by Marla Monroe
“Let’s go squirt,” Mason said with a grin. “This is going to be awesome.”
Krissy took Sissy’s hand and smiled back at her parents over her shoulder before skipping along between her brother and Sissy. Brent looked over at his sister and smiled at the moisture in her eyes. Her smile was just as big as her daughter’s had been.
As soon as the hay ride got started, Brent and Kent sandwiched Erica between them, helping her up into their truck while his sister and her husband climbed into the backseat. He didn’t need to be psychic to know that Erica was nervous. Her hand shook before she clasped them tightly in her lap. He and his brother exchanged glances. They’d have to go slow and not push her out in public yet.
The diner wasn’t as crowded as he’d thought it would be. There were a few sets of couples sitting here and there talking and laughing. Evidently the majority of the parents felt comfortable letting their children come and go to the ride alone. In a small town, there probably wasn’t a lot of crime.
They ordered coffee, hot chocolate, and apple pie and spent the next hour and a half just talking about everything and anything. Erica seemed to enjoy visiting with Jeni and appeared to be calmer than she had been earlier. Of course he and his brother weren’t hanging all over her or pushing into her space either. Still, it was a start. He’d take whatever he could get at this point. Though they had all the time in the world to convince her to be with them, neither of them had a lot of patience.
Someone stopped by the table just before they were going to get ready to leave. He was an older gentleman with graying hair and a slight receding hairline. When he cleared his throat to get their attention, Erica looked up and flinched just the slightest bit.
“Reverend Thomas. How are you doing?” she asked. “May I introduce you to Brent and Kent Stone? They bought the ranch outside of town that was the Clark’s. This is Jeni and Heath Richards. Jeni is Brent and Kent’s sister.”
“It’s good to meet you all. I just wanted to stop by to see why you weren’t manning the hay ride this year. The town expects you to make sure it goes as planned since you’re the event planner for them,” he said, frowning as if he didn’t approve of her drinking hot chocolate with friends.
“Oh, I had an accident decorating for the event and bruised my ribs. I thought it best if I got someone to take my place who could move around easy if there was a problem. Sarah is making sure everything runs smoothly for me,” she said a bit stiffly.
Brent squeezed her shoulder before returning his arm to where it had been along the back of the bench seat. He noticed that Kent held her hand in his. Erica appeared oblivious to their touch as she faced what could only be a threat to her by the way her face had changed when the man had walked up. Her entire body felt stiff next to him. There was history between them, and he wanted to know what it was.
“You should be more careful. I’m sure you know the town wouldn’t be able to handle any expenses if you are clumsy and get hurt,” the man said, looking down his nose at her.
Brent was so close to saying something he shouldn’t that he had to work to keep his breathing under control. The asshole needed to be taught some manners. It was obvious he didn’t like Erica for some reason. He couldn’t imagine why. She was a wonderful person. Maybe she didn’t go to his church. It shouldn’t piss him off, but something had definitely placed a burr on his ass.
“Just remember that your reputation is important to maintain your business with the town. I wouldn’t want them to change their minds about using your services in the future all because of some indiscretion on your part, Erica. You know how small town gossip can be when they have something juicy to talk about.” He nodded at them and walked away.
Brent looked over to see Erica’s mouth open, but she quickly closed it when she realized they were looking at her. The expression on her face before she recovered was one of outrage that quickly bled into worry and fear. The bastard had essentially warned her away from them by threatening her livelihood. How he’d picked up on their combined interest in her didn’t bother him nearly as much as the concern and pain that they might have lost her before they’d even had a chance to try.
Chapter Ten
Erica closed the door and locked it as Brent, Kent, Jeni, and Heath backed out of her drive. How she’d managed to hold it all together until they left, she had no idea. Even as she’d closed the door, her body had begun to shake. It had been a long time since she’d felt this shaken. What was she going to do?
The sounds of the girls exploring Sissy’s room helped calm her. She busied herself with checking all the doors and windows then checked on Aaron and Ricky. They were playing a card game and talking about the hayride. They barely looked up when she looked in.
She found Sissy showing Krissy her dolls and the many different clothes she liked to dress them in. Krissy seemed completely at ease there, but Erica had no illusions on that. She knew that Sissy had worked some kind of magic that had drawn the little girl out of her shell. It warmed her soul to see the child grinning and whispering to her daughter. No child should have to go through what she had and have it change their life so terribly. Maybe this little breathing room the Thanksgiving trip had provided would help her to grow past it.
When she settled at the kitchen table to review her to do lists for the next week, her cell phone startled her when it rang. Erica frowned and pulled it out of her pocket and noticed it was Kent’s number. Had they forgotten something for Krissy?
“Hello?”
“Hi Erica. Brent and I wanted say thank you for spending time with us and Jeni and Heath. I know she was nervous leaving Krissy with you, but it wasn’t you. She’s just really protective of the child and letting go was hard,” Kent told her.
“I know. It didn’t bother me at all to visit with them and have them over to see Krissy settled. Tell Jeni that she and my daughter are playing dolls and giggling. I just checked on them.”
“I will. I wanted to be sure you were okay,” he said.
Erica could hear the concern in his voice and knew he’d picked up on her emotions after the preacher had given her that silent warning. No doubt they felt that she would steer clear of them now, and that was exactly what she had planned to do, but hearing his voice and the obvious worry in it had her second guessing her decision.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry the good reverend chose to deliver his warning with your family there. He’s never liked me and takes every opportunity to show it.” Erica sighed, wishing things could be different.
“Why doesn’t he like you? What could you have possibly done to create that amount of gall he was spewing?” he asked.
“It’s a long story, but to make it short, my ex-husband was his nephew. He blames me for getting pregnant and forcing him to marry me. I didn’t force him. In fact, I begged my parents and his not to make us get married. Back then, and in a small town like Pleasant Grove, we really didn’t have a choice.” She drew in a breath and continued. “He also blames me for Chuck leaving and getting a divorce. He left town and never came back. It broke his mother’s heart and he blames me for her depression.”
“None of that is all your fault. Getting pregnant wasn’t wise, but all of us make mistakes, especially at that age. The divorce wasn’t your fault either. From what I understand, he just got tired of shouldering his responsibilities and walked away. What kind of father does that? What kind of father never bothers to check on his children or provide for them?” Kent asked.
She could hear the exasperation in his voice. It warmed her to know he was outraged on her behalf and that he didn’t look down on her for getting pregnant at such a young age. She’d made mistakes, but she hoped she was making up for them now.
“The really sad part about all of it was that we used condoms. We shouldn’t have been sexually active at that age, but we thought we were in love and believed we were being adult about it by using them,” she said, then huffed out a breath. “Anyway, that’s all water under the bridge as far as I�
��m concerned. Reverend Thomas likes to keep things fresh though and won’t let it go.”
“What about the threat he made? Would he stir up gossip to get back at you?” Kent asked.
She imagined he was holding his breath to hear her reply. Erica hated to answer him because it would tell him that she was vulnerable to the bastard.
“Yes,” she sighed. “He would. He’s done it before, but most people know the history and take it all with a grain of salt.”
“But not all of them?” he asked.
“No. Not all of them. Some chose to believe the worst of people because it makes them feel better about themselves. I try to ignore them and live my life like I want to,” she said.
“Does that mean you’ll still consider letting us take you and the kids out sometime?” Kent asked quietly.
“It means I’ll think about it,” she said after a few seconds. “There’s more to consider outside of gossip.”
“The children. I understand.”
“It’s late and I still need to go over some paperwork before I herd the kids into bed. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay. Don’t dwell on what that asshole said and get some sleep. We’ll call tomorrow to see how Krissy is doing and when you may want her parents to pick her up,” Kent said.
“Okay. Good night, Kent,” she said then ended the call and set the phone on the table.
She stared at it for a long time before she finally managed to turn her attention back to her notes. If she didn’t get her head back into the game, the reverend wouldn’t have to spread rumors for her to lose her clients. They’d stop using her because of her own foolish mistakes.
An hour later, she stood up and stretched, wincing when she forgot about her sore ribs. It was time for the kids to call it a night. They’d had a lot of excitement and no doubt they’d whine about it, but would fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.
The boys did whine but only a little bit. They quickly cleaned up their cards and Aaron headed to the bathroom first. When she checked on the girls, they were already in the process of cleaning up.
“Aaron’s in the bathroom, why don’t you two use mine to bathe and get ready for bed?” she asked.
“Okay, mom,” Sissy said. “Come on, Krissy. We can use Mom’s bathroom. It’s neat. There’s two sinks so we can both have one.”
The little girl’s eyes lit up. “Really?” she asked.
Sissy nodded and picked up her bath basket she used for her toothbrush, toothpaste, and shampoo. She didn’t like her things staying in the bathroom with the boys being able to use it. She took the other girl’s hand and the two of them walked out of the bedroom and down the hall to Erica’s room.
Once they had finished in her bathroom, Erica took a quick shower and climbed into bed in hopes she’d fall asleep quickly. Instead, she thought about how attracted to the twins she was. She’d only known them a matter of weeks but already her body responded to the sound of their voices and those sexy looks they gave her.
I’m in so much trouble. I want them—both of them. It’s insane. That’s a ménage relationship, and it’s just not done.
But tell that to her aching clit seconds after she talks to them or her sopping wet pussy seeing that look they gave her like they could eat her up. What woman wouldn’t want what they offered? Still, it would alienate a lot of people and would probably ruin her business. If she didn’t have the children to think about, Erica was almost positive she’d say to hell with what they thought and go for it.
She squirmed beneath the covers, wishing she didn’t have company in the house as young as Krissy was. She just didn’t feel right masturbating with the young child in the next room. It wasn’t that she tended to be loud or anything. Maybe if she was really quiet she could giver herself a quick easy one to soothe the ache between her legs.
Erica sucked her fingers into her mouth, twirling her tongue around them then withdrew them and lifted the waistband of her underwear so she could slip the wet digits down to her pussy. As soon as her fingers parted her folds and pulled back to her sensitive clit, Erica had to suppress a moan. It felt so good to stimulate the little nub.
She pictured Brent lying next to her, his fingers pulling and pinching her nipples as he watched her face, taking in every expression. Kent lay between her thighs, his hot breath warming her pussy’s already overheated flesh. Without warning, he thrust two fingers deep into her cunt, rotating them until he found her sweet spot.
It was all it took for her to explode. Erica turned her head and bit into the pillow next to her to keep from moaning out loud. It was one of the fastest and most forceful one she’d ever had. She had no doubt it was due to the very real feeling fantasy she’d had staring the twins. But where did she go from there?
* * * *
“Mom? We’re hungry.” The voice stirred Erica enough that she opened one eye and looked over to see her daughter and Krissy standing next to the bed. Groaning she turned to look at the clock next to the bed and groaned.
I overslept. I haven’t done that in forever.
“I’m getting up, sweetie. Why don’t you and Krissy get dressed and I’ll start breakfast. How about pancakes this morning?” she asked.
“Great! We like pancakes, don’t we Krissy,” she said.
“Like them.” Krissy’s voice was a little louder than a whisper this time.
“Run along while I get dressed, girls.”
Erica watched as they hurried out the door, leaving her alone again. She groaned as she turned on her side to sit up. The pain in her side hadn’t gotten much better. Of course she’d pretty much continued with everything she normally did except for the hayride. She was pretty sure sitting up and moving around some to keep her lungs clear wasn’t the same thing as continue with your daily routine.
With a sigh, she stood up and quickly dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. She’d managed to mix up the batter before everyone made it to the kitchen. Aaron was wide awake as normal but Ricky still had slits for eyes and yawned frequently throughout breakfast. Her oldest son was not a morning person.
They had fun during breakfast, the kids talking about the hayride and who they’d seen. Several of the kids lived part-time with one of their parents outside of Pleasant Grove so it was a time of catch up for them. Even Ricky got into the conversation after two pancakes and a glass of juice. Though Sissy did most of the talking between her and Krissy, the other little girl spoke several times throughout the meal. She noticed that Ricky smiled at her several times, as if seeing her talk was important to him.
“Ricky, would you mind helping me unload a few things out of the trunk? My side still hurts,” she said.
“Sure. I just need to put on my shoes and brush my teeth,” he said as he took his plate to the sink and rinsed it off.
“And your coat,” she reminded him with a smile.
He rolled his eyes but nodded before hurrying down the hall. She helped the rest of them clear the table and her little lady insisted on putting the dishes in the dishwasher after she’d rinsed them. Krissy watched with wide eyes as they worked together cleaning up. She couldn’t help but wonder what the little girl was thinking.
As soon as the kitchen was cleaned up, Sissy and Krissy hurried back to the bedroom. Ricky emerged wearing his coat with a wide grin and waited on her to put hers on.
“It’s just a few boxes of decoration, but I don’t think I could bend over and pick them up,” she said.
“I think Brent and Kent were right. You should go to the doctor and be sure nothing else is wrong. You hit that bench pretty hard,” Ricky said.
She looked at him as she unlocked the trunk. He looked serious without a hint of teasing on his face. Where had this grown up acting teenager come from? It seemed like overnight he’d developed a sense of responsibility.
Ricky picked up on of the boxes and carried into her office then returned to get another one. The third one wasn’t nearly as heavy but was bulky. She’d worried a
bout getting them out once she got home, but remembered that Ricky was big enough to help her with them.
“Thanks, hon. What are you planning to do today?” she asked.
“They guys want to throw the football this afternoon. Most of them are busy with family this morning. We thought we’d go over to the Hill’s since they have a big front yard that isn’t rutted up from grazing or farming,” he said.
“Sounds good. Let me know when you get ready to leave in case I’m gone taking Krissy back. Keep your cell with you,” she reminded him once they were in her office.
“Mom?”
She turned from the boxes to look at him. He sounded so serious it got her attention. As a mom, she latched onto the emotion in that one word immediately.
“Yeah?” she asked trying to keep her expression normal.
“Do you like Brent and Kent? They really seem to like you,” he said.
Erica was glad she was close to her office chair. She sat down with a little more force than she’d realized. That was on question she’d hoped to either not happen or not happen for a long time.
“Yeah, Ricky. I like them. They’re nice guys. I enjoyed planning their Thanksgiving Homecoming. They’ve asked me to help them plan a Christmas party for the town, too.”
“Are you going to do it? That would be awesome!” Ricky said, his original question seemingly forgotten for the moment. “Is it just for adults?”
“No, everyone is invited and there will be another hayride unless it were to snow. Then they are planning on a sleigh ride of sorts.”
Ricky nodded thoughtfully. Then he dug his hands into the pockets of his jeans. She could see the wheels turning in his head as he figured out what he wanted to say or ask next.
“They seem to like kids. They spent a lot of time with Krissy and some of the others. Why don’t they have their own kids?” he asked.
“Yeah. I get the feeling they like them, too. They talked about missing their family because they’d all be very close.” She sighed. “I’m not sure why they don’t have kids of their own. They might not have found the right women for them yet. We talked about how important it is to be sure that you truly love someone before you get serious and consider marriage.”
