by Kate Steele
Gabriel was setting cartons out on the counter, but stopped and took a stance with Dillon and Layne. He slipped his arms around both of them. “Oh, I haven’t been replaced, Marissa.”
Layne could see understanding fill Marissa’s eyes and she became the target of an intense look filled with contempt. “All three of you? How democratic. You must get quite a bit of exercise, dear. Or do you just watch while Dillon and Gabriel perform for you?”
Layne flushed, but there was no need for her to say a word.
“What we do in the privacy of our bedroom is none of your business, Marissa. I’ll thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head,” Dillon snapped at her.
Marissa looked ready to argue but seemed to think better of it. “Of course, darling, that was excessively rude of me. Please accept my apology… I’m sorry, I don’t believe we were introduced.”
“Layne.”
“Um, yes, Layne. How very interesting to meet you. I’m sorry we won’t have time to become acquainted, but I must be going. Dillon, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Before anyone could say anything, Marissa swept out of the room and disappeared through the back door. They stood silently until they heard the sound of her car engine start. A three-way sigh of relief sounded and they looked at each other, smiles appearing on their faces.
“I feel as though a tornado just passed through,” Gabriel commented.
“At least you were lucky enough to only feel the outer winds. I got sucked into the eye and spat out again,” Dillon remarked. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
Gabriel gave him an intense look. “You are going to explain what she’s doing here, aren’t you?”
Dillon grinned and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Yes, dear, simmer down.”
Layne couldn’t help but chuckle as she helped gather the food and carry it to the table.
“Don’t know what you’re laughing at,” Gabriel groused. “This affects you too, you know.”
“Does it?” Layne asked seriously.
Dillon and Gabriel both stopped dead in their tracks, shooting Layne looks of surprise. They both began speaking at once.
“Where did that come from?” Gabriel asked.
“Have I missed something important?” Dillon growled. He didn’t give Layne time to answer. “I thought that Gabriel and I made it abundantly clear how we feel about you.” His face was a study in growing anger, cheeks flushed and eyes glittering. “Tonight we were going to ask you to move in with us, but I guess we made assumptions that weren’t there. Like the fact that you love us as much as we love you!” Dillon turned and stalked out of the room. The sound of the bedroom door slamming made Layne and Gabriel jump.
Layne’s eyes were wide with shock when Gabriel met her gaze.
“Is he right, Layne? Have we assumed too much?”
“No,” she answered immediately, her voice shaky. “I was just afraid that maybe I was the one who was hoping for too much. You and Dillon love each other. I’m always afraid I’ll interfere with that.”
“Well, now you know that’s not true,” Gabriel replied with some asperity. “Let me go talk to Dillon and see if I can get him back out here.”
He left her standing alone in the living room. She heard the door open and the murmur of voices. Dillon still sounded angry. Layne felt as though a hand was squeezing her heart. With tears filling her eyes, she walked through the kitchen and out the back door.
Wanting nothing more than to find someplace to hide, she headed for the beach and her special brooding spot. Head down, she watched her feet move and the cracks in the sidewalk pass beneath them. She wiped away tears as she walked, her mind paralyzed with grief. She hated confrontations, and knowing she’d hurt and angered both Dillon and Gabriel made her feel sick.
Suddenly, in the distance, she heard a male voice yell her name. Without thinking, she took off at a run. “Layne, stop!” The imperative command sent a shaft of pure, unreasoning panic though her. She redoubled her efforts, but was losing ground fast. Hearing heavy footfalls behind her, Layne gasped and tried to lengthen her stride. It helped for a moment, until the toe of her shoe caught on an uneven spot in the pavement. She screamed and pitched forward, her hands outstretched. Her palms and knees connected with the sidewalk as she fell.
“Oh god, Laynie! Baby, are you all right?” Tender, gentle hands turned her and her shocked gaze met the panicked concern in Dillon’s eyes.
Gabriel came running up and knelt beside them. “Are you all right? Why the hell were you running from us?”
The anger in Gabriel’s voice pushed her over the edge and she began crying harder.
“Oh shit. Laynie, baby, don’t cry. I’m sorry I yelled, but you scared me,” Gabriel apologized.
“This is a fucked-up mess,” Dillon commented. He stood and pulled Layne up with him, then swung her up in his arms. “We’re going home to sort all this out.”
Once they’d arrived home, the first order of business was to assess the damage to Layne. Once they got her knees and hands cleaned, it wasn’t as bad as they’d feared. Scraped skin and bruises. Layne suffered silently while Gabriel poured hydrogen peroxide on her injuries then applied a fragrant eucalyptus salve and bandages.
Seated on the sofa, Dillon held Layne in his lap and watched silently while Gabriel worked. When he finished, Gabriel sat down, lifted Layne’s legs and scooted closer to the two of them, draping Layne’s legs across his lap. He sighed. “Let’s talk.”
“Me first,” Dillon said. He sat silently for a moment, gathering his thoughts, then tightened his arms around Layne. “I owe you an apology. Actually two apologies. First of all, I shouldn’t have gotten angry with you when you expressed your doubts earlier. Marissa’s appearance was unexpected, unsettling and unwelcome. I was taking my frustration out on you. And second, I guess it’s true what they say about men not talking about their feelings. I’ve never said the words. I guess I always believed the saying about actions speaking louder than words. I should have known better, especially when dealing with a woman,” he teased.
“Hey,” Layne piped up, slightly offended.
“I’m kidding,” Dillon soothed. “What I’m trying to say is, I love you, Laynie.”
Tears filled Layne’s eyes. “I love you too,” she admitted softly.
“Can I get in on this?” Gabriel asked tentatively, drawing her gaze to him.
Layne leaned forward and reached for the hand he offered. “If you want to, Gabriel.”
“Oh, I want to. I want to tell you that I love you.”
Eyes bright, Layne’s smile lit up the room. “I love you too. I love you both so much.”
Dillon laughed out loud while Gabriel smiled, a slight flush of embarrassment coloring his cheeks. “Well, thank god we’ve cleared that up. Can we eat now? I’m starving.” He held up his hand to stave off any protests. “And while we eat I’ll explain what Marissa was doing here.”
Satisfied, they all went into the kitchen. After vetoing the idea of eating the now-cold Chinese food, they settled for what Dillon called cardboard pizza. “Actually, this kind of frozen pizza isn’t bad,” he admitted as he slid the pan into the oven.
Gabriel and Layne assembled salad fixings and they ate it as the pizza cooked. In between bites, Dillon, as promised, shared Marissa’s news with them.
“My grandmother wants to see me.”
“That’s unexpected,” Gabriel commented.
“Apparently she’s ill, and according to Marissa, she’s had a change of heart.” Seeing Layne’s look of puzzlement, he explained. “My parents divorced when I was seven. Neither one of them wanted to take time out from their busy social calendars to raise their only son, so they let me go live with my grandmother. She was more of a parent to me than either one of them ever was.”
Layne reached for his hand and squeezed it in comfort. “I’m sorry.”
Dillon squeezed hers in return. “It’s okay. In fact, it turned out pretty good. I loved living with my grandmothe
r. She supported me in everything, until Gabriel and I fell in love. Then she gave me an ultimatum. Stop all contact with Gabriel, go back to Marissa and get married or she’d take me out of her will.” Dillon smiled at Gabriel and reached for his hand. “You can see that I went with what was most important.”
Gabriel clasped Dillon’s hand in his, love clearly showing in his eyes for the man who’d left everything behind for the sake of their relationship. Layne beamed at both of them, loving the way they openly showed their affection for each other. It filled her with warmth to know she was now included in this partnership.
Dillon released their hands and rose from the table to check the pizza. He removed it from the oven, slicing it up. “Anyway, Grandmother wants to see me. She sent Marissa to escort me home if I say yes. She’s got tickets on a flight that leaves at seven a.m. tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? She’s not wasting any time, is she?” Gabriel asked.
Dillon put slices of pizza on their plates then returned to the table. “No, I guess she’s not.”
“Are you going?” Layne asked softly.
“Well, I wanted to talk to both of you first before I made that decision,” he said, looking from Layne to Gabriel. “If you don’t have any strong objections, I’d like to go. Even if it means dodging Marissa’s overtures. Marissa told me that she’s willing to overlook my indiscretions and take me back. It’s interesting how money has a way of fixing things. Even things I don’t want fixed,” he assured them. “It hurt to part from Grandmother the way I did, and I still love the old bat. I’d like to see her again, especially if she’s ill. Who knows, this might be my last chance to make peace with her.”
Gabriel nodded. “I think you should go,” he said.
“So do I,” Layne echoed.
Dillon smiled at both of them, his eyes growing moist. “I love you both, very much.”
“We know,” Gabriel said, returning his smile.
They dug in and finished their meal. After cleaning up the kitchen, they decided to watch a movie, then go to bed. There was no lovemaking that night. For the first time since they began sharing a bed, the three of them just cuddled together, talking quietly about this and that until they all fell asleep, holding each other.
* * * * *
The next morning, they said their goodbyes while Marissa waited impatiently in her car. Dillon kissed first Layne then Gabriel. “You two take care of each other while I’m gone. Call me tonight on my cell,” he ordered. He stood and looked at them both silently for a moment as though memorizing their faces.
“We will,” Gabriel promised. “It’s only for two days, you know,” he reminded his lover softly. “Now get going before the wicked bitch of the east starts yapping at us.”
Dillon grinned and kissed them both again. He got into the car and they watched him leave, waving as Marissa drove him away.
Layne and Gabriel both went to work. They met later for lunch and after work started moving some of Layne’s things into the apartment. That evening they talked to Dillon on the phone for at least an hour.
“I gotta tell you, I was surprised as hell with the change in Grandmother.
She’s been doing quite a bit of talking with the priest of the Episcopal church she attends. It seems he’s really liberal in his views on homosexuality. She’s been reading books too. Apparently it was a question of having a preconceived prejudice without really knowing what she was prejudiced about. Like having a fear of the unknown, you know?” Dillon explained over the phone. “At any rate, things are going really well. She wants me to come back and to bring both of you with me.”
“Both of us!” Layne exclaimed from where she listened on the extension. “You told her about me? About the three of us?”
“Yeah I did, Layne. I’m not holding anything back. She was a little shocked at first, but then she said maybe she’d finally get some great-grandchildren.”
Layne flushed scarlet as Gabriel hooted with laughter. “I don’t think she was expecting that,” Gabriel explained to Dillon as Layne remained silent.
“Well, that’s something we’ll all need to talk about eventually,” Dillon replied softly.
They finished their conversation with promises to talk again the next night. Layne and Gabriel eventually retreated to bed, but with Dillon missing, neither one felt particularly amorous, so they merely settled in and went to sleep.
Another day unfolded. Gabriel and Layne followed their routine of the previous day, all the while looking forward to calling Dillon again that evening. After supper they settled in with the phones and Gabriel dialed the number. After the second ring, it was picked up. Instead of Dillon’s voice, there was a woman on the other end.
“Hello?”
Gabriel halted in shock for a second, then said, “I’m sorry I was trying to reach Dillon Satterfield. I must have dialed the wrong number.”
Before he could hang up, the woman spoke again. “Gabriel, it’s Marissa. You didn’t dial the wrong number. I just picked up the phone before it woke Dillon. We’ve been sleeping. It’s been a very busy day. And quite a full evening, if you know what I mean.”
Layne had engaged her phone as well and was listening, her brows drawn together.
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
“Really, Gabriel. Do I have to draw you a picture? Dillon and I are in bed. Together. I think your imagination can supply the rest.”
“Let me speak to Dillon,” Gabriel replied evenly.
“As I said, he’s sleeping. The poor dear outdid himself. But then, you know how insatiable he can be. Goodbye, Gabriel.”
Gabriel and Layne looked at each other in shock as they listened to the insistent buzz of the dial tone.
Gabriel put the phone down. “I don’t believe it,” he stated flatly. “Dillon loves us. He wouldn’t do that to us.”
Layne put her phone down as well and took Gabriel’s hand, holding on tightly. “He wouldn’t do that to us. I know he wouldn’t. Aunt Sylvie says that as a Taurus, Dillon has a loyal streak a mile wide. I never used to believe in those things, but there’s no denying how much they point out a person’s character traits. But more than that, I believe in Dillon.”
Gabriel took a deep breath. “Then we’re agreed. I don’t know how Marissa got Dillon’s phone or how she’s keeping him from calling us, for that matter, but Dillon will be home tomorrow. If he’s not on that plane, you and I are going to go rescue him!”
* * * * *
Dillon was at the airport getting ready to board his plane when his cell phone rang. “At last,” he muttered to himself. He was concerned that Gabriel and Layne hadn’t called the night before. He didn’t remember much of anything after dinner the evening before and he’d slept so soundly he’d gotten up late, barely making his flight. Once he got settled on the plane he’d planned to call them, but was glad they were saving him the trouble. “Hello?”
“Hello, lover.”
Dillon’s lip curled. “What do you want, Marissa? I’m about to board.”
“Oh, I know. I just wanted to tell you not to expect too warm a welcome when you get home.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” A sliver of unease shot down Dillon’s spine. He couldn’t help but wonder if this had anything to do with why Gabriel and Layne hadn’t called him.
“Have you spoken to your little friends lately?”
“They didn’t call last night. Spit it out, Marissa. What do you know about it?”
“Oh, they called. You just weren’t in any condition to answer. Did you enjoy the restful night’s sleep you had?”
Shock went through Dillon as he remembered how groggy he had been when he woke to the alarm clock’s shrill ring this morning. “What did you do?”
“I just gave you a little boost into the land of slumber, darling. You looked like you could use an undisturbed night’s sleep. Of course, when your phone rang, I answered it for you.”
Dillon’s temper began to boil. “And let me gue
ss. You intimated that we were together. Have I got that right?”
Marissa laughed. “You always were clever, Dillon So intelligent. I’ll tell you what. When your friends kick you out for your infidelity, come home. I’ll welcome you with open arms.”
“Go to hell,” Dillon growled and hung up.
After boarding, he tried to call home, but there was no answer. He was left to stew for the entire trip about what might be going through Layne and Gabriel’s minds. He wondered if they’d be waiting for him with open arms or clippers to trim his balls. Grimacing at that unappealing picture, he asked the stewardess for aspirin the next time she passed down the aisle.
At the airport, Dillon was surprised to find Sylvie waiting for him. “How’s your grandmother, dear?” Sylvie asked with a smile.
“Fine, Sylvie, just fine. She’s actually on the mend. Not to be rude, but what are you doing here? I was expecting Layne or Gabriel.”
“They said they had something very important to take care of and called to ask if I could spare the time to pick you up. Well, of course I said yes. It’s such a beautiful day. I was longing for a break, so I left Matilda in charge at the store and here I am. Are you ready?”
Dillon was listening with half an ear as different scenarios passed through his head. “What? Oh yeah, I’m ready.” Once in the car and underway, he questioned Sylvie again. “So you haven’t actually seen Layne or Gabriel today?”
“No, I haven’t. Is something wrong, Dillon?”
“I hope not,” he muttered then assured her that everything was fine.
It was only a forty-five minute drive from the airport, but Dillon was chaffing at the bit by the time Sylvie dropped him off. Before she drove away, Sylvie looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. “You know, Dillon, Venus is a very powerful planet when it comes to affairs of the heart. She forms a very strong connection between he who is ruled by her, one who is ruled by the Moon and one who is ruled by Jupiter and Neptune. Don’t look so forlorn.” She winked and drove away.
Frowning, yet strangely comforted, Dillon placed his foot on the first step. From the bottom of the stairs, he looked up at the back door, hoping it would open, and that Gabriel and Layne would come out to welcome him. It remained stubbornly closed.
