Finding Happiness

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “Why the serious face? What’s going through your head right now, darling?” She gave him a smile.

  “Nothing, Flex. Why don’t I get that bath started and then meet you guys.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, that isn’t happening,” Aldreck said with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Manderine came up behind her and slid his palm up her back and under her hair and tilted her head toward him so she was now sandwiched between two giant, sexy men. “One of us will stay here while the others head to the house to get started on showering and changing. Then whichever one of us stays here with you will then drive over to our place. Now give me a kiss and then get moving. This lunch and going to town thing is a short reprieve until we take you back to bed for the rest of the night.”

  “The rest of the night? What about dinner?” she asked and tilted her chin up toward him.

  “We’ll figure it out, and then you, sweet Autumn, are dessert.” He pressed his mouth to hers as he squeezed her ass, and Flex waited his turn to kiss her next. By the time they were done she walked in a daze to the bathroom to start that bath, then wondered how she got so lucky, and what should she wear.

  Manderine won the toss and would stay with Autumn until she was ready. As he looked around her place, he thought about taking her to their home and hoped she would like it. It was masculine in décor and even colors, but still neutral with earth tones and a warm cozy feeling. He didn’t think they did too badly for four men close to forty, retired soldiers, and even cops working regular jobs. They did their best, and were very close, but nothing brought them together or made them feel complete until Autumn. He was shocked at the deep feelings he had for her already. In fact, he loved her, and he knew it, but the way she got quiet, shied away or looked a bit scared out of nowhere and then tried to hide it, concerned him. She was still recovering, and maybe the more time they all spent with her the more comfortable she would get. He walked through the bedroom and stood by the doorway to the bathroom.

  “Do you need anything? Maybe help washing your back?” he asked and winked. She placed the washcloth over her breasts, but it didn’t do much but make her look even sexier. He walked closer and leaned against the vanity. “What are you thinking about, sexy?” he asked, and held her gaze. She looked so serious, her hair all wet from washing it, bubbles beginning to dissipate and revealing more of her body.

  “Nothing. Just soaking like Flex said I should do.” She looked away.

  “You’re angry that he told you to do that? It’s for your care, to ensure you feel no pain.”

  She looked at him, and he could see the tears in her eyes. “Tell me something about you, Manderine. Something you like to do, or that you enjoy or look forward to.”

  He squinted at her, took a breath and then exhaled as he leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. “Only if you tell me what you were really thinking while you were soaking in this bath and being mad at Flex for looking out for you.”

  “Go on and tell me,” she said and then started putting conditioner into her hair.

  “Besides work, I train and help support wounded soldiers who want to keep doing martial arts despite their injuries.”

  She smiled. “That’s so nice, and impressive, too. I don’t know any martial arts or self-defense.” She slid under the water to rinse her conditioner out of her hair. She came back up, covered in bubbles but not her breasts. He reached out and stroked along her nipple, and she pushed his hand off as she giggled and then put the washcloth back over herself to cover up.

  “Hand me the towel. I’m going to get out.”

  He stood up and grabbed the thick pink towel, and as she stood he smiled at her and looked her over. “I got you, doll.” He wrapped her up in the towel and then lifted her up and against him. He kissed her lips and then set her feet down.

  “I just need to dry my hair.”

  “Take your time.”

  “I don’t want them to get angry.”

  “They won’t.”

  She swallowed hard and then gave a soft smile like it was forced. He watched her dry off. “So about what you were thinking of,” he asked as she stood there with only the pink towel around her, and her hair wet. She looked so damn young and gorgeous. She reached for the comb and began to run it through her long, platinum-blonde hair.

  “It wasn’t anything to discuss. Just me dealing with things. Processing things.” She bent down to take out the dryer. He watched her as she dried her hair. It wasn’t something he ever watched a woman do. It made him again think how different this was. How much he cared for her, and that she would be a huge part of his life and his brothers’ lives. His gut clenched, his heart felt tight, like he was responsible for her safety, her protection, and it felt so different. He reached out and stroked her hip.

  She glanced at him and smiled. “Aren’t you bored just watching me dry my hair?” she asked, raising her voice above the sound of the blow dryer. He shook his head, and when she was done he pressed closer, brought a handful of her hair to his face, and inhaled.

  “I love this smell, and this one, too.” He nuzzled against her neck, kissing her.

  She giggled and then stepped away. “I need to get dressed,” she said, and he followed her into her bedroom. She pulled panties and bra from the drawer, and then she was looking in her closet as he sat on the edge of the bed.

  She came out wearing her thong panties in white, a white lace bra that pulled her breasts together, causing a deep cleavage. “Goddamn, baby, you have got one hell of a body,” he said to her.

  “Me? I don’t even work out, or have muscles. You guys are super hot, and your bodies works of art.” She stepped into a beige skirt. She turned slightly to try and zip it in the back, and he stood up.

  “Let me.” He pressed closer, zipped her skirt, and kissed her shoulder.

  “Thanks,” she said and stared up at him.

  He stroked her back. “You feeling okay? Not sore at all, right?” He was worried, still thinking about her expressions.

  “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

  “I wasn’t saying that.”

  “I’m not used to this.”

  “To what?”

  “Being cared for. Afterwards, I guess. Constantly.” She stepped away from him and walked to the closet and grabbed a top. She put it on, began to button it, and slid her feet into heeled sandals. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her forward as he sat on the bed. She was between his legs as she finished buttoning her top. He caressed her hips, felt how feminine she was in comparison to his size, to even the size of his hands, and he felt that protective sensation grow stronger.

  “We’re your guardians, your lovers, your men, and you’re our woman now, Autumn. I know it’s going to be a process to get used to, but you need to trust us. To confide in us and we’ll do the same with you.”

  She stared into his eyes and then slid her palms up his chest to his shoulders and then his cheeks. “There are things, bad habits, or I don’t know what to call them, that I need to unlearn. To not expect after certain things. I just need some time to adjust.” She stuttered a little, obviously upset at her thought process. He squinted his eyes at her, gave her hips and ass a squeeze.

  “What things? Like what specifically? You’ve had something on your mind.”

  “Manderine, don’t push me, please. I don’t want it to be constant.”

  “What to be constant?”

  “Me explaining, or admitting to remembering something bad, or something upsetting. I have to learn to get through it like I’ve been doing.”

  “But, baby, you don’t need to get through it alone anymore. I’m right here. My brothers are there for you, too, always.” She stared at him.

  “When Flex said to take a bath and it would be better so I wouldn’t feel any pain, a series of thoughts went through my head. Like one, how did he know? How many women had he been with, had you guys shared, and then told them to soak because they would be sore afterwards?”r />
  “Baby, we’re older, have more—”

  “No, no wait, Manderine, there’s more. I don’t mind that you’re older, more experienced except that I felt jealous, and then scared that you could cheat on me, or leave me or use me. I thought of it all, but then I realized that I didn’t say I was in pain, or admit to that pain, but Flex assumed so and he said to soak, that it would be better for me. He was right. You all cared.”

  He gave a soft smile. “So it was a good thing. You processed it.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t even tell you the number of times I laid in bed until the pain passed.” Tears fell from her eyes, and his chest tightened. His eyes furrowed. “How alone I felt, and so stupid, so worthless.”

  “Don’t, Autumn.”

  More tears fell, and she cupped his cheeks.

  “You and your brothers cared. You all took your time; You made sure I came first. I guess…I guess what I’m processing is that. I’m not used to it. I take care of me. I didn’t feel alone,” she said and then pressed her lips to his. When she released his lips and hugged him tight, he felt her feminine, sexy body against his and wanted to take all those bad memories away and all the pain and replace them with happiness and love.

  “That’s all in the past, Autumn. My brothers and I are real men. You’ll always come first, baby. Always.”

  “Are you sure there isn’t anything to worry about? Autumn will be fearful for Aunt May,” Shay asked Keith, Aunt May’s son who was a state trooper.

  “It was a phone call, and he was fishing for information. My mom did a good job. The only thing Connor could do now would be to head here to Pennsylvania, to knock on my mom’s door and see that Autumn isn’t here, even though my mom told him she didn’t know who Autumn was and that she was not on talking terms with any of the McCainely family.”

  “Shit, Keith. I don’t like it. You know from what we were able to gather on the down low that this cop is dirty. That department has been under investigation for a series of things.”

  “Yeah, and the Internal Affairs are dealing with those things, not an abusive cop looking to find his girlfriend and continue the abuse. It’s last on their list, and you and I know it. The best thing to do is to keep her safe there. If need be we could call some friends, military ones, and put her under their protection.”

  “I don’t think that will be necessary. Seems she snagged the attention of four really great men. Bad-ass, too. Retired Army Rangers.”

  “Seriously? Jesus, that was fast. That town is something else.”

  “It sure is, and we know that firsthand.”

  “Can you tell me more about those men, so I can tell my mom? It will give her peace of mind. She’s so worried about Autumn,” Keith said to him.

  “I sure can, and then I’m going to talk to Kane, see what he thinks. If these men claim guardianship of Autumn, then they’ll be on top of things, as well. This is what I can tell you about the Forester brothers.”

  “The Forester brothers? You mean Molly’s sons?” he asked.

  “You know Molly?”

  “Of course I know Molly. One of her husbands, Aleck, was in the Marines with our dad. They all came out here to Pennsylvania when he passed away.”

  “Look at that. Holy shit.”

  “Damn, what a small world. My mom is going to be thrilled. So go on and tell me what they’re up to,” Keith asked him.

  When Autumn arrived at their home she couldn’t help but to smile and inhale. It smelled like them, looked masculine, yet clean and organized like soldiers would keep their home. Before she even got through the living room they came out, smiling. Hill looked her over with hunger in his eyes.

  “You look so pretty,” he said and pulled her into his arms and hugged her. She hugged him back, nearly moaned aloud when his large, warm hand slid along her ass and squeezed, but then he continued to smooth it up her back, to under her hair and against her neck. He gave a little tug. She tilted up toward him and those blue eyes, that dirty-blond hair, and that seasoned, sexy expression. “I missed you,” he admitted, making her feel emotional, but then he kissed her. She kissed him right back until Flex spoke.

  “What took you so long?” Flex barked as Hill eased his lips from hers and hugged her to him. She hugged him back and pressed her cheek against his chest and looked at Flex.

  “I did as you said and soaked a while.” His hard expression softened, and he stepped closer, took her hand, and pulled her into his arms as Hill released her.

  “Are you okay? Were you in that much pain?” he asked with concern and stroked her cheek, clenched her chin, and stared so seriously into her eyes it did her in.

  She shook her head. “Manderine and I were talking, and getting to know one another. I think it’s important we do that,” she said, her voice cracking.

  He nodded. “Okay, and I agree. We want to know more about you, about your life in Connecticut and what your wishes and desires are,” he said and pressed his lips to hers softly.

  When he released them, she stared up into his eyes. “I can’t think of anything more than being with the four of you,” she said, and then her face went flush. She felt embarrassed for admitting that, but then Aldreck spoke.

  “Thank God, because we’ve been saying the same thing.” She turned to look up at Aldreck who reached out and took her hand, brought her fingers to his lips, and kissed them. “We missed you, want you here with us all the time. Would it be too soon to ask you to stay the night, hell, move in?” he asked and winked. His brothers chuckled, and she lowered her eyes then glanced back up at him.

  “How about tonight, yes, moving in, not yet.”

  “Not yet? I like the sound of that. It wasn’t a direct no, so maybe Manderine didn’t piss her off while they talked,” Hill teased.

  “Me piss her off? Shit, on that note I’m going to run and take my shower so we can take our woman to lunch,” he said.

  “We’ll keep her occupied,” Aldreck said and pulled her into his arms, slid his palm along her ass, and nuzzled against her neck. She giggled and held on to his big, wide muscular shoulders and felt so happy it shocked her. She could get used to this. Really fast.

  Chapter 6

  “Congratulations, Autumn. I’m so happy for you,” Molly said and pulled her into her arms to hug her tight. Molly knew about the phone call to Bridget’s cousin May. Bridget had shared it this morning and about the men. Shay, Ken, and Brady were talking to Autumn’s guardians.

  “Thank you so much, Molly. It’s crazy. Everyone has been so excited,” Autumn said and then headed back to the counter to pick up more orders and deliver them. Molly looked at Bridget, and they walked over to a table in the corner to talk.

  “When are you going to tell her about the phone call?” Molly asked Bridget.

  “I wanted to last night when we heard from Keith, but my men said they wanted to wait, to talk to the sheriff and then of course Aldreck and his brothers. Shay had a feeling they were going to ask for guardianship of Autumn. When they pulled the truck up to her apartment the other night and stayed there, we had a feeling things had taken a positive direction.” Bridget looked toward Autumn as she waved hello to new customers coming in and then smiled wide and headed back to the coffee machine to grab a fresh pot of coffee to deliver. “She’s happy, Molly. She’s fallen in love.”