“Bye, DelAnne,” Becca called to her as she rushed past them.
“Bye.” DelAnne never stopped, hurrying past the two sisters and pushing the diner door open to run toward the two men who were Lainey’s mates.
She dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out the ring, handing it to Spence as she stood before him. He accepted it with a wide grin.
“I have to get going or I’m going to be late for class.” She waved and quickly ran across the street to the old car that she drove.
Spence looked down at the small ring in his hand then looked up at Tim and smiled. “Let’s go to the jeweler’s right now and order our rings.”
Tim nodded and reached out to touch the ring with his index finger. “Do you think Lainey will like the ring we have planned for her?”
“Yes.” Spence’s voice was filled with conviction. “I’m looking forward to us putting it on her finger.”
“Me, too,” Tim agreed. “I’m also looking forward to wearing one myself.”
“Yeah,” Spence said softly. “You and I should have a yellow gold wedding band, and Lainey should have a rose gold one. I think it will be great to have a wedding band that will match our mating marks.”
“I agree,” Tim answered, his smile wide as he looked at his best friend. “How awesome is it that we’re mated and our mate is Lainey?”
“Pretty damn awesome,” Spence agreed. “Come on. Let’s get to the jewelers before the store closes.”
Both men turned and walked down the block to the small shop that had been a part of the town for many years. Their steps were quick and sure—two men on a mission.
* * * *
Lainey stood before the diner counter, leaning against it as she looked down at Becca who sat on one of the high stools. She wiped at her face tiredly as she thought about the need for hiring more help at their diner.
“Maybe we can get Claire to come in to work all day tomorrow,” Lainey suggested. “You can work with her in the morning, Becca, and maybe help me out front in the afternoon.”
Becca nodded, rubbing at her hip. “I hope she’ll want the job until she finishes school. We can sure use her help.”
The bell over the door jingled, calling their attention to the visions of sexiness that entered. Lainey smiled and walked toward the two men who called to her soul and made her heart flutter every time she saw them. How had she ever gotten so lucky to have her best friends as her mates? She walked toward them, meeting them halfway and opening her arms to embrace the both of them.
“What’re you two doing here?” she asked them both, loving that they immediately enveloped her within their embrace. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“We needed to see you,” Spence told her, tipping his head down to kiss her lips lightly.
Lainey laughed against his mouth, chasing his lips to kiss him quickly before leaning back and looking at Tim. She leaned into him and hummed happily as he kissed her with just a little more intensity than was probably wise to do at the moment. When he eased back, she had trouble focusing.
“You guys really know how to say hello,” she whispered, laughing softly when she saw how her words had made them happy.
“Hi, Spencer. Hello, Timothy,” Becca called to them, laughing softly at the way she was completely invisible to them.
“Hello, Miss Becca,” Tim called to her as he hugged Lainey just a little tighter.
“Hi, Becca,” Spence said softly, matching Tim’s hug and embracing Lainey tighter as well. “Lainey girl, it’s nice to have you in our arms. How was your day, honey?”
“It was a good day. Now that you’re both here, it’s a wonderful day.” She leaned back and accepted their quick kisses, humming happily against their lips. “Why are you two here? I have your truck, Spence, so there’s no need for you to come and get me.”
She smiled up at them, amazed when her men blushed sweetly. It was so unbelievably tender, her heart pounded with the intensity of her feelings for them.
“We just wanted to be with you,” Tim admitted.
“Can’t help it, baby,” Spence muttered. “We were working and had the sudden need to hold you. We just needed to be here with you.”
Lainey reached out and touched both men’s chests, settling her hands against their warmth. She could feel the pounding of their hearts and again realized at that moment that she truly was the bridge to their love.
“Well, I’m glad you decided to show up,” she told them softly. “I guess I needed you to be with me, too.”
“I’m going to gather my things to go home,” Becca told them quietly, getting up and slowly moving around the counter to grab for her pocketbook. “I’ll make sure I talk to Claire tonight about working for us when she doesn’t have a class. I hope she’ll be relieved to have a permanent, part-time position so she won’t have to look for something else.”
Spence and Tim moved forward to sit on two of the high stools at the counter, pulling Lainey so that she stood between them. When she leaned against them and rested comfortably against their sides, everything felt right. They wrapped their arms around her back and held her in place while their free hands found their way to her belly, sliding under the material of her shirt and touching her soft skin.
Lainey looked down at the way their large hands covered her stomach and smiled. She loved how they completely engulfed her in their embrace. It felt wonderful.
“You know, I really like it when you guys hold me,” she told them, covering their hands with her own.
The warmth that greeted them made both men smile as they realized the warmth of their baby’s life was intensifying as it grew. Spence looked at Tim and winked, laughing softly when Tim nodded and pressed his hand tighter against Lainey’s belly.
The door to the diner was jerked open and the last person Lainey had ever expected to show up at her place of business was standing there in all his rough meanness. Jenkins Hughes. Lainey stiffened between her men, worry rushing through her as she felt the anger that was immediately emanating from Tim.
“It’s okay, Timmy,” she whispered.
“You don’t belong here, old man,” Tim nearly growled, releasing his hold on their mate and standing so that he stood in front of Lainey, determined to shield her from his father.
“I belong anywhere I want to be, Timothy,” Jenkins told his son angrily. “I’ve been trying to reach you for a few days. I need you to help me out.”
“You’re wasting your time,” Tim told him, his voice deceptively calm. “I’ve told you before. I’m through helping you.”
“I think you might change your mind, son. I would hate to have to make things difficult for your friends.”
“Don’t threaten my family,” Tim warned him.
“They’re not your family, boy. You’re not a McKade. You’re a Hughes. That birthmark on your shoulder proves that.”
“That’s just a genetic reminder that I have to work harder to be better than you are,” Tim told him, meaning his words with all that he was.
“Timmy,” Lainey whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist as she stood behind him and leaned against his back, kissing his shoulder tenderly.
“It’s okay, baby,” Tim reassured her, rubbing his hands over hers as she held him so tightly.
“I see you’re still hanging around that Markham girl,” Jenkins Hughes sneered, looking at Lainey with disgust. “She your whore, son?”
Tim lunged for his father, grabbing his shirt and fisting his hands tightly in the material as he pushed him back against the front door of the diner. “You will not talk about Lainey like that ever again, old man,” he warned him, his eyes taking on a hard edge that showed just how serious he was. “I will rip your throat out if you ever speak about her like that again.”
Spence pulled Lainey behind him, stepped up behind Tim and touched his shoulder lightly, pulling him gently but firmly until Tim released his hold on his father and took a step back. Spence could feel the anger rolling through Tim and k
new that he had to be the calming influence to help him.
“Do us all a favor, Mr. Hughes,” Spence said softly, his voice cold and firm as he eased his body between Tim and his father. “Stay away from Tim. Stay away from Lainey. And stay away from the McKade Ranch.”
“I don’t think so, McKade,” Jenkins sneered. “I’ll see my boy whenever I damn well want to.”
“Wrong, Mr. Hughes,” Spence stopped him. “Tim is the only one who will make that choice. And I’m going to tell you something else, Hughes. Whatever Tim decides is something I’ll be behind him one hundred percent to see that what he wants is what he gets.”
“Don’t get so high and mighty with me. My boy is a Hughes, not a McKade. He’s my son. He’s no better than anyone else, and he’s probably a darn sight worse. He’s always been worthless.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Hughes,” Spence told him calmly. “Tim is, and always has been, a man you should have been proud of.”
Jenkins Hughes sneered at Tim, his brown eyes dull and cold. “I’ve always told his ma he was a disappointment as a son,” he said finally.
“I stopped being your son the day you hurt Lainey and Spence with your damn belt,” Tim told him, grabbing for his shirt once again and shaking him firmly. “Mr. and Mrs. McKade showed me how a son is supposed to be treated.”
“Your mother and I raised you to know the importance of family,” Jenkins told him, his face mottled with anger. “You owe me.”
“You raised me with abuse and disrespect,” Tim told him, fury in his voice. “I owe you nothing. I’m not wasting any more of my time talking to you or helping you. Go. Away.”
Spence tugged at Tim’s shoulder, successfully pulling Tim away from his father but knowing he could only do so because Tim allowed it. He felt Lainey searching for his hand and offered it to her, smiling softly when he felt her fingers close around his and saw that she reached for Tim’s hand and did the same. The connection he felt to Tim as she bridged their emotions was strong. He could feel the love she had for the both of them and hoped it helped to calm Tim down.
“You’ve missed out on a lifetime of possibilities with your son, Mr. Hughes,” Spence told the older man calmly, hoping Tim’s father would understand how much he had lost by not giving his time or his affection to his son. “He may not be a McKade by name, but Tim is a McKade by heart. My parents took him in and appreciated the man that he is. No man should ever think that he’s not wanted or cared about by his parents, Mr. Hughes. You’ve made a big mistake by not valuing your son.”
“There’s nothing to value,” Hughes muttered.
“You’re the worst father ever,” Lainey told him angrily, pushing between her two men so she could stand strong before Tim’s father. “I don’t know how Timmy turned out so wonderful with you in his life. He’s a good person and a wonderful friend despite how you raised him. And you know what, Mr. Hughes? He’s going to be a wonderful father who will love his children and support them and guide them without hesitation or judgment. Tim is a gift to us.”
“Girl, you are nothing,” Hughes told her angrily.
“No, old man,” Tim stopped him. “You are nothing. Get out of here and don’t bother coming anywhere near me or Lainey or any of the McKade family ever again. I hold no loyalty to you and won’t hesitate to call the sheriff and have him haul your ass to jail for harassment and any other charge I can think of to keep you away from them.”
Jenkins Hughes stepped back, his dark eyes narrowing in anger. “Don’t threaten me, boy.”
“It’s not a threat. It’s a promise. Get. Out.”
“This isn’t over, Timothy,” Jenkins warned him, turning and pushing open the diner door and stepping outside.
When the door shut behind him, both men turned and pressed Lainey between them. The love that she had for them filled their hearts and settled deep within their souls.
“Don’t you dare take any of what he said as fact, Timmy,” she warned him as she hugged him tightly. “You just listen to what Spence and I say. That’s all that’s important.”
Tim looked over the top of Lainey’s head and smiled at Spence, winking. “You’re right, baby. The only opinions I care about are yours and Spence’s.”
“Good. Let me grab my things and let’s go home,” she said as she pulled away from him and turned to walk back to the counter.
“Are you okay, Tim?” Spence asked him softly, reaching out and touching his forearm lightly.
“I’m great.”
Spence chuckled as he saw the happiness on Tim’s face. “How the hell is that possible? Why are you so happy?”
“Spence, Lainey just said I’m going to be a terrific father. What could be more important than that? Especially now?”
Chapter 20
Lainey walked into the kitchen of their home, turning to face her two men as they followed her inside. She wished she hadn’t had to drive Spence’s truck home. She needed to be with them on the trip from town. The ache she felt in her chest at being separated from them was aggravated by the fact that she needed to reassure Tim that he was valued and loved. She was also concerned about what she had said to Tim. She hadn’t meant to slight Spence, but it worried her that she had.
She rubbed her palms nervously over her thighs, the soft material of her jeans soothing her slightly. She watched as both men walked toward her, stopping just short of touching her. She saw the confusion and worry on their faces and knew she had to make things right.
“Lainey, is something wrong?” Spence asked her, taking off his cowboy hat and placing it on the kitchen table.
“Yes,” Lainey answered softly. “I owe you an apology, Spence. I didn’t mean to slight you.”
Spence’s striking blue eyes clouded over with confusion. “How did you slight me, sweetheart?”
“I said that Tim was going to be a good father. I didn’t say that you were going to be one, too.” She looked up at him with sadness in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Spence. I really do think you’re going to be a wonderful father, too.”
“Oh, darlin’,” Spence said softly as he stepped toward her and enveloped her within his arms. “I know you feel that way.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, Lainey. I do. You shouldn’t be so worried about what you said,” he told her gently. “You were defending Tim. What you said was great—just what Tim and I both needed to hear.”
“But, I didn’t say it about you, Spence. And I really do feel that way.”
Spence smiled down at her, reaching up to touch her cheek gently with the back of his knuckles. “Lainey, girl. I know. Please don’t be so upset about something that isn’t a problem. You need to calm down. It’s not good for you to be upset.”
Tim stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her back. “You have to accept that Spence and I aren’t competing for your love, Lainey,” he told her very seriously. “We know you love us.”
“I really do,” Lainey said, her blue eyes wide as she looked up at him.
“We know, darlin’,” Spence told her, laughing softly.
“Do you think either Spence or I loves you more?” Tim asked her gently.
“No.” Lainey’s answer was immediate and firm. “At least, I hope you don’t. I want us all to be equal in our relationship.”
“Good, because that’s what we want, too,” Tim told her. “Now you need to not worry so much. After dinner, Spence and I have something planned to help you relax.”
“Does it involve us being naked?” Lainey teased, winking and smiling when both men’s leers became lecherous. “Oh, I love the looks you’re giving me.”
“Don’t tease, Lainey,” Spence warned her. “We won’t be able to control ourselves if you do.”
“Who said I want you to control yourselves?” Lainey asked innocently.
Tim turned her away from them and spanked her butt lightly as he pushed her toward the refrigerator. “Get out the fixin’s for a nice salad, honey, while Spence and I fire up
the grill. You’ll need to keep up your strength.”
“Why? Do you have sexy plans for us tonight?” Lainey asked, laughing.
“Baby, you’re playing with fire,” Spence warned her.
Lainey pulled open the refrigerator door then turned back to face both men. She was serious in an instant.
“I love you both very much. You know that, right?” she asked them softly.
“We know it without a doubt, honey,” Tim answered for the both of them. “Now get moving. We need to get you fed.”
Lainey turned back to the open refrigerator and reached in to retrieve the lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes. She felt her men’s hands caress her backside gently before they turned and left the kitchen. A thrill of excitement raced through her body at their touch. She was certainly going to love her life with them. Even something as mundane as making dinner was exciting.
How cool was that?
* * * *
“That was absolutely delicious,” Lainey said happily, leaning back from the table and rubbing her belly in appreciation. “You guys sure grill a mean steak. Thank you.”
Tim’s eyes zeroed in on Lainey’s hands as she rubbed her belly and smiled as he thought about her touching their baby without even realizing it. He looked at Spence and saw his best friend was looking at Lainey’s hands too. Tim winked at him when he looked up and caught his gaze. It was awesome sharing the secret of their baby with Lainey.
“How about some more fruit, kitten?” Spence asked, lifting the plate of watermelon and offering it to her.
“If I eat another bite I’m going to burst,” Lainey told him, laughing. “I may have to unbutton my jeans.”
Spence was on his knees before her in a heartbeat. Leaning forward, he lifted her shirt and kissed her belly. Lainey’s giggles made him smile against her warm skin.
“Hello, baby,” Spence whispered so softly neither Lainey nor Tim could hear him, but he knew Tim had to understand exactly what he was doing as he said a silent prayer of blessing that the Great Spirit would watch over their growing child.
Claiming Lainey [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 24
