowed to use water that was tinted with food coloring, with a warning to their parents that it might stain their clothes.

  “Red, please,” the little cowboy said politely. Belle, Sean, and Corey Blue had adopted Jake, as well as Juan. The three of them were doing a wonderful job bringing up the two boys. He was sure they would do the same with their little girl that was on the way.

  Jake ran off into the crowd looking like a clown from all the bright spots of food coloring on his white T-shirt, laughing the whole way.

  A few feet to his left, Jacob was bent down talking to Daniel, one of the orphan kids from the Boys Ranch.

  “You’re leading the games, Daniel. Hurry up and get your gun refilled.”

  “I want blue this time, Mr. Jacob. It shows up better.”

  Jacob handed the plastic pistol back to the boy. “Here you go. Go get ’em.”

  Daniel joined the other drenched children on the beach.

  “You tired?” he asked Jacob.

  “Some, but I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  “Me either. Reminds me of you and I when we were boys having our water fights at Mom and Dad’s house.”

  Jacob laughed. “Guns. Balloons. Buckets. But the best was the time we used the hose, remember?”

  “How could I forget? I meant to drown you but ended up soaking Mom.”

  Jacob smiled. “I was sure you and I were in big trouble. But when she grabbed the hose and turned it on us laughing, the game was on. And when Uncle Hiro drove up, she shot him full on. What a day that was. One of the best.”

  “Yes, it was.” Josh scanned the group of kids and saw Jaris and Chance headed his way from the parking lot. Chance had his service dog Annie on a lead.

  “Thanks, fellas, for filling in for us last night,” Jaris said. “We really appreciate it.”

  “Of course,” Jacob said. “You needed to be with Sugar. How many puppies did she have?”

  “Eight,” Chance said. “Four males and four females. Kaylyn says if you guys want a German shepherd of your own to come out when the puppies are ready to leave their mother and pick one. About two months from now.”

  “Aren’t they all supposed to become service dogs, like Sugar and Annie?” Josh reached down and petted Chance’s dog.

  “We have other dogs that will be delivering soon,” Jaris said. “We can spare one dog. Besides, if it hadn’t been for you two, Chance and I wouldn’t have even been there. What do you say? Are you ready to become dog owners?”

  He looked over at Jacob. “Our house does have a backyard.”

  “And we know Carrie loves animals.”

  “Carrie?” Chance grinned. “The three of you are the talk of the town.”

  “Are we hearing wedding bells?” Jaris teased.

  “Let’s do it, Josh.”

  “Damn, you’re getting married? Really?” Jaris smiled.

  “Maybe, but we haven’t asked her yet,” Jacob said. “But what I meant by ‘let’s do it’ was let’s get the puppy.”

  “Agreed.” Josh shook Jaris’s hand. “Thanks, buddy.”

  “No. Thank you,” Jaris said.

  “I’m sure you’re exhausted.” Chance smiled. “Jaris and I will take over here.”

  “We really want to finish watching this meet, then we’ll head home,” Jacob said. “Plus we need to reorganize all the supplies before we go.”

  Jaris shook his head. “Watch the meet. We’ll take care of the supplies.”

  Jaris and Chance walked to the tent where all the buckets of colored water and shelves of extra pistols were.

  He and Jacob continued watching the children, running around, squirting each other, and laughing.

  “They are playing so well with each other, Jacob. So far today only one scraped knee.”

  “I wonder if Carrie has any bruises,” Jacob said.

  “Probably. You don’t come in fourth place in a round without getting a few bumps along the way.” He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Carrie since their date last night. He and Jacob had told her they loved her. Luckily, she’d told them she loved them, too. “Jacob, I really want to marry her. In fact, I want to marry her and have a bunch of kids of our own. Do you feel the same way?”

  Jacob placed his hand on Josh’s shoulder. “You know I do. I’m ready to start a family with Carrie. She’s the only one for me.”

  “For us, you mean.”

  “Yes,” Jacob said. “For us. We need to figure out when and where we want to propose to her.”

  “Yes we do.” He saw Matt and Sean walk onto the beach. “Look who just showed up. The two guys we need to ask permission for Carrie’s hand. You want to ask them now?”

  “No time like the present,” Jacob said. “Hey, guys. Over here.”

  “Did you hear about Carrie placing in the last round?” Sean asked.

  He smiled. “Fourth place. The girl is a natural.”

  “We’re here to take over,” Matt said. “You two deserve some sleep.”

  “Thanks,” he said. “But before we go we’d like to talk to you and Sean about something.”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  Carrie has only been in town a few days. “How are Matt and Sean going to react?”

  “React to what?” Sean and Matt asked in unison.

  “Did I say that out loud? I didn’t mean to. How do I begin? Jacob and I want to ask for your permission for your daughter’s…I mean your sister’s…Damn it, Jacob, help me.”

  “You guys know Carrie,” Jacob blurted out.

  Matt and Sean laughed.

  “Yes, we know her,” Matt said.

  Sean grinned. “What about her?”

  “You’re not going to make this easy on us, are you?” he asked.

  “Not a chance,” Matt stated with a smile.

  “Okay. Here it is. I love Carrie and so does Jacob.”

  “I do love her,” Jacob confessed. “I’ve never loved anyone as much as Carrie. She’s the woman of mine and Josh’s dreams.”

  “So you love her. Anyone can see that,” Sean said, not giving them an inch.

  Matt teased, “You don’t need mine or Sean’s permission for that. You can love her all you want. All we ask is that you are good to her. Anything else you wanted to ask us, guys?”

  He turned to Jacob. “On three? Together?”

  Jacob nodded.

  In unison they said, “One. Two. Three. We want to marry Carrie.”

  In a serious tone Matt said, “Sean and I need to talk about this.”

  The two men stepped away, speaking in tones too low for him to make out their words.

  “They’re killing me,” Jacob said.

  “Me, too.”

  Matt and Sean came back.

  “On three, like we agreed,” Matt said to Sean.

  “One. Two. Three. Our answer is ‘yes.’ Welcome to the family, guys.” Matt and Sean slapped them on the back.

  Josh couldn’t stop smiling. “Now all we have to do is ask Carrie.”

  “Any ideas when you’ll do that?” Sean asked.

  “Soon,” Jacob said. “But we want to make sure we do it right.”

  “Yes, we do,” Josh said, thinking about all the possibilities of time and place that might work. “We want to make it special for Carrie, something to remember forever.”

  “I thought Matt and I were hopeless romantics,” Sean said. “But you two take the top prize.”

  * * * *

  On the ground next to the Mother Dragon statue, Carrie felt her heart thudding in her chest. According to the last announcement, only three players remained in this round—her and two others. She had no doubt that one of the other two was Ethel O’Leary. I’m coming after you, Ethel. She wanted to bring back the trophy to her family.

  She heard a twig snap. Looking north, she saw a player crawling west across the ground. Was it Ethel? Too far to be sure. She squinted, looking through her scope. She had a clear shot.
But the distance was farther than any shot she’d tried. Would she hit her opponent? Once she fired her location would be revealed. She only had one chance.

  And then her newbie luck kicked in again. The player stood and fired at someone nearby, giving her a chance to move closer.

  She scurried along the ground several feet.

  “We are down to two players in this round. Ethel O’Leary and Carrie Dixon. Good luck, ladies. May the best player win.”

  Carrie took aim at the dear woman she had so much respect for. She fired and saw the yellow paint hit the back of Ethel’s shirt. A perfect hit.

  Ethel turned around and smiled before falling to the ground.

  Carrie felt her cell vibrate in her pocket. Who could that be?

  * * * *

  Jacob’s mind was swirling with possibilities to pop the question to Carrie.

  “Go get some sleep, guys. You deserve it,” Matt said.

  “Hold on,” Sean interrupted. “Matt, take a look at what just came over the ROC from Grayson and Ross.”

  Matt brought out the tablet that all members of Shannon’s Elite carried with them at all times. “Fuck, the bastard was in Money yesterday.”

  “What bastard?” Josh asked.

  “Willie Mayfield, the crooked minister who killed my parents and kidnapped Carrie.”

  * * * *

  Carrie brought her cell up to her ear. “Hello?”

  “You didn’t think you could escape me forever, did you?” A voice like a sledgehammer slammed into her eardrum. His voice.

  “What do you want, Willie?” She closed her eyes and saw the black smoke of her past swirling in her mind.

  “What I’ve always wanted. I want my money and I want you.”

  “Go to hell.”

  “Someday, maybe. But right now I’m visiting with the sweetest woman and her little grandchild, Kimmie.”

  The earth seemed to quake underneath her. “Don’t you dare hurt them, you son of a bitch, or I’ll kill you.”